I want drug users, smokers, alcoholics to explain this to me (seriously)

[proctorninja2]

i smoke weed socially thats my reason its just another activity i do with my friends, there are downsides to it in terms of health but not nearly the same risks as other drugs as ive been made well aware by people i talk to who are doctors and surgeons (my family has lots of ties to the medical community.) also when im baked i always have a serene feeling of peace with the world

 

[Madara XIII]

I'm 21 years old (just about 22 at this point), I've never once smoked or done drugs, I barely ever drink and have never been drunk. I don't want to criticize those who partake in those activities and if you come into this topic expecting to do that, please go elsewhere.

I just want to know why you chose to do it. It's widely known now that the benefits of those things are temporary but they could ruin your lives fairly easily. It just seems like there is absolutely no good reason for doing drugs, or smoking, or drinking in excess. I know some people are addicted, and that sucks because that's tough for anyone to overcome. Some I know are self-destructive; they know it's bad but they do it anyway apparently because they just don't care.

But I know I can't truly know why because I've never experienced it myself, so I want to understand. Please, if you want to, give me your honest reasons for doing what you do so I can understand where you're coming from even if I don't agree with it.

Smoking has no benefits It just tricks your brain into believing in a calming effect.
Drinking is bad on the long term but damn is it fun and it also has social value.
Some drugs really have no side effect. I don't somoke weed but I like to be informed and there are just no downsides, I can't find any dangers and the only risk is mild psychological disturbance.

Well that's evidence enough to not get me to try weed. Sorry, but the last thing my Paranoid Disorder ass needs is the chance of F*cking up my psychological state more than it already is.

 

[silvermorning624]

I think that the term 'mind expansion' should be thrown out the window. It is not like your mind has a USB where you can plug in a portable hard drive and add more to it. There are some theories in psychology that postulate that our minds have room enough to store a limitless amount of information and that ideas are not lost, the means of retrieving them are. So, to say psychedelics 'expand' your knowledge is preposterous. What it might do is give you a sudden burst of realization. With maybe a little effort on the part of the person wishing to think a little deeper, why not try reading into philosophy and taking in some good music. Go watch a movie that really moves you in a way you don't fully understand and try to think about it. Other drugs, like cocaine, weed, speed and other drugs are used for the much more basic stimulation they offer. The same goes for cigarets. It is really down to the person who chooses to take these drugs. I may not agree with the methods, but I have no right to tell someone not to use them. I am merely saying there are better options.

 

[Baldry]

I smoke a pipe because it's fucking badass, cliché but true and pipe tobacco tastes nice. And I drink and have been known to get high just for fun, I don't do it enough to really have any long lasting effects, I hope xD

 

[Grimlock Fett]

it's fucking FUN.

The only reason to do anything ever!

 

[NezumiiroKitsune]

Nearly everything said above is a very comprehensive rationale for why I drink, why I have smoked, and I why I'm not opposed to experimenting with drugs. I like others, echo that I am sick to the teeth of this question being asked. Even under the established pretence of not "condemning it", this still comes off as either the question of a righteous straight-edge extremist or someone who is woefully inexperienced in the more dangerous aspects of life and isn't capable of making parallels with other pleasurable but destructive choices. The fact you chose to say alcoholics, as mentioned, rather than "drinkers" implies you don't see a marked difference between the two groups.

I've little else to add to the huge and very detailed response. I could mention a few worthwhile responses to read, but so many have merit in some aspect (too many people have hedged to try and explain themselves or have hypocritical values). So some points to take from the respectable response maybe?

* Moderation for the sake of pleasure.
* Intelligently reasoned small sacrifice and risk for rewards and social benefits.
* Satiating curiosity, when exercised with caution, is rarely bad.
* Experience things you couldn't experience otherwise (ineffable perceptions).
* To relieve some of the burdens of life for a while.
* You're going to die; don't make life about getting the highest score.

You're concious in a precarious time in the universe and part of the privileged few to be sentient, self aware, and inquisitive. Don't let death dictate how you experience it.

 

[amadhatter]

Well, when I had cancer I smoked weed. Now I smoke salvia for more... philosophical reasons.

 

[probunk]

Because I enjoy it. Believe it or not, there are people who enjoy drinking and taking recreational drugs. As always, you have to contrast that fun with the risks involved, but there's nothing inherently different between, say, deciding to smoke some weed and deciding to read a book. If you decide to smoke pot, you've decided that is worth the risks and more enjoyable that reading. If you decide to read, you decide that is more enjoyable and that the risk of papercuts is manageable.

I know its hard to believe, but people do enjoy certain things that you do not.

 

[Cypher10110]

...they know it's bad but they do it anyway apparently because they just don't care

The thing that keeps me sane in my life is my friends. Without them it would be tough for me to escape the shit of day-to-day and have a good time.

For me, a session of smoking weed, or a night out to the pub, is a break away from the futility of life; the ability to let go and not care. Even if it's for just a few hours.

It's a break from daily anxiety, feelings of uselessness, or of inadequacy. I'm allowed to just be myself, and do what I want to do, for a little while. Without having a nagging feeling that I'm wasting my time, or less nervousness about emotional pain. Afterwards I rest and eat and carry on with my life.

Without my friends, without a place to escape to. I would become and intolerable monster, perhaps even sociopathic. I'm introverted by nature, so I have only a certain tolerance of other people, but I don't wish to be on my own either.

So for me drugs are just away of quietening myself and opening myself up. So I can really take the time to enjoy life, instead of worrying about wasting it.

Worrying is useful in the grand scheme of things, it pushes me to do better, which is a good thing, but every now and then you need to take a break and rest your soul.

 

[BiscuitTrouser]

I'm 21 years old (just about 22 at this point), I've never once smoked or done drugs, I barely ever drink and have never been drunk. I don't want to criticize those who partake in those activities and if you come into this topic expecting to do that, please go elsewhere.

I just want to know why you chose to do it. It's widely known now that the benefits of those things are temporary but they could ruin your lives fairly easily. It just seems like there is absolutely no good reason for doing drugs, or smoking, or drinking in excess. I know some people are addicted, and that sucks because that's tough for anyone to overcome. Some I know are self-destructive; they know it's bad but they do it anyway apparently because they just don't care.

But I know I can't truly know why because I've never experienced it myself, so I want to understand. Please, if you want to, give me your honest reasons for doing what you do so I can understand where you're coming from even if I don't agree with it.

I admire your honesty and politeness so as a person that really enjoys drinking as a recreational activity ill give this a shot. I drink with my friends to make a fun atmosphere. Ive done crazy funny impulsive things that in the morning we all laugh our asses off at. There was one incident with my friend, some cherry lube, whip cream, and a VERY unfortunate fruit bowel full of bananas that made me laugh for hours. Its relaxing. Going overboard though. I dont do it. I dont try to. But when you do... well. As long as its a safe environment. Its fun, its escapism (pun not intended)for a few hours you dont care about any stupid worries, all you care about is fun and having a good time with friends. Ive had my fair share of screw ups like this but over all it makes the mood so electric and fun. Ive been skinny dipping, playing spin the bottle with both genders, climbed onto the roof of a pavilion and spent 4 hours on there debating philosophy, and managed to taint a hottub with vodka. Id never do these things sober. They were fun. They were liberating. Basically this.

Sure these things arnt clever. They arnt useful. They most CERTAINLY are NOT good ideas (lip cold sores ITCH!) bur i LIVED. I did everything i wanted to do. I let nothing stop me. I lived my life and did things my way. I did things that ill remember and laugh about.

 

[RobfromtheGulag]

No one lives forever. Avoiding said things because of their 'long term effects' gets to be a bit inane when you realize that living a short time and having fun trumps living forever and being bored.

'But you can have fun without them!' cries the fellow wearing the D.A.R.E. shirt. Yes you can. So go have it and leave the folks having fun with them alone.

Unless the drunkards are puking on my lawn or smoking in my vicinity I don't care what you do to enjoy yourself.

 

[EmpressZombiKitty]

Yeah, it's been said by a lot here, but it's just fun. Go out with friends, get drunk. The hangover can suck, but as Mitch Hedberg said about drinking "I'm not going to quit eating apples because they eventually become a core."

As for smoking cigarettes, rarely. It's usually a social smoking thing, and I've usually been drinking. I would put it at once every 6-8 months I get in the mood for one.

On Pot, I do it on occasion to have the most relaxing night ever. Last time I watched a funniest cats "award" show on animal planet and ate Taco Bell. It was fantastic.

 

[HotPocket]

I smoke Marijuana every now and then with friends. Don't enjoy drinking and hate smoking. Marijuana isn't really bad for you and is less habit forming than things like alcohol.

 

[Electric Alpaca]

Snips.

WELL *cracks knuckles*

First off - well done for the open mind. So many individuals are prepared to shut down anything that doesn't adhere to their perceptions of ideal time/money expenditure.

So without much further ado;

Drinking; inhibitions are lost and becomes the lubricant of many a social situation that wouldn't have been possible otherwise.

Some of the best people I've met (and in some cases, the best periods of time in my life - and I'm sure loads to follow) have been spawned whilst under the influence.

A double edged sword of course - you can just as easily go too far and end up making a fool of yourself, something which I and pretty much everyone I know has done. For example - I was twenty years old and wet myself overnight. Deplorable at the time, but hilarious now. Well to be true, I thought it hilarious from the moment I woke up - life's for laughing and most of all at yourself.

Smoking; this comes hand in hand with drinking for me - with a very small exception I only engage once drunk. Especially since the anti smoking ban (which should have been dubbed the "Cage the Smokers" initiative) this has become a social weapon. For want of a better way of putting it, fellow people are trapped with you for a guaranteed period of time in a non threatening scenario. With five minutes in your pocket - it is amazing what you can plant and water them to grow into.

Drugs; I've dabbled. With legal highs as well as maybe not so legal. Nothing heavy or intravenous however. Different experience - on the whole not for me. I'm glad I've had my experience, as again, life is for experiencing. I'm not going to go into any more detail on the matter, as drugs aren't really something to openly discuss and by extension accidentally endorse - of which for the record I do not.

An aside; once I've found a prospective partner that I want to spend a considerable greater period of time with than "until I get bored" I can see myself calming down, a lot. In my humble opinion, these activities have no place in a serious relationship together or singled out. You're not aware of your actions, and therefore not the consequences. I've seen people's lives washing machine'd by one night of "one more drink".

So there we are, a suitable centenary post as well if I say so myself.

 

[I Fiend I]

you're an ignorant dude.

drug users, smokers and ALCOHOLICS?!!?!

how about alcohol drinkers?

theres a difference between smoking 3 cigs a day and a pack.
theres a difference between drinking on the weekends and everyday.

I drink heavily on the weekends and the reason why is because it makes every1 socialise more. girls like to have fun, so if you drink, they drink and loosen up, have a better time.
Same goes for smoking. I do it every now and then but am not addicted, relaxes you.

 

[Gamblerjoe]

its simple shortsightedness. iv done many things that are unhealthy for me for the sake of the short term enjoyment. having a bad diet is no different than drugs in this sense, though the scope of how bad it is for you and why are different.

Im at a point in my life where im smarter and wiser than i used to be. I am making an attempt to shed my bad habits and adopt proper diet and exercise. its going less than perfectly but vast improvements are being made. Im 6'0" and about 140 lb. i have a very thin frame that is hard to put muscle onto. people think that i can eat whatever i want, but eating fatty foods is only going to make me look like Dale Gribble. if a skinny person eats enough fat to gain weight, it has no muscle to accumulate in, so it just builds up around the waist and torso, giving you either man tits or the pregnant man look.

My point is, that it takes a lot of time and patience for an endomorph to gain weight. you have to have a high calorie diet, but too high doesnt help you. it has to be balanced, because even too much protein can have negative effects. my whole life, instead of making myself healthy and attractive, i just sat around eating McDonalds and smoking weed. Thats a lot of lost time, but you cant take back whats done. Not every dark cloud has a silver lining, so never developing the bad habits to begin with is key. Im just glad that im still young enough to turn things around, and that we live in an age where quality information is at our fingertips. I can google diet tips, i can use my $15 a month planet fitness membership, and theres even an MMA training center run by a successful former UFC fighter right across the river.

to reiterate my answer to the question. Humans are stupid, lazy and shortsighted. It takes a lot of willpower and conditioning to overcome that. My hat is off to those who do.

 

[Beryl77]

I don't smoke but I drink sometimes. I do it for fun. As long as I don't get drunk every day or something like that, it's not bad. Even if it does some damage, I'd still do it because whithout some fun life isn't worth living.

 

[theultimateend]

Hah hah, that is a fairly good point actually, I even said a massive thing about nicotine being a drug earlier in this very thread, but it completely went over my head watching that.

There was a kid who went ***** fit in Psychopharmacology when the professor said he would rather people did cocaine than smoked (shorter withdrawel symptoms, less problems, also easier to quit, statistically speaking).

He said "How can you suggest people do drugs."

Professor ended up milking out of the guy that he drinks and smokes.

Which ironically being the two legal drugs are the two that most psychology professors find the least acceptable because of their many dangers.

Alcohol being, I believe, the only drug that can kill you if you stop doing it. Assuming you are an alcoholic.

 

[Liam Barden]

I do find it funny that the MASSIVE pot-heads around here will argue "it's good for you man" then proceed to hack up a lung and a half coughing cause they can't breathe too well...

If somebody is having lung problems from smoking, it will be from smoking tobacco. There have been several studies (including one from the Harvard Medical School) which shows that cannabis smoking alone not only doesnt increase your chance of lung cancer, but can also decrease it if taken often enough due to anti-carcinogenic properties of the smoke.
Having said that, if you smoke cannabis with tobacco (as many do) then your chance of lung cancer seems to be even higher than if you just smoked tobacco. Medicine is wierd like that :/