Contains drug-related images.
I believe there are two main reasons. One: to have fun and socialise with friends. Two: out of depression and nihilistic hopelessness and a need to escape. In their simplest forms, drug use can boil down to these two extremes; happiness vs misery.
Needless to say, there’s all the grey areas in between. Some may get into drugs out of peer pressure or because they’re in a drug-using crowd, and then that may develop into an addiction. Others may start on one drug (including alcohol) which becomes a gateway into others. For some, they may just be a heavy party-goer who likes the odd molly or line of coke when having a good time. And then there are those that simply stick to alcohol, avoiding any other drugs.
As an addict, my view on drugs and alcohol will never be the same as non-addicts. When people talk about the crazy shit they do when they’re drunk, alarm bells and fear always runs through my head. When I see a drunk person, panic and a need to take care of them will always fuel me. I accept that I’m an alcoholic, but I’ll always have that fear around it.
Drugs can be classified into three groups: depressants, stimulants and hallucinogens/psychedelics. Depressants include cannabis, heroin and alcohol; stimulants include cocaine, caffeine, and ecstasy, and hallucinogens include DMT, acid and mushrooms. The safest drug to use in the UK is said to be mushrooms; the most dangerous is said to be alcohol. Whether you agree or disagree with this is your decision, but these are measured in terms of highest level of consequences, harm to self and others, and affect on the brain.
All drugs are ‘bad’, obviously; they’re bad for your physical and mental health, they temporarily impair you and lead to memory loss or loss of control, and they remove inhibitions. People often underestimate the power of drugs. They say ‘why did you do that? Why weren’t you in control?’ Drugs and alcohol REMOVE control. When a person is drunk or high, their level of self-control is greatly reduced or in some cases exterminated. If you’re in a black out, you have no idea what you’re doing or saying. Even a little bit of a drug can affect your behaviour, whether it’s positively or negatively.
I hear this a lot and it irritates me. There’s a political party called ‘Cannabis is safer than alcohol.’ I agree, but it doesn’t mean cannabis is ‘safe.’ Cannabis is still a drug; it can lead to psychosis and schizophrenia, it reduces productivity, it can worsen depression or induce paranoia. Granted, it’s a lot safer than say heroin or alcohol, as it’s a psychologically, not physically, addictive drug, and seldom leads to destructive or violent behaviour. The danger in cannabis is the opposite; when people are high their motivation and productivity is reduced to the point of wanting to do nothing besides watch Rick and Morty and eat crisps. This ignites the ‘sin’ of sloth; before you know it you’ll spend your days doing nothing but smoking weed. Consequences can be stopping going to work, loss of interest in people and relationships, and reduced levels of natural dopamine in the brain (leading to depression).
Weed is mistakenly labelled a ‘safe’ drug; someone who was smoking for fifteen years straight and had their life lost to this seemingly ‘harmless’ drug may beg to differ. Yes, it is safer then many drugs but it's still not 'safe' in its entirety. Naturally, alcohol IS much worse, and I always get angry when those that drink talk about weed like it’s the scum of the earth. Hypocrites! No one is forcing you to get high, but the number of deaths, injuries, illnesses, and god know’s what else from alcohol are tremendous. The danger of alcohol is that it is so accessible. It looks so pretty in glass bottles and shiny cans, but its effects can be sinister. You’ll never hear a person on weed say ‘argh man, I shouldn’t have done that last night’ because chances are all they did was go to bed. But you’ll hear a person on alcohol say that a million times.
The effects of alcohol on me are that I (have) become very emotional, erratic, happy one minute and sad the next, zoned out, paranoid that people are watching me or talking about me, slurring A LOT, stumbling around, unaware of what I’m saying, giggling one minute then moaning the next, and in the end quite miserable and withdrawn. When I would get very drunk, I’d find myself unable to stop drinking if booze was in front of me; if it was there it had to go in my throat or down the sink or in someone else’s hand to stop me from drinking it. Alcoholics don’t have a ‘stop’ button; once we start drinking it’s really hard to stop because the brain craves more and more.
Drugs, like most things in life, should be used only in moderation. Drink and have fun, but be careful. Use the odd pill or spliff now and again, but don’t let it rule your life. There is way more to life than drugs, and if you’re not careful they’ll end up using you rather than the other way around.
Also see: Alcohol vs Weed: http://www.thezarinamachablog.co.uk/2017/03/alcohol-vs-weed.html
https://www.economist.com/blogs/dailychart/2010/11/drugs_cause_most_harm