Harmful Substances

[anonymous]

Alright, hello everyone out there....I don't mean to seem insensitive with this post. I am well aware that many cf's struggle with their health. And i am also aware cf-ers already take WAY too many legal drugs to keep healthy, lol... why on earth would you want to jeopardise all that hard work by fooling around with more drugs which could harm you?Well one of my closest friends has cf. She doesn't seem "that" sick, and she assures me that she has mild cf... but she has cf nonetheless. Lately she has been expressing wishes to experiment with drugs. Sort of getting involved with the "wrong" crowd i suppose, though she insists its only a phase becasue she wants to be a "normal" teenager for just a little while. As i understand, this isn't THAT bad, as long as it doesn't last to detriment her heath for too long. So, i was wonderig how many of you out there have experimented with harmful substances/illegal drugs etc. Why did you take them? How old? What were the effects? Was it worth it? And in particular, How did it affect ur Cf? or how did cf impact upon the experience of the decision? Please include the added risks involvedWe all know how crappy smoking is for any of us (let alone u guys) .... well any body ever tried anything else... like ingesting pot rather than smoking it, or ecstasy or anything?For the record, yeh i am sticking by her no matter what (we have been friends since age 12, we are now 18) , but its hard to remain a loyal friend when all i seem to be doing is nagging her. Thanks for any replies

 

[anonymous]

i was a heroin addict for 2 years, during which time i completely neglected all my treatments (even antiboitics). part of the reason that i kept using was that it made me feel as i imagine it must feel not to have cf. i didn't so much as cough in 2 years. during that time i never once got a cold or got sick, i was able to be more active and do many things that i couldn't do while dealing with cf. however, once i decided to get off he gear, i became very sick. i ended up with collapsed lungs and pneumonia. i have also sustained a lot of lung damage. i can't say how much of that damage would have been sustained anyway (due to age etc). i should add that i didn't smoke heroin and that i used it more as medication. i was able to use for so long without anyone finding out because i only ever used enough to make me breah easier and stop my cramps. i never got really high, so that other people could notice. obviously that lifestyle isn't sustainable long term though.

 

[anonymous]

You said you friend wanted to be a "normal" teenager. I never took the type ofr illegal drugs that you are referring too. Never even smoked a joint. The only thing that I did was drink under age I never had any interest in the other stuff. One bad hit of acid can ruin your life, I have heard heroine addicts say that they were addicted after the first time they tried it. Your friend can be a normal teenager and not have to do drugs.Dave 29 w/cf

 

[anonymous]

trust me, it takes a few months to get addicted to heroin. anyone telling you otherwise has never experienced a heroin addiction. the first experience with heroin can actually be quite unpleasant, it's too intense. people keep going back because it takes some experience with the drug before you get the real high. nothing pisses me off more than people who spread that 'one try and you're addicted' propoganda. there are just as many emotional conditions that need to be in place as there are physical to build up a true heroin addiction.

 

[anonymous]

My theory is, have the strength to not do it the first time, then there's no question on whether you're hooked or not.<img src="i/expressions/light.gif" border="0">

 

[anonymous]

I don't care if you are pissed off. I have seen interviews with rock stars who have said that they were hooked after the first time they tried it. I was smart enough not to try it.Dave 29 w/cf

 

[anonymous]

Oh yeah, 'rock stars' . Is there anything they don't know?You obviously have no idea of the psychology involved in drug addiction. People DO NOT become physically addicted to heroin after trying it once.Trying drugs or not does not come down to whether you're smart enought to aviod trying them in the first place. Please don't make such uninformed assumptions. Look at how many authors, philosophers, scientists and other remarkable individuals have been addicted to drugs. By your reasoning, you must be one pretty smart cookie! Sorry Dave 29 w/cf, you are a total moron.

 

[anonymous]

There is no need to personally attack Dave. He has a right to his opinion, just as you do & I'm sure there are cases where people were hooked the first time, just as there are people that were not hooked the first time they tried drugs, etc.<img src="i/expressions/light.gif" border="0">-en up

 

[anonymous]

maybe you're right, but nothing get to me more than narrow minded people, or people who profess strong opinions on things based only on what they heard somewhere. btw, it is physically impossible to get physically addicted to heroin upon trying it once. this is not my opinion, it's a medical fact. part of the reason that drugs are such a problem in the world, is the misinformation that is spread around.

 

[anonymous]

Coke, 2 timesAcid, 8 timesShrooms, 5 timesExtacy, 5 timesEating pot, 3 timesSmoked pot, 20+ timesAlcohol, 0-2 days a weekCigs, no way...those are just bad for you!I was never addicted to anything and did most of that garbage under the age of 20. CF never really came into play as I always had a pretty mild case. Out of all of them, I would have to say Extacy is the worst. It REALLY kills your immune system and I remember finding myself REALLY dragged out for atleast a week after I did it. Eating pot was good, I ate everything. And I never felt bad smoking it. Super small hits and don't do it often. It actually is a great broncodialtor. These days, I only drink socially. Hope this helps a little. And to all the kids out there, don't do drugs. It wasn't worth it.Tim, 30, w/cf

 

[anonymous]

It's a medical fact is it. Why don't you tell me where these medical facts are published so I can read it for myself. I am not going to take your word for it. Considering I do know that every person is different and people react to substances in different ways. I was just repeating what I have heard other people say about heroine (I don't believe everything I hear) so chill out. And you are right, I don't know the psychology behind drug addictions, that's because I have never been addicted to anything. I stayed away from drugs because I knew that it can ruin a persons life. My fiance's neighbour took a bad hit of acid and now he is a skitso.Dave 29 w/cf

 

[anonymous]

<blockquote>Quote<br><hr><i>Originally posted by: <b>Anonymous</b></i>It's a medical fact is it. Why don't you tell me where these medical facts are published so I can read it for myself. I am not going to take your word for it. Considering I do know that every person is different and people react to substances in different ways. I was just repeating what I have heard other people say about heroine (I don't believe everything I hear) so chill out. And you are right, I don't know the psychology behind drug addictions, that's because I have never been addicted to anything. I stayed away from drugs because I knew that it can ruin a persons life. My fiance's neighbour took a bad hit of acid and now he is a skitso.Dave 29 w/cf<hr></blockquote>physical addiction requires repetition. addiction is created by repeted administration of habit forming substances. once is not enough, even with a very basic understanding of biology this should make sense.

 

[anonymous]

Goodness!! I never knew that "drug addiction" was such a controversial subject. And the fact that it makes someone so "Angry" that people have a "misconception" about how drugs can be addictive the first time you try them. Aren't there better things to get angry about? Aren't there people out there who have been KILLED the first time they tried drugs? Why are you, nameless person, so defensive on this subject? I think there is a better cause out there to put your energy into. CHILL OUT!!

 

[anonymous]

As to the above, I forgot to sign MY name! I don't want to be a hipocrite!Laramom to CF son and nonCF daughter

 

[anonymous]

This is all really a moot point and I believe this thread has deviated from its intended course. I however have had family members deal with heroin problems for a large majority of their life. Infact a good friend of mine passed away nearly two years ago from heart failure which was caused by heroin abuse for nearly 20 years. One thing I can tell you from learning about this drug is that your body is not physically addicted to the drug after one use. That does take repitition for the body to become dependant on the drug. When a person who is physically addicted stops using the drug they go through withdrawl, and it's not pretty. It usually lasts 5-7 days where the person has horrible cravings (for the drug), stomach cramps, vomitting and much much more. After one use of heroin your body will not go through this type of withdrawn, you can look up this information, it doesn't apply to just heroin, most addictive chemicals have the same traits.There are however two types of addictions, there are physical and mental. It is however possible to be addicted to a drug mentally after just one use, this of course depends on the person.

 

[anonymous]

i've done coke, ecstacy, shrooms, smoked and eaten pot, all about a combined 20-30 times, within a three year period mostly when i was under 20, like tim. i never got addicted, i was always very aware of what i was doing. ecstacy is bad...it really leaves you feeling weird, bad, strange, and weak! the way you feel psychologically after drugs like coke and E isn't worth it, esp. w/ ecstacy in my opinion. i've never smoked a cigarette though.

 

[anonymous]

<blockquote>Quote<br><hr><i>Originally posted by: <b>Anonymous</b></i>This is all really a moot point and I believe this thread has deviated from its intended course. I however have had family members deal with heroin problems for a large majority of their life. Infact a good friend of mine passed away nearly two years ago from heart failure which was caused by heroin abuse for nearly 20 years. One thing I can tell you from learning about this drug is that your body is not physically addicted to the drug after one use. That does take repitition for the body to become dependant on the drug. When a person who is physically addicted stops using the drug they go through withdrawl, and it's not pretty. It usually lasts 5-7 days where the person has horrible cravings (for the drug), stomach cramps, vomitting and much much more. After one use of heroin your body will not go through this type of withdrawn, you can look up this information, it doesn't apply to just heroin, most addictive chemicals have the same traits.There are however two types of addictions, there are physical and mental. It is however possible to be addicted to a drug mentally after just one use, this of course depends on the person.<hr></blockquote>FINALLY! Thank you Anonymous

 

[anonymous]

To the ones that have posted & have tried a whole variety of drugs, etc......can I ask why you tried them? I am one of these people that have been basically sheltered, I guess & always wonder what makes people tick, why people choose a certian lifestyle, etcWas it acceptance, or were you over-doing it to prove just because you have CF that you're really not different, or because you like to feel like you're "bad", to fit in w/ the crowd you were hanging with or none of the above? (or none of my business)<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-tongue.gif" border="0">Just curious. You don't have to answer if you don't want to.

 

[anonymous]

I'll answer. I liked being in an alterted state of mind. I love my life, my family and friends. I'm never sad or feel like I was jipped by having CF. Basically, I did it for the high. It was fun. I never had a bad trip and I never had a bad time on any of the drugs I tried. While doing the different drugs, I was always with very close friends, who, like me, were not drug addicts, just wanted to experiment. We experimented. It never got in the way of anything important, school, jobs, family, friends, and we did drugs "smart," if that makes any sence. Never drove and always had someone who was sober who kind of took care of us. I graduated college, have a great job and an amazing group of friends and a very loving family. Drugs were just a stage in life that I went through. I don't regret it. At all. Nobody I did that garbage with still does it. We all moved on. TIM

 

[AbsintheSorrow]

I've only ever had alcohol and weed. Weed I tried because I was curious and other people said it felt nifty. Didn't do it too often and stopped a few years ago. It just wasn't worth it. Alcohol I still drink sometimes. Not because it's cool or whatever, but because sometimes I just want to have some booze. Haha. I thought about the other stuff and I've been curious, but it's not worth the risk to me.