Why I am clean of drugs

[g-boy]

I'm not necessarily an idealist, where I wish for a utopian world, or at the very least a drug-free society. As I mentioned in another post, I believe in balance, and I feel that we need the part of society that partakes in crime and unhealthy acts. Besides, most of us do unhealthy things. It's not necessarily bad. I feel certain drugs you're screwing yourself over, you'd be much better off without them, but that is your choice. If I ever say anything about it, or sound as if I'm saying it is bad or trying to convince you not to do it... it's simply because I feel it is not a wise or safe decision, and it is completely unnecessary.
As I said, we all do unhealthy things. I'm not a particularly healthy eater, I eat fast food and I drink soda. I drink coffee, so I ingest caffeine, a drug. Granted it is very mild and the main side effect is that when it wears off, you feel worse than if you just have a healthy diet and enough carbohydrates. I plan on changing my eating habits anyway. Beyond that, I have never had an alcoholic drink, smoked or chewed tobacco (though both parents are smokers and probably contributed to giving me asthma), or done any illegal drug. Is it because I make some effort to avoid them? Hell no. I'll explain.
I have simply no desire to do any of the previously mentioned things. Quite simple. I have fun with friends, I do stuff, I write, I take pictures, I'm satisfied with life and I make that effort. In all of that, I've never had a reason to drink. Drinking I actually do avoid, because I have some friends who think sitting around and getting drunk is called a party (I understand drinking at a party to get a buzz... but getting wasted and puking all over yourself is a party? please), and I've seen what drinking does to people in my family. It just doesn't appeal to me. Smoking is just dumb... I mean, honestly, there is no point to it. As I said, I have asthma, that's a no brainer. Drugs... well, I've never been offered, and if I seeked it, I wouldn't even know who to go to. Like I said, I'm satisfied with life, I have simply no desire to try to reach an altered state (altered... not higher, not superior, just altered). Do I really wanna take the risk to take myself out of complete control of my mind? Maybe risk damage. Nah, no point. I can get high by riding a roller coaster or playing sports... and hey, sexual activities give the best euphoria.
I figure I have one shot at this whole life thing... I'd rather not screw it up. Even if you can balance your mind with drugs, say certain drugs make you think better... and say you do it, or you binge on certain drugs, and you come out ok. Fine, more power to ya. But you cannot predict that. There is no way. So if you want to take the risk... if you feel it is an important part of your life, that it serves some purpose, that it works for you... then there ya go. For me, it serves no role. PIX mentioned that driving or even just taking a walk can be hazardous... well, hell yeah, but those things serve a function in my life. I have to get around somehow.
There, I hope that's an explanation. I don't need drugs, so I don't do 'em. If I did need them, I would reevaluate my life and realize there is something wrong with it, and find another way to fix it. That's also why I throw out what I know or I think I know about it whenever it is brought up, I feel if you take drugs, it is a sign of something.

Quick edit: I posted this in Debates because I was just getting this out after a response in another post... it probably should be in "General Stuff." So I guess either move this, or otherwise it can be a drug debate thread :unsure:

[GRITS]

Nawwww you put it in the right place g-boy...I have this strange feeling it is going change into a debate any time now:D

I have NEVER done drugs....I feel much like you do about them...why take the risks ("dangers"); loss of control, arrests(which leads to quite a few other dangers), much less the genetic changes that LSD causes to your body...when it is not something I need in my life. I have never smoked weed....thought about a few times when I was growing up but I decided to pass. My dad always said I was a "leader" which is why I guess I never gave in to peer pressure....it was pretty heavy when I was in my teens. I love people and truly do get 'high' from different people's companionship…anyone who has played “king” with me knows how I get the giggles…you want to talk about euphoria…giggles can bring it on…and then there is the ‘sexual high’ g-boy mentioned……….oh yeah babe…….I don’t need to add any kind of chemical to my body to reach the much favorite “altered” state
Peace

[noxious]

I have to agree with both of ya on this one for the most part. I've never touched any drugs. Never touched a cigarette (been offered both a few times). I pretty much know my limits so it's not hard. I do drink occassionally at parties and I've smoked a few cigars before. As far as drinking goes, I've never gotten drunk to the point of throwing up or getting too hung over to get out of bed the next morning. I think it's all about restricting yourself so that you don't end up doing something you'll regret. That's all. I don't care much about the health side (well some drugs are extreme, and can fry your brain in a very few number of uses, in which case I care about that), I just care about a stupid drug making choices in my life. I think it's pathetic and shows a total lack of self-control to let a drug decide things for you, which is what an addiction does.

[_Acid_Head_]

You are both a bit off with your arguements against drugs, you are both open minded people though, and I respect that, just don't listen to everything you HEAR about drugs.

[g-boy]

I don't listen to PSA's or anything... to be honest, a lot of the information I get is from listening to "Loveline." For those that don't know, it's a radio show that's been on for about 18 years, hosted by Dr. Drew, and he is a physician, he specializes in addiction medicine, he has MANY patients that are drug users, he knows from callers and so forth, so he knows about everything there is to know about drug use. About 7 or 8 years ago Adam Carolla became co-host (pretty much the funniest guy around), and he's also pretty damn smart, partially from doing the show and learning from Drew, as well as his father being a psychologist.
Point is, I'm not saying stuff that is used by non-profit organizations that want to clean up the world, I get the info from hearing callers and Dr. Drew giving information about drug usage... he has many patients that are addicted to pot. I don't totally bash pot... I know it's not so bad for occasional recreational use. It's not so much that, because if you aren't addicted, and if you haven't smoked a lot since you were 15 or younger, it's not too bad. If you smoked from when you were young, then there are statistics on shrinkage of the frontal lobe (creative center of the brain). Long-term use, even if you aren't addicted, can result in depression. Once again, you make the argument that this doesn't happen to you and doesn't happen to everyone, AND YOU ARE RIGHT. I won't dispute that. I just say why bother? There is a relatively high chance that it will negatively affect you. There are other things that make you feel good. You don't need it, and it's illegal. THAT is my point.
There is a lot of bias in it... I don't view pot in a particularly high light, and some of you do. So you buy a book that says pot is not addictive, no way, no how. You read things that support it and say it is safe, and perhaps can even improve your life. If it works for you, it works for you. Unfortunately it is just general not true among the medical community.
And I'd like to say take a little test in your mind: would you say it's ok for parents to be drug users? Most, even those who smoke pot, would say no, it makes them unfit. Would you want your children to smoke pot? Generally, the answer is HELL NO. Why? Because you know there is SOMETHING wrong with it.
Sometimes I dispute stuff because I read irresponsible things that people say, like pot is not gonna hurt you at all, it's fine, stuff like that. I understand saying you like pot, you want it, whatever... but to imply that it's safe is not true. It isn't safe. And just because your life is beautiful and you jump for joy when you find a joint or two doesn't mean it won't mess up other people.

[Sockhole]

In the spring and summer, I love finding a nice patio, hitting the sun, putting the shades on, and downing back a couple of tasteful beers with my friends. Steinlager is my current favorite summertime beer. Everyone is usually pretty busy these days though, so I only go out for drinks a few times a month, if that. I completely agree on the "getting wasted" matter. The first time I got drunk (relatively late in my life), I got totally messed up and it left a bitter taste in my mouth for months, maybe a year. But then I learnt self-control while drinking and I learnt what I should stay away from (my stomach just doesn't cooperate with several shots or milky drinks). It's pretty easy to drink in moderation, unless you are a very weak-willed person.

As for marijuana, meh, I'll probably give it a go one of these days, but I have a couple of friends that devote too much money and time to it and I don't want to end up like that ... addicted, that is. I can control alcohol, but since I know people that are hooked on drugs, it kind of scares me. I played Everquest for 3 years so I know what addiction can do;)Bye-bye good grades, and hello ... jail time? I hope not, for my friend's sake.

[GRITS]

OK...good point acid_head...I must admit my 'opinions' of acid/LSD stem back to my younger days...a little more research shows quite a bit of inconclusive studies especially for someone like me who lives their life in the field of science see: LSD review articles
but.....still don't feel I need any 'additives' to make my life complete

[Gwarsbane]

Here is how I feel and I know some in here will not like my view on drugs...


If you need or even just take drugs to feel good then you're stupid. There are so many things in life that can do that for you that you don't need some powder, pill or liquid to do that for you.


Same goes for drinking. If you drink to get drunk you are stupid. Do I drink, yes. Do I drink often, maybe every once and a while with friends. How often is every once in a while, maybe once a month or so. Do I drink to get drunk, no. I might drink a total of about 3 or 4 beers over 4 to 5 hours. That don't even give me a buzz. Why do I drink then, because I like the taste and its something different that I don't have often.

Now for a little background info...

I watched my grandfarther die because he drank too much. He died because the alcohol destroyed his liver. This was when I was 9.

When I was 15 I got drunk twice. Why because I was stupid. I just seen my life getting worse and worse so I drank with friends at parties. Both times the night ended up badly and I seen myself heading down a road that I didn't want to go down. I seen myself doing the same thing my grandfather had done. And that scared me.

From that day till I was about 21 or 22 I did not touch a drop of alcohol. Even then I only had a single glass. 5 or so years later, I still don't have all that many drinks and I'm happy about that.


So if you feel that you need to get drunk or get high to have a good time. Goto the hospital sometime and see if you can talk with some people that drank to get drunk or the people that had to get high to have fun. It won't be as powerful as watching your own grandfather dying infront of you but it should at least make you think twice.

[PIX]

Don't flame me on this one, I post with an open mind from much experience.
Some people seek outside sources for excitement whether it be mountain climbing,
skydiving, skiing...etc. All of my past use of certain pharmicuticals was for an
adrenaline experience that I couldn't experience with just normal living. Topic 1:
my LSD experiences were very enjoyable. I would plan ahead by purchasing certain
enjoyable movies, buying fun toys at Toys-R-Us and setting what they call 'the set'. I
would do this in the privacy of my home, sometimes by myself and it would be 12 hours
of exploration. Simple, overlooked things became instant entertainment. Candles would
give off new appearances, flowers gave me interest I never had, movies would give me
extra sentimental value. It, in a sense, intensified the sensory imput for everything. I
made me appreciate the things I often overlooked and this carried over into my regular
life after the experience. Don't laugh, but I really did open the doors which were closed
in my mind and unlocked potential that I never knew existed.
I will post this: NO ONE SHOULD DO ANY DRUGS UNTIL THEY ARE AN ADULT AND
CAN MAKE RATIONAL DECISIONS. Kids should be beaten who use drugs.
I can very well understand how I could have been distracted in High School if I had done drugs
or drank alcohol then. I wouldn't have been 3rd in my class and gotten a full scholarship to college.
Topic 2: Marijuana. I have smoked pot in my life and I find it as exciting as booze. I hate anything
that dumbs down the senses. Whether smoked or taken as a pill, I hate things that "take the edge off".
It is very easy to stereotype the typical "pot head". Their apathy towards everything and the memory loss..god
the memory loss. Topic 3: Smoking. Don't care for ciggs. I do smoke an occasional cigar. Nothing like a good
Cuban cigar.
I'm not going to go into any of the other drugs like cocaine or MDMA because I don't want to illicit a flame here.
The only point I wanted to promote is that once you grow up, pay your taxes, buy your house, get a career and
have your 2.5 kids, what you do in the privacy of your piece of the American pie is really up to you. I have never known
anyone who has died from any drugs other than alcohol (ironic...it's the legal one) and have known more people
who have died from irresponsible sex (AIDS). Maybe I could have gone a little further in life by not experimenting
with certain drugs, but that I will never know. I would have hated to go through my time and never tasted sugar
because it was illegal and everyone said it was bad, but for a frame of reference, I probably would have had my 2 scoops
and enjoyed it. Thanks for listening.

[GRITS]

NO FLAMING ALLOWED in Vad's forums...I try to catch them as soon as I can......try to feel safe to voice what it is you have to say, this is a 'debate' thread ......by definition....everyone is not going to agree with you
:kiss:

[g-boy]

Alcohol is pretty bad in what it does... no doubt.
"have your 2.5 kids, what you do in the privacy of your piece of the American pie is really up to you."
Well, I agree what you do is up to you, very much so. But uh... wait until the kids move out, eh? I don't think any parent should do any drug, and that includes smoking... and drinking should be very occasional (say late at night or in a social situation), light, and lock up that liquor cabinet tight. Call it being proper... I just think doing anything illegal when kids are still dependant upon you is just downright wrong. One, if they see you doing it, that's a major negative influence. Two, maybe they don't see you doing it, but if you get something in your system and you're around a kid, come on, that sucks. Three, maybe they never know you were doing it, but what if you get caught by someone else? Maybe lose your job... maybe get arrested... that will reduce your income and can be traumatizing. There are too many factors that could go wrong and affect the life of someone else, someone who has no control over it.
Lastly, yes, I agree, there are a lot of problems with irresponsible sex. When I mentioned that, I'm talking about with a partner you know and trust, protection and all. And I don't even mean intercourse... just intimacy in general, there is more than just sex. AIDS is not as much of a problem in the US as people make it out to be... worldwide it is much worse (Africa). At least people are aware. It's more of the nagging problems other diseases cause. But deaths related to drug use are greater than STD's. Besides that, it's not even death... it's hard to overdose on certain drugs, really those dangers are involved with crack, speed, and MDMA. It's just the problems that they cause, personally for people, and often societal (gangs, cartels, where do you think you get your drugs and where do you think the money goes?) as well.
I am happy for you PIX, though, because you have managed a good life, and it appears there have been no negative consequences. Just realize because it works for you, you are a rare case, doing so many particularly harmful drugs and having no problems as a result.

[PIX]

1. I agree.
2. I never said I did drugs since I had kids; I haven't
3. Did I ever say I actually purchased drugs? No, I utilized my chemistry double-major to it's fullest.

I do appreciate the debate g-boy..it is very healthy to voice things.:thumb:

[g-boy]

1. Cool.
2. Wasn't necessarily directed at you... just responding to the quote I put up that you said, I interpreted it as saying once your life is all together it's ok, and all I wanted to say was don't do it while raising kids.
3. Once again, not directed towards you at all, it was a comment on the side. As I said, I can respect it in your case because things have worked out for you... and it's your decision... but generally the entire drug underworld isn't a good one. So that comment was basically directed towards anyone who buys their drugs, unless you know it comes directly from some dude growing the hemp plant or from a chemist like PIX, you could have contributed to whomever is trafficking the drugs. Now, those PSA's go a bit far saying anytime you buy drugs you contribute to terrorism... but if you logically think about it, imagine where your money goes, it may just get into some bad hands there.
I think I'm pretty much done responding in this thread... I didn't necessarily wanna debate, I just wanted to get it off of my chest the exact reasons I don't do anything and often object. 420 biznis (ricochet player that some of you may know) said the other day that I was a loser because I said I don't like drugs. Sometimes I get that sense, that people view me as some kind of narc because I don't do it and I don't think it should be done, and this post was meant to be an explanation as to why I comment.

Enjoy your drugs...

I'll enjoy my sports and chicks :D :left: LOSER

[PIX]

LOL :lol:

[SoulEvan]

Hrm, I guess it's pretty simple for me. I've done marijuana two times throughout the past 5 years of my life. I've tried a couple of different drinks on occasion and hated them. I have oversensitive taste buds, so I really taste the bad in alcohol no matter how much people says it's masked. Sure, I agree Pix that I shouldn't have done any of it since I'm still technically a kid, but I'm the kind of guy that tries not to talk serious about something unless I've had personal or second-hand(friends/family) experience.

If a situation ever comes up where a family member or friend does or thinks about doing anything of that sort I'll express my heartfelt opinion that they shouldn't. But for most people with addictions, I personally believe they should get what they want.

Take a bum for an example(not that I hate bums or anything). From a purely logical and society-rendered standpoint, I'd much rather the bum have alcohol if he wants it. For me it boils down to the belief that if the person has an addiction and isn't happy when he doesn't have his fix, he should get his bottleful of happiness for as long as it lasts. The bum has his alcohol, so he's happy. People don't have to see the bum on the road, so they aren't saddened.

Once again though, if the situation came up between you and me(whoever "you" are), I wouldn't tell you that. Just don't do drugs in the first place, they don't give you hugs or talk to you. ^_^

[GRITS]

Well I really thought this would turn into a debate.....guess our servers are just sooo clean, no one uses drugs....or maybe acid_head and PIX are the only ones that will put their beliefs on the line for scrutiny...I don't think anyone flamed either of them.......even tho they seem to hold the less popular opinion....
Actually I must admit I am pretty impressed with those of you that are strong enough to avoid the temptations and peer pressures that come with smoking, drinking and drug use....btw I am by no means a puritan and do drink once in a while..but like most of you...I don't drink to get drunk...throwing up has never been a goal for me...just don't care for the feeling :wacko:
so now lets talk about the one vice I do have hehehehe:wub:
just teasing

[AnTiX]

here is my perspective why im off drugs:

i havent put a mind altering substance in my body for 2 years and 2 months or so.. i started gettin high when i was 10 1/2, stopped when i was 14.. i know when i started doing drugs/drinkin, it was great. the feeling good meter was at a high and the feelin bad meter was at an all time low.. but as i pergressed.. pot was gettin kind of boring.. then i started to smoke opium.. after that, i started to speed a lot(heh doctor gave me aderal*or how ever its spelled*).. then started to huff dustoff(computer cleaner).. i did a little acid.. then got into coke.. now, at this point, i was doin just about all these different kinds of drug at the same time period.. just finding something that i could get a quik fix on my sadness and the gross feeling of being me. i ended up going to rehab for 7 weeks and decided to try and stay sober.. so i started going to a sobriety group... u know what? i dont have to feel that gross feeling of being a complete peice of shit.. because im not a peice of shit.. not to me or anyone else.. (now not everyone is perfect) but ultimatley what im trying to say is that i feel 1000x better than i did 2 years ago.

Im not saying that this will happen to everyone.. but most likey if you keep doin drugs you will get into bigger and badder things.. and you wont feel good unless u have those quik fixes, if you arent dead by then... so far ive found out that 3 of the people i used to get high with almost every day have been killed or killed themselves. i have known many people who have hurt themselves from that gross feeling of being in their own skin.. ive known many people who have eaten so much acid, that they havent come back yet.. my point is.. i am physicaly healthy, mentaly healthy, and spiritualy healthy.. and i feel good when i go to sleep at night.

Now dont get me wrong.. if i could handle drinkin a beer and not goin back fer the whole case.. i would drink. If i could do drugs and not screw up every little thing in my life.. i would be gettin high.. but thats not reality.. reality is, im a drug addict.

-AnTiX
-Powered By GOD

[GRITS]

wow PoG that was a big step to share that...thanks and congrats on the 2yr2m sobriety it is not an easy road. Glad you got out of that scene before it got you.:thumb:

[jabbahunt]

Jimmy Hendrix
Janis Joplin
Elvis Presley
Marilyn Monroe
Curt Cobain
River Pheonix
Joe Cocker(well, he looks like it)
Get the Idea

[FreeFall]

My opinion...do what you want.

I see no problem with drugs, until you get addicted. I do on occasion smoke pot but that's it. I have never smoked a cigarette, and sometimes i drink, but not much. I don't feel I need things like alcohol and pot to have a good time, but sometimes I just feel like having a little perk, a little something to get me into that "life is the best thing ever" frame of mind. Now don't get me wrong, I can think that when I'm sober but sometimes I feel like celebrating..whatever the occasion may be. I don't make stupid choices when I am drunk or high, I always have that sober frame of mind in me, so when i want to do something stupid, I keep myself from doing that and keep myself under control. I have no trouble keeping myself under control and those who do are those who I feel have the makings of an addict, people who need drugs or alcohol to feel good. I think i've said this in another post and i'll say it again...It's your life, do what you want...just don't let it take over or you may not have a life to own.