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How I got here

pthorpe92.github.io

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Re: How I got here

#221

Post by supertofu »

Fischgericht wrote: post #212

I'd like to make a couple of points to think about: I'd been addicted to opioids for a couple of years. And I was very happy that I was able to get original non-counterfeit pills on the dark net, from vendors that had thousands of positives reviews. Being a nerd, and successful when it comes to business, risk-free supply had never been an issue. Luckily I bought Bitcoin when they did cost $0.20... Fighting the dark n…

I resonate with this comment strongly. I have never been diagnosed, but I strongly suspect I am neurodivergent. My extreme social isolation/anxiety in my college years and twenties led me to dependency on alcohol and cannabis. I never tried hard drugs, but my life back then was just one tiny twist of fate away from me becoming an opioid addict.

I did manage to become sober, and a lot of social challenges have become more manageable now that I have a better framework for understanding my mind.

Re: How I got here

#222

Post by supertofu »

qingcharles wrote: post #147
hermitcrab wrote: post #118

I recently read a book about experiences in the UK prison system: 'A Bit of a Stretch: The Diaries of a Prisoner' by Chris Atkins (there is an associated podcast, which is also excellent). It is a fascinating, but rather depressing read about his experiences being incarcerated for tax fraud and how broken the UK prison system is. It is no wonder the re-offending rates are so high. I'm guessing much of the US system (…

As a Brit prisoner in the USA I understand the that USA systems are far, far worse than the UK systems.

Are you in contact with your family at all?

Re: How I got here

#223

Post by qingcharles »

xxr wrote: post #201
qingcharles wrote: post #178

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is so terribly insane that this isn't done. You are being held by the state. The state has elevated access to state services. How easy would it be for them to hook into the state ID/DMV system and print you a state ID or driver's license before you leave? If they can't verify your identity while you are in prison, then what are you even doing there? All they did before I left prison was try to sign me up for Medic…

> they used to say INMATE but that word has gone out of fashion Is this due to some kind of “political correctness” thing coming from well meaning people outside the system that the system is pleased to accommodate for easy brownie points, or are there distinct-enough tiers of people inside the system that “inmate” isn’t useful?

I feel like it grew from within the system (where change isn't possible) until it was picked up by those outside the system who would articulate the change.

I was mostly locked up in pre-trial detention and "inmate" has a serious connotation of conviction behind it, so it was considered especially ugly and demeaning there, where the acceptable term is "detainee."

Here are some quick reads on the issue:

https://www.themarshallproject.org/2021/04/12/i-am-not-your-...

https://www.themarshallproject.org/2021/04/12/what-words-we-...

Re: How I got here

#224

Post by qingcharles »

supertofu wrote: post #222
qingcharles wrote: post #147

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As a Brit prisoner in the USA I understand the that USA systems are far, far worse than the UK systems.

Are you in contact with your family at all?

I apologise if that comment made it seem like I was currently incarcerated. I've been out for a few months now.

Yes, in contact with my brother. No other family interested in contact any longer. Mother died while I was locked up :(

Re: How I got here

#225

Post by Fischgericht »

supertofu wrote: post #221
Fischgericht wrote: post #212

I'd like to make a couple of points to think about: I'd been addicted to opioids for a couple of years. And I was very happy that I was able to get original non-counterfeit pills on the dark net, from vendors that had thousands of positives reviews. Being a nerd, and successful when it comes to business, risk-free supply had never been an issue. Luckily I bought Bitcoin when they did cost $0.20... Fighting the dark n…

I resonate with this comment strongly. I have never been diagnosed, but I strongly suspect I am neurodivergent. My extreme social isolation/anxiety in my college years and twenties led me to dependency on alcohol and cannabis. I never tried hard drugs, but my life back then was just one tiny twist of fate away from me becoming an opioid addict. I did manage to become sober, and a lot of social challenges have become…

You might want to try Ketamine. In some countries it's now available legally from neurologists as nose spray. If not, get it from the dark net or a friend in the rave community. Or ask as friend who is a veterinarian. You get mix your own nose spray with that.

Before Ketamine, I never in my life had been able to get into a group of people with them being closer than about 50cm to me. Which means: I could never join a dancefloor.

With Ketamine, that poof went away, and I could.

The same happened for a couple of my neurodiverse friends. One girl her hole life could not be in the same room as others while eating. Now she can.

A single dose also has anti-depressant effects for five days.

Interestingly, it's now in some countries allowed to be used as treatment for social anxiety after positives studies on that. On the other hand, there is now a clinical study that say it's not better than a placebo. Weird.

However, for me (and my nerd friends) the before/after effect is so drastic, I can rule out a placebo effect. My neurologist agrees. I trust clinical studies and always consult them, but something must have gone wrong there.

And yes, this is a good example of a substance that in many countries can get you into jail, while in other countries it can make a most DRAMATIC positive change in your life.

Re: How I got here

#226

Post by Fischgericht »

HenryBemis wrote: post #219
Fischgericht wrote: post #215

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You should not have been arrested. MDMA should have been legal. End of story. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-023-02565-4 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34708874/ https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/18/well/mind/mdma-ecstasy-ri... https://www.euronews.com/next/2023/07/03/australia-just-lega... It's legal or decriminalized in Portugal, The Czech Republic, The Netherlands, and Switzerland, by the way. Surprise: Tho…

Although I agree with you, imho the point the parent was making was that: a) when you are 16-18-20-22 you don't know sh*t about life - you are still a newbie. It doesn't mean that drug-trafficking is excused but when I look back at my 18yo self, I could have died 100 times between 18 and 22. And I could have 'taken some people with me' while doing so. b) it's in the person. When given a second chance you can either t…

I agree I veered off the parent's point.

In his case his whole life could have been ruined by selling a harmless (if clean!) drug to ravers who very clearly know what and why they are buying a substance from him.

Also, in my hypothetical "you should not have been arrested as it should be legal case" he might have ended poor and homeless in the street because everybody was just going to the pharmacy instead of buying from him. :)

Re: How I got here

#227

Post by Fischgericht »

Fischgericht wrote: post #225
supertofu wrote: post #221

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I resonate with this comment strongly. I have never been diagnosed, but I strongly suspect I am neurodivergent. My extreme social isolation/anxiety in my college years and twenties led me to dependency on alcohol and cannabis. I never tried hard drugs, but my life back then was just one tiny twist of fate away from me becoming an opioid addict. I did manage to become sober, and a lot of social challenges have become…

You might want to try Ketamine. In some countries it's now available legally from neurologists as nose spray. If not, get it from the dark net or a friend in the rave community. Or ask as friend who is a veterinarian. You get mix your own nose spray with that. Before Ketamine, I never in my life had been able to get into a group of people with them being closer than about 50cm to me. Which means: I could never join a…

I guess I should add this disclaimer:

Not medical advise. I am not suggesting you to something that is illegal in the country you are living in.

Do your own research AND consult someone who is competent on this when wishing to try Ketamine. Buy from a trusted seller. When trying a new substance, always do it sober - no other substance, especially no alcohol. Never try a new drug when alone. Ketamine is a drug that at different doses has very different effects. For social anxiety only a very low dose is needed, muss less than your raver friends would take to have fun. So start low, and slowly level up. Ketamine is pretty safe, but bad for your bladder long-term. Drinking green tea fixes that.

Re: How I got here

#228

Post by apitman »

gavinray wrote: post #211
low_tech_love wrote: post #207

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wanted to contact him to tell him that he was wrong (he got to the front page without using any of his proposed techniques [1]) but I couldn’t find the e-mail. I have no LinkedIn either; right now I almost feel like submitting an issue to one of his github repos just to get his attention. Can you point me to his e-mail address? [1] https://pthorpe92.github.io/humor/How-to-get-on-hackernews-f...

I got it from his GitHub page: https://github.com/PThorpe92 His email is preston@unlockedlabs.org

Even if someone doesn't have a public email address on their GitHub profile, you can generally find a routable one in their commit messages. A corollary is you shouldn't use a non-public email address in your commit messages.

Re: How I got here

#229

Post by tourist2d »

Fischgericht wrote: post #215
hereme888 wrote: post #213

I could have been that guy, and worse. When I was 19 I got caught selling a bunch of MDMA at a night club. Undercover police caught me, and by God's grace they chose to let me go. MDMA had just begun to carry a minimum 10 yr prison sentence throughout the state. I had no idea what I was doing in my life, like I was asleep and not awake, until I got caught that night. About 15 minutes into the interrogation at the sce…

You should not have been arrested. MDMA should have been legal. End of story. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-023-02565-4 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34708874/ https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/18/well/mind/mdma-ecstasy-ri... https://www.euronews.com/next/2023/07/03/australia-just-lega... It's legal or decriminalized in Portugal, The Czech Republic, The Netherlands, and Switzerland, by the way. Surprise: Tho…

Ok...? Why would you start debating MDMA legality when someone's sharing their story?

Also, all the studies you linked are about using it in therapy vs using it at a rave?

Re: How I got here

#230

Post by [deleted] »

closewith wrote: post #220
indymike wrote: post #185

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> This does not solve the problem that many of us do not want to hire convicted criminals. The issue that keeps people from hiring ex-offenders isn't hard to solve: One part is social. This one requires a little leadership and a little bit of re-defining what is an acceptable attitude. The other part is a financial issue and is EASY to solve politically: most business insurers will raise rates or not insure companies…

You could just make criminal background checks unlawful, which is the case in Ireland. There is police vetting for people who work with the vulnerable and certain key jobs, but the average person will never face vetting for a job.

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