Discussion I wonder how many lives illegal drugs & alcohol has saved

[TheGoodGuy]

I thought about this a couple of days ago and stick with me here...

When a person is depressed and/or suicidal people often discourage them from using drugs or alcohol they might use them occasionally or they might have a drug "problem" but I wondered how many lives has drugs actually saved? I mean there must´ve been thousands of people in modern time that would have killed themselves if it wasn´t because they could cope with drugs (any drugs illegal, prescription or alcohol). If any of our family members saw we were to start to have an addiction they would want us to STOP because and I quote "it will ruin your life" but they don´t know that you might be hours or days from committing suicide but because you consumed a drug your life line just extended days or weeks kind of like in the Nickleback - saving me music video where you see numbers above peoples heads of how long they have left but because you got drunk or high it gave you extra time.

It was just some thoughts I had, btw I don´t have a drug problem or drink that often it was just a thought I had because I am sure there have been thousands of people who would have killed themselves had they not gotten drunk or high that specific night. Please tell me what you guys think of this.

 

[Chloe]

I tried drowning my self over 1 year ago,it would have worked,i passed out,but when i woke i was on the ground with people standing over me,some man saw me and saved me,When my parents sleep at night,i vape weed,Weed it the only thing keeping me alive.

 

[Circles]

I tried drowning my self over 1 year ago,it would have worked,i passed out,but when i woke i was on the ground with people standing over me,some man saw me and saved me,When my parents sleep at night,i vape weed,Weed it the only thing keeping me alive.

I concur. Weed is the only release I have to help me get through the day. Heroin and alcohol was too much for me I can't function with the after effects. But with good ol' chronic cheddar I feel just a better version of me. All my worries are washed away even for a brief moment.

 

[CJM]

I know weed is becoming a lot more accepted world wide but I always found it funny how people saw it as the devil, alcohol causes huge amounts of issues for users and services.
Majority of people I've seen and hung out with who are casual or regular pot smokers are laid back, laugh a lot, talk some rubbish and get a great hunger on, with alcohol it's similar once you have had a few drinks and you get to that confident chatty stage...then it can all go pear shaped with the emotional, make a mess of yourself and start a fight stages. You've got to wonder if alcohol was discovered today, would it be legal?

 

[Circles]

I know weed is becoming a lot more accepted world wide but I always found it funny how people saw it as the devil, alcohol causes huge amounts of issues for users and services.
Majority of people I've seen and hung out with who are casual or regular pot smokers are laid back, laugh a lot, talk some rubbish and get a great hunger on, with alcohol it's similar once you have had a few drinks and you get to that confident chatty stage...then it can all go pear shaped with the emotional, make a mess of yourself and start a fight stages. You've got to wonder if alcohol was discovered today, would it be legal?

I'm so jealous of Canada right now. Here in the great land of the free the US is going backwards political, socially, economically, culturally, etc. I hate to say I hate the only country I ever been in and don't feel at home. I just don't belong here with the backward status quo. It's the land of hypocrisy.

 

[TheGoodGuy]

I'm so jealous of Canada right now.

A step in the right direction and I am 100% sure in the future ALL drugs will be legal maybe not in 100 year or 200 maybe it takes a 1000 years but some point in time ALL drugs will be legal harm reduction is the only logically way.

You've got to wonder if alcohol was discovered today, would it be legal?

It wouldn´t. It is also funny how alcohol is the drug that kills the most people per year worldwide and have the most negative impact on society also economically.

 

[millefeui]

I wonder if I would find some comfort in life if I started doing drugs. Who knows. Only issue is that I get addicted too easily. I am a big caffeine junkie, for a start.

 

[Circles]

A step in the right direction and I am 100% sure in the future ALL drugs will be legal maybe not in 100 year or 200 maybe it takes a 1000 years but some point in time ALL drugs will be legal harm reduction is the only logically way.


It wouldn´t. It is also funny how alcohol is the drug that kills the most people per year worldwide and have the most negative impact on society also economically.

One can only hope but humans aren't the most logical of beings here lately.

 

[TheGoodGuy]

One can only hope but humans aren't the most logical of beings here lately.

Only in modern society you have to remember that drugs have been a part of human nature for thousands of years such as alcohol, Mescaline, Schrooms, Cannabis, Opium etc. it is only in the last 100 years of human history drugs have been made illegal (the war on drugs) it´s preposterous really. tens of thousands of years probably hundred thousands of years of human kind and governments around the world has banned all people against their will from using drug even locking them up for life for smuggling drugs or consuming them that is the difinition of tyranny when you enforce laws against the peoples consent that they have to obey or they will be punished.

 

[TheFool]

It's impossible to say if it actually saved my life, but I am pretty sure weed replaced my habit of self-harm.

 

[Trashcan]

Very true. Drug users are frowned upon, but if you hate them using drugs so much, maybe help them instead of shame them?

I know someone who has had a very shitty life and I think the only reason she hasn't ctb is because of drugs.

 

[TheGoodGuy]

In addition to this thread I would also like to point out the hypocrisy of society´s view on drugs because it´s okay for people to take anti depressive drugs that regulate serotonin in the brain and why are people prescribed that? Usually because they are suicidal or just have depression so they use a drug not to cure them but to make them able to cope with life and isn´t that what most suicidal people do with other drugs aswell? Yes it is so it doesn´t matter if it´s SSRI´s they´re using or alcohol, cocaine, weed etc. they all serve the same purpose for the depressive or suicidal person to give them the ability to cope so they don´t have to ctb.

I am really just counting the days to next month so I can buy some alcohol to cope so I won´t have to ctb yet.

 

[APharmaDestroyedLife]

Probably saved as many people as it has destroyed. Some people simply cant cope with their life or reality. Others that become physically dependent on substances usually end up in worse shape.

I will say this. using most illicit drugs and alchohol are not nearly as damaging to the brain and body as a lot of prescribed drugs. Even a hard core heroin withdraw is nothing compared to a benzodiazepine withdrawal

 

[passenger27]

Weed's gotten me through thick and thin, more so than most legal drugs. I'll be smoking it all the way to the end. Beyond, if I'm able.

 

[exhausted]

I went to a talk by a psychiatrist in the UK who is called Professor David Nutt (lol, nominative determinism). He is very pro-drug legalisation, especially weed. He gave a statistic like if only 20 percent of people who needed weed had had access to it in the past decade, 1 million lives would have been saved. Something like that anyway, the figure was 1 million for a certain time period. This was with regards to helping alcoholics, people with epilepsy or MS, so on and so forth.

 

[sad_frog]

Weed keeps me alive everyday. Better than my prescription medication.

 

[FadeAway00]

I went to a talk by a psychiatrist in the UK who is called Professor David Nutt (lol, nominative determinism). He is very pro-drug legalisation, especially weed. He gave a statistic like if only 20 percent of people who needed weed had had access to it in the past decade, 1 million lives would have been saved. Something like that anyway, the figure was 1 million for a certain time period. This was with regards to helping alcoholics, people with epilepsy or MS, so on and so forth.

I went to see a psychiatrist in the uk and she shamed me for smoking weed. Also said it's not the "miracle drug" that everyone says it is. I had a nervous breakdown, and she just sat their sour faced until I calmed down, asked me to leave and sent me a letter rejecting my request for free counselling, and directed me towards rehabs and addiction centres.

I find it extremely hard to trust medical "professionals" here. Especially when I mention that I smoke weed (it keeps me from killing myself), I might as well have just taken a massive shit on their desk, the looks they give me are ridiculous!

I genuinely believe I wouldn't be alive today if I didn't smoke weed. I don't see it as a permanent solution, but for now, it's all I have!

 

[HadEnough1974]

I thought about this a couple of days ago and stick with me here...

When a person is depressed and/or suicidal people often discourage them from using drugs or alcohol they might use them occasionally or they might have a drug "problem" but I wondered how many lives has drugs actually saved? I mean there must´ve been thousands of people in modern time that would have killed themselves if it wasn´t because they could cope with drugs (any drugs illegal, prescription or alcohol). If any of our family members saw we were to start to have an addiction they would want us to STOP because and I quote "it will ruin your life" but they don´t know that you might be hours or days from committing suicide but because you consumed a drug your life line just extended days or weeks kind of like in the Nickleback - saving me music video where you see numbers above peoples heads of how long they have left but because you got drunk or high it gave you extra time.

It was just some thoughts I had, btw I don´t have a drug problem or drink that often it was just a thought I had because I am sure there have been thousands of people who would have killed themselves had they not gotten drunk or high that specific night. Please tell me what you guys think of this.

Well the pharmaceutical industry much prefers you become addicted to their "legally prescribed" drugs than alcohol or street drugs. It's all about the money!

 

[exhausted]

I went to see a psychiatrist in the uk and she shamed me for smoking weed. Also said it's not the "miracle drug" that everyone says it is. I had a nervous breakdown, and she just sat their sour faced until I calmed down, asked me to leave and sent me a letter rejecting my request for free counselling, and directed me towards rehabs and addiction centres.

I find it extremely hard to trust medical "professionals" here. Especially when I mention that I smoke weed (it keeps me from killing myself), I might as well have just taken a massive shit on their desk, the looks they give me are ridiculous!

I genuinely believe I wouldn't be alive today if I didn't smoke weed. I don't see it as a permanent solution, but for now, it's all I have!

You just reminded me of a psychiatrist who tried to refer me to some kind of outpatient rehab for smoking weed a few times a week! I said no, obviously. Most doctors will just try to gently dissuade or act neutral in my experience though. I had a GP who said most of her patients smoke weed and as long as it is in moderation, it's not a problem.

Weed comes with risks like anything, but yeah, it's kept me alive for 8 years now. I haven't smoked for a few months, but will at some point, it will be necessary.

 

[TheGoodGuy]

Well the pharmaceutical industry much prefers you become addicted to their "legally prescribed" drugs than alcohol or street drugs. It's all about the money!

I know they have been trying to push their SSRI´s on me since I was 16 (so for 9 years) I always said no back then I smoked weed to cope and even at 16 I knew Cannabis is probably the most harmless drug in the world and they want to get me on these harder drugs. But know I just want to try and see what it does I have been fighting them for 9 years and nothing I have done have helped so if the SSRI´s will improve my existence just by 10% that would be great especially if they could make me feel my feelings like sadness and nostalgia again instead of just apathy and anhedonia, I actually miss my depression because at least back then I could feel.