Home Drink & Drugs
If you need urgent support, call 999 or go to your nearest A&E. To contact our Crisis Messenger (open 24/7) text THEMIX to 85258.
Read the community guidelines before posting ✨

'Downers'

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
Ok, this is a bit bizarre that I remember this from some book I read a long time ago, but I remember wondering then and may as well try to find out now...

I was reading 'Getting Rid of Mister Kitchen' by Charles Higson (one of the dudes from the Fast Show). It's about some drug addicted artist who half accidentally murders a guy who comes to look at his car and the story is all about his adventures trying to get rid of the body. But that has nothing to do with my question.

In one part he describes a Gothic-styled candle stick he made (incidentally, the murder weapon). He says that he made it during a time when he was "experimenting with downers". I was just wondering what this refers to? 'Downers' makes me think of cannabis, alcohol and opium (experienced in the first two, never tried the latter). And whatever these downers were, do they cause the user to feel more artistic and creative in a more depressed kind of a way? ie that he would create more dark, gothic pieces when under the influence of them.

If anyone understood any of the above and can help me out would be appreciated.

Cheers.

Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    The term downers refers to depressants, drugs which slow the heart rate, depress the breathing, the CNS and the ANS.

    So, drugs such as Alcohol, the Benzo's, the opiates and Barbs all fall into this group. Though all of them effect the body in quite different ways and have differing levels of effect on the CNS etc.

    As to whether they will make you more creative, hmm, thats somewhat dubious. They may help to get the creative juices flowing as it were, but whether the work will be any good or not is another matter altogether.

    They certainly wont have the kind of 'gothic' effect which you describe, that is really a personal thing and there isnt a drug that can do that.

    The exception to this is opium because in its raw state can give you visions and dreams which can help the creative process. However this again really depends on the person. No drug will make you a good writter/poet/artist.

    Oh and cannabis isnt a depressive, its a hallucinogen.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by bongbudda
    No drug will make you a good writter/poet/artist.


    I thought that as I read it which is why it stuck in my mind. But if the person was already creative, would different types of drugs alter their creative style in different ways?

    Personally I'm shite at anything remotely creative or artistic, and a lot worse when under the influence of anything.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    some drugs bring out the creative side in a person but they do have to be somewhat creative. i find some of it used to help me when i was on drugs just because your mind wonders about a whole lot of different stuff
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    drugs can help you be amazingly creative ...a lot of fairy tales are written from a drugged viewpoint as are a lot of songs etc.
    the trouble is ...you end up needing that level of creativity all the time, as normal becomes uncreative. so ...you have to take your drug of choice on a more and more regular basis to maintain that creativness. the downside is ...the very drug that was aiding your creativnes ends up destroying all and any creativenes and you have to move on tpo another drug/drugs to be able to sustain that level of creative thinking ...in the end your just a drug addled mess. i've seen top musicians no longer able to play an instrument or write anything.
    opium is a beautiful drug ...and i mean beautiful! very creative but it's highly addictive and destructive.
    i cannot imagine for the life of me how barbiturates or nitrazepam/diazepam can help anyone do anything but escape completely all responsibilty!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by SandboxMagician
    I thought that as I read it which is why it stuck in my mind. But if the person was already creative, would different types of drugs alter their creative style in different ways?

    Personally I'm shite at anything remotely creative or artistic, and a lot worse when under the influence of anything.

    Hmm, drugs that would help your creative side, well any of the hallucinogens might help I suppose. It is said that the first people to invent the computer chip used LSD to visualise the way the chip would work. I dont know if thats true though.

    Amphetamines will make you a writter, or at least make you bable, whether the ramblings will actually be any good or not is another matter. On the Road was written in one big amphetamine burst.

    Same with cocaine, Dr Jykle and Mr Hyde is about cocaine abuse and what it does to you. Its quite an interesting read actually, there are quite a few references to 'white powder'. That was supposed to have been written in a 24 hour coke binge.

    You have to have some talent to start with though.
Sign In or Register to comment.