Superwomen??????

[suz 0]

Isn't it funny how your life suddenly changes when you least expect it?
I decided about two weeks ago that I'd give up the green stuff.
Mainly because I've moved back home with my oldies.
But mostly I gave up because my brain was just a constant smoke haze!!
I'm so proud of myself (suz gives herself a pat on the back)
Most of my mates are potheads. I am finding it really quite difficult to hang out with them, as they all just sit around smoking weed all day.
I'm not against them smoking pot, I've just realised how much time I spent a day sitting with the bong.
But one of my mates is a lover of speed. I havent seen her pretty face for a while, because she's found a new man.
But I caught up with her the other day and noticed she dropped a stack of weight.
I know it's from speed and I asked her what she's doing to lose so much weight. Her reply was 'good sex.'
Ha! like shit.
She's is not this type to get hooked on drugs. I am so worried about her. I love her dearly and dont know how to approach her without her resenting me, you know?
Am I just being superwomen here? Or should I try and talk to her about it? I dont want her getting upset and yelling at me to mind my own business.
Any opinions?

Don't bother me, I'm living happily ever after

[Viking 0]

Good job

I swear you must have footprints on the back of your helmet - chicagoskydiver
My God has a bigger dick than your god -George Carlin

[dropdeded 0]

My personal opinion is that yes,you should talk to her and just be completely honest about what you see going on and how you feel about it.But,dont expect that she will "see the light".She may even tell you to "piss off".Just do it out of friendship and love .Thats pretty much all you CAN do.
When it comes to people that are having problems with drugs OR alcohol,it is " MY " opinion that everything should be brought out into the open,I dont mean in front of everyone but these people need to hear the truth.Not that they will listen or act on it.
Im not referring to those that can handle that stuff.

Good luck

dropdeded

no dope and no booze for just over 4 years(I couldnt handle it)

------------------------------------------
The Dude Abides.
-

[Tonto 1]

Hi Suz. As a friend, support her. Don't judge, just be there when she needs you. (and she will.)

t

It's the year of the Pig.

[freefallfreak 0]

Suz,
Ya can't help someone that doesn't want the help. Just be there for her when she needs you and everything will work out the it's supposed to. It may not turn out the way we want it to, but it always turns out the way it's supposed to. Good luck and Blessed be.

FFF

"Upon seeing the shadow of a pigeon, one must resist the urge to look up."

[skip 0]

I gave up the green stuff a few years back, and well I am so glad I did. Like you I had move back in with “my oldies” half way across the country from my doper friends, and I suppose it was just time. Unlike many fortunate people, smoking really put a dapper on what I was capable of doing with myself, I got stoned and complacently out there. So a year later I moved back to my hood and my friends were still smoking, just as I left them, but there were a few friends that were gone gone. Just this weekend I ran into a good friend that has been battling a speed, cocaine, crack whatever it was (I don’t even know what the drugs are these day) and he looked really good and told me about this twelve step program he had entered and it was obvious he was happy with himself and happy he could “show off” his new state of mind with me. The thing is at said meeting he didn’t resent me at all, in fact I don’t think he ever resented me; he knew he had a problem and I never snubbed my nose at him about his problem, just tried to pass some of my success his way. Some people eventually get it and some don’t, all I or you can do is remember that given bad addiction this or that person is still our friend, and friends are friends. So yeah I would talk to her, she knows she has a problem and if you just be a friend in your conservation what bad could come. Hell take her skydiving, I have a theory that if I just threw all of my “fucked up” friends out of an airplane they would really think twice about what they are doing to their lives with drugs.

Congrats on the quitting pot thing, I haven’t smoked daily in like three years, however about twice a year I succumb to the “old times” with my friends and accept the joint, and I always hate it and immediately go home to sleep it off, I’m cool with that and I’m sure it will never go away but I feel great now that I don’t smoke 3-9 times a day. Now if I could just stop drinking so much.

.:skip

[smiles 0]

Congrats on changing your life style, be proud- respect yourself

I figure if you keep a good balance in your life- all is well. I swear I will be smokin the weed occationally when I'm in a rockin chair.....here in Canada the laws are being changed (legalized) as their is no studies to prove that smoking weed is addicting or harmful to your health.

Is speed addicting? I certainly didn't think so when I experimented with it years back, tried it and didn't enjoy the experience myself (rattling teeth, no appetite - "speeding" wasn't pleasurable) Obvious if your friend has lost weight, using it must be something she enjoys as it is not physically addicting as far as I know?? Could be way more problems within than the drug use itself.

Educate yourself about the drug, as others have commented, your friend has to want to help herself-

Near our d.z. there is a center for drug addicts and alot get out on day passes to come by the d.z. and watch people having a really great time.
When I look at their blank faces I feel like they have completely lost the pleasure center in their brain. It is so sad because the joy and ecstasy we feel skydiving- they may never be capable of experiencing without the use of drugs.

Smiles

[dkearns 0]

Nobdy likes a quitter. Everything in moderation is OK. sept for sulfuric acid or double mals

[nacmacfeegle 0]

Suz, tell your friend that overuse of the 'marching powder' will kill her, but she will lose her friends way before hand due to the excessive mood swings, and serious impairment of judgement it induces.

Speed is not good....

--------------------

He who receives an idea from me, receives instruction himself without lessening mine; as he who lights his taper at mine, receives light without darkening me. Thomas Jefferson

[suz 0]

Cheers guys! That's really helpful advice! I was chatting to mates about whether pot's addictive or not, last night. I was just mentioning to them that I'd given up pot.

One of them went to see a naturalist doc and the doc had told them that pot reduces seratone (sp?) levels, which are apparently chemicals in the brain which levels out your emotional being.
Obviously the more pot you smoke the more of this "seratone" you destroy. Eventually you get washed out. But you can level the seratone in your body by eating brocolli and other sources of food.
I've never heard of such a thing. I thought, along with smiles that pot wasnt addictive.
I thought that it's more of a habit. You know? coming home, mull up and clean out the billy, sitting back and enjoying the moment.
I hated the routine. I eventually resorted to rolling joints. Then I got shitty having to make the joint perfect, and then waiting for the oldies to go to sleep so I could sit on the porch and enjoy the smoke. But eventually the paranoia kicked in....What if they woke up? what if I went back inside the house and they woke up and smelt it on me....what happens if the neighbours I dont know very well are coppers and will throw me into jail?????
Stuff that shit.
I think that speed and pills....coke, etc are addictive if you get into smacking up. I've never used needles and watched my friend do it once. She missed the vein about three times and I couldnt watch no longer and told her to just squirt it down the sink.
Because she didnt want to waste $50. She squirted it in her mouth. You could see the traces of blood in the syringe and all...It was just revolting and I couldnt believe she went through with it.
I've done speed a few times. It never affected my appetite.(perhaps I just love my food too much) after about three hours, I had a throbbing pain in my back and I could've drowned on the amount of water I drank. It's just not worth the precious life of mine!

Don't bother me, I'm living happily ever after

[riddler 0]

Quote

One of them went to see a naturalist doc and the doc had told them that pot reduces seratone (sp?) levels, which are apparently chemicals in the brain which levels out your emotional being.

You are referring to seratonin, a natural brain chemical that makes one feel "good" - not good like being high - just good like feeling well and peaceful. And many things deplete seratonin - drinking, drugs (especially X), even skydiving. Any time you get happy and excited, your brain will secret large amounts of this into your synaptic gaps, which will eventually flush out, turn into other brain chemicals and leave your brain. But it does get naturally replenished.

Specifically, seratonin is a nuerotransmitter and it's natural to cycle levels of it. Your brain needs two amino acids to produce it - one you will never run out of - the other is called 5-HTP, a derivative of Tryptophan, which is found in bananas, milk, turkey, figs and dates. Controlling seratonin levels is what all the modern anti-depressants (prozac, paxil, et al) do.

I think it's great to listen to doctors, but definitely get on-line and research what they tell you - it can be easy to misconstrue information. Depleting brain chemicals sounds bad at first, but when you research more, you realize that it's a natural process, although it can be radically accelerated by drug use. You can even go so far as to control your own levels.

Here is some reading:

http://www.5-htp.org

Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

[suz 0]

THANKS! You're a gem!
I knew someone would know WTF I was talking about....coz I sure didn't

Wow...you know you're stuff!

Don't bother me, I'm living happily ever after

[skybytch 273]

Congrats on quitting the weed! You should be proud of yourself.
It's tough to see someone you care about addicted to the nasty stuff. My brother spent 10 years on speed, doing it daily. One day a few years ago my mom and I picked up him at work, took him to lunch and laid it on him. He'd recently lost a friend to a heart problem caused entirely by speed use; we let him know that we didn't want him to die and that we knew he would if he kept it up. We pointed out all the ways speed was screwing up his life. We spent about an hour talking, and he took it all very well. Within two days he'd quit speed completely, and he hasn't done it since. Today he has a 2 year old daughter, owns a house and loves his life; it's an awesome thing to see.

So, with that background I'd say talk to her. Talk to your mutual friends (those that aren't doing speed) and get them to join you in the conversation. It won't be easy and she may not appreciate it at all at the time, but if you come to her from love and respect your message will get through. It may not be immediate and you may not see her as much after the conversation, but she will remember it. And it may make the difference.

If you don't know what to say or how to say it, contact a local 12 step or other recovery program (preferably not one that requires payment) and ask for their assistance.

[airann 1]

Quote

Controlling seratonin levels is what all the modern anti-depressants (prozac, paxil, et al) do.

I was going to say that. But in any case, drugs are not good. Especially Speed. In your note where you said your friend was shooting and missed her vein and squirted it in her mouth.... this one is really addicted. Couple of things here, doing $50 worth in one shot is quite a bit. And having to swallow something that tastes horrible is really a bad crave.

If this is the same person who lost all the weight, she is in real trouble.

I wonder if her new guy is a person who approves of this and maybe is a user as well. Really not good.

But as has been said previously- you cant talk an addict out of anything they want to do realistically. You can do an intervention. You can say you wish she would stop. But that doesnt mean she will anytime soon. Women will love the fact that they are thin at the same time killing themselves. Its a tuff sell.

Mainly - let your friend know you love her and you are seeing a difference that isnt that great, if she needs you - you are there. But dont enable her to buy any more, as in, loan money or etc.

Good luck, and you are really a good friend. Dont be real suprised if she doesnt think so right now if you try to talk her out of doing drugs, that is the drug addiction talking.

I once worked for an Addictionologist and there are places to go for help for low or no cost. You do the best you can, its all you can do.

Very much luck to you my friend.

~AirAnn~

[slim 0]

I used to smoke pot, but I think some body told me something about how it...uhhh...damnit! I can't remember what they said...or who it was...

$#!t never mind

>>>
A good friend will bail you outta jail... A true friend will be sitting next to you saying "That was fucking awesome!!!'