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I am a heroin user. I do not have a drug problem

m.nautil.us

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Re: I am a heroin user. I do not have a drug problem

#21

Post by ddelt »

I wish I’d see more discussion and analysis like this over the recreational use of anabolic steroids (read: not for professional sports or contests, but rather for physical appearance).

You want to talk about some shit that gets demonized for no reason? Testosterone replacement therapy is legal, but if you decide that you want to use an extra 100mg, suddenly it’s a criminal offense and you are a bad person. For what? Wanting to have bigger biceps or train harder in the gym? What is the alternative? Drink alcohol which has a measurable death rate per year, or smoke some legal cigarettes and second hand smoke poison countless people?

Re: I am a heroin user. I do not have a drug problem

#23

Post by Babiker »

> Hart reports that more than 70 percent of drug users—whether they use alcohol, cocaine, prescription medications, or heroin—do not meet the health criteria for drug addiction.

I don't think it's about health criteria. It's about whether you want to add yet another item to things you depend on just to feel normal.

Also, the need is a symptom of a real issue that needs to be addressed instead of just numbed and berried i.e., unhappy at a job or a situation etc that needs to be addressed.

Re: I am a heroin user. I do not have a drug problem

#24

Post by arsome »

kenniskrag wrote: post #4
lqet wrote: post #2

> One of the major reasons people can’t overcome it is because we’re not very good at treating addiction in this country. I am often wondering about how addiction "feels". I don't consider myself being addicted to anything, and always wonder how an addiction actually manifests itself. Is it a pain? Is it comparable to being extremely hungry or thirsty? Slightly related: a few years ago, I overheard a conversation bet…

do you drink coffee or soft drinks? Try not to drink them for 2 weeks.

I've done this several times, I have a headache for 24-48 hours then pretty much back to normal. Tolerance takes longer to reset obviously and I'm sure I get more energetic in subtle ways I'm unaware of in there... but I don't think it's remotely comparable to a serious addiction, from what I've read tobacco is probably the most widely accepted thing able to cause that level of addiction.

Re: I am a heroin user. I do not have a drug problem

#25

Post by yladiz »

> Hart strives to “present a more realistic image of the typical drug user: a responsible professional who happens to use drugs in his pursuit of happiness.”

I think this is likely wrong. I guess it partly depends on the definition of a "drug user" (like, does it include alcohol drinkers) but I would be very surprised if most heroin users are responsible professionals - how can you do anything when you're high on heroin? I'd go so far as to say that saying people that are addicted are "typically responsible professionals" is a little disrespectful and downplays the reality of those that are actually afflicted with addiction, as it feels like it's just pushing the "burden" onto the drug user, which reinforces negative stereotypes and makes it harder to get people on the side of treating addiction as a health issue and not a moral failing.

Re: I am a heroin user. I do not have a drug problem

#26

Post by FDSGSG »

Geee wrote: post #20
FDSGSG wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If he can afford it, a problem may not exist. Heroin use has few if any negative physical effects in the long term.

So, what's the problem then? Why is using heroin bad?

Heroin habits tend to be incredibly expensive. Most people simply can't afford it, that's when the problems arise.

Re: I am a heroin user. I do not have a drug problem

#27

Post by konfusinomicon »

lqet wrote: post #2

> One of the major reasons people can’t overcome it is because we’re not very good at treating addiction in this country. I am often wondering about how addiction "feels". I don't consider myself being addicted to anything, and always wonder how an addiction actually manifests itself. Is it a pain? Is it comparable to being extremely hungry or thirsty? Slightly related: a few years ago, I overheard a conversation bet…

It depends on the addiction. Opiate addiction comes along with flu like symptoms, insomnia, restless legs/arms AKA crazy legs, and an ever present anxiety that you really really want some that will make you do some weird shit just to get it. Other addictions are more subtle, some worse, but all of them I've experienced have the same feeling of stress/anxiety that can only be cured by the vice they are caused by. Many are all in your head, or, can be overcome by willpower, but definitely not opiates

Re: I am a heroin user. I do not have a drug problem

#28

Post by juskrey »

It did not take a while to understand all drug experiences are deeply fake comparing to living full life. And if they enrich you, you life is probably fake.

Like in Russian group Splin lyrics: "Я наяву вижу то, что многим даже не снилось, Hе являлось под кайфом".

Rough translation: "I see the things in reality, others don't even when dreaming, when getting high"

Re: I am a heroin user. I do not have a drug problem

#29

Post by nvilcins »

JohnJamesRambo wrote: post #13
FDSGSG wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If he can afford it, a problem may not exist. Heroin use has few if any negative physical effects in the long term.

Death is pretty long term. Pardon me if I’m pessimistic on this topic, I just watched a Janis Joplin documentary.

Death comes from _mis_use, which usually stems from _mis_information ("drugs are bad, let's not talk about them").

People die when they over-dose (which more often than not happens because they don't know exactly what they're getting, or the purity of it) or mix with other substances that they shouldn't.

Re: I am a heroin user. I do not have a drug problem

#30

Post by hiq »

FDSGSG wrote: post #7
criley2 wrote: post #3

:| > Hart presents himself as a model drug user. “I am now entering my fifth year as a regular heroin user,” he writes. “I do not have a drug-use problem. Never have. Each day, I meet my parental, personal, and professional responsibilities. I pay my taxes, serve as a volunteer in my community on a regular basis, and contribute to the global community as an informed and engaged citizen. I am better for my drug use.”…

If he can afford it, a problem may not exist. Heroin use has few if any negative physical effects in the long term.

One source I've found about the long-term effects: https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/hero...

"Repeated heroin use changes the physical structure and physiology of the brain, creating long-term imbalances in neuronal and hormonal systems that are not easily reversed. Studies have shown some deterioration of the brain’s white matter due to heroin use, which may affect decision-making abilities, the ability to regulate behavior, and responses to stressful situations."

I expected something more damning. Unfortunately, I feel that we don't have enough studies (incl. long-term ones) when it comes to recreational drugs.

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