What happens if you keep drinking and taking recreational drugs into your 50s?

[FortunesFave]

I'm really curious about it....I'm in my late 40s and gave up all that when I was about 19 or 20. Part of the rave culture I certainly did experiment but got it together and went to Uni late...I've never been very into drinking so only have an occasional glass of champagne or a cider with a pub lunch now.

However it's become clear that a lot of our friends who we've had for years are still doing it and for the past 15 years since kids, DH and I have slowly stopped going to their 'dos' when they get off their faces....we used to go and just drink but they'd all be taking MDMA and coke...all perfectly functional during the week by the way...holding down good careers etc. and we found it uncomfortable.

Lately it's got a bit fake and we don't really fit in any more because we barely drink and they still get off their heads at parties. We have other ways of meeting up with them but then they're talking about this weekend or that weekend where they took whatever...and we don't have that to share...not that we want it but the friendships are running their course.

If, like me, you were born in the 70s you'll know that our parents didn't do this sort of thing into their adulthood....so what's going to happen to Generation X as we age? Will the ones who've never stopped just suddenly die of heart attacks young? It's worrying me a bit as some of my friends I really love...but they're still getting faceless and that can't be good when you're 50 plus!

All the long term partiers I knew died of heart attacks in their 50s. When I was 19 / 20 I used to go to raves and take aaallllll the drugs, but after a certain point you just get sick of the comedown. MDMA and coke speed up your heart rate and older hearts can't cope this this as well as invincible teenage hearts.

I believe all drugs should be legalised anyway, at least then people could make an informed choice about the risks and there would be quality control.

Ooh my dads friends did this and their wives a lot of them died of heart attacks really early on around the late 40s early 50s mark, some had breakdowns and weirdly some had rare cancers once had cancer of the anus no history of it at all I don't think and another fell other hit the back of his head died of a massive heart attack and another was beaten badly then had a stroke that killed him. Quite sad really I know my parents drink every day so I don't really know what to think of that.
My mum is 48/49 my dad will be 51 this year.

My friend who was a heavy coke user dropped dead in mid thirties. Kind of made me rethink and I have stopped now.

If, like me, you were born in the 70s you'll know that our parents didn't do this sort of thing into their adulthood...

I'm a touch younger (Xennial/Oregon Trail) with my parents being on the cusp of Boomers and GenX, and yes there were parents who did this sort of thing well into their own adulthood and into their children's adulthood, and for some of them now nearly into their grandchildren's adulthood.

Yes, some of them die young. I've already had a BIL (born in the early 70s) die in large part to drug-related conditions that caught up with him. Some don't and in there, there are those who are affected more than others. It's like the stories of those who smoked packs a day and made it 90 fine, there are a trail of other people who didn't. It's hard to say, some of it always going to be a gamble of benefits vs risks, though likely involves how consistently people have done this, what they're taking and the strength of it, and other lifestyle factors.

My father and I only talk by email and much of the time, even though he's 'cleaner' now in his 60s, I often struggle to figure out if he wrote them sober or intoxicated. He even admits himself now that he prioritized his friendships and pretty much worked as much as he did for those friends who played hard and now he lives the single life in a condo near friends possibly to facilitate this. He did crash and burn a bit in his 40s, but he's now still working in a high profile job in a major US corporation, so it's obviously not totally scrambled him.

I think there's a lot to be said for the view that drugs are wasted on the young.

I've heard that before, and I think we'll see a large difference between those who've been doing drugs since they were young throughout and those who take it up older which are far rarer talked about.

With reports that Gen Z is doing a lot less drinking and drug taking (and I know from my experience growing up with adults who took drugs, it did give me the feeling of it being an older person thing), I think it would be interesting if there was a cultural shift towards stronger drugs being more a 50+/empty nester sort of thing. With the writing and research on MDMA and microdosing as treatments, I can see the possibility of it even being at health weekends and events.

My BIL died at 55 from lung cancer, but had lots of medical problems exacerbated by chronic drug use and alcoholism. He was a very sick man who looked like a skeleton for years before the cancer, and normalised it by sharing his dealer with his partner and younger (teenage) daughters. His older children (in their early 30s) stayed away from him and kept their children away because he was so unpredictable. It is really sad, because when I first knew him he was in his early 30s, healthy, with a good job and wide social circle.

My MIL went from alcoholism to dementia fairly swiftly and spent her last years confused L, distressed and frequently upset.

Pancreatitis will probably get my BIL eventually.

My other BIL killed himself as a result of alcoholism, drug use and dreadful mental health issues which exacerbated each other.

I know a group of people - some are lawyers, judges, surgeons, all very well-to-do - who still take drugs at big blowout weekends a few times a year. They're all 60 now and healthy as you like... so I think it really depends. I guess they're not doing it overly often though.

They're also all middle class and were born into that - economic status has a very big impact on health outcomes - so I imagine that's helped.

My parents friends are probably in a similar (or slightly older) demographic.

A small number have had heart attacks and strokes but they are in their 60's so hard to say if it directly related or compounded by recreational drug use.

For the most part they are all pretty healthy, but they are all ridiculously wealthy and can afford the best of everything else.

Most have been married for years, have grown up children or none at all as they wanted a certain lifestyle. A lot of them are insufferable knobs but again not sure if that is down to drugs or the fact they inhabit a certain world.

Hi @stressbandit

weirdly some had rare cancers once had cancer of the anus no history of it at all

Look up "plugging" or "booty bumps" if you're interested. I'd guess there's a connection.

A close friend of mine was very much a big drug taker in the 90s and continued until around 5 years ago. She became very mentally unwell a few years ago and has been sectioned twice. She’s now on medication and has really improved but has put her problems down to her drug taking (cocaine, ecstasy and cannabis). We used to share a flat and I was a drinker but never took drugs. She was always smoking cannabis and then at the weekend harder drugs but she never touched alcohol. We’re still close and saw her mental health deteriorate first hand and it was terrifying.

Another of our friends was a big drug taker and was also sectioned a few years ago after having a mental health crisis. He was released, moved abroad and was doing really well but sadly died of a heart attack at 45.

If you are using illegal drugs please stop, campaign for them to become legal then use again. Unless you like to support organised crime and criminal gangs I don't know how you square this with yourself. I know this isn't what the thread is about.

My parents are in their 50s and still party like this. My dad in particular takes a lot of MDMA at parties and stays up all night. He is rough for a few days afterwards and I’ve noticed his memory is shite but he is still pretty healthy and does a manual job. They had me as teens and have been like this all that time (I’m in my 30s now)

@Chopinbaby

My parents are in their 50s and still party like this. My dad in particular takes a lot of MDMA at parties and stays up all night. He is rough for a few days afterwards and I’ve noticed his memory is shite but he is still pretty healthy and does a manual job. They had me as teens and have been like this all that time (I’m in my 30s now)

Yes...it's this sort of thing I'm wondering about really. I'm approaching 50 and some of my friends are already and I'm just wondering how it will affect them into old age. I know as people said, our parents' generation did some drugs too...but not MDMA or the amounts of coke people do now...well, SOME will have hit the coke hard I'm sure but only in well off circles.

If you are using illegal drugs please stop, campaign for them to become legal then use again.

I don't even take drugs anymore and absolutely campaign for them to be legalised. I also take care where my imported food comes from so as to not prop up South American crime cartels. International trade legal or otherwise once here is a thorny web indeed.

There has been a rise in throat and tongue cancers amongst long term drinkers..not alcoholics in the accepted sense but lots of booze over the years can suddenly hit you .

Im 50 and quite a few males from my old friends have died of heart attacks and brain aneurysm.... the women who carry on seem to be quite bloated and have lots of blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol problems...

I, like you stopped all that nonsense back in the early 90,s

Maybe nothing happens. On MN everyone dies horribly but first burdens the NHS. If you hang round others who do the same, you just carry on as you were. I've got friends in their 70s who've been pretty heavy drinkers most of their lives. They're retired and hang out with similar, no dementia or ill health at all.

And some of our parents who did a lot of coke back in 70's 80's, drinking etc
There's been a lot of vascular dementia and or lung cancer amoung them
And are manly all dead in their early 70's

And to some people, nothing much happens. I've got other friends who are smokers and can kick my arse on hikes and they're older than I am as well.

It's not a given you go wretched, die, etc.

Us, born in the 70's are worried about drugs/booze. Our DC's will be writing about obesity.

There will always be something.

Personally, I am horrified by the lack of knowledge about HRT for half the population, that lack of oestrogen causes dementia and oesteoporosis. The biggest killer of women.

Look up a couple of recent Shaun Ryder interviews. His caner lifestyle has not been kind to him.

I used to work in smoking cessation. If you continue smoking past 35 you are storing up problems for the future.

I imagine the same is true for recreational drugs and excess alcohol. That said, regular exercise, a healthy diet, human interaction and having a purpose also matter.

You also become an idiot if you carry on but that is just my view.

Look up a couple of recent Shaun Ryder interviews. His caner lifestyle has not been kind to him.

Mmm - hardly an occasional recreational user though, was he!

I think one looks a bit out of place and past it, doing drugs in their 50s.
Just a bit sad and stupid really.

My friends and I still take drugs (mid-late 40s). We took a lot in our 20s when we were clubbing and raving, less in our 30s when we had babies and small children to contend with and now it's high days and holidays only - festivals, parties, gigs, child free holidays (Ibiza). I don't worry about our health at all - it's once in a blue moon and way less detrimental than booze. I guess as we get into our 50s & 60s it'll drop off even further as it has to date.