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I don't know a ton about non-weed drugs, but my understanding is that oxycontin (particularly when crushed and snorted) as close to prescription heroin as you can get. It's highly narcotic and highly addictive, and in some circles it's prescribed like candy. It was conceived of as a prescription drug to treat the extreme pain symptoms of terminally ill patients.

As bad as narcotic drugs like crack or heroin are, America has this tremendously huge shadow addiction problem of prescription drugs. I know there are members of my family who are on, say, three different pain/mood/anxiety drugs, each mind-altering and possibly addicting in their own right, and that I suspect were prescribed by different doctors without knowledge of the other ones. And this is not uncommon at all.

Yeah, I'm on so many freaking Rx drugs now that I'd be afraid to add any "recreational" drugs to the mix.

I'm hoping my fitness push will allow me to cut out some of the prescriptions after my next physical. But the drug companies have to pay for those commercials somehow so I'm sure my docs will have an incentive to keep me on them. (does that sound cynical??)

Very interesting article questioning the conventional wisdom on addiction:

The Rational Choices of Crack Addicts

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/17/scien ... dicts.html

“Eighty to 90 percent of people who use crack and methamphetamine don’t get addicted,” said Dr. Hart, an associate professor of psychology. “And the small number who do become addicted are nothing like the popular caricatures.”

Knowing myself, I think it's quite likely that I would be in the addict fraction. And drugs where it easy to OD terrify me.

I truly believe certain people have chemical reactions that are far more intense (wrt to certain addictive drugs) than other people.
From 16-19 years old, I tried almost every drug I could get my hands on because I wanted to know what each one felt like. Almost everyone that I tried those drugs with is either dead or has spent time in prison. I tried them, and never did them again because I didn't "get it", the thing that the addicts feel.

I recall how good cocaine made me feel and it wasn't really over the top amped up. I felt very focused and clear headed, really calmed my hyper brain down. So I figured it had to be bad for me and I hardly ever did it. But as self medicating goes, that [expletive] worked like a goddam charm.

Or maybe it was because I was a cheapskate.

docellis wrote:I truly believe certain people have chemical reactions that are far more intense (wrt to certain addictive drugs) than other people.
From 16-19 years old, I tried almost every drug I could get my hands on because I wanted to know what each one felt like. Almost everyone that I tried those drugs with is either dead or has spent time in prison. I tried them, and never did them again because I didn't "get it", the thing that the addicts feel.

.
You're lucky doc I had a similar attitude of wanting to try things and experiment . I am grateful that I had some people intervene in my life because I have a very addictive personality and I had a lot of friends who were getting into heroin as we were graduating high school. I got a lot of help and I didn't go down the road of being a junkie. I'm just lucky as most of them are dead. I watched friends in grad school throw away academic careers on a H. I see a fair number of students who use. A good friends son is dead from a recent OD. Heroin is an amazing high and a [expletive] [expletive] of a drug.


As for why people do opiates--- being high just feels damn good. Of course there is a willingness for self destruction and denial. For example, ask yourself if your reaction to hearing the song heroin or watching train spotting or requiem for a dream was..... Let's get some H-----if that wasn't it then your missing the self destructive nature of the addict brain. It isn't rational. The story on page 1 from the reporter was amazingly clear about the thought process of a junkie.


I don't know if this was said in the PSH thread but it was Incredible that he kicked for 20+ years and should be celebrated for that and beating the odds for so long.

lukethedrifter wrote:I recall how good cocaine made me feel and it wasn't really over the top amped up. I felt very focused and clear headed, really calmed my hyper brain down. So I figured it had to be bad for me and I hardly ever did it. But as self medicating goes, that [expletive] worked like a goddam charm.

Or maybe it was because I was a cheapskate.

maybe being a cheapskate is the way to avoid addiction. All the drugs I did felt awesome, really, really awesome. But not awesome enough to forgo shopping, travel, etc.

lukethedrifter wrote:I recall how good cocaine made me feel and it wasn't really over the top amped up. I felt very focused and clear headed, really calmed my hyper brain down. So I figured it had to be bad for me and I hardly ever did it. But as self medicating goes, that [expletive] worked like a goddam charm.

Or maybe it was because I was a cheapskate.

That's pretty comparable to the one and only time I ever did it. I remember thinking, "I'm never trying this [expletive] again because horrible things will happen."

Generally speaking, my drug exploration involved the non-addictive stuff (LSD, mushrooms, weed). I don't need any more vices.

JL21 wrote:

lukethedrifter wrote:I recall how good cocaine made me feel and it wasn't really over the top amped up. I felt very focused and clear headed, really calmed my hyper brain down. So I figured it had to be bad for me and I hardly ever did it. But as self medicating goes, that [expletive] worked like a goddam charm.

Or maybe it was because I was a cheapskate.

That's pretty comparable to the one and only time I ever did it. I remember thinking, "I'm never trying this [expletive] again because horrible things will happen."

Generally speaking, my drug exploration involved the non-addictive stuff (LSD, mushrooms, weed). I don't need any more vices.

I did coke twice in my younger years. One time it involved giving my debit card to someone to pay for more. I'm with JL, made me feel invincible until the dehydration/crash kicked in and I knew it was a bad thing.

Edit: you can drink a 12 pack on that [expletive] with virtually no effect.

I thought this song was appropriate for the thread. NSFW lyrics, NSF if you are offended to taking the lord's name in vain.
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