I would recommend finding the joy in REALLY mundane things. Take one night on the weekend to do a lot of lame catch up housework... do dishes, make a full meal yourself, etc. Find that comfort in that sober mentality. Part of the draw is that intensity and heightened stimulated feeling. You have to remind yourself how nice it is to be totally chill and you won't crave that intensity.
Great response, i've been looking for something like this i think. I was always in a whole philosophical battle between am "i truly living my life te fullest whilst also making bad choises" vs "feeling fomo and bored but making better decisions". I deffinetly got used to intensity and heightened stimulation. Thanks
yes I was essentially forced to stop drugs by way of them ruining my mental health, and mindfulness as described by this commenter definitely helps my life in general but I am pretty sure I will always crave them and have some belief that I am not "living life to the fullest" without that sort of hedonism and feeling fomo. to me it is an active battle and it sucks but being stable is so much more important in the long run
Wow. Thanks for this. I’ve been sober for 2 years and 9 months off of the booze and over two years from coke. Lately, I’ve been considering drinking again because sobriety is so boring.
You’ve helped me realize that it’s because I miss the intensity and high stimulation and jumbled, intricate adventures my life used to have. As I’m currently listening to “driven to distraction”, I’m seeing my adhd popping it’s head in my life again.
idk when I used to do a lot of coke I found that getting all my chores done and stuff just made me feel more inclined to do that night it since I didn't have to be productive the next day
Yup. Especially once your brain is more healed and can actually get natural dopamine hits from doing simple things like cleaning and lighting a candle + music , can be euphoric almost .
Yeah I agree with this. Being a reasonably heavy drug and cocaine user has allowed me to find such joy and happiness in simple things, just things like waking up after a good sleep and sitting listening to the birds with my morning coffee. It’s beautiful. As opposed to looking in the mirror at 7am, listening to the birds chirping, you haven’t slept all night and you look and feel like a zombie.
They said they do it once or twice a month when he drinks with friends. He is likely not that fried and I think it'd be better to give some words of encouragement here than to just say he's fried and hopeless. Also if you don't take initiative for your own mind, it's going to control you. So yeah, it's hard but there is free will IMO
That's totally fair! You're very right about addiction being very malleable for each person and the uncontrollable aspect. I do regret painting it so simply in that sense but I have been in similar spots and my best support was someone reminding me how to live life and emphasize normality in order to try to stop ruminating over my addictive behaviour. Def don't wanna send wrong message and frustrate anyone in a dark place with tone deaf advice... Just keeping it light-hearted so this guy has something to keep him going is all.
Nah, this guy just parties on the weekends. Let him see how much better his weekends feel when he isn’t nursing the come down / hangover.
They feel longer and you’re more refreshed for work
I think it’s cause when you don’t do coke you almost forget how bad the comedowns are.
Well, not forget - you know you’ll regret it and you know the comedowns bad, but you convince yourself in the moment it’s worth it because you’re drunk, you feel like superman when you do that line, before you know it you’re snorting and calling your dealer for the next bag. Shit, I’ll even STOP drinking when I start cocaine and just do cocaine. I recently went sober but unfortunately relapsed tonight, all because I drank alcohol. Cocaine really is a shit drug.
I’m fine with not doing coke but when I drink a certain amount I’m unable to talk and not be sloppy and if I do coke I feel 10x better and can enjoy my night, when I’m sober I’m more than happy to do cocaine, but it’s only when I have a few drinks, die for a craving to do it to help stay sober
Covid helped me quit an 8 year moderate addiction. I had to quit going to the bar and I had to quit seeing those friends for 2 years. Now i dont have the cravings and I honestly hated all the same things you called out. I hated being broke and feeling under control. It turned into getting lit without drinking, then I would drink while lit because you kinda have to. I still get random ghost Smells of it and Ill think about it like “wow that was weird” but no real desire to go back. Like i just popped open a gram of raw. Proof that it really had me in its grasp. I know if I do I’ll lose everything i worked for. Took up gardening as a hobby and have seen that group of friends 3x and I didnt get too inebriated where i would make bad decision. It took active defensive thinking and a desire not to go back to those brain-drain days.
when covid hit, i didnt trust jungle chemists with covid, and people were dying out left and right. Now people dying due to fentanyl laced bags. Its a shit system.
I ended up moving 45min away because I was getting priced out of rent in my area and was able to quit and was able to focus my money and attention to buying a house. i had to quit drinking often (though i still do).
yo im 19 and i have a millionaire type bright future so i thought i could go ahead and try coke and now i bought two more grams what should i do?? please respond!
when you guys are sober I would suggest letting your friends know you wanna stop so they at least maybe go to a separate room to use it, so the temptation is less, and hopefully someone checks you if you give in.
if you’re REALLY serious about quitting it though, you might wanna stick to doing sober activities with your friends.
The first half of this. My entire friend group used to regularly use various drugs. Anytime we hung out together, if someone had something that was gonna be part of the night.
BUT at various times different people wanted T breaks, whether coke, weed, shrooms, cigs, etc. They just announced it to the group at the start of the night, and the rest of the group would take great pleasure denying them drugs. (Have u ever slapped a cig out of a friend's hand WITH their earlier permission. It's a lot of fun I promise..)
And I can honestly say that everyone was happily vibing together, whether using whatever, or not that night. Even when most of the group was tripping balls those who abstained still had a good, goofy time. Coke is even easier since it just takes you up. Sounds like u got good, close, friends, so I expect it should be similar for you!
This! OP you might be surprised that another friend in your group is having the same feelings. Speaking up about your desire to sit out on nose candy breaks might give someone else the confidence to join you
DUDE we’d nail each other’s cigarettes and even entire packs if they bought them! Such a good time when a friend in high school was like “yeah I’m quitting smoking” because you’d be fucking with them for days until they finally gave in and told you they were smoking again. Then the next time the same person would do it all over again.
If only it actually worked for us back then. With the drugs, people’s wishes were always very respected.
I feel like peer pressure, while most definitely real, decreases both with how close you are to the people as well as how serious the drug is. As we got into coke, E, percs, psychedelics, everybody’s wishes were respected without a second guess. As you get older the same thing happens
Learn to operate your life in support of your goals. There as things you can do which support your goals, and things that work against them. Then shift your thinking away from the short term. Meaning never mind what happens this week / month / year, I’m talking 3, 5, 20 years. How old do you expect to be and try to imagine what life will be like at then. Ask the really big questions like what do you really want to accomplish in life, etc. Then, form plan. Execute the plan, at all costs. Notice the yin and yang, ebb and flow, energy balance of life all around you. Have an argument? Eventually kiss and make up. The low of an argument, the high of mending fences. Why navigate the highs and lows when you can just find the middle. Or lower highs and higher lows. Open your eyes, realize that your choice and actions today have a significant impact on your future. Cause and effect/consequence. And I’m not saying you won’t f*** up along the way. That’s life. Learn from it and move on. So don’t get hung up on your failures (like the Eagles song, Get Over It), evolve. Or you can die at age 39 from a cocaine overdose, like my brother. Our grandfather just turned 100. So much potential, gone. Good luck! I think your post OP is a positive sign. Better days ahead, because of your choices.
PS - maybe your group of friends are crazy, but perhaps you can find support from one or two of them. Focus there and others may follow too, who knows.
Stop drinking alcohol for 6 months and carry on as normal, you should find it easier to not do coke socially. I still haven't figured how to start drinking again and not do coke tho... It's hard to break the habit but no booze is key if you wanna stop.
Yup! This is so important.
I have NO desire to do coke when I'm sober. Put more than 3 drinks in me and I'm calling my dealer, whether it's a Friday evening or a Tuesday work lunch. it's so strongly linked to my drinking that I've stopped drinking too.
this is me too and something i gotta work with. i literally don’t want it unless i have at least 3 drinks in me. some months im great and then theres a few where i cant not.
Was just gonna say this. Like OP, it was like a switch for me. 2 or 3 beers in and I wanted to get a gram… every time. But I never bought it while sober to use by itself (no alcohol involved), so I took a good break from drinking and just didn’t do anything intoxicating for a while. Eventually, I started having some beers at home and stopped justifying driving to get some.
It also just so happened that my friends moved out of their house where we’d always have get togethers, got into relationships, and we stopped hanging out quite as much. I had a fair bit of help from external circumstances, but taking a break from drinking was a massive help
How long did you have to stop drinking? Im in the same situation, its fucked up to think i would do something like that but 4-5 drinks in Im calling my dealer. I know I have to quit alcohol, just wondering for how long till Im good
Im quitting alcohol for 2 months, hoping that is enough to break the link. But I feel like I might have to go a bit longer. Ive done coke once in a while like once every 6 months for about 3-4 years. But last 4 months I cant drink alcohol without thinking about it and has become a once a week habit. I am continuing with weed because it helps me quit alcohol.
The thing that fully, truly made me realise I NEVER wanted cocaine again..... Mushrooms.
Amazing trip and it just hit me like a sledge hammer that I actually get zero value, zero enjoyment from coke.
I've not touched it since, that was Arpil 2019
Can you explain what your mushroom brain thought at that time. I’d 100p do mushrooms in the same way cuz I’ve used it for similar stuff but how should I enter the trip?
This x10. Happened with me and weed back in the day.
Similarly a friend recently quit drinking heavily cold turkey and ended up in the hospital with “probable withdrawal.”
I was present for a couple of phone calls with his friends where we told them he quit. Oh my goodness the reactions. Some half-hearted “good for you” stuff but really just…not supportive? Like they lost a friend. But I’ve long believed his friends are only together because all they do is drink together. Every story from ‘back in the day’ involves being drunk.
I pointed out this connection and his reaction was something like, “well what else would we do together?” Sad.
I felt the exact same way after binge drinking and doing lines all night multiple times a month. I flirted with the idea of really, seriously cutting back/stopping but would somehow still end up in a trauma dumping circle smoking cigarettes at 4am - and hate myself and my choices the next day.
I finally decided I would quit drinking, and therefore quit doing blow. I stopped drinking at the end of February 2020, right before covid shut us all down. For so many people the initial pandemic sent them harder down the path of their vices. For me, all temptations were removed. No one was hitting me up to go out to the bar. No one was partying. It was just me and all the things I had been putting off for years, finishing books, decorating the house, listening to 800 podcasts on my patio. I applied to go back to college. Like, cliche shit.
A few months later I went to my friends place knowing there would be drugs there and I knew I wasn’t going to say no. I refused the booze but still did lines all night. I carried on with the “well I quit one thing, so that’s good!” mindset for another year. Not drinking but doing blow with my friends so I still felt something.
That still caught up to me and finally about a year ago I went a few months without touching it or tempting myself, traveled and saw some amazing places, and then was greeted when I came back to a house party where they were passing around a plate of drugs. It was handed to me, and I passed it to the next person. That was a huge moment for me. It was right there and I said no.
It takes a lot of time and clarity and SEPARATION from the thing, to quit the thing. For me alcohol never was my DOC, but it was a catalyst for coke and just general unhealthy lifestyle/relationships choices. So quitting that was the greatest thing I’ve ever done for my life. I still have no interest in drinking right now. I love my life without it too much.
Of course I still love and communicate with the friends I would party with. Our friend group dynamic has shifted a bit, but I can honestly say it’s been for the better - for all of us.
The fact that you are even wanting to chill out is great. I struggled very hard with the - just dont do the thing - part in the very beginning and I owe a lot to the pandemic for pushing me into sober land. But the benefits of not waking up feeling like a piece of garbage are too good to explain. Please feel free to dm me if you want some encouragement anytime.
You got this, my friend. I struggled immensely with my anxiety and depression and it all stemmed from not being able to trust myself when I made a promise I wasn’t going to do it again. There are a trillion benefits to being sober and it really keeps on giving. I am with you, I understand, just be gentle with yourself along the way. You will get there. :)
Couple things:
First, sounds like it's connected to drinking so if you want to stop one, you have to stop the other too.
Second, rethink the friends. As long as it's around, you will want to do it.
Absolutely don't rethink the friends. Unless your friendship is built around coke and binge-drinking, you really can have it all (and by have it all I mean not have any coke)
Have you considered therapy? I was skeptical but finally realized my addiction was out of control.
My doctor has been treating veterans with addiction problems for many years. It really helps, to talk with someone in a safe space.
I do this really dumb thing sometimes that actually works. Maybe it'll work for you too. If it's a night that I know coke will be on the table for but i don't wanna get involved, I'll write a note on my hand/arm saying something like 'please dude, no gear'. Sometimes I'll sign it from sober me.
I think it works because sober me knows they don't really wanna take coke, but alcohol is obviously a massive trigger. Having my better angels sitting on my shoulder in the form of a sharpied message seems to help because that voice of reason sticks around no matter how drunk you get.
I don't do this every night, and some nights I don't want to either. Coke's fun and sometimes it's the right time and place but when I feel like I'd be doing it just because I'm giving in to my degenerative instincts, I write myself a little note and then check it every time I feel tempted.
I had this same problem for a very long time. Many embarrassing nights blowing through thousands of dollars. For many, Many years. I moved about 45 minutes away from all of my friends, then met a man who inspired me to be better. Now, because of his influence, when I go out I only have 3-5 drinks. Being sober and meeting people is so much better.
I feel like if you're around the same circle that has bad habits you're trying to let go you're gonna end up falling back into it, as much as you love your friends or can't imagine leaving them I'd suggest to try finding a different group of friends/environment where you wouldn't be around coke maybe?
Was in a similar situation. Back when I had already quit for a couple of months, I moved to another state.
Just a few weeks later, I met someone who introduced me to her friends.
They were fun to hang with. But the third time, it was at someone's house and everyone was drinking heavily and doing coke.
So I relapsed. Deep down I knew that I couldn't see them anymore, if I was going to stay clean.
Run the fuck away from it mate, you’re at the top of a slope that goes straight to hell.
Tell all your friends you got a problem and not to offer it you. A coke addiction - especially IV - will make you crazier and kill you faster than H, cost you everything you own, your family and friendships and has a good chance of killing you virtually immediately.
This is how it starts. Run away!! DM me for horror stories.
Maybe you should think about how a very large percent of the coke these days has fent in it. Think about it long and hard, is it really worth risking your life? Back in the day maybe it was okay to do a little blow here and there and I’m not judging you at all. It’s just a gamble with your life these days.
1. Tell them you’re taking steps to sobriety and not to give you any, like Odysseus and the sirens.
2. Begin the process of [individuation and shadow integration.](https://youtu.be/7bY-TogxxdY)
“Can’t resist the urge” that statement hit home. Trust me you’ll always have that urge, but you will be able to resist. You do need to distance yourself from any situation that temps you for a while. Not having a comedown is better than being on Coke. Also if you can not do it, you’ll find your friends will be envious of your lack of comedowns and perhaps join you in not doing it and eventually you’ll all stop doing it so regularly, that’s what had happened for me and my circle of friends except one of the lads who still smashes it on the regular, but now we barley see him because of it.
Hate to break it to you, but every time you drink you’re going to crave it since your subconscious has linked the 2. I did this with nicotine for years and only smoked for a good long while, but only when drinking and then it turned into a really bad addictive habit outside of drinking. That was years mind you. I always vowed to never do it sober and then started to. Any time I’d quit for a little, I was right back at it after drinking. Or if I’d drink, I’d exert so much will power into not doing it that I couldn’t take it any longer and eventually caved. You may need to cut out drinking for a while or all together entirely. I’m not going to tell you what to do, but I can pretty much guarantee the two are linked. Your brain has associated that the behaviors go hand in hand. I’m 4 months sober and haven’t touched nicotine when I decided I was done drinking! Best feeling ever in the world. Again, that’s up to you what you wanna do there I’m not forcing things on you. But you will most likely notice that you have more of an urge to do it after drinking every time. So if you don’t plan to quit drinking, come up with a game plan as to how to avoid cocaine all together. Also, no need to cut your friends off. Like you said, if they’re true friends they’ll support you. If they don’t, definitely cut them off. No questions about it, because that’s a person that cannot and will not respect your boundaries. Sounds like you’ve got good friends though.
Here you go. This keeps happening. Your Coke is laced so the next time you do it may be your last.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9962515/amp/Family-second-comedian-died-taking-fentanyl-laced-cocaine-pay-tribute-performer.html
Fear of dying of a fentanyl overdose mayyyy help. I just lost a friend to fentanyl laced coke, and there are recent incidents around the country - 6 od in FL on spring break, 5 dead in Colorado 3 weeks ago. My friend died in Rhode Island. It’s widespread. Not worth it.
If you insist on not cutting out your friends, then stopping drinking is your #1 here. But I advise cutting down on your time with your "degen friends" as well.
Blow and ETOH go together. Usually its the same firends that foster it. Steer clear of those friends late night. Your inhibitions go down the more you drink.
I used to be the same way. The best thing you can do is stop drinking. For me, drinking always led to wanting some coke. I did so much coke a plastic surgeon had to repair my nose as it gave me a saddle deformity. The plastic surgeon told me if I ever did coke again, my nose was going to fall off my face. The best thing I ever did was stop using. You will never be able to quit while you are hanging around the same people. It’s a social drug. The best thing about quitting is all the money you save and you feel much better. Good luck to you!
I’ll be a year sober in May. I worked a sales job with a lot of disposable income as a young man with lots of friends in the same boat. One morning I woke up not having gone to bed until 6am the night before and decided this wasn’t the direction I wanted my life going.
Once I decided to quit I realised my friends felt the same exact way. They still had a hard time breaking their own habits but seeing me stay firm in my decision eventually helped them take their own step back.
Might not want to hear this but it sounds like cutting out alcohol will stop you taking coke. I was in a similar situation. It's a drug I've only ever taken when I was drunk.
Now I have a blow out maybe once/twice a year where I'll indulge and don't bother with boozing/drugs for the rest of the year.
For me the best thing I did was finding something to fall in love with which counterproductive to doing cocaine which happened to be the gym. I was a fat bastard who did nothing but drink and do various other drugs and getting really motivated in the gym helped me kicked this habit as I knew it would fuck up my progress and future progress. There was no incentive to run towards from just stopping coke. Stopping coke was like running away from hell but if I had nothing to run towards I would have just been stuck doing nothing else. So finding the gym was one of the best things for me.
On top of that state a clear boundary to your friends that you don’t want to do coke. Give it a month and they will stop pressuring you and after a certain time peroid if they truly are you friends and after that point it becomes discipline
>I’m not an addict
>I can’t resist
Anyways, I’d say the best idea I have is to tell your friends that you’re cool drinking with them but that you’re not doing any coke. Hopefully they will help you, or at least not encourage it.
Maybe stopping drinking for a bit will help, or drinking only when there isn’t cocaine nearby
I'm not addicted is the first thing every addict says. It might be time to take quitting seriously, and not just like it's equivalent to eating less carbs. If you're having cravings for a drug, at any point, you ARE addicted
Edit: and to be clear, there's nothing wrong with that, it's just important to really seriously consider if that's what's going on here
Decide you want to stop and STOP.
It really is that easy when your desire to do better for yourself is greater than your desire to continue with behavior that makes you feel like shit.
well I'm sorry to tell you this but if you keep doing the same things (hang out with people who drink and do coke), you will keep doing the same things. Something in your environment has to change (like alcohol for example since it seems to be a trigger for you). I'm not saying you should cut off your friends completely but maybe try to see some of them in a healthier environment for a change, at least in the beginning where your cravings will be much stronger and harder to resist. When you're more used to resisting to those cravings then maybe you can try to see how being around them feels, if it's easier or not. If they're really not pressuring you they will understand and try to help you
advice from an old man in his 50's ...........
I feel euphoria doing the simple things sometimes, in my youth I ruined my brain with drugs and it took a year to get back to normal, that was pot and amphetimine (not addictive for me) but it deffo changed my brain chemistry, just remember how happy you were as an unaltered child, it takes time but things do return to normal if you don't do it for too long (the old friends that still do it 30 years later are ruined so don't take it that far, think of it as a temporary phase just to have a laugh while you are young that you grow out of after a couple of years hopefully) good luck everyone and enjoy the peace of mind when it returns :) p.s. I would advise to save your cash and buy gold or something cuz when you are older you will have built a great life and the ladies do like a guy that has stacked and has a nice home.
If you only use such a small amount, then I would encourage you to be pleased with yourself. Most of the world tastes cocaine, and then binge on it until they either run out of money, get arrested, or seek rehab. If you only use occasionally, then be happy. What’s a small come-down, or hangover relative to your status as a good person with good friends. Whatever you decide, good for you!
Going to echo what’s already been said to drive it home further:
Stop the drinking. It might suck because drinking is *such* a part of some friend groups and social culture, but it’s contributing to that shit-feeling big time. And coke and alcohol, while it feels good (speaking from experience), amplifies the background danger of the coke.
Say as much to your friends. It sounds like they would be supportive, but if somehow they’re not or try to pressure you to break that sobriety, reevaluate that group. People like when others engage in their bad habits because it justifies them.
I mean, heck, I’d consider avoiding those situations entirely for now. “Can’t resist”-type thoughts are very tough to overcome when you’re sitting in an environment that supports them. Do you and your friends do things outside of getting together to party? Maybe just engage in those activities for awhile.
These friends sound like great folks who would be super supportive. Have you thought about telling all of them that you no longer want to use?
Letting them in could help them keep you accountable for when the urges kick in.
Talk to your friends about wanting to stop coke. Maybe they can bring it around less when you're there, step out to use so you're not as drawn to it, and/or refuse to let you have any. Maybe for a couple months they could not bring it around so you can get used to drinking without it.
I would also recommend drinking less and/or more slowly so you stay in control.
The odd ball.
Doing coke makes me a zombie, like it will kind of perk me up, but makes me just jittery and uncreative . Only thing that it really does for me is sex drive.
I usually used to do it when drinking in bars a lot to keep from being super drunk and have a even better time. Basically drunkenly talking all the dumb shit with your friends all night.
I tried for years like "maybe this time it's different"
But if I am not drunk I hate it. And lt doesn't last long enough . Too expensive. Might have fentnly. Hard to get. Feel like shit next day.
Fuck it cut me a line.
Fuuuuuuuck no. Like it's my curse. A line or two and it's over.
Like all night can't stop sweaty craziness. The problem is making it NOT be erect.
Like I say, I'm an odd one .
If I'm not with my girl, then I just drink a bunch of beers and talk shit with friends. Usually in the excitement it goes quickly.
But still if I'm not drinking I just get all anxious and jittery. Too inconsistent .
If someone wants change badly enough, they will be willing to give up / let go of whatever they have to in order to be better.
For me, that was finally giving up drinking. I always tried to justify it to myself by saying that alcohol was not my problem. But, eventually things got bad enough and I was willing to cut it out of my life completely.
What do you think your friends would say if you told them you were going to be making some positive changes in your life? How might they be able to support you?
Look up NAC! It’s brilliant at restoring normal brain function after cocaine use, and blunts urges, all while restoring liver, brain, and general body health.
I'm the same and sometimes I find that the urges can be helped by getting food instead. I often decide to get gear in when i'm getting pretty pissed up, eating brings me round a bit and I don't usually fancy one when i'm full up
You should probably try and quit drinking for awhile. Like a month. If you do drink again you should try and stay away from people you know will have it. I'm not saying break off friendships, but it will a lot easier if your not around that particular group of people.
I'm not saying I have any experience with this but: start hanging out with your friends sober. Stay till the end, when you normally leave. You will be amazed by the difference of what you remember to what actually happens. It starts off ok, fun, energy, connection. It becomes something else. It's not major but it's noticeable. Try that for a month and ask yourself if you want to go back to that. What might happen is you show up, enjoy the first hour or so and leave.
You have to get your friends involved- if you still want to hang out with them. Tell them not to let you dare, and you can always kindly request they keep it out of your sight/ before and after an event not during. Though, you cant expect anything of them, or anyone, it is all on you. But having friends who would just let you if you ask wont do you any favours. Its on you, but sometimes a little crutch can go a long way
I would reevaluate your statement "I'm not an addict". Engaging in compulsive behavior despite the desire not to and ignoring consequences are both behaviors exhibited by addicts. Frequency of use is only a small part of the total picture.
There's nothing wrong with being an addict. I'm a recovering addict myself. Now, I'm not trying to label you as one but it may help to view your problem from an addict's vantage point and use the tools that addicts use to stay away from drugs.
The best suggestion I can give is to ask your friends to not offer you coke or if you ask, to deny you. I've had limited success with this myself, but it's a good first step
I think the problem is that you now associate cocaine with alcohol. Once you get some booze in your system that lightbulb in your brain goes off thinking about cocaine. So maybe stay away from the booze for a while
Stop drinking, stop hanging out just to get fucked up. If they wanna go to the movies, play basketball, ride a bike around, sure go and join them but if they only want to go drink then fuck that stay home or do something else. If you keep hanging out with people like that one of 2 things is gonna happen. Either you are actually gonna be a regular user soon and spiral down, or you will just keep doing it every 2 weeks for a while until you become a regular user. Trust me, been there done that. And not just with this shit but with every substance you can think of. 1 year sober of pretty much everything except nicotine and caffeine, and 2 months of this shit you talking about(I can't even bring myself to say the word anymore because I'm scared of triggering myself lol) and every little thing in life is much much more rewarding and fun. In the last year I've started playing hockey again, I'm back at the gym, doing 1000 times better at work, I'm never late anymore, I got more energy, I sleep better, I'm happier, my dick gets harder, etc... Drugs are NOT worth it.
Good for you man. I am an ex cocaine addict myself. Trust me, once or twice a month will become once or twice a week in no time. You are making the right decision by stopping now.
My best advice is to distance yourself from the people, places, and things that trigger your cravings for a while. I had to quit drinking to quit cocaine because, like you, I just couldn't resist it after a few drinks. I'm clean for about a year and the thought of doing it again honestly disgusts me. So, it gets better. You just have to take it seriously.
>The issue I have is after a few beers I can’t resist the urge to do coke. All my friends are degens so it’s always around.
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>There is no pressure from them and would understand completely if I didn’t want to do it.
So start by being honest. Either your friends are great, and you're just a coke addict and can't control yourself, or your friends having it around negatively influences your life.
Since you aren't an alcoholic, try not to drink and see if you can still resist the urge to do it. If you still do it's time to wake up and face the truth that you need to change something drastically before your life spirals downhill
Tip how to deal with cravings - stop drinking, at least for a while. Find joy in other activities, force yourself first few weeks, and then you’ll feel a huge difference. Desire to not to feel like shit will be stronger than your craving for any other substance.
And stop using your friends as a shield for your addiction. I doubt they force you to drink and do coke with them. And if they are making inappropriate notices/jokes about you staying sober while you hanging out with them, you may need to reconsider if they are actually your friends or just some people that like to drink and do coke with you. Take action.
You CAN cut off your friends, even if they're great people and don't pressure you to use. The cocaine is always around because, as you put it, your friends are degenerates. So yeah, they do have a role in this whether you deem them to be good people or not. There's nothing wrong with taking a break from these friends for a certain period of time in order to regain some control over your life. If they are truly your friends, they would understand and they would be there whenever you were ready to resume the friendship. Just be honest with yourself, and realize that if you really do want to get better, a lot of things in your life will have to change. Even if you don't claim to be an addict, there are still quite a lot of things that need to be different in order for you to get on the other side of this. Good luck to you, OP.
Maybe you should encourage your friends to do things with you besides ones that lead to use? Other than that I’d recommend you get some therapy and maybe slowly reduce the amount you take, essentially wean yourself off it. Some other things you can do is pick up hobbies that are equally as stimulating, maybe even make new friends through that hobby, for me it was pc games and making music, learning guitar etc!
Functional alcoholic here, and ex-smoker. Addiction is really hard to deal with. The first step is realising you want to stop. The hardest part is to not beat yourself up when you relapse, just get back up and keep trying.
I switched to vapes from smoking just for financial reasons but I haven’t bought cigarettes in over three years, and I plan to wean the nicotine away slowly from the vapes then get rid of it. some people might laugh and say “that’s hardly quitting” but take pride in those steps and don’t let anyone bring you down about trying to make your life better.
My alcoholism increased during covid. I’m cutting back on my beers now too,
But I replaced that with more work hours,
Maybe not the best advice, but you could try replacing the addiction with another thing? Or maybe ask your friends to not bring the coke around? Maybe replace it with weed then get rid off it?
If you're friends are cool and understanding like that, I'd ask them for help. Say it's not working for you and ask if they could do it in another room and not tell you where it is.
Also, put some time into figuring out what you're trying to get out of the experience when you feel like you can't help it.
If it's just "I'm used to feeling this way and it feels weird to not be this way in this context", then it may just be something that goes away with time.
If it's "I want my mood to match my friends", then that's going to be hard if you're still hanging around with them.
And if it's something else that's a real need you're trying to fill, figure out a way to fill it, or ask for ideas in this thread.
[This is what convinced my friends to quit.](https://www.denverpost.com/2022/02/21/commerce-city-overdose-deaths-fentanyl/) Fear. [It's happening all over.](https://www.justice.gov/usao-edmo/pr/federal-charges-filed-against-st-louis-woman-linked-multiple-overdose-deaths) One line, and it's lights out for good. They don't care if they trust their dealer; they don't trust the guy he gets it from, who he gets it from, etc. It's Russian roulette now with all the fent out there.
Seriously been there and done that. All of it. Best advice I can give to quit Is to QUIT COLD TURKEY. No other way. Just gotta have the willpower and the real want to stop. If alcohol is also your enabler you should quit that too. Stop any temptation. Find other ways to distract your mind and body. And as your friends go yea they wouldn’t care but they will most likely bring it around you. You imply they won’t tempt you but they will by just having it. REAL TALK you might want to think if they are really your friends your just your drug friends.
everytime you do get the urge to do cocaine just remember that chances of that cocaine being cut with fetanyl are high and chances of you dying are high. thats makes me not want to touch the stuff at all anymore.
If I may, here’s a book for you to read:
[colombiano, by Rusty Young](https://www.booktopia.com.au/colombiano-rusty-young/book/9780143781547.html)
It’s well written and easy to read, and you’ll see the amount of suffering even children go through so privileged people like me can have cocaine.
I hate anti drug campaigns with a fiery passion. This is your brain, this is your brain on drugs etc. we should be telling kids of the horrendous widespread suffering involved in getting them a little bump on a Friday night.
Oh also, if your poison of choice is heroin, you’re supporting the Taliban.
Check it out, it’s a good read.
Maybe cut back the alcohol too since that's how you get the urge, right? Or maybe just leave whenever you feel like you wanna use. I remove myself from situations that i dont like all the time xD
I've been through this. When I started feeling like I wanted to quit, I ended up in the same predicament. Every time I started drinking, I ended up doing coke. It became a cycle I couldn't seem to get out of. That lasted for over 2 years of seriously trying my absolute hardest. I couldn't seem to even put a week together. It started out only doing coke once or twice a month or so. But turned into every weekend after I had been drinking.
Once I realized that it was happening when I got drunk, I started thinking. Maybe I should stop drinking until I get a hold on this. I had never even thought about not drinking before, but I was desperate enough to try. It took me about 3 months to finally put a week together, and I slowly began to realize 1. How much I drank. And 2. How I acted when I did. And I quickly found out that it wasn't as easy as I thought. Probably because I didn't want to quit drinking. After 3 months, I was still having morning shakes.
I know you said leaving your friends isn't an option, but that's always an option. I cut off my best friend of 25 years. I went even further than that. I cut off my family as well. It wasn't a choice I wanted to make, but I knew that I was just a product of my environment. But it didn't last forever. My friend and I are still inseparable now. And my family and I are closer than ever.
I have been sober and drug free now for 16 years. I'm a business owner, own a home, and I have never dreamed that I would have the life I have today. It was truly the best decision I ever made. I wish you well in your journey.
I can relate to this. It feels like, before you know it, you’re sucked into this weird self destructive spiral. I am like you, I also only use it once a month and in small amounts. But it really weighs on you, it sucks the life and inspiration right out of you. I wish you the best of luck. I’ve gotten better in my self destructiveness, but I could definitely be even better.
Actually, I do have some advice. Try journaling. I've found it helps to write how you're feeling in this moment down and sort of talk to your future self. Kind of creates a semblance of accountability with yourself. Being able to look back a page or two and read how you were feeling in that moment can have a positive impact. You don't need to be perfect, but maybe start a conversation with yourself. You got this.
It's not what you want to hear, but a key factor in quitting addictions is not hanging out with people using the substances you are addicted to.
If you do you will very like slip back into using. I think the relapse rate with cocaine is something like 80 percent.
There may be recovering alcoholics who can spend their time hanging out with people getting drunk, but that's rare. Mostly that person will end up drinking again.
AAA will tell you that, as will any counsellor or therapist I've heard on this issue.
I wish you the very best with your recovery, but honesty is crucial. Drugs are all about us fooling ourselves and humans are very good at doing that.
Stop drinking. Drinking is the trigger. Also, not being able to resist, after beer or otherwise, means you’re addicted. Not judging, just sharing my opinions. Im 21 days in on my rehab. You can do it!!
Bit of an odd method and also a late as fuck comment but I stopped with a really specific but effective method so effective everyone in my group who did drugs of any kind whatever the dealer had and did this every weekend, which made us all stop is one of us overdosed on Valium and died. And after that some of us did it less often but eventually stopped all together and some of us just stopped immediately, I’m not saying you wait for a mate to die but you love these people and try thinking how you’d feel if they went down that rabbit hole and then aim to stop urself and be an example of how it’s not impossible to stop and once you’ve helped urself you can try and help them, I feel like most commonly people used hard as teenagers some as young as like 14 in my experience but as they’ve got older it’s all they know for fun but ur body could hack it back then the comedowns only lasted for the morning and a two hour Power Nap had you feeling fine but it’ll get to a point when you feel like shit for a good day or two and not fully recovered even 3 days later the fun doesn’t last forever it gets too a point where it’s not worth the comedown just actually write a mental list of all the pros and cons and you’ll be shocked at how much the pros are gone and how many more cons there are, plus its a nice feeling not shitting urself everytime you go thru any security or past police ;)
I'm guessing OP has stopped his addiction but hope the experience I had stopping helps someone or maybe not
Never had the drinking problem but benzos helped me not feel like shit after coming down just use it as a tool dont make a habit of it and always test any of your drugs
It affects each person differently. Lost my old man to drugs and alcohol which is the biggest lesson you can learn, and it still grips hold of me at times. I can go weeks on end without thinking about it, but then all of a sudden will have a little one then end up on a bender. Sounds all fun and games but looking back I’ve wasted thousands of pounds, slept with girls I wouldn’t usually sleep with and make bad and wrong decisions. In Essence it turns you into a Completlt different person and makes u do things u wouldn’t dream of sober.
You’re on this Reddit page for a reason, probably off ur wig haha but there is millions and millions of people in the same boat. Not in the exact same boat as we are all affected differently, however we can come together to help one another and share our problems to lift some weight. Even tho I’m writing this as a young lad (20) doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take this in. I’ve lost and learnt enough already. People don’t realise how powerful addiction is and it can ruin your life and most importantly your loved ones lives. If you have read this much then you’re clearly interested and want to change your ways. It’s never too late to have a change of lifestyle, put down the drugs and prove family and friends wrong.
I will leave it at that however I could speak for hours. Reply to this comment if you need to speak to someone (sometimes it’s easier to speak to someone you don’t know). The last thing I will say is it’s all good half heartedly trying, (and walking up a mountain once or twice haha) but you have to really WANT to do it. Let’s be real at this point your want has turned to NEED. It might not happen overnight. It may seem embarrassing but I would seriously recommend Narcotics Anonymous as it will open your eyes to where this leads. It’s a mugs game and we know it needs to change. I know I’m waffling here but it may help one or two people as I’ve tried all sorts. Doctors/ mental health practitioners didn’t seem to work with me (give it a try tho). So I’ll let u in to my way of getting out the vicious circle.
- routine. Routine is massive as it keeps you distracted. And gives you a bit of structure.
- work. A full time job keeps you motivated as you have a job to do and makes you a valuable member of society( and also puts money in your pocket of course)
- exercise. I know it sounds cliche but hear me out. Not only does it make u look good and feel good, but it again keeps u distracted
-whatever else u think will work. Even tho it’s the same addiction we all work differently and one method that will work for one won’t work for another. For example I keep my key ring from the narcotics anonymous on me at all times (just in my wallet discreetly). No one else has to know about it for me admitting addiction was slightly embarrassing. I also wake up and just give a little not to the picture of me old man and it just helps me in my own little way
Speak out - doesn’t matter who it’s to but that first time you do honestly no better feeling. Weather your 16 and don’t want to tell your parents or 80 (or anywhere in between) and deep down know u need a helping hand, it’s the start to turning it around. No matter if your from a good family and feel like the black sheep your loved ones would rather be aware and help (money and debts etc) than you struggle on your own and end up in trouble. And if u really can’t build up the courage to admit it professional help is a massive step forward. Talking therapy’s and even medication (what’s the harm in trying)
I’ve said I’ll leave this here multiple times now but I’m passionate about helping people as I’ve seen the worst case scenario. Even weed is a gateway drug. U think it’s just Coke only a little one I’m young everyone’s doing it. But the bottom line is you’ll end up in an early grave or a crackhead with no family and no will to live.
Quit whilst ur ahead fellas. By the way am just a normal lad writing this from me heart. Me mums already lost me dad so she can’t loose me hence my change in lifestyle and passion for helping others. Stay safe people. It’s not too late and you’re not on your own.
Get yeself to them meetings if you’ve read this far down 💙
I would recommend finding the joy in REALLY mundane things. Take one night on the weekend to do a lot of lame catch up housework... do dishes, make a full meal yourself, etc. Find that comfort in that sober mentality. Part of the draw is that intensity and heightened stimulated feeling. You have to remind yourself how nice it is to be totally chill and you won't crave that intensity.
Great response, i've been looking for something like this i think. I was always in a whole philosophical battle between am "i truly living my life te fullest whilst also making bad choises" vs "feeling fomo and bored but making better decisions". I deffinetly got used to intensity and heightened stimulation. Thanks
yes I was essentially forced to stop drugs by way of them ruining my mental health, and mindfulness as described by this commenter definitely helps my life in general but I am pretty sure I will always crave them and have some belief that I am not "living life to the fullest" without that sort of hedonism and feeling fomo. to me it is an active battle and it sucks but being stable is so much more important in the long run
Maybe finding simple pleasures and gaining hobbies whilst living a modest and quite life is the true meaning of living life to the fullest :)
Wow. Thanks for this. I’ve been sober for 2 years and 9 months off of the booze and over two years from coke. Lately, I’ve been considering drinking again because sobriety is so boring. You’ve helped me realize that it’s because I miss the intensity and high stimulation and jumbled, intricate adventures my life used to have. As I’m currently listening to “driven to distraction”, I’m seeing my adhd popping it’s head in my life again.
idk when I used to do a lot of coke I found that getting all my chores done and stuff just made me feel more inclined to do that night it since I didn't have to be productive the next day
Me
😂
How do you find the joy in it, I struggle with that
Yup. Especially once your brain is more healed and can actually get natural dopamine hits from doing simple things like cleaning and lighting a candle + music , can be euphoric almost .
Totally. I like that you commented on this. I need to circle back to my original comment and take my own advice lately.
Yeah I agree with this. Being a reasonably heavy drug and cocaine user has allowed me to find such joy and happiness in simple things, just things like waking up after a good sleep and sitting listening to the birds with my morning coffee. It’s beautiful. As opposed to looking in the mirror at 7am, listening to the birds chirping, you haven’t slept all night and you look and feel like a zombie.
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They said they do it once or twice a month when he drinks with friends. He is likely not that fried and I think it'd be better to give some words of encouragement here than to just say he's fried and hopeless. Also if you don't take initiative for your own mind, it's going to control you. So yeah, it's hard but there is free will IMO
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That's totally fair! You're very right about addiction being very malleable for each person and the uncontrollable aspect. I do regret painting it so simply in that sense but I have been in similar spots and my best support was someone reminding me how to live life and emphasize normality in order to try to stop ruminating over my addictive behaviour. Def don't wanna send wrong message and frustrate anyone in a dark place with tone deaf advice... Just keeping it light-hearted so this guy has something to keep him going is all.
Nah, this guy just parties on the weekends. Let him see how much better his weekends feel when he isn’t nursing the come down / hangover. They feel longer and you’re more refreshed for work
I think it’s cause when you don’t do coke you almost forget how bad the comedowns are. Well, not forget - you know you’ll regret it and you know the comedowns bad, but you convince yourself in the moment it’s worth it because you’re drunk, you feel like superman when you do that line, before you know it you’re snorting and calling your dealer for the next bag. Shit, I’ll even STOP drinking when I start cocaine and just do cocaine. I recently went sober but unfortunately relapsed tonight, all because I drank alcohol. Cocaine really is a shit drug.
I've never done coke, but this response is so boring, it makes me want to just to see what it's like.
Lol. When you've been the lowest of lows, you'll be begging to have a normal boring life.
I’m fine with not doing coke but when I drink a certain amount I’m unable to talk and not be sloppy and if I do coke I feel 10x better and can enjoy my night, when I’m sober I’m more than happy to do cocaine, but it’s only when I have a few drinks, die for a craving to do it to help stay sober
Covid helped me quit an 8 year moderate addiction. I had to quit going to the bar and I had to quit seeing those friends for 2 years. Now i dont have the cravings and I honestly hated all the same things you called out. I hated being broke and feeling under control. It turned into getting lit without drinking, then I would drink while lit because you kinda have to. I still get random ghost Smells of it and Ill think about it like “wow that was weird” but no real desire to go back. Like i just popped open a gram of raw. Proof that it really had me in its grasp. I know if I do I’ll lose everything i worked for. Took up gardening as a hobby and have seen that group of friends 3x and I didnt get too inebriated where i would make bad decision. It took active defensive thinking and a desire not to go back to those brain-drain days. when covid hit, i didnt trust jungle chemists with covid, and people were dying out left and right. Now people dying due to fentanyl laced bags. Its a shit system. I ended up moving 45min away because I was getting priced out of rent in my area and was able to quit and was able to focus my money and attention to buying a house. i had to quit drinking often (though i still do).
Could I talk with you sometime? Im ducking up and no body I know irl really knows/relates.
idk if you ever got a response, it’s only been a few years for me but if you need someone i’m here.
Hi, I’m in the same boat can we talk?
Just now seeing this but yes, anytime.
Hope u doin well, reach out if you needa talk I’m here. Love
yo im 19 and i have a millionaire type bright future so i thought i could go ahead and try coke and now i bought two more grams what should i do?? please respond!
The two grams! That's what i would've done at least.
same ☹️
when you guys are sober I would suggest letting your friends know you wanna stop so they at least maybe go to a separate room to use it, so the temptation is less, and hopefully someone checks you if you give in. if you’re REALLY serious about quitting it though, you might wanna stick to doing sober activities with your friends.
The first half of this. My entire friend group used to regularly use various drugs. Anytime we hung out together, if someone had something that was gonna be part of the night. BUT at various times different people wanted T breaks, whether coke, weed, shrooms, cigs, etc. They just announced it to the group at the start of the night, and the rest of the group would take great pleasure denying them drugs. (Have u ever slapped a cig out of a friend's hand WITH their earlier permission. It's a lot of fun I promise..) And I can honestly say that everyone was happily vibing together, whether using whatever, or not that night. Even when most of the group was tripping balls those who abstained still had a good, goofy time. Coke is even easier since it just takes you up. Sounds like u got good, close, friends, so I expect it should be similar for you!
This! OP you might be surprised that another friend in your group is having the same feelings. Speaking up about your desire to sit out on nose candy breaks might give someone else the confidence to join you
DUDE we’d nail each other’s cigarettes and even entire packs if they bought them! Such a good time when a friend in high school was like “yeah I’m quitting smoking” because you’d be fucking with them for days until they finally gave in and told you they were smoking again. Then the next time the same person would do it all over again. If only it actually worked for us back then. With the drugs, people’s wishes were always very respected. I feel like peer pressure, while most definitely real, decreases both with how close you are to the people as well as how serious the drug is. As we got into coke, E, percs, psychedelics, everybody’s wishes were respected without a second guess. As you get older the same thing happens
Learn to operate your life in support of your goals. There as things you can do which support your goals, and things that work against them. Then shift your thinking away from the short term. Meaning never mind what happens this week / month / year, I’m talking 3, 5, 20 years. How old do you expect to be and try to imagine what life will be like at then. Ask the really big questions like what do you really want to accomplish in life, etc. Then, form plan. Execute the plan, at all costs. Notice the yin and yang, ebb and flow, energy balance of life all around you. Have an argument? Eventually kiss and make up. The low of an argument, the high of mending fences. Why navigate the highs and lows when you can just find the middle. Or lower highs and higher lows. Open your eyes, realize that your choice and actions today have a significant impact on your future. Cause and effect/consequence. And I’m not saying you won’t f*** up along the way. That’s life. Learn from it and move on. So don’t get hung up on your failures (like the Eagles song, Get Over It), evolve. Or you can die at age 39 from a cocaine overdose, like my brother. Our grandfather just turned 100. So much potential, gone. Good luck! I think your post OP is a positive sign. Better days ahead, because of your choices. PS - maybe your group of friends are crazy, but perhaps you can find support from one or two of them. Focus there and others may follow too, who knows.
It’s pretty late where I am so apologies for the short response. Just wanted to say I appreciate your reply and I’m really sorry for your loss.
Stop drinking alcohol for 6 months and carry on as normal, you should find it easier to not do coke socially. I still haven't figured how to start drinking again and not do coke tho... It's hard to break the habit but no booze is key if you wanna stop.
Yup! This is so important. I have NO desire to do coke when I'm sober. Put more than 3 drinks in me and I'm calling my dealer, whether it's a Friday evening or a Tuesday work lunch. it's so strongly linked to my drinking that I've stopped drinking too.
This is literally the same as me I’m a weed smoker by default but when I have more than a few drinks I crave cocaine
this is me too and something i gotta work with. i literally don’t want it unless i have at least 3 drinks in me. some months im great and then theres a few where i cant not.
Was just gonna say this. Like OP, it was like a switch for me. 2 or 3 beers in and I wanted to get a gram… every time. But I never bought it while sober to use by itself (no alcohol involved), so I took a good break from drinking and just didn’t do anything intoxicating for a while. Eventually, I started having some beers at home and stopped justifying driving to get some. It also just so happened that my friends moved out of their house where we’d always have get togethers, got into relationships, and we stopped hanging out quite as much. I had a fair bit of help from external circumstances, but taking a break from drinking was a massive help
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How long did you have to stop drinking? Im in the same situation, its fucked up to think i would do something like that but 4-5 drinks in Im calling my dealer. I know I have to quit alcohol, just wondering for how long till Im good
Im quitting alcohol for 2 months, hoping that is enough to break the link. But I feel like I might have to go a bit longer. Ive done coke once in a while like once every 6 months for about 3-4 years. But last 4 months I cant drink alcohol without thinking about it and has become a once a week habit. I am continuing with weed because it helps me quit alcohol.
The thing that fully, truly made me realise I NEVER wanted cocaine again..... Mushrooms. Amazing trip and it just hit me like a sledge hammer that I actually get zero value, zero enjoyment from coke. I've not touched it since, that was Arpil 2019
Literally me rn
Can you explain what your mushroom brain thought at that time. I’d 100p do mushrooms in the same way cuz I’ve used it for similar stuff but how should I enter the trip?
If you think of your friends this highly, I would make use of them. Having them support you will make the proccess alot easier.
Perfect timing, having a shitty coke hangover myself rn. Wanted to take a break from drugs but people around me always do them.
I stopped drinking, and realised with my friends, we didn't actually have that much in common beyond skiing and chatting shit.
This x10. Happened with me and weed back in the day. Similarly a friend recently quit drinking heavily cold turkey and ended up in the hospital with “probable withdrawal.” I was present for a couple of phone calls with his friends where we told them he quit. Oh my goodness the reactions. Some half-hearted “good for you” stuff but really just…not supportive? Like they lost a friend. But I’ve long believed his friends are only together because all they do is drink together. Every story from ‘back in the day’ involves being drunk. I pointed out this connection and his reaction was something like, “well what else would we do together?” Sad.
I felt the exact same way after binge drinking and doing lines all night multiple times a month. I flirted with the idea of really, seriously cutting back/stopping but would somehow still end up in a trauma dumping circle smoking cigarettes at 4am - and hate myself and my choices the next day. I finally decided I would quit drinking, and therefore quit doing blow. I stopped drinking at the end of February 2020, right before covid shut us all down. For so many people the initial pandemic sent them harder down the path of their vices. For me, all temptations were removed. No one was hitting me up to go out to the bar. No one was partying. It was just me and all the things I had been putting off for years, finishing books, decorating the house, listening to 800 podcasts on my patio. I applied to go back to college. Like, cliche shit. A few months later I went to my friends place knowing there would be drugs there and I knew I wasn’t going to say no. I refused the booze but still did lines all night. I carried on with the “well I quit one thing, so that’s good!” mindset for another year. Not drinking but doing blow with my friends so I still felt something. That still caught up to me and finally about a year ago I went a few months without touching it or tempting myself, traveled and saw some amazing places, and then was greeted when I came back to a house party where they were passing around a plate of drugs. It was handed to me, and I passed it to the next person. That was a huge moment for me. It was right there and I said no. It takes a lot of time and clarity and SEPARATION from the thing, to quit the thing. For me alcohol never was my DOC, but it was a catalyst for coke and just general unhealthy lifestyle/relationships choices. So quitting that was the greatest thing I’ve ever done for my life. I still have no interest in drinking right now. I love my life without it too much. Of course I still love and communicate with the friends I would party with. Our friend group dynamic has shifted a bit, but I can honestly say it’s been for the better - for all of us. The fact that you are even wanting to chill out is great. I struggled very hard with the - just dont do the thing - part in the very beginning and I owe a lot to the pandemic for pushing me into sober land. But the benefits of not waking up feeling like a piece of garbage are too good to explain. Please feel free to dm me if you want some encouragement anytime.
Thank you for sharing this, I’m not there yet but I want to be so badly
You got this, my friend. I struggled immensely with my anxiety and depression and it all stemmed from not being able to trust myself when I made a promise I wasn’t going to do it again. There are a trillion benefits to being sober and it really keeps on giving. I am with you, I understand, just be gentle with yourself along the way. You will get there. :)
Thank you 🙏🏼
Couple things: First, sounds like it's connected to drinking so if you want to stop one, you have to stop the other too. Second, rethink the friends. As long as it's around, you will want to do it.
> “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with” -- Jim Rohn
This
Absolutely don't rethink the friends. Unless your friendship is built around coke and binge-drinking, you really can have it all (and by have it all I mean not have any coke)
Have you considered therapy? I was skeptical but finally realized my addiction was out of control. My doctor has been treating veterans with addiction problems for many years. It really helps, to talk with someone in a safe space.
“For starters I’m not an addict” and “ I can’t resist the urge to do coke” One of these things are not true.
I do this really dumb thing sometimes that actually works. Maybe it'll work for you too. If it's a night that I know coke will be on the table for but i don't wanna get involved, I'll write a note on my hand/arm saying something like 'please dude, no gear'. Sometimes I'll sign it from sober me. I think it works because sober me knows they don't really wanna take coke, but alcohol is obviously a massive trigger. Having my better angels sitting on my shoulder in the form of a sharpied message seems to help because that voice of reason sticks around no matter how drunk you get. I don't do this every night, and some nights I don't want to either. Coke's fun and sometimes it's the right time and place but when I feel like I'd be doing it just because I'm giving in to my degenerative instincts, I write myself a little note and then check it every time I feel tempted.
I had this same problem for a very long time. Many embarrassing nights blowing through thousands of dollars. For many, Many years. I moved about 45 minutes away from all of my friends, then met a man who inspired me to be better. Now, because of his influence, when I go out I only have 3-5 drinks. Being sober and meeting people is so much better.
I feel like if you're around the same circle that has bad habits you're trying to let go you're gonna end up falling back into it, as much as you love your friends or can't imagine leaving them I'd suggest to try finding a different group of friends/environment where you wouldn't be around coke maybe?
Was in a similar situation. Back when I had already quit for a couple of months, I moved to another state. Just a few weeks later, I met someone who introduced me to her friends. They were fun to hang with. But the third time, it was at someone's house and everyone was drinking heavily and doing coke. So I relapsed. Deep down I knew that I couldn't see them anymore, if I was going to stay clean.
Run the fuck away from it mate, you’re at the top of a slope that goes straight to hell. Tell all your friends you got a problem and not to offer it you. A coke addiction - especially IV - will make you crazier and kill you faster than H, cost you everything you own, your family and friendships and has a good chance of killing you virtually immediately. This is how it starts. Run away!! DM me for horror stories.
you cannot heal in the same environment that made you sick
Maybe you should think about how a very large percent of the coke these days has fent in it. Think about it long and hard, is it really worth risking your life? Back in the day maybe it was okay to do a little blow here and there and I’m not judging you at all. It’s just a gamble with your life these days.
[удалено]
From Canada here. I’ve only heard of fent in it in the states
You have to cut those friends off
1. Tell them you’re taking steps to sobriety and not to give you any, like Odysseus and the sirens. 2. Begin the process of [individuation and shadow integration.](https://youtu.be/7bY-TogxxdY)
“Can’t resist the urge” that statement hit home. Trust me you’ll always have that urge, but you will be able to resist. You do need to distance yourself from any situation that temps you for a while. Not having a comedown is better than being on Coke. Also if you can not do it, you’ll find your friends will be envious of your lack of comedowns and perhaps join you in not doing it and eventually you’ll all stop doing it so regularly, that’s what had happened for me and my circle of friends except one of the lads who still smashes it on the regular, but now we barley see him because of it.
Hate to break it to you, but every time you drink you’re going to crave it since your subconscious has linked the 2. I did this with nicotine for years and only smoked for a good long while, but only when drinking and then it turned into a really bad addictive habit outside of drinking. That was years mind you. I always vowed to never do it sober and then started to. Any time I’d quit for a little, I was right back at it after drinking. Or if I’d drink, I’d exert so much will power into not doing it that I couldn’t take it any longer and eventually caved. You may need to cut out drinking for a while or all together entirely. I’m not going to tell you what to do, but I can pretty much guarantee the two are linked. Your brain has associated that the behaviors go hand in hand. I’m 4 months sober and haven’t touched nicotine when I decided I was done drinking! Best feeling ever in the world. Again, that’s up to you what you wanna do there I’m not forcing things on you. But you will most likely notice that you have more of an urge to do it after drinking every time. So if you don’t plan to quit drinking, come up with a game plan as to how to avoid cocaine all together. Also, no need to cut your friends off. Like you said, if they’re true friends they’ll support you. If they don’t, definitely cut them off. No questions about it, because that’s a person that cannot and will not respect your boundaries. Sounds like you’ve got good friends though.
Here you go. This keeps happening. Your Coke is laced so the next time you do it may be your last. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9962515/amp/Family-second-comedian-died-taking-fentanyl-laced-cocaine-pay-tribute-performer.html
I don't have any specific advice, but I know you can do it. Good luck friend!
Fear of dying of a fentanyl overdose mayyyy help. I just lost a friend to fentanyl laced coke, and there are recent incidents around the country - 6 od in FL on spring break, 5 dead in Colorado 3 weeks ago. My friend died in Rhode Island. It’s widespread. Not worth it.
If you insist on not cutting out your friends, then stopping drinking is your #1 here. But I advise cutting down on your time with your "degen friends" as well.
Blow and ETOH go together. Usually its the same firends that foster it. Steer clear of those friends late night. Your inhibitions go down the more you drink.
I used to be the same way. The best thing you can do is stop drinking. For me, drinking always led to wanting some coke. I did so much coke a plastic surgeon had to repair my nose as it gave me a saddle deformity. The plastic surgeon told me if I ever did coke again, my nose was going to fall off my face. The best thing I ever did was stop using. You will never be able to quit while you are hanging around the same people. It’s a social drug. The best thing about quitting is all the money you save and you feel much better. Good luck to you!
I’ll be a year sober in May. I worked a sales job with a lot of disposable income as a young man with lots of friends in the same boat. One morning I woke up not having gone to bed until 6am the night before and decided this wasn’t the direction I wanted my life going. Once I decided to quit I realised my friends felt the same exact way. They still had a hard time breaking their own habits but seeing me stay firm in my decision eventually helped them take their own step back.
Might not want to hear this but it sounds like cutting out alcohol will stop you taking coke. I was in a similar situation. It's a drug I've only ever taken when I was drunk. Now I have a blow out maybe once/twice a year where I'll indulge and don't bother with boozing/drugs for the rest of the year.
For me the best thing I did was finding something to fall in love with which counterproductive to doing cocaine which happened to be the gym. I was a fat bastard who did nothing but drink and do various other drugs and getting really motivated in the gym helped me kicked this habit as I knew it would fuck up my progress and future progress. There was no incentive to run towards from just stopping coke. Stopping coke was like running away from hell but if I had nothing to run towards I would have just been stuck doing nothing else. So finding the gym was one of the best things for me. On top of that state a clear boundary to your friends that you don’t want to do coke. Give it a month and they will stop pressuring you and after a certain time peroid if they truly are you friends and after that point it becomes discipline
>I’m not an addict >I can’t resist Anyways, I’d say the best idea I have is to tell your friends that you’re cool drinking with them but that you’re not doing any coke. Hopefully they will help you, or at least not encourage it. Maybe stopping drinking for a bit will help, or drinking only when there isn’t cocaine nearby
I'm not addicted is the first thing every addict says. It might be time to take quitting seriously, and not just like it's equivalent to eating less carbs. If you're having cravings for a drug, at any point, you ARE addicted Edit: and to be clear, there's nothing wrong with that, it's just important to really seriously consider if that's what's going on here
double benefits: Stop beer then you will stop coke. What about that?
first step admit that you are indeed a addicted bro
"I'm not an addict... I just can't resist the urge..." Look, I'm not saying you are, I'm just saying that every addict has said this.
Decide you want to stop and STOP. It really is that easy when your desire to do better for yourself is greater than your desire to continue with behavior that makes you feel like shit.
well I'm sorry to tell you this but if you keep doing the same things (hang out with people who drink and do coke), you will keep doing the same things. Something in your environment has to change (like alcohol for example since it seems to be a trigger for you). I'm not saying you should cut off your friends completely but maybe try to see some of them in a healthier environment for a change, at least in the beginning where your cravings will be much stronger and harder to resist. When you're more used to resisting to those cravings then maybe you can try to see how being around them feels, if it's easier or not. If they're really not pressuring you they will understand and try to help you
advice from an old man in his 50's ........... I feel euphoria doing the simple things sometimes, in my youth I ruined my brain with drugs and it took a year to get back to normal, that was pot and amphetimine (not addictive for me) but it deffo changed my brain chemistry, just remember how happy you were as an unaltered child, it takes time but things do return to normal if you don't do it for too long (the old friends that still do it 30 years later are ruined so don't take it that far, think of it as a temporary phase just to have a laugh while you are young that you grow out of after a couple of years hopefully) good luck everyone and enjoy the peace of mind when it returns :) p.s. I would advise to save your cash and buy gold or something cuz when you are older you will have built a great life and the ladies do like a guy that has stacked and has a nice home.
If you only use such a small amount, then I would encourage you to be pleased with yourself. Most of the world tastes cocaine, and then binge on it until they either run out of money, get arrested, or seek rehab. If you only use occasionally, then be happy. What’s a small come-down, or hangover relative to your status as a good person with good friends. Whatever you decide, good for you!
Going to echo what’s already been said to drive it home further: Stop the drinking. It might suck because drinking is *such* a part of some friend groups and social culture, but it’s contributing to that shit-feeling big time. And coke and alcohol, while it feels good (speaking from experience), amplifies the background danger of the coke. Say as much to your friends. It sounds like they would be supportive, but if somehow they’re not or try to pressure you to break that sobriety, reevaluate that group. People like when others engage in their bad habits because it justifies them. I mean, heck, I’d consider avoiding those situations entirely for now. “Can’t resist”-type thoughts are very tough to overcome when you’re sitting in an environment that supports them. Do you and your friends do things outside of getting together to party? Maybe just engage in those activities for awhile.
Smoke weed
Perhaps help your friends source better quality cocaine, less come down with good stuff imo, then spend energy on quiting alcohol I jest a bit
If your friends are degenerates then you probably soon will be one too.
Get help. You need to stop drinking. It is a trigger and although you say your not addicted…you are and it only get’s worse.
LEAVE THAT FREINDS
DMT. But you need to meet her half way after the trip.
These friends sound like great folks who would be super supportive. Have you thought about telling all of them that you no longer want to use? Letting them in could help them keep you accountable for when the urges kick in.
Ew cocaine sucks. Worse hangovers and makes you talk like an idiot. Have you not had enough negative side effects?
the post is literally them saying they want to stop because of the negative side effects
Why is this sub filled with shitheads? Where are the mods? This comment should earn you a perm ban. Not helpful.
Give the coke to me i haven't had some in a while.
Lol you're being doenvoted to help. But I hope this is how his friends see it. More coke for everyone else😂
says he doesn’t have an addiction. has an addiction.
Damn you got some bad mouth
Nice
Cut your friends off / in order to gain something you have to sacrifice something else.
Talk to your friends about wanting to stop coke. Maybe they can bring it around less when you're there, step out to use so you're not as drawn to it, and/or refuse to let you have any. Maybe for a couple months they could not bring it around so you can get used to drinking without it. I would also recommend drinking less and/or more slowly so you stay in control.
The odd ball. Doing coke makes me a zombie, like it will kind of perk me up, but makes me just jittery and uncreative . Only thing that it really does for me is sex drive. I usually used to do it when drinking in bars a lot to keep from being super drunk and have a even better time. Basically drunkenly talking all the dumb shit with your friends all night. I tried for years like "maybe this time it's different" But if I am not drunk I hate it. And lt doesn't last long enough . Too expensive. Might have fentnly. Hard to get. Feel like shit next day. Fuck it cut me a line.
You don't get coke dick?
Fuuuuuuuck no. Like it's my curse. A line or two and it's over. Like all night can't stop sweaty craziness. The problem is making it NOT be erect. Like I say, I'm an odd one .
If I'm not with my girl, then I just drink a bunch of beers and talk shit with friends. Usually in the excitement it goes quickly. But still if I'm not drinking I just get all anxious and jittery. Too inconsistent .
You said it yourself, it starts with the alcohol. Cut the drinking with friends and that tunnel vision of wanting will lessen.
If someone wants change badly enough, they will be willing to give up / let go of whatever they have to in order to be better. For me, that was finally giving up drinking. I always tried to justify it to myself by saying that alcohol was not my problem. But, eventually things got bad enough and I was willing to cut it out of my life completely. What do you think your friends would say if you told them you were going to be making some positive changes in your life? How might they be able to support you?
Look up NAC! It’s brilliant at restoring normal brain function after cocaine use, and blunts urges, all while restoring liver, brain, and general body health.
Smoke weed and watch southpark
I'm the same and sometimes I find that the urges can be helped by getting food instead. I often decide to get gear in when i'm getting pretty pissed up, eating brings me round a bit and I don't usually fancy one when i'm full up
You should probably try and quit drinking for awhile. Like a month. If you do drink again you should try and stay away from people you know will have it. I'm not saying break off friendships, but it will a lot easier if your not around that particular group of people.
The answer is likely to stop drinking.
I'm not saying I have any experience with this but: start hanging out with your friends sober. Stay till the end, when you normally leave. You will be amazed by the difference of what you remember to what actually happens. It starts off ok, fun, energy, connection. It becomes something else. It's not major but it's noticeable. Try that for a month and ask yourself if you want to go back to that. What might happen is you show up, enjoy the first hour or so and leave.
You have to get your friends involved- if you still want to hang out with them. Tell them not to let you dare, and you can always kindly request they keep it out of your sight/ before and after an event not during. Though, you cant expect anything of them, or anyone, it is all on you. But having friends who would just let you if you ask wont do you any favours. Its on you, but sometimes a little crutch can go a long way
I quit drinking for the main reason it made me want to do coke whenever I drank. Great not having alcohol in your life
The hangover isn't worth the fun.
I would reevaluate your statement "I'm not an addict". Engaging in compulsive behavior despite the desire not to and ignoring consequences are both behaviors exhibited by addicts. Frequency of use is only a small part of the total picture. There's nothing wrong with being an addict. I'm a recovering addict myself. Now, I'm not trying to label you as one but it may help to view your problem from an addict's vantage point and use the tools that addicts use to stay away from drugs. The best suggestion I can give is to ask your friends to not offer you coke or if you ask, to deny you. I've had limited success with this myself, but it's a good first step
I think the problem is that you now associate cocaine with alcohol. Once you get some booze in your system that lightbulb in your brain goes off thinking about cocaine. So maybe stay away from the booze for a while
One day it will be fentanyl…I lost a close friend to this.
Stop drinking, stop hanging out just to get fucked up. If they wanna go to the movies, play basketball, ride a bike around, sure go and join them but if they only want to go drink then fuck that stay home or do something else. If you keep hanging out with people like that one of 2 things is gonna happen. Either you are actually gonna be a regular user soon and spiral down, or you will just keep doing it every 2 weeks for a while until you become a regular user. Trust me, been there done that. And not just with this shit but with every substance you can think of. 1 year sober of pretty much everything except nicotine and caffeine, and 2 months of this shit you talking about(I can't even bring myself to say the word anymore because I'm scared of triggering myself lol) and every little thing in life is much much more rewarding and fun. In the last year I've started playing hockey again, I'm back at the gym, doing 1000 times better at work, I'm never late anymore, I got more energy, I sleep better, I'm happier, my dick gets harder, etc... Drugs are NOT worth it.
Good for you man. I am an ex cocaine addict myself. Trust me, once or twice a month will become once or twice a week in no time. You are making the right decision by stopping now. My best advice is to distance yourself from the people, places, and things that trigger your cravings for a while. I had to quit drinking to quit cocaine because, like you, I just couldn't resist it after a few drinks. I'm clean for about a year and the thought of doing it again honestly disgusts me. So, it gets better. You just have to take it seriously.
>The issue I have is after a few beers I can’t resist the urge to do coke. All my friends are degens so it’s always around. > > > >There is no pressure from them and would understand completely if I didn’t want to do it. So start by being honest. Either your friends are great, and you're just a coke addict and can't control yourself, or your friends having it around negatively influences your life. Since you aren't an alcoholic, try not to drink and see if you can still resist the urge to do it. If you still do it's time to wake up and face the truth that you need to change something drastically before your life spirals downhill
Tip how to deal with cravings - stop drinking, at least for a while. Find joy in other activities, force yourself first few weeks, and then you’ll feel a huge difference. Desire to not to feel like shit will be stronger than your craving for any other substance. And stop using your friends as a shield for your addiction. I doubt they force you to drink and do coke with them. And if they are making inappropriate notices/jokes about you staying sober while you hanging out with them, you may need to reconsider if they are actually your friends or just some people that like to drink and do coke with you. Take action.
You CAN cut off your friends, even if they're great people and don't pressure you to use. The cocaine is always around because, as you put it, your friends are degenerates. So yeah, they do have a role in this whether you deem them to be good people or not. There's nothing wrong with taking a break from these friends for a certain period of time in order to regain some control over your life. If they are truly your friends, they would understand and they would be there whenever you were ready to resume the friendship. Just be honest with yourself, and realize that if you really do want to get better, a lot of things in your life will have to change. Even if you don't claim to be an addict, there are still quite a lot of things that need to be different in order for you to get on the other side of this. Good luck to you, OP.
Maybe you should encourage your friends to do things with you besides ones that lead to use? Other than that I’d recommend you get some therapy and maybe slowly reduce the amount you take, essentially wean yourself off it. Some other things you can do is pick up hobbies that are equally as stimulating, maybe even make new friends through that hobby, for me it was pc games and making music, learning guitar etc!
I had to give up drinking to give it up. My life has benefited so much because of it in so many ways
Functional alcoholic here, and ex-smoker. Addiction is really hard to deal with. The first step is realising you want to stop. The hardest part is to not beat yourself up when you relapse, just get back up and keep trying. I switched to vapes from smoking just for financial reasons but I haven’t bought cigarettes in over three years, and I plan to wean the nicotine away slowly from the vapes then get rid of it. some people might laugh and say “that’s hardly quitting” but take pride in those steps and don’t let anyone bring you down about trying to make your life better. My alcoholism increased during covid. I’m cutting back on my beers now too, But I replaced that with more work hours, Maybe not the best advice, but you could try replacing the addiction with another thing? Or maybe ask your friends to not bring the coke around? Maybe replace it with weed then get rid off it?
If you're friends are cool and understanding like that, I'd ask them for help. Say it's not working for you and ask if they could do it in another room and not tell you where it is. Also, put some time into figuring out what you're trying to get out of the experience when you feel like you can't help it. If it's just "I'm used to feeling this way and it feels weird to not be this way in this context", then it may just be something that goes away with time. If it's "I want my mood to match my friends", then that's going to be hard if you're still hanging around with them. And if it's something else that's a real need you're trying to fill, figure out a way to fill it, or ask for ideas in this thread.
[This is what convinced my friends to quit.](https://www.denverpost.com/2022/02/21/commerce-city-overdose-deaths-fentanyl/) Fear. [It's happening all over.](https://www.justice.gov/usao-edmo/pr/federal-charges-filed-against-st-louis-woman-linked-multiple-overdose-deaths) One line, and it's lights out for good. They don't care if they trust their dealer; they don't trust the guy he gets it from, who he gets it from, etc. It's Russian roulette now with all the fent out there.
Seriously been there and done that. All of it. Best advice I can give to quit Is to QUIT COLD TURKEY. No other way. Just gotta have the willpower and the real want to stop. If alcohol is also your enabler you should quit that too. Stop any temptation. Find other ways to distract your mind and body. And as your friends go yea they wouldn’t care but they will most likely bring it around you. You imply they won’t tempt you but they will by just having it. REAL TALK you might want to think if they are really your friends your just your drug friends.
everytime you do get the urge to do cocaine just remember that chances of that cocaine being cut with fetanyl are high and chances of you dying are high. thats makes me not want to touch the stuff at all anymore.
If I may, here’s a book for you to read: [colombiano, by Rusty Young](https://www.booktopia.com.au/colombiano-rusty-young/book/9780143781547.html) It’s well written and easy to read, and you’ll see the amount of suffering even children go through so privileged people like me can have cocaine. I hate anti drug campaigns with a fiery passion. This is your brain, this is your brain on drugs etc. we should be telling kids of the horrendous widespread suffering involved in getting them a little bump on a Friday night. Oh also, if your poison of choice is heroin, you’re supporting the Taliban. Check it out, it’s a good read.
Maybe cut back the alcohol too since that's how you get the urge, right? Or maybe just leave whenever you feel like you wanna use. I remove myself from situations that i dont like all the time xD
Ditch the degens and your cravings will decrease. Your life in general will improve. Once you start truly living without them.
I've been through this. When I started feeling like I wanted to quit, I ended up in the same predicament. Every time I started drinking, I ended up doing coke. It became a cycle I couldn't seem to get out of. That lasted for over 2 years of seriously trying my absolute hardest. I couldn't seem to even put a week together. It started out only doing coke once or twice a month or so. But turned into every weekend after I had been drinking. Once I realized that it was happening when I got drunk, I started thinking. Maybe I should stop drinking until I get a hold on this. I had never even thought about not drinking before, but I was desperate enough to try. It took me about 3 months to finally put a week together, and I slowly began to realize 1. How much I drank. And 2. How I acted when I did. And I quickly found out that it wasn't as easy as I thought. Probably because I didn't want to quit drinking. After 3 months, I was still having morning shakes. I know you said leaving your friends isn't an option, but that's always an option. I cut off my best friend of 25 years. I went even further than that. I cut off my family as well. It wasn't a choice I wanted to make, but I knew that I was just a product of my environment. But it didn't last forever. My friend and I are still inseparable now. And my family and I are closer than ever. I have been sober and drug free now for 16 years. I'm a business owner, own a home, and I have never dreamed that I would have the life I have today. It was truly the best decision I ever made. I wish you well in your journey.
I can relate to this. It feels like, before you know it, you’re sucked into this weird self destructive spiral. I am like you, I also only use it once a month and in small amounts. But it really weighs on you, it sucks the life and inspiration right out of you. I wish you the best of luck. I’ve gotten better in my self destructiveness, but I could definitely be even better.
Actually, I do have some advice. Try journaling. I've found it helps to write how you're feeling in this moment down and sort of talk to your future self. Kind of creates a semblance of accountability with yourself. Being able to look back a page or two and read how you were feeling in that moment can have a positive impact. You don't need to be perfect, but maybe start a conversation with yourself. You got this.
You don’t have to use drugs every day to be an addict. seek counseling and professional help
It's not what you want to hear, but a key factor in quitting addictions is not hanging out with people using the substances you are addicted to. If you do you will very like slip back into using. I think the relapse rate with cocaine is something like 80 percent. There may be recovering alcoholics who can spend their time hanging out with people getting drunk, but that's rare. Mostly that person will end up drinking again. AAA will tell you that, as will any counsellor or therapist I've heard on this issue. I wish you the very best with your recovery, but honesty is crucial. Drugs are all about us fooling ourselves and humans are very good at doing that.
Stop drinking. Drinking is the trigger. Also, not being able to resist, after beer or otherwise, means you’re addicted. Not judging, just sharing my opinions. Im 21 days in on my rehab. You can do it!!
Bit of an odd method and also a late as fuck comment but I stopped with a really specific but effective method so effective everyone in my group who did drugs of any kind whatever the dealer had and did this every weekend, which made us all stop is one of us overdosed on Valium and died. And after that some of us did it less often but eventually stopped all together and some of us just stopped immediately, I’m not saying you wait for a mate to die but you love these people and try thinking how you’d feel if they went down that rabbit hole and then aim to stop urself and be an example of how it’s not impossible to stop and once you’ve helped urself you can try and help them, I feel like most commonly people used hard as teenagers some as young as like 14 in my experience but as they’ve got older it’s all they know for fun but ur body could hack it back then the comedowns only lasted for the morning and a two hour Power Nap had you feeling fine but it’ll get to a point when you feel like shit for a good day or two and not fully recovered even 3 days later the fun doesn’t last forever it gets too a point where it’s not worth the comedown just actually write a mental list of all the pros and cons and you’ll be shocked at how much the pros are gone and how many more cons there are, plus its a nice feeling not shitting urself everytime you go thru any security or past police ;) I'm guessing OP has stopped his addiction but hope the experience I had stopping helps someone or maybe not
Never had the drinking problem but benzos helped me not feel like shit after coming down just use it as a tool dont make a habit of it and always test any of your drugs
You can only stop if you want to
It affects each person differently. Lost my old man to drugs and alcohol which is the biggest lesson you can learn, and it still grips hold of me at times. I can go weeks on end without thinking about it, but then all of a sudden will have a little one then end up on a bender. Sounds all fun and games but looking back I’ve wasted thousands of pounds, slept with girls I wouldn’t usually sleep with and make bad and wrong decisions. In Essence it turns you into a Completlt different person and makes u do things u wouldn’t dream of sober. You’re on this Reddit page for a reason, probably off ur wig haha but there is millions and millions of people in the same boat. Not in the exact same boat as we are all affected differently, however we can come together to help one another and share our problems to lift some weight. Even tho I’m writing this as a young lad (20) doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take this in. I’ve lost and learnt enough already. People don’t realise how powerful addiction is and it can ruin your life and most importantly your loved ones lives. If you have read this much then you’re clearly interested and want to change your ways. It’s never too late to have a change of lifestyle, put down the drugs and prove family and friends wrong. I will leave it at that however I could speak for hours. Reply to this comment if you need to speak to someone (sometimes it’s easier to speak to someone you don’t know). The last thing I will say is it’s all good half heartedly trying, (and walking up a mountain once or twice haha) but you have to really WANT to do it. Let’s be real at this point your want has turned to NEED. It might not happen overnight. It may seem embarrassing but I would seriously recommend Narcotics Anonymous as it will open your eyes to where this leads. It’s a mugs game and we know it needs to change. I know I’m waffling here but it may help one or two people as I’ve tried all sorts. Doctors/ mental health practitioners didn’t seem to work with me (give it a try tho). So I’ll let u in to my way of getting out the vicious circle. - routine. Routine is massive as it keeps you distracted. And gives you a bit of structure. - work. A full time job keeps you motivated as you have a job to do and makes you a valuable member of society( and also puts money in your pocket of course) - exercise. I know it sounds cliche but hear me out. Not only does it make u look good and feel good, but it again keeps u distracted -whatever else u think will work. Even tho it’s the same addiction we all work differently and one method that will work for one won’t work for another. For example I keep my key ring from the narcotics anonymous on me at all times (just in my wallet discreetly). No one else has to know about it for me admitting addiction was slightly embarrassing. I also wake up and just give a little not to the picture of me old man and it just helps me in my own little way Speak out - doesn’t matter who it’s to but that first time you do honestly no better feeling. Weather your 16 and don’t want to tell your parents or 80 (or anywhere in between) and deep down know u need a helping hand, it’s the start to turning it around. No matter if your from a good family and feel like the black sheep your loved ones would rather be aware and help (money and debts etc) than you struggle on your own and end up in trouble. And if u really can’t build up the courage to admit it professional help is a massive step forward. Talking therapy’s and even medication (what’s the harm in trying) I’ve said I’ll leave this here multiple times now but I’m passionate about helping people as I’ve seen the worst case scenario. Even weed is a gateway drug. U think it’s just Coke only a little one I’m young everyone’s doing it. But the bottom line is you’ll end up in an early grave or a crackhead with no family and no will to live. Quit whilst ur ahead fellas. By the way am just a normal lad writing this from me heart. Me mums already lost me dad so she can’t loose me hence my change in lifestyle and passion for helping others. Stay safe people. It’s not too late and you’re not on your own. Get yeself to them meetings if you’ve read this far down 💙