Coping with addiction

AislingDM

I know this section does not have quite so many posts as others and I wanted to check in on how people are coping at the moment with any substance dependence?

We can talk about anything here, from your journey and hardest aspects of living with addiction to helpful strategies that are helping you to cope.

Huge love to you all

Skive

The drugs section used to be a very lively place 20 years ago.
Are younger people using less drugs nowadays do you think?

Former Member

Hello @Skive

That's a very interesting question. In my opinion, drug use may be less prevalent nowadays than it was in the 90s but also I believe people nowadays are more aware of risks related to drug use. I think it would be interesting to get the opinion of someone who has more experience dealing with addiction

ebyrne556

Hey @Skive actually thats really given me something to think about this morning.I think mabye in certain areas young people might still be using drugs a lot however i see more people vaping/smoking now or drinking compared to doing drugs. Also mabye seeing a lot of stories in the media/news about drugs has meant less young people have taken up using them. I guess its hard to rlly know but vaping seems to be common atm.This is Interesting topic tho so thanks for sharing and id be rlly interested to hear what the rest of u think

Skive

Years ago teenagers used to hide their drug use from their parents. Nowadays it seems parents are having to hide their drug use from their teenagers.

I think it’s the Instagram effect. Young people seem to be far more concerned with appearances nowadays and drugs make you feel good but they tend to make you look bad.

AislingDM

Super interesting answers all around @Skive , @ebyrne556 and @genderless_fungi !! Couldn't agree more about the point about vaping and smoking especially, I feel like I see vapes on the side of the road everywhere lol and definitely see very young people using them. Equally, I always think, when I was younger, I was hiding these things from parents too, so is this still the case for young people today and we're merely not seeing it?

Especially because of the point skive makes, like if anyone posts a picture of you doing something 'illegal' the consequences of that could be scarier?? I'm really not sure

Either way, I am hoping that there will be increasing popularity for harm reduction-type approaches so that as many people as possible can be supported through their addictions

This website has some useful advice if anyone is interested:

https://www.wearewithyou.org.uk/

Amy22

I'd say there is a massive increase in people vaping mostly younger people in their teens and in secondary school. I do feel like drugs are still being used too regardless of age groups as I think a lot more people are turning to drugs as a way of using it as an escape and kind of to relax them. I often feel like people use vapes as a sensory thing. I don't know if this is true but I think using it could be like a form of stimming or something to do really.

In my area the morrisons car park was littered a lot with silver gas canisters as there was an increase of people taking laughing gas through them and also using drugs too. I remember seeing thebsilver cannisters everywhere and like being thrown on the floor too. I'd also say drug driving is more prevalent as well today.

AislingDM

Yes, very important points @Amy22 , I think the key thing to recognise about drug use of any kind - whether that's young people vaping or adults using cocaine - is that it is often very complex and people's motivations and relationships with drugs can be very nuanced altogether. For some, it'll be about escape, for others a way to cope with trauma, for some it can begin as a result of peer pressure etc..

Recognising that drug use doesn't always look the same for everyone is really important, especially when it comes to considering why kids might be getting into things like vaping (e.g., the stimming point you make makes total sense and I hadn't even thought about it like that!).

Certainly, I feel like you'll see NOS (laughing gas) cannisters everywhere, maybe because they're an easier drug to access due to their multiple uses??

Former Member

Hiya I’m quite new to this all, I’ve never really spoken up about my addiction because sadly I didn’t see it as one till these more recent years.
I started smoking weed in college when I was about 16-17 roughly then I moved onto edibles because I saw it as less harmful however I couldn’t figure out the right amount to eat to keep me at a constant high for the whole day; so then I moved onto thc and I’ve been on it constantly for 4 years since.

When I was a child I experienced a lot of neglect, mental, and physical abuse from living with my mother, I was introduced to alcohol and cigarettes very early. The first time I was too drunk to walk I was nearing the age of 11, and the cigarettes came from an (old) “close friend” who peer pressured me into it at the age of 14, he was 18. This adult also became very inappropriate with me at that age which continued on till the age of about 17 on and off. Things became very forceful towards the end and I’d often come home with a bruise or two then drink to ignore it and pretend it was okay.

From on then I’ve always had addictions, be it vapes, cigarettes, weed, edibles or thc. Every morning when I wake up I need to smoke, every evening when I go to sleep, I need to smoke, when I eat I need to smoke.. there is pretty much nothing I can do without feeling the urge to smoke and if I go without I can’t cope, my mood changes, I get the shakes, I get cold sweats, hot flashes, panic attacks, insomnia, sickness mostly every morning & the list goes on… I’ve recently hit a low point, my work has let me off for the month, luckily paid, in order for me to try and fight for my job. I got to such a low point I was smoking at work in my breaks, in the toilets, on the way home anywhere I could… and now I’m in this position.

The reason I’m posting this I guess is because I’ve come to a point where I realise I need help. Everyone’s stories are different but I think with addiction, it always has a cause no matter how big or small, it always stems off of something.
I’m now working towards getting myself better but I am still smoking and I feel it’s best to admit that to myself instead of not addressing it.
I know this process is going to be long and very difficult but I’m going to push through it and hopefully if possible I could update the group on how I’m going & my recovery?

I really hope someone can relate to this or understand

Ed_

Hey @beaurachelt1 - so glad you have found our little corner of the internet, I hope you find it a supportive space. Our community is certainly a space where you can talk with people who are going through similar challenges and to seek support in your journey.

You have done so well to talk through your experiences with addiction and some of the triggers of that. It's also a really important milestone to have reached where you have come to terms with the fact that you need help, that can often be the biggest barrier to recovery in terms of truly accepting that help is needed. Speaking of which, have you had a look at the different types of support that could be helpful for you right now, or is that something you would like to explore?

I did also want to check in on some of the things you discussed about your childhood. It sounds like you went through an awful lot at the hands of people who should have been keeping you safe. Are you still in touch with the "close friend" who was being very inappropriate?

Please do keep us updated, you may want to start your own thread to journal your journey, or equally feel free to add to this one as you go. We also have online support groups that run Monday to Thursday if you wanted to speak to people in real time. You can find more about those here.

Former Member

@Skive, I don't think so. I think that if anything it's become more normalized to use drugs like vaping or marijuana and later on the kids don't know it's an addiction or are in denial. That's how it was for me for a very long time.

AislingDM

Just wanted to message to say welcome to our community @beaurachelt1 , and thank you so very much for sharing your experiences here with us, I'm sure it's not an easy thing to do

Everything that you've said makes complete sense honestly, given the things you have faced in this life (and especially at such a young age), it's no wonder that alcohol, weed or anything else became a way to find an escape from it all. Facing that kind of betrayal from an older person whom you should have been able to trust is beyond wrong and must have been so deeply confusing for you, those kinds of emotions are beyond overwhelming, and so it's completely understandable that alcohol became a way to numb some of that.

Of course, for you, the fact that developing addictions has happened for a long time must be very frustrating because coming to terms with how this type of neglect and mistreatment has impacted you can be all the more difficult when drugs and alcohol act as a kind of barrier between you and confronting them.

I think it is absolutely brilliant that despite all of this, you are thinking that it is time to try to come away from drugs and alcohol, it seems like you've thought about it for a pretty long while, and this is definitely the perfect place to come for support, advice and just some general hugs when coping with addiction becomes tough

I want you to know that I am very proud of you, especially for sharing your experiences with us and want you to know that we are here, no matter what and would love an update if you feel up to it. Huge hugs from me xx