Are taking drugs and being a good parent mutually exclusive then?

[wanderlust]

I don't want to get told off lots or start a fight, its just that I (along with most of my friends - parents or not) will take drugs every now and then, but I am aware that the people I know are not necessarily representative of what's really normal or acceptable - so what does everyone really think?

My DD is well dressed, well fed (home cooked vegetarian food), read to every night, has a clean home with lots of books/wooden toys/limited tv watching, very articulate because I talk to her a lot (according to the HV), etc etc.

I do not get off my face when I am responsible for her, in fact I very rarely render myself incapable, and when I do its usually more to do with drink than drugs.

but Kittlyette, prescribed painkillers (and some PCTs to give cannabis as a prescription) lose their effectiveness after a while.

my ex-P's dad suffered from terrible arthritis, and found that his precription painkillers were ineffective, but smoking cannabis gave him some relief. when you're in pain all day , every day, even a few hours relief can make all the difference.

i thin it's very interesting that most people would be ok with going out and getting shitfaced on alcohol, who then think that having a spliff is the worst crime ever.

The idea of taking drugs "recreationally" is one which the meejah has sold to us, probably because they all like to indulge. You might as well talk about "recreational playing in traffic" or "recreational jumping off tall buildings."

Quite apart from anything else, isn't it all a bit embarrassing and studenty? I think that when we become parents we ought to leave these things behind... just as we are no longer likely to go stealing traffic cones, writing embarrassing poetry or staying up until 3am having really deeeeeep (man) conversations about the meaning of life.

I dont drink either.

Ah, but are you sure, UrbanDryad, that we all agree with binge drinking?

And my friend who is in a wheelchair at the age of 35 due to MS finds that cannabis is the only way that he gets relief. Now he is going to die probably within the next five years, you think that he should stick to what is prescribed even if it doesn't work?

x-posts

Well said UD.

yes, Kitty, which is why - if you read my post carefully - you'll see that i said most people who go out and get shitfaced.

most. not all. there's a difference.

ffs.

I'm with you wanderlust - occasionally indulge but only when having night off away from the kids and don't have to be up at unearthly hour the next day. Don't keep it in the house but only because I can ponce off richer child-free friends. Don't think you'll get much support though . As to lying to my kids if they should ask - well yeah I probably could but it will depend on their personalities / level of maturity when they ask. My folks never so much as inhaled anyone else's weed but that didn't stop me experimenting...

ooh, Kitty, think we x-posted there, was the "I don't drink" to me or not. sorry.

arrgh arrgh i knew this day would come - the day when me and UnquietDad are on the same thread!!

perhaps people oculd refer to UnquietDad as UQD??

btw UQD (see what i did there? ) do you drink?

Lol, i was just saying it is very stupid and hypocritical of pissy shit faced binging drunk people to think having a spliff is the worst crime in the world, but I dont like drinking, or drunk people.

Theyre scary! lol

recreational drug use is playing with fire. you sound like a good mum wanderlust. but you take drugs. my ex-h smoked a bit, took some speed (this is many years ago) was 'fine' for years then had a huge breakdown full blown psycotic episodes. its not worth the risk. and it sounds like you feel just a bit guilty...

my well said was for unquiet dad

recreational use - No defintely not. There are other ways to relax or whatever and that also applies to drinking to excess. there is absolutely no need for it, esp if you are responsible for kids. IMO its utterly irresponsible. IME anyone who says they can control it can't.

Drink? In moderation, yes.

I will allow you to go off on the obviously-desired route before shooting that particular argument down in flames.

so none of you drink?? at all?

(i know you don't KL, but you, Joyfulspiki? you don't drink? if you have a glass of wine, then you're obviously an alcoholic. there are better ways to relax, than imbibing drugs)

I don't get drunk either, and neither does dh, and surprise...we don't agree with taking drugs either.

Admittdly I have some champagne about 3 months ago (first drink in about 2 years) so since i was about 19.

I was vomiting the whole next day, I hate it - I really do.

right - alcohol is addictive. ok? i've known many, many people who have been addicted to alcohol (used to work in pubs)

drugs (and that's such a generic term that it's almost meaningless) are also addictive.

but the key thing here, kids, is moderation. i do not believe that an occasional spliff, an occasional glass of wine, a strong cup of coffee makes you a bad parent.

But canabis is illigal.

Vodka, cigs, coffee isn't.

Is that not a factor?

If we're going to talk pain relief, I have to say that - like many sufferers of chronic pain complaints - dh finds cannabis miles more effective than conventional pain killers, and by this I mean morphine and methadone. In this respect I say "provide a prescribable alternative and we're there. If you can't, tough". None of the pain specialists he's ever seen have been the slightest bit surprised by his use of cannabis.

All I'd ask is that people with no experience of long term pain syndromes not attempt to offer opinions about them. You can have no idea what it is like, either as a sufferer or as a carer of a sufferer. And I hope you never do, because it's godawful.