Growing up I definitely knew some people who had their demons who turned to drugs.
However we also had a lot of people who were in good situations who picked up drugs for purely recreational reasons. One of my friends at the time even boasted that drugs were actually more appropriate for people like him who were educated, in good situations, and rational (his description of himself) because they knew how to manage themselves and their usage better. He even had links to some subset of the rationality community who had become pro-recreational drugs with a lot of justifications.
His turn to drug use marked the end of his promising academic career. He started struggling with mental health in ways that were obviously related to the drugs. Holding a job had never been a problem until he starting smoking, which marked his turn toward job struggles. His friends and family relationships started declining and falling apart.
He’s not the only one I know like this. The first person I knew who had to go to rehab for drug addiction was a happy, successful guy who started using drugs as a way to party more and for longer. He thought his life was awesome and he was invincible.
I think there’s become a belief that drug use is purely a symptom, but I’ve seen enough people go from happy to falling apart as an obvious result of the drug use. Most of the people I know who started using drugs didn’t do it at their homes in private to cope, they started doing it at parties with friends.
This is even well known with alcohol: There is common belief that being a “social drinker” is a different risk profile than someone who does their drinking alone.
I think it’s a comforting idea that we tell ourselves that nobody chooses to use drugs, they are driven to do so by circumstances out their control. We like removing blame from people and hoisting it on to the world. I don’t think it’s always true, though. Many people use drugs because drugs are rewarding (at first) and they like the way the drugs make them feel. The negative consequences come later.
I can have fun without drugs.
Yes!!! I love this approach! unironically
The US a survival society where the first time you trip, you're fixed to that level unless you have benefactors.
Going on an actual calorie restricted diet while consuming cannabis is basically impossible for me.
Then instead of walking 60 minutes I end up sitting and listening to music.
There is really not anything for me that correlates with healthy behavior when I smoke.
Set and Setting are also relevant too. If you do it a soecfic way with other soecific tools and activities while on it, that all gets packaged and reinforced.
As the other comment says: set and setting. And it works both ways, you can take some memento with you, and when you're being quiet and introspective and you're feeling good fondle some fob: a keychain, a rosary, buddhist prayer beads, some macrame you're working on, it doesn't matter. Point is later when you're in a different situation, you can replay that ritualistic behavior and it will probably reach in and remind your body, which will then remind you mind. This is human nature: it's known that e.g. humans remember / forget things when passing through doorways, and some forms of acting use cues like this especially for emotional resonance.
Well, Id guess these are reasons for any case of substance missuse?
I have not met ANY regular drug user (regardless which drugs), who didnt had "frictions with parents" early in their life. (and some for which its still persisting into their 40ies)
I am lonely. Weed makes me to fucked to care.
I’m not sure what the first sentence is after, but this one reminded me of Michael Phelps.
^^ many of those are boring people.