tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5426187053282004467.post2879708990254836286..comments2023-08-23T00:11:34.071+10:00Comments on The Australian Heroin Diaries: Ice - More Drug MythsTerry Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12331435244789111209noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5426187053282004467.post-50649586398842730472015-08-10T23:54:45.548+10:002015-08-10T23:54:45.548+10:00You folk are splitting hairs. Its all very nice to...You folk are splitting hairs. Its all very nice to delve into the nuances of a recreational drug taking/smoking/drinking experience, but as much as I enjoy a drink, and as much as I am tolerant of other's use of dope etc, I do not think the chaos caused by even a miniscule percentage of addicts, be they heroin or meth addicts, is too small to be a problem. Why should I wirk to buy a camera for example just to have a junkie smash a car window to sell it to get high, or some selfish dumbass make a living at the expense of someone's daughter, or people with your tolerances find they run out of arguments when being seduced in Bali to mule for assholes? Gaols are full of the minority of the community and the state spends money on gaols, why wouldnt the government spend money to stop a drug that has a 14 year old who just thought theyd give it a go not knowing theyd enjoy it so much that they had to find the maturity to not do it again? That kid/person/guy/woman/etc might have done so much more in life had someone with your tolerances did not think it would be OK make a few dollars pushung shit. My mind can never be clear enough, my imagination never consistently reliable, as when nothing is interfering with the natural function. For those who need a crutch surely it would be better to find out why drugs would be so important. The campaign against Meth/Ice is the right way to go. I bet many if you are helping big tobacco with their profits too!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5426187053282004467.post-4808339494954863522011-05-18T22:03:17.597+10:002011-05-18T22:03:17.597+10:00I've seen a couple of things about crystal met...I've seen a couple of things about crystal meth in America. There were meth-heads in rehab, who'd been in there2 months. Unlike crackheads who look pretty normal within a single month off cocaine, these people looked DIRE. Really terrible. There's also a thing called "meth mouth" where they smoke it the way heroin is smoked over here. The fumes are so strong they literally rot teeth. Nasty business!<br /><br />As for schizophrenia they say taking drugs like that is like pulling the trigger on a loaded gun. Most guns aren't loaded, but some people's are. Which is why some people stay psychotic and others don't. So I hear :-)Gledwoodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09308172310486574510noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5426187053282004467.post-33389268925594520442008-05-02T20:11:00.000+10:002008-05-02T20:11:00.000+10:00For what it's worth, I finally remembered the Fili...For what it's worth, I finally remembered the Filipino word, SHABU, for methampethamine which the Thais' call 'yaba'phallacyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00671259192227168614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5426187053282004467.post-82446457912429604232008-04-29T21:36:00.000+10:002008-04-29T21:36:00.000+10:00Terry - "BTW, what are Yaba pills?"YABA is Thai fo...Terry - "BTW, what are Yaba pills?"<BR/>YABA is Thai for 'crazy drug',the form of methampethamine prevalent in Thailand from the 80s.<BR/>The Filipinos use a similar name but i can't remember it, so long ago. <BR/>I think the simplest definitions are - <BR/>hedonist = uses for fun<BR/>dependent = uses out of habit, decreasing fun <BR/>addict = uses to feel normal, little, if any, fun, purely to avoid "not using".phallacyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00671259192227168614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5426187053282004467.post-18796249117951102802008-04-29T10:18:00.000+10:002008-04-29T10:18:00.000+10:00Thanks Jack.I went through the speed thing about 2...Thanks Jack.<BR/>I went through the speed thing about 20 years ago. I did it every weekend for a year or two. I found it such a nasty drug to kick. It wasn't like heroin at all where you need it everyday but every weekend. Friday night would blur into Sunday morning and then 2-3 days to recover which often meant that Mondays I was ringing in sick for work. The worst problem was the weekends became so boring and I couldn't go out without speed. I moved interstate to get away from it. <BR/>BTW, what are Yaba pills?<BR/><BR/>Thanks for your comments, Bluestherapy.<BR/>Bad news about your brother-in-law. Was his withdrawal with the typical 'opiate withdrawal' physical symptoms? Or was it the physiological cravings causing his body to react? Your body doesn't crave amphetamines like opiates or benzos. <BR/><BR/>I agree about dope to an extent. I can't smoke for the reasons you don't. Panic and paranoia! But this is the whole point. No one should take a drug which reacts badly with them. Whether it's pharmaceutical, marijuana, alcohol or whatever. Any drug if abused will cause problems. Alcohol for example is fine if you partake sensibly. The weekend, you may have a few too many for the pleasure but not through the week. Same with dope. Some dope smokers seem to smoke constantly and wonder why they have problems. Maybe a dope hangover would help?Terry Wrighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12331435244789111209noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5426187053282004467.post-90809444118740528972008-04-27T23:55:00.000+10:002008-04-27T23:55:00.000+10:00Interesting post.All I have to add is that my Brot...Interesting post.<BR/><BR/>All I have to add is that my Brother-in-law has a severe ice addiction and has tried to give up a few times, each time experiencing severe withdrawal. His attempts have all failed.<BR/><BR/>Also, dope may not be addictive, but it is far from a mild drug. The prevalence of depression and psychotic illness amongst heavy users is frightening. I smoked quite regularly when I was younger, but gave up following experiencing a number of panic attacks.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5426187053282004467.post-9095260173912119142008-04-27T19:12:00.000+10:002008-04-27T19:12:00.000+10:00Terry, another fantastic post.Anecdotally, I have ...Terry, another fantastic post.<BR/><BR/>Anecdotally, I have many freinds working in the live music scene around the country. Where the use of ice & speed is not uncommon.<BR/><BR/>Maybe its the company I keep, but most of the users I've known are generally alcoholics before they start hitting the P. It helps heavy drinkers maintain coherency, and allows them to stay in that "life of the party" phase longer. <BR/><BR/>And to date I've not known anyone to sustain their use for a year or more. So I'd agree that its a dependency and not an addiction. <BR/><BR/>I tried some Yaba pills on Koh Phangan in the early ninties. I'd tried speed a couple of times before, but never really liked it.<BR/><BR/>Those yaba pills still rate as one of the best trips I've ever had. Days of partying, drinking & dancing. But eventually I had to collapse and spend a couple of days lying in a semi comatose state in a beach bungalow.<BR/><BR/>Given these experiences, I find it hard to imagine anyone forming a long term dependency on ice.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5426187053282004467.post-38364054807498734812008-04-27T13:35:00.000+10:002008-04-27T13:35:00.000+10:00Thanks for your comments.Phallacy: I didn't know a...Thanks for your comments.<BR/><BR/>Phallacy: I didn't know about the Philipino connection. I like your reference to "real people".<BR/><BR/>THR: There are clear distinctions between addiction and dependancy. The easiest way to look at it is that dependancy is physiological and addiction is physical and physiological. When the body craves it is addiction and when your mind craves it is dependancy. <BR/><BR/>Dependancy can cause symptoms similar to addiction but the physical effects of dependancy withdrawal come from the physiological trauma of mental cravings NOT physical craving.<BR/><BR/>Addiction causes the body to react, craving the drug when quitting as well as the physiological craving.<BR/><BR/>You can usually spot the hype when someone describes the physical effects of the so called addictive drug as depression,panic, sweating, suicidal thoughts etc. That is dependancy, not addiction but it alludes to the drug as being dangerous. Addiction has all these AND stomach cramps, severe shaking, vomiting, increased heart rate etc. Real physical effects of addiction are unique to addiction. Physical effects from dependancy are general health issues caused by physiological trauma but to make it more sensational, some will attribute the physical problems as the result of physical dependancy.<BR/><BR/>Some doctors also like to distinguish between addicted pain patients and other addicts by saying that those who get addicted to opiates thorough normal prescription medication are dependant but those who obtain opiates without a pain problem for the sake of their addiction have an addiction. This is just for the sake of the patient who might find it hard to cope with the stigma of being "addicted". Being dependant is more socially acceptable.Terry Wrighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12331435244789111209noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5426187053282004467.post-55755358652718396772008-04-27T01:28:00.000+10:002008-04-27T01:28:00.000+10:00Does some of the foregoing discussion depend upon ...Does some of the foregoing discussion depend upon a particular definition of addiction? With marijuana, for instance, there are definitely people who could be called 'dependent', in as much as they feel they can't cope without the drug.<BR/><BR/>Having said that, I certainly agree that the MSM do a lot of demonising of drugs and their users. 'Instant addiction' is nonsense, along with 'zero tolerance', and diagnoses like 'drug-induced psychosis' are often conflated with schizophrenia, when in fact these are two, clearly distinguishable disorders.thrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14877037272249708164noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5426187053282004467.post-60946574314276675082008-04-26T21:34:00.000+10:002008-04-26T21:34:00.000+10:00"Ice", as smokable methamphetamine, began entering..."Ice", as smokable methamphetamine, began entering OZ in the late 90s, almost entirely confined to the Philipino community, by mail in small, personal + friends, quantities. As '... lesser breeds without the law.." there was almost no interest from the authorities until it began infecting real people.<BR/>Also, any moral panic in a storm, one of the Rodent's maxims.phallacyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00671259192227168614noreply@blogger.com