Comments on yes and yes: True Story: I'm a Recovered Junkie

2011-12-07T22:30:58.356-06:00

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Laura, thank you for your story. Congrats for kick...

2010-11-01T15:10:07.708-05:00

Laura, thank you for your story. Congrats for kicking meth.

I am also surprised that coke is not as scary to everyone as it is me. It scares me that people do it and don't see it as a big deal!
I had a pretty messed up childhood (drug runner/doer/dealer parents) and always swore I would never ever do any drugs. Coke especially - it really makes some people evil and strong. Thank god meth wasn't around then! Unfortunately, out of spite I started experimenting at 11. I had the good luck and wisdom to know what NOT to try (I know stimulants will be the end of me) and was able to have the choice to quit as I got older.

To you youths: It's not worth it. Long term, nobody will give you props on what drugs you've tried, or what crazy shenanigans you were up to. If you are lucky it won't matter at all, but if you aren't so lucky and can't (or won't) quit your habit it can really affect the rest of your life. For realz.

For users with kids: Get your S*** together. Your kids deserve more, and even if you think they're still young enough not to know - you are wrong. I have turned out *alright* by my OWN accord. I will never forgive my mother and her boyfriends for what I went through, and I will likely struggle for the rest of my life with issues.

I am sorry for the rant. These kids are helpless and set up for many troubles.

That is all.

Wow, how inspiring. I'm fascinated with drugs ...

2010-03-04T14:53:49.796-06:00

Wow, how inspiring. I'm fascinated with drugs and addiction, and I know that meth has a very high addiction rate, which is scary. Although I'm fascinated with drugs to the point of wanting to try them once, I've always said that I'll never try meth. I'm just glad that I have learned about it before I've had the chance to try it. It is very hard to go off of, so good for you. Thank you for sharing your story!!

And, Sarah, in response to your question about coke, I kind of think of it as the next step up from marijuana. By that I mean that of the people I know, the highest number of people have tried marijuana and the next highest is probably either cocaine or shrooms.

when i grew up there was a MASSIVE anti drugs camp...

2010-03-02T14:28:19.162-06:00

when i grew up there was a MASSIVE anti drugs campain (a lot of "try it once and you'll be hooked for life!" scare tacticts) and i was one of the few that really "fell for it", meaning i believed every single word said and had horrible nightmares from age 11-16. i was never afraid of monsters under the bed, i was afraid of heroin addicts with their heroin needles under my bed that would turn me into a junkie with an injection while i was asleep. might sound hilarious, or as if i was extremely naive or, but the campain was that aggressive. sometimes i think that anti drug campain actually ruined my life as much as a drug addiction would have. i hope the information about drugs and the danger with them is presented to kids differently, and more accurately these days.

i really loved this interview and i've been taken by it since it was posted, and it'll stay with my for longer i'm sure.

i'm so happy to hear a you're doing well laura and i hope you'll never find yourself in that situation again.

"I only take alcohol" is a line that has...

2010-03-02T05:02:05.474-06:00

"I only take alcohol" is a line that has appeared pretty often here. Actually alcohol should be classed as an "A" class drug. It´s highly addictive, and it often makes users aggressive (unlike pot). Yet alcohol is accepted by the society and therefore not seen as a drug. Thought ?

Laura thank you for sharing your story. I am a rec...

2010-03-02T03:17:21.969-06:00

Laura thank you for sharing your story. I am a recovering addict myself and I always love to hear the success stories. I started using cocaine when I was 19 and I totally identify with how you felt. You feel better, smarter, prettier, funnier, everything is a million times better when you do it on coke. After about a year of it started to not being fun anymore. Then I got into OxyContin and Heroin and struggled with that until recently. I feel that if you're at a stressed or depressed time in your life and you find drugs like coke, meth, heroin or oxycontin that make you feel better you're going to become addicted to the feeling good. Everyone wants to be happy and they want a quick fix to lifes problems and drugs are the perfect answer. Then they ruin your life!
Q- Do you feel like going through meth addiction has made you a stronger or a weaker person? Do you feel like you got a different kind of education that your classmates didn't?

I'm so happy I was able to share this story, a...

2010-03-01T21:11:01.564-06:00

I'm so happy I was able to share this story, and thank you for your comments! Answering a few questions that have been asked:

@penn: "What should I look for in friends? What should I do to help if I'm in a situation like your roommates were?"

I think what to look for in friends depends on how open they are with you. After a few months, I admitted my drug habit (thought didn't admit it was a problem) to friends. Even if I hadn't, the signs were pretty obvious: I lost a lot of weight very rapidly, never ate, would lock myself away for a long time then come back very manic and changed, seemed secretive, always asked when the FedEx truck was getting there...

I think my friends did the right thing by telling me that I could tell them anything -- I knew I could go to them, and I did when I realized my problem had spiraled. The thing that they could have done in my particular situation to totally end my habit might have been to go to my parents, and I would have forgiven them (after being really angry), b/c it would have been done out of love. But that's just my situation. I know that listening is the most important thing.

@Sarah Von: I don't know about anyone else's thoughts about coke, but for me a drug doesn't become scary unless its fit with your personality is such that you want to keep doing it. Coke doesn't scare me because I think it's so-so at best. Speed terrifies me because it made me feel so good that I could never just do it once. I won't try ecstasy for the same reason.

@danielle: "what's your life like now in terms of academics? Do you feel like your future is any different because you were on meth?"

I was fortunate enough to receive the support to recover really well. I received my BA with honors and distinction from an elite university and am now taking some time to work on my writing career before applying to graduate schools. In many ways, my life doesn't seem to be very different than it would have been if I hadn't had an addiction, honestly. My friends are always shocked beyond belief if/when I admit that I once had one. Sometimes even I forget I had an addiction -- it can feel like a movie that I saw once, instead of a life that I lived. But then sometimes out of nowhere, I'm flooded with reminders of the intensity, the desperation.

Anyway, as a few people pointed out on here, I was one of the lucky ones. I recovered more fully and easily than I had any right to. I don't know what I did to be so blessed, but I know that relying on my friends and family for support had a lot to do with it.

@annahell: "What do you think of those "just once" anti-meth campaign? Do you think you become addicted to meth after the first time you use it? Would you say the portrayal of meth users on television and in movies is accurate?":

I haven't seen the 'just once' campaigns, but it sounds pretty on the money for me. I didn't just become a meth user the first time I used it. I became an addict, right off the bat. The thing about meth is that it has a very strong honeymoon period. You feel smarter, more confident, you look more attractive -- it's a very positive, very powerful feeling, and you get psychologically hooked to it enough that you feel like you have to use it a few more times. Once you've used it a few times, the chemicals have you hooked and using more and more and you lose yourself. With most drugs, I'd say that "one time" is a crock, but with meth, that's really all it takes.

For a movie that gives a horrifying accurate depiction of many of the meth users I knew, check out "Spun," with Jason Schwartzman. I can't even watch a scene of that now without my heart racing and my nose hair burning.

Thank you ladies for bringing us this amazing stor...

2010-03-01T19:40:05.019-06:00

Thank you ladies for bringing us this amazing story. Addiction is a terrible, grotesque thing and I am of the strong belief that if never goes away, even when you have recovered from the abuse. I have a sibling who is a gambling addict, and they went through over 10 years of hell. They had to reach the bottom before they got help and I am very grateful they did. In rehab, our family got to meet and talk with many people who were addicted to various substances (drugs, alcohol - in fact, gambling was extremely rare as opposed to the substance abuse) and they all had emotional issues that led to the addiction.
Also, my sibling found themselves craving other things to replace the gambling - we had to stop taking chocolate in as a comfort gift because it was becoming the substitute.
I am so very proud of them for getting through it and having not gambled, or done anything remotely close/related (we don't play cards as a family activity because they associate it with the problem) for over 4 years now. They still have to attend GA but their life is SO much more fulfilling and better without it.
Sorry for the rant, just very close to my heart!
Sarah, cocaine is very trendy in Australia at the moment as well; it seems to be the drug of choice for young up and coming professionals and hipsters. It is so expensive that only they can afford it, but in ways they have so much more to lose than the regular person should they be caught. It really isn't worth the consequences. Perhaps they need to look at what is lacking or what the emotional issues is that is making them feel they need to take the drug. I don't know, I'm not an expert, I just find it all very sad. SO much potential!

Thanks for sharing your story, Laura. I'm so ...

2010-03-01T17:26:16.223-06:00

Thanks for sharing your story, Laura. I'm so glad you made it out alright!

I agree with your attitude about other drugs. I use alcohol (only), but I don't see anything wrong with keeping an open mind about other drugs. Meth might be an exception, but I don't believe any other drug is bad all by itself. I think it takes the right combination of person and drug to ruin a life.

What do you think of those "just once" anti-meth campaign? Do you think you become addicted to meth after the first time you use it? Would you say the portrayal of meth users on television and in movies is accurate?

I think whether or not cocaine is a casual drug depends on the context and group. It was considered to be a major, hard drug in my circle of friends but I could see how it would be different in another group.

Great post! Very insightful and well written.

2010-03-01T17:14:38.571-06:00

Great post! Very insightful and well written.

What a fabulous story. Thank you for taking the ti...

2010-03-01T15:52:42.655-06:00

What a fabulous story. Thank you for taking the time to share it with us! Personally, I've never tried anything harder than pot (which I hated, because I got so high I couldn't speak), so it was actually very interesting to read about your experiences. Congratulations on getting sober, and best of luck to you in the future! Question: what's your life like now in terms of academics? Do you feel like your future is any different because you were on meth?

Virtually everyone I know has tried ecstasy or spe...

2010-03-01T14:19:42.281-06:00

Virtually everyone I know has tried ecstasy or speed, it seems really common. I'm too much of a control freak to try it myself, and even being in a room where people are smoking pot makes me feel really sick. When I think about it, it's scary how cheap drugs are, and how accessible they can be. You know somethings a little wrong when you can get a line of coke for 50p in most clubs.
Though I really don't have a problem with pot (heck, I'm all for legalising it) I just think there are certain things that aren't even worth messing with.

A well done post Sarah and yes, u are right .....

2010-03-01T14:16:47.644-06:00

A well done post Sarah and yes, u are right .....

To be totally honest (and possibly really unhip) r...

2010-03-01T13:44:40.724-06:00

To be totally honest (and possibly really unhip) regardless of coke's current status as a 'casual party drug,' it still carries really, really heavy duty penalties here in the U.S. And I like my life too much to screw it up with jail time, you know?

And thus ends your daily Yes and Yes Public Service Announcement ;)

This scares me. I read the first paragraph and I ...

2010-03-01T13:06:27.817-06:00

This scares me.

I read the first paragraph and I thought: It's me. I'm 14 years old, straight A's, dancer, volunteer, etc. The consummate goodie-two-shoes. It scares me that it happened to her.

But at the same time, it serves as a reminder of how much I have to lose. Thank you for sharing your story with us- it's very brave.

Sarah - you're not alone, I didn't know co...

2010-03-01T13:01:33.996-06:00

Sarah - you're not alone, I didn't know coke was a social/casual thing at ALL & still think of it as a hard drug. I used to hang out with some hardcore party kids on a regular basis, but I've never done anything except for drink & try pot a few times (I hate it too, it makes me nauseous!). I'm from a very small town and really pretty sheltered overall, I think that has something to do with it.

Laura - Thank you for sharing & I'm glad you got out of the situation!! Good for you.

I'm actually replying to Sarah's question ...

2010-03-01T11:45:30.182-06:00

I'm actually replying to Sarah's question about coke.

I hated the idea of it, and thought of it as a very hard drug, until I started regularly using ecstasy. That alone was a big jump for me- but I tried it for the first time with someone who I trusted and looked up to, and it was one of those stupid things where you tell yourself that if something feels THAT good how can it really be so bad for you?

I didn't try coke until after I stopped using E. It didn't seem like a big deal anymore. The first time was on a bad night at a party, where I was already drunk. I hated it, because I just wanted it to feel like E and it didn't. I tried it again about 8 months later, and it only felt good for 15 minutes. That was it, and I was done with it. I still think of it as a nasty, hard drug, but I'm no longer so quick to judge anyone who has or does use it.

It's weird how that all changes so easily!

I'm, personally, really interested in when cok...

2010-03-01T11:33:34.553-06:00

I'm, personally, really interested in when coke made the switch from being a 'scary hard drug' to being seen as a 'casual party drug.' I am 100% afraid of coke and think of it only in terms drug runners and South America.

Do most 20-somethings think of coke as a 'not that big of a deal' sort of drug?

Thank you for sharing. I was a sheltered academic...

2010-03-01T11:25:33.139-06:00

Thank you for sharing. I was a sheltered academic as a kid, and still am in many ways. It's good for all of us to hear your story. What should I look for in friends? What should I do to help if I'm in a situation like your roommates were? I knew some friends in college who did a lot of pot or coke, and I was never sure whether or not to be concerned.

Thanks so much for sharing this - it is important ...

2010-03-01T09:56:03.264-06:00

Thanks so much for sharing this - it is important for people to read this...I am so glad too that you managed to kick it - and it is great that you had the support and love you needed. xxx

thank you so much for sharing your story, laura. i...

2010-03-01T09:00:10.996-06:00

thank you so much for sharing your story, laura. i grew up in MT where meth seems to be the drug of choice. that being said, i think one of the most important things to note is that you are very much the exception to the rule. i am SO GLAD you were able to get help and get clean before it spiraled much farther out of control. i know of several people who weren't that lucky. good luck in your continued recovery.

Thank you for this interview. You are helping so m...

2010-03-01T08:32:50.569-06:00

Thank you for this interview. You are helping so many people.

I am an ex-user and recovering addict from the 80's and 90's starting at 14 years old.

It's a remarkable road and so much better on the other side.

Your advice is something that I wish the person I ...

2010-03-01T07:32:55.390-06:00

Your advice is something that I wish the person I was involved with would have the courage to do!... I do not think he even knows that he is the cause of why I no longer communicate with him... We had an almost 5 yr. relationship... I have never known any alcoholics in my life so I did not see the red flags... I was very naive, I thought his quirky behavior was just that... He was great at putting the blame on me, being non confrontational...Being a big chicken when I wanted to discuss things... he thinks he has fooled me by changing his profile name on a dating site! lol little does he know it isn't rocket science to figure out his name was edited! lol.... I had called it quits w/him a few years ago but made the mistake of answering a call waiting... Made the mistake of believing his truths of 'working on himself'...Alcoholics don't realize the hurt they do to the ones they supposedly love... He would bash his sister for being the one who knew how to connive money from others when in fact he tried that w/me.. and this last time I said no, since it made no logical sense to me... Guess that was the problem- I was logical and he wasn't... Not a good combo huh? I do know I will never get involved w/an alcoholic/drug addict or anyone who is controlling. i'd rather be alone.

Pot is easy for me to do socially because I don...

2010-03-01T07:14:52.293-06:00

Pot is easy for me to do socially because I don't actually like it -- I find it mildly unpleasant and more often than not it gives me nausea. It would be hard for me to get addicted to. I didn't touch anything like coke until I'd been clean for several years (and really have only done two or three lines of it), so I think distance helped. It just also doesn't have the same effects as meth -- it doesn't feel as good. I guess it's that I'm not addicted to drugs in general. I'm addicted to meth in particular. Huh, seems I don't buy into the whole gateway theory.

Of course I would advise anyone who's in recovery not to touch drugs ever ever ever. Lord knows I didn't touch anything except alcohol for a few years into my recovery. But life is messy and sometimes we don't take our own good advice, I guess.

Very brave to share this and so glad that you are ...

2010-03-01T06:59:16.056-06:00

Very brave to share this and so glad that you are in recovery.

I have an addictive personality as well and am cautious about drinking and such,not wanting to get those things started (alcoholism runs in my family). I was just curious as to how you are able to try things like pot and coke and not have similar reactions to it as you did to meth. What is the difference, do you think? And what makes them "safe"?

Thank you again for sharing.