Reasons people give for using drugs?

Hi shimz michelle here thank you first of all by being honest and letting everyone know your intentions here. Some people will make up a lie for a story to get answers out of us and use us. So i guess i used drugs to fill a void in my life that void was the very thing that i gave birth too my 9 yr. old son james when i was younger about exactly 18 i had spanked my son i guess to hard in the states opinion and they took my son from me. I went outside to throw the trash out and he locked me out. I had to bust the door open and i was upset and spanked him at 2 yrs. old. They gave custody to my mom and so he had to live with her which as a teenager seemed like well ive got time to make up what i was suppose to do before i had a child. During that whole time my son grew up and i missed alot i never got him back in my possecion till he was 4 and this was without anyone knowing.

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CPS backed out and didnt want nothing to do with james after spending 2 almost 3 years of his life he had grew up and i guess it wasnt as interesting as before when he was a baby. I did my own rehab just stopped i think i was just tired of being wasted. At one point i had flipped my husbands blazer and landed upside down i was drunk and i had hit a car coming down the hill i was trying to cross over i didnt know if they were dead or alive in the other car. I ended up doing a year in prison and was released on parole for another 2 years so it was basically 3 years total had i not took parole. I was at the end of my rope and i was always talking about how i wanted to die i felt like my life was being taken from me my son my sanity my life. After they took my james i went crazy i told everyone i have nothing to live for try to OD unfortunantly the neighbors saw me collapse on the driveway so i was admitted into the hospital where they told me 5 min. later had they not found me i would have been dead. I remember thinking to myself i wish that the 5 min. had come and i had died. I am doing better now i have my son my husband our cat and partridge in a pear tree. Honestly im living the american dream although its hard to keep up with country living im glad im here far from any drugs and hardly any drinking. Sorry for so much at a time you asked. Everything took its toll in my drug abuse i lost the trust from my family, my friends dont call me i havent yet apologized to alot of people just left the city as soon as i could. I intend on one day talking to everyone and apologize for what i put them through but for now im going to enjoy being free.

First of all I hope you get an A+ for research! This is a good forum for your question. I can only address opiates as that is what I am most familiar with. Many people begin using opiates (vicodin, lortab, tylenol #3) for innocent reasons. Maybe after an injury, dental surgery, operation, etc. The feeling we got from the medication put many of us in such a good mood, euphoric feeling, we would ask doctors for refills, some exaggerated the level of pain to obtain more meds. When the doctor would finally cut them off, they would turn to buying meds off the streets. You know you have an addiction problem when you will put the pills above anything and anyone in your life. Everything is second to these pills. Family, job, bills, etc. Family members just don't understand unless they have been there themselves. Please remember, there is a big difference between dependence, addiction, and abuse. Personally, I am physically dependent upon and addicted to these opiates.

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I don't consider taking an extra pill here and there (when you have over done it physically) abuse. Then again, by the end of the month, those few extra pills here and there add up, leaving you short a day or 2 and your meds run out. There are so many reasons people use drugs. It's a daily struggle for the people who have quit, but take a lot of pride in the fact they have kicked a bad habit. Then there are people like me, who need these meds for legitimate purposes, yet don't even care (or get) that euphoric feeling anymore from the meds. That's ok with me. As long as my pain is somewhat under control, that has to be good enough for me. I feel the pain constantly, but I know if I take more, I only build an even higher tolerance and will need a dose increase when I see my surgeon at the end of the month. Drug use, abuse, dependence, addiction, is such a highly unique issue for each individual. You will find as more people answer your question, the variety of circumstances about drug use varies greatly. I wish you much success on your research and my best wishes,
Chris

Hello,

I was an addict for 20 years and this is what I know about drugs in general.

The reasons are many, depending on internal factors such as genetics, some people have more addictive personalities..etc and external, the environment which you grew up in..also family issues, but there is no excuse, we all had different ones..I loved the lifestyle and everything that comes with it.

Drugs destroyed me as a person, I lost everything family, children, 2 wives.

I was in rehab for 1 year and I have been clean for 9 years.

I was addcited to cocaine, pot, alcohol, amphetamines, methamphetamies, benzodiazepines, ecstacy and many more.- I took them to escape from reality and problems.- I was so very wrong... but no regrets, Einstein said " there are no good nor bad experiences for they are merely experiences".-

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Now I have gotten my life back, I am 41 years of age, I am Bipolar and suffer from other conditions related to this illness, and I am on medications, this illness has no cure but with the right treatment you can lead a productive life.-

So again this is what I know about drugs

Medicines Are Legal Drugs

If you've ever been sick and had to take medicine, you already know about one kind of drugs. Medicines are legal drugs, meaning doctors are allowed to prescribe them for patients, stores can sell them, and people are allowed to buy them. But it's not legal, or safe, for people to use these medicines any way they want or to buy them from people who are selling them illegally.

Cigarettes and alcohol are two other kinds of legal drugs. (In the United States, adults 18 and older can buy cigarettes and those 21 and older can buy alcohol.) But smoking and excessive drinking are not healthy for adults and are off limits for kids.

Illegal Drugs

When people talk about a "drug problem," they usually mean abusing legal drugs or using illegal drugs, such as marijuana, ecstasy, cocaine, LSD, crystal meth, and heroin. (Marijuana is generally an illegal drug, but some states allow doctors to prescribe it to adults for certain illnesses.)

Why Are Illegal Drugs Dangerous?

Illegal drugs aren't good for anyone, but they are particularly bad for a kid or teen whose body is still growing. Illegal drugs can damage the brain, heart, and other important organs. Cocaine, for instance, can cause a heart attack — even in a kid or teen.

While using drugs, people are also less able to do well in school, sports, and other activities. It's often harder to think clearly and make good decisions. People can do dumb or dangerous things that could hurt them — or other people — when they use drugs

Words to Know

Addiction — Someone has an addiction when he or she becomes dependent on or craves a drug all of the time.

Depressant

A depressant is a drug that slows a person down. Doctors prescribe depressants to help people be less angry, anxious, or tense. Depressants relax muscles and make people feel sleepy, less stressed out, or like their head is stuffed. Some people may use these drugs illegally to slow themselves down and help bring on sleep — especially after using various kinds of stimulants.

Hallucinogen — A hallucinogen is a drug, such as LSD, that changes a person's mood and makes him or her see or hear things that aren't really there or think strange thoughts.

High — A high is the feeling that drug users want to get when they take drugs. There are many types of highs, including a very happy or spacey feeling or a feeling that someone has special powers, such as the ability to fly or to see into the future.

Inhalant — An inhalant, such as glue or gasoline, is sniffed or "huffed" to give the user an immediate rush. Inhalants produce a quick feeling of being drunk — followed by sleepiness, staggering, dizziness, and confusion.

Narcotic — A narcotic dulls the body's senses (leaving a person less aware and alert and feeling carefree) and relieves pain. Narcotics can cause someone to sleep, fall into a stupor, have convulsions, and even slip into a coma. Certain narcotics — such as codeine — are legal if given by doctors to treat pain. Heroin is an illegal narcotic because it is has dangerous side effects and is very addictive.

Stimulant — A stimulant speeds up the body and brain. Stimulants, such as methamphetamines and cocaine, have the opposite effect of depressants. Usually, stimulants make someone feel high and energized. When the effects of a stimulant wear off, the person will feel tired or sick.

Ihope this information helps you.- take care---