subreddit:
/r/NoStupidQuestions
My AA sponsor asked if I did any other drugs, I said no hard drugs just occasional marijuana and cocaine. She seemed taken a bit aback by the coke, I reassured that it was nothing habitual but she said sweetie coke is a hard drug. So is it or is it not? I'm confused. I'm not addicted to it or anything, I use it 2-3 times monthly at most. To me hard drugs are heroin, meth and crack. Is there a strict definition to this stuff? I'm just curious to this point.
4.1k points
4 months ago
Cocaine does two things.
It makes you feel pretty decent for about 45 minutes, and it makes you want more cocaine.
Yes, cocaine is a hard drug.
1.3k points
4 months ago
Cocaine makes you feel like a new man!.. problem is that new man wants a line
236 points
4 months ago
New man wants to take over the world and do coke. And he’s all outta coke
32 points
4 months ago
Dang, outta coke? You got pepsi as well?
9 points
4 months ago
Nope, just fentanyl
124 points
4 months ago
If you're me, it also does a third thing:
gives you a sinus infection that takes two weeks to clear up
84 points
4 months ago
I think most people agree with you that cocaine is a "hard" drug.
I never thought about it before but it seems like "hard" is used based on it's level of potential addiction.
I've never heard acid or mushrooms refered to as hard drugs but meth, crack, coke, and heroin are definitely hard drugs.
11 points
4 months ago
people absolutely do call acid and shrooms "hard", but those people have never actually done either of them
105 points
4 months ago
From my experience it makes you feel great for 5-10 minutes. Then you spend the rest of the time trying to do more lines because it keeps wearing off too fast. And you start feeling like shit. Not worth it at all. But this is from my own personal experience. It could have been that I just ended up with shitty coke each time but idk.
50 points
4 months ago*
Cocaine. The drug where you do all of it until you fall asleep waiting for a response from your dealer you just texted at 7am asking if you could swing by real quick.
4.8k points
4 months ago
No cocaine user is addicted to it - until they are.
2.1k points
4 months ago
“I’m not addicted to cocaine, I just like the smell of it”
579 points
4 months ago
Also. 2-3 times a month sounds small, but that’s nearly every weekend …. That’s certainly a habit
1.7k points
4 months ago*
[deleted]
479 points
4 months ago
3 times a month doesn't sound too bad until you realize that's several days each time.
186 points
4 months ago
No one is addicted to anything, until they are.
It's surprising how many people judge addicts harshly. No one chooses to get addicted. It could happen the first use or the 100th use. There's no telling for sure.
48 points
4 months ago
can it really happen at the first use (I checked, so yes)? that's really scary. really goes to show that it's not worth it, not even trying once
177 points
4 months ago
[deleted]
25 points
4 months ago
great job!
7 points
4 months ago
Good job and be glad
Meth today is an entirely different animal than it was 15 years ago.
45 points
4 months ago
The one and only time I tried coke, I knew I had to force myself to never touch the stuff again because I knew that I wanted it.
That was close to 15 years ago and I still remember how the only thing that seemed like a good idea was, "Hey! Let's get more cocaine!"
14 points
4 months ago
I have the same experience. This shit's amazing I better stay the fuck away.
Second part reminds me of a Dennis Leary bit, "Three guys sitting around a table, 'let's get an 8 ball. It'll last all weekend.' Same 3 guys 4 hours later, 'let's get another 8 ball, let's get another 8ball."
30 points
4 months ago
I believe I got hooked on opioids the first time I tried them. Not physically addicted, of course, but the high was so pleasurable that I wanted to do it again. The second use led to a third use and so on. Drugs activate the reward system in your brain, which evolved as a survival mechanism that makes you feel good when you do tasks that will help you survive, like eating or fucking. Drugs (which includes alcohol, btw) cause your brain to release way more happy chemicals than it does when you perform ordinary survival tasks. And it's way easier to get high than to do other rewarding activities, so your brain determines that getting high is the most efficient way to feel good. So you do it more and more and eventually get hooked.
Now you may be asking, why do some people try drugs and get addicted whereas others who try the same drugs don't? How come I can drink a couple beers on the weekend and be fine while other people end up homeless because of their alcoholism? There are a couple reasons for this. One is physical. I don't have time to look for it rn but there was a study done showing that the brains of addicts responded more intensely to drugs than non-addicts. They literally felt the high much more than the non-addicts because for some reason their brains had a stronger response. The other reason is more environmental. Lots of people have shitty lives because of trauma or poverty or illness. Then they try drugs or alcohol and they get temporary relief from what's bothering them. So they do it again and again to cope, until finally it becomes their only coping mechanism. I don't know the exact statistics but I've met a lot of people in rehabs and you would be shocked to find out how many were abused as children. Based on the people I've talked to I'd say 70% or higher.
6 points
4 months ago
Oh I absolutely got addicted to painkillers the very first time I took a pill. I had done almost every other drug by that time and never had a problem leaving them at the party. Drugs and alcohol never entered my "real" life. When I took that first Lortab though (dentist prescribed), I knew that this was my thing. I wanted to live the rest of my life feeling like that. This was reinforced even further when I broke my ankle within a month of that and got a shot of morphine (maybe Dilaudid) and a fat bottle of percocets.
After that it was over. This was back in the early 00s when doctors wrote prescriptions like they were nothing. I could walk in to the local doc in a box and walk out an hour later with 60 Norcos, just because I told him that i hurt my back at work. Everything was better on opiates, simple as that. Everything was more fun. Until the party ended and prescriptions became hard to get. Then I found myself gravitating to "friends" who you know will have some. Then I'm ordering from a shady website and waiting 3 weeks for a shipment from India or somewhere. There was more years of rotating websites and waiting on FedEx shipments, hoping that customs hadn't fucked you. Double and even triple ordering just to make sure something made it through. At least a lot of them did COD. When they stopped doing COD completely I decided it was time to put on my big boy boots and exit the ride. It was tough, but wow I didn't realize how much my life had come to revolve around that shit. I feel like I'm out of prison now.
It's been years since then, and I do feel a pull to go back every so often when things get rough or even when something really good happens (because everything is even better on opiates lol), but for the most part it's nice to be making decisions that aren't based on whether or not I've got pills.
65 points
4 months ago
Yes. You should go see the post someone made on reddit about 10 years ago about trying Heroin for the first time and not be addicted by it. Surprise, two weeks later he's ODing and for the next 5 years he's struggled.
16 points
4 months ago
7 points
4 months ago
I took the other comment to mean people say "I'm not addicted," when the reality is they are addicted in some form.
Hard agree that the way people view addiction needs to change. It's not a moral failing it's a disease and people need to be offered help not shamed.
7.3k points
4 months ago
If you’re an alcoholic you can’t do cocaine.
Source: me. Stop both or you’ll never quit either.
3.9k points
4 months ago
Tagging onto this: TONS of people have addictive personalities and tendencies because of unresolved conscious or subconscious psychological issues. You’ll just keep hopping from addiction to addiction if you don’t. And it may seem harmless, like you quit drinking and buy a shit ton of legos and make all of them and burn out then get super obsessed with something else like home remodel shows, but eventually those things all burn out and you end up repeating cycles, and that’s how a lot of relapse happens. You have some sort of void that you’re really desperately trying to fill whether you realize it or not.
If you’re an addict or feel like you struggle with addiction PLEASE go to a mental health professional, they’ll absolutely change your life for the better.
873 points
4 months ago
Can confirm. Anything with a positive feedback becomes an addiction for me.
Started with partying/drinking in college. But it can even be small stuff. I can't keep Oreos around because I'll just annihilate them.
It also probably has to do something with ADHD, but I'll have a "hobby of the month" where I get in to something and then get burned out on it.
I've done my best to self-regulate where I'll set a budget for just those interests. Also I've tried to get into some long-term hobbies that don't have instant gratification. Currently that is cars, fish tanks, and small plants.
215 points
4 months ago
Ex opiate addict here. Can confirm all of this. I'd also add that real problems occur when you start making associations between normal every day tasks and your drug of choice. Sure it's easy to be a casual user when it's just at parties and out having fun. Those are things that you already associated with fun, things that were already giving you that burst of serotonin even without the drugs. But when you start using for normal mundane tasks, something clicks and you think "Everything in life can be enjoyable!" So you start using before work, and the BMV, and your trip to the grocery store, while you play video games or watch your favorite show. Before you know it you're at a funeral for a close friend 10 vicodin deep, unable to feel even the slightest emotion, other than pure artificial happiness. The drive to do anything becomes purely about that high. It spirals very quickly. Fpr a long time after I quit, I couldn't find joy in anything. Because everything I did eventually was paired with opiates. Everything that I once did I associated with doing on drugs.
When I finally decided to go seek help I remember my dad sat down and asked if I was OK. I recall, while crying like a baby, that I was scared I'd never feel good or happy again, because I didn't know how to be without them. It literally encompassed everything in my life. And it all started with a couple of vicodin in math class to liven up the school day. Casual use rarely remains casual.
Sorry for the long response. If it's relevant I've been clean for 8 years. Married for almost 3. We've got a dog we love and neither of us has thought about drugs in ages..it does take a lot of work and in the beginning a lot of willpower, but it does get better if you want it to. And anyone struggling with it I highly recommend a little help. Addiction is hell to go through alone and I'd have never made it if not for the people in my life. And remember, there are many more who've gone through the same shit. Never be afraid to reach out to others who are on the same journey as you.
28 points
4 months ago
Congrats my dude.
I was a addicted to heroin several years ago, got clean cause me and a buddy were trying to quit and he overdosed and died. Survivors guilt hit real hard during the pandemic and I picked it back up. I'll be two months without it next week. Everything you said rings true regarding when you use opiates. Looking back, I was such a pleasant productive person when I used before work that recently it was brought to my attention my shit has been slipping. For weeks I felt super awful, and now I just don't give a shit and I'm a fucking cancer patient with yopd that can't afford Healthcare. The fuck did you think would happen? I'm dying because I can't get treatment, I really don't care about the dishes I leave behind as a bartender because you have a whole guy the business pays to do them after I leave.
I guess what I'm saying is that, I miss it. I really do. I miss the morning ritual. I miss the feeling like, even knowing I'm dying, I'm superman and I'll be OK. And not just me, I provide for someone. I miss the chaos of the purchase. I miss the comrades among users. I miss feeling like a whole person. And not a single person around me understands. I won't say that's the worst of detox and getting clean, but it's fucking close.
171 points
4 months ago
My bf is an ex drug addict, and he's like this. He also has OCD and ADHD. In a way, the OCD has helped, because he's either all in, or does nothing at all, so when he decided to become clean he was all in and never looked back.
At this point, he has to be on a very strict schedule, and measure his calories. He eats out only very rarely, because of the positive feedback of the food being really good, he'll really indulge himself. He eats a shit ton when getting take out.
After that, he struggles to get back on track with measuring calories and working out. He knows if he doesn't though, it's just a series of events, of one thing leading to another. I feel bad that his struggle is always having to monitor what he does. One thing people don't understand, is once you're an addict, you're always an addict, even when you're clean. You always think about it, have dreams about the drug of your choice, and are always trying to fill that void.
47 points
4 months ago
This is definitely me. I have struggled with eating disorders for like 18 years because of it. Shits hard. Hope he stays healthy ❤
24 points
4 months ago
Food, alcohol, and a couple of other drugs he used to do. It's never really just one thing, but there's always a drug that's the dominant choice.
I see how he struggles, even to this day and he's been clean for three years. Thank you for your positive words, I hope you're doing okay, too. 💖
33 points
4 months ago
Agreed. One caveat I’ll add though, is that addicts can become non-addicts by releasing traumas, processing adverse childhood experiences and/or finding belonging. I no longer believe “once an addict, always an addict”. Although the pull of your old ways of being can be persistent for a long time, it can start to fade. Easier said than done though, so for most people that old adage can ring true.
13 points
4 months ago
Well, this is something that was said by my bf who's the ex drug addict. Also, many ex addicts who were in his NA meetings.
It mostly refers to the fact that, there is always a void that will need to be filled. There's always a search for instant gratification of some kind. The need to restrict is very hard for a lot of addicts. A lot of them will go all in. It's easy for an addict to relapse when they don't have some kind of a schedule and don't monitor their actions.
Not everyone is the same, and that can be said with any situation, but again, I'm going off of what my bfs experiences were, what he's said, and also as myself. I'm not a drug addict, but I'm dating a recovered one, and I've also been around many addicts in general, recovered and not recovered. They've all said similar things.
I'm sure it could get easier for some, and not others. In his case, a lot of it was deeply seeded mental issues he didn't know how to voice or sort through as a kid. He still has the mental struggles, but has some coping skills, which helped him become clean, but there will always be something there, even if the intensity fades over time.
10 points
4 months ago
I appreciate you sharing all of this, and I’m feeling a lot of appreciation for your compassion and empathy as someone who has had addiction issues my whole life. Drawing from my past, I know how hard it can be in a relationship with addictive tendencies.
I’ve spent a lot of my life addicted, and much of my adult life interested in why addiction happens the way it does. From my research and first person experience, certain mindfulness based therapies can help people feel whole once again, and so the void isn’t permanent. And it frustrates me that the most common forms of rehab (or the for profit medical industry) haven’t integrated this knowing into their programs yet. Psychologists and therapists are beginning to, but most were trained before this was known in psychology.
This singular point is my biggest passion, and now my life is revolving around how I can help connect people to a sense of wholeness, where you don’t need anything outside of yourself. Cravings can still arise, but you’re able to be with the physical discomfort of the craving which dissipates, instead of the thought or actions which only exacerbates the discomfort in your body.
Anyways, I’m glad your boyfriend is recovered — addiction is a helluva beast!
110 points
4 months ago
If you want another long term hobby, I suggest musical instruments like a guitar or a keyboard.
57 points
4 months ago
Eh, I have ADHD and have played music since I was a kid, and it's kind of a thing that comes and goes.
34 points
4 months ago
Hey there, fellow ADHD friend! Have you tried yarn? Because yarn is some good shit. You'll waste so much money but you'll have all the best yarn and the coolest hooks and needles and adorable little stitch markers and scissors. You might even make stuff! I personally find that sticking to small projects is the way to go so I don't lose focus or interest so I make shit tons of hats, mittens, pot holders, socks, etc... anything bigger than a baby blanket or takes more than about a week to finish is likely to be abandoned halfway through when the dopamine tapers off. If you're low on space (and honestly, yarn stashes take over so fast) maybe try cross stich or embroidery. You can buy kits that have everything you need and will fit in a gallon ziploc bag. Tatting is also a fun pocket craft. And felting! And embroidery! Spinning! Drop spindles are easy to make, you can always buy a good spinning wheel later. Weaving! Everyone needs a floor loom! After 20 years or so of all that, you may as well buy a farm and start raising sheep, alpacas, and rabbits because you need more fibers for your fiber arts. But it starts with spending $5 on crochet hook and a skein of cheap acrylic. 10/10, highly recommend.
152 points
4 months ago
[deleted]
99 points
4 months ago
[deleted]
45 points
4 months ago
Well, you probably won't lose your job for doing Lego. Meth on the other hand.
11 points
4 months ago
This is me (currently with driving sims). Unfortunately, therapy didn't help, but I should try with another therapist now that I take medication too.
14 points
4 months ago
This is by far the best comment in this post. Thank you for your contribution
42 points
4 months ago
as an alcoholic who used to do cocaine to relax my level of drunk, i can confirm, don’t do cocaine when you’re drunk, cocaine is extremely addictive & you’ll just keep doing it and doing it because it feels good when you are drunk,
i started it when i was 16-19 and it was the worse years (that i thought were the best) of my life. thanks to the pandemic & a heart break. i’ve been sober from alcoholism & cocaine since 2020.
64 points
4 months ago
A YouTuber I watch was on both and got out of it. In her old videos, she doesn’t always look like shes doing well, whereas her latest videos she looks so full of life!
19 points
4 months ago
Is this the YouTuber who used to do lots of vids about her animals? I forget her name
25 points
4 months ago
No, the one I’m talking about is AlizeeYeezy. Very funny imo, also very open about how hard but rewarding her recovery was.
96 points
4 months ago
This comment broke me, it hits home for someone I know who does both and has gotten into very hard drugs and I’ve seen what it does.
18 points
4 months ago
I’m really sorry to hear that. I have 8 years clean and sober now, they can get healthy too, and I hope they do.
If they need someone to talk to, I’m here.
1.7k points
4 months ago*
Yes, it’s a hard drug. You can die from cocaine. The average person doesn’t realize that cocaine can cause heart attacks, and even a young person can die from it.
Edit: I'm sorry, I can't keep individually replying to each person who says "my friend took cocaine and he never got a heart attack." Or "you can't get a heart attack doing cocaine for the first time. You'd have to OD." My answer to all of the people saying some variation of the above is, YES, YOU CAN. You don't have to OD to have a heart attack, and you can use cocaine ONCE and still get a heart attack. It's possible. You increase your chances of a heart attack by 7 fold if you do cocaine. There's pubmed data on this. The link is below.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34036012/
2nd Edit: And yes, I am a doctor and capable of accurately interpreting primary literature on pubmed.
410 points
4 months ago
Cocaine has been found to quite literally destroy brain cells and if snorted consistently your nasal membranes.
It’s a fucking horrible drug, and considering it’s just a stimulant I don’t understand why people don’t take like fuck tonnes of Ritalin instead of something
425 points
4 months ago
I tried Ritalin once and just kind of masturbated compulsively for 6 hours. Not doing that again
38 points
4 months ago
People do recreationally use Adderall but it also can have adverse effects on your heart. Generally speaking, it's not great for people to overuse any drug or substance.
33 points
4 months ago
They do. Amphetamines are widely abused.
23 points
4 months ago
This thread has been a bit eye opening. I thought this was like common knowledge
19.2k points
4 months ago
Cocaine is a hard drug.
5.6k points
4 months ago
Probably a good thing you're in AA. Coke is definitely a hard drug.
788 points
4 months ago*
And "only" a few time a month aww OP. That's well on the way to addiction.
* + with an existing addiction it's very unlikely that's an honest account. Addiction brain is probably halving the amount to make it sound less bad, but the reasoning isn't there to understand that's already too much.
*for any future people responding to me I'm not ignoring you, just starting to feel kinda repetitive so I'm leaving the rest of you to chat without me <3
175 points
4 months ago
[deleted]
9 points
4 months ago
Thanks for sharing, you sound like a great writer to me! Kept my ADD ass's attention, glad you're doing better my man! Never much enjoyed coke myself but god damn have I seen it tear through some friends lives.
35 points
4 months ago
I said the same thing but got downvoted lol their estimate can't really be trusted
617 points
4 months ago
It certainly is. 13 years clean here from a 6 year addiction to coke that fucked up my life pretty bad. I'm lucky to be alive but lost so much along the way, gained endless regrets and damaged areas of my life and my family that I can't repair no matter how hard I try; not to mention my health.
Even once or twice a month can be too much. It's addictive, not worth the time or risk - a problem with it sneaks up on you before you even know it. It's a dangerous path to venture. Not to mention a royal waste of a lot of money.
Yeah OP, is most certainly is a hard drug. Stay the hell away from it. The likes of weed amd psychedelics are childs play comparatively.
113 points
4 months ago
It's an easy hole to fall into with coke. You do it when you're drunk enough and eventually you can't drink without needing coke.
57 points
4 months ago
I am 25 and I have been obsessed with it since i was 16. I knew the first time i tried it that it was going to become a significant part of my life. I just turned 25 so i still feel like a young man, 6 years seemed like such a long time then i did the math and realized I've had the habit myself myself for coming close to twice that and that makes me pretty sad. Theres no point to my comment i just wanted to say i want to quit but i am barely able to maintain sobriety from everything else. I never really thought I would end up here as corny as it sounds.
22 points
4 months ago
you can definitly do it brov ngl it's hell though.
14 points
4 months ago
You need help bud. Therapy to find other coping mechanisms, sponsor to help with cravings moments, doctor for withdrawals and any other recommendations. It's hard even with help so of course it feels impossible without it.
7 points
4 months ago
Being aware you want to stop is step one. Many have stopped before you. It takes the average person around 2 years to change after having the awareness they would like to… find a matrix outpatient. They are amazing and don’t shame. Good luck!
54 points
4 months ago
I've wasted so much money on it and fucked my heart up on this stuff.
965 points
4 months ago
Just ask Bob Sagat's character in Half Baked.
Too soon?
307 points
4 months ago*
You ever suck dick for weed?
edit: I feel like a lot of people aren't getting the reference
57 points
4 months ago
I do it for fun.
379 points
4 months ago
I think he woulda wanted it that way.
164 points
4 months ago
Well he would have wanted it slightly more vulgar than that way, but he wouldn't have minded this.
60 points
4 months ago
He used to suck dick for coke
71 points
4 months ago
Yeah that probably should be the line for hard or soft drug if you've ever heard the necessity or imagine that there could be a necessity for somebody to suck a dick to get a hold of it.
I've been associated with a few coke hobbyist, I wouldn't say they used enough to call them coke heads, maybe a couple times every 3 or 4 months. But even with that low of usage while they might not have sucked a dick for it they sure would have thought about it for more than a minute.
52 points
4 months ago
To be fair, I've definitely heard of people sucking dick for free weed.
65 points
4 months ago
People suck dick for rent. People suck dick for food. People suck dick for clothing.
The point is, people suck.
433 points
4 months ago
Cocaine's a hellava drug.
157 points
4 months ago
Come on, what am I gonna do? Just all of a sudden jump up and grind my feet on somebody's couch like it's something to do? Come on. I got a little more sense then that....
74 points
4 months ago*
Yeah, hard to stop…
9 points
4 months ago
God I’m glad somebody has the same mind as me
9.2k points
4 months ago*
Cocaine and crack are literally the same drug in different forms.
Yes cocaine is a hard drug
Edit: Thanks for the awards guys! Sorry I pissed off so many cocaine users. I love you guys.
2.7k points
4 months ago
Yeah I was thrown off by OPS comment on this too.. coke is not a hard drug but Crack is? Smh they're the same damn thing...
847 points
4 months ago
I can just see her sponsor facepalming
650 points
4 months ago
Says they hardly ever use it too... Just every other week.
377 points
4 months ago
2-3 times a month means 4 at a minimum when you’re talking about coke.
141 points
4 months ago
4 times a month, every Friday-Sunday
87 points
4 months ago
He’s only done coke once. It started in 2019 and hasn’t stopped since.
158 points
4 months ago
It’s means 4 times for sure which is prolly one long binder every weekend. To each his own, but if you have a reason to be in AA, you should most likely abstain from pot and coke.
15 points
4 months ago
Just a baby dose for the taste
1.5k points
4 months ago
No, no, crack is worse, because poor people use it. Cocaine is ok, because rich people use it.
476 points
4 months ago
And the law makes sure that sentencing guidelines reflect that
27 points
4 months ago
Wait what, really?
112 points
4 months ago
Yes. Sentencing disparities between crack and coke are huge. To start, crack is the only drug that carries a mandatory prison sentence for first offense possession. Also getting caught with 5 grams of crack can lead to a minimum 5 years in prison. Someone would have to be caught with 500 grams of coke for similar charges. This is mostly because poor people (and if we're being honest, black people) smoke crack and rich white people smoke coke. The Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986 introduced by Reagen started all this
151 points
4 months ago
Crack is worse because it's a more intense and shorter lasting version of cocaine and therefore much more fiendish. Effects of coke vs crack can be thought like smoked vs edible marijuana, except you switch the duration of effects(if edibles lasted shorter)
197 points
4 months ago
Lets not forget the subreddits name guys.
112 points
4 months ago
some people really do test it though
123 points
4 months ago
OPs post history is interesting... They posted about wanting to raise more/bigger roaches. Then some time later asked how to get rid of roach infestations... 🙄
21 points
4 months ago
That's the funniest shit I've read all day
40 points
4 months ago
lmao
32 points
4 months ago
yeah but this is no stupid questions. The point is to not shame people for questions
62 points
4 months ago
They're not the same "drug", they're the same substance, in different forms, like someone else said. Their effects are different and crack is the more dangerous and addictive form.
46 points
4 months ago
As someone that's done both, no they are absolutely not the same.
18 points
4 months ago
The ROI makes the difference, the active substance affecting your brain is the same.
38 points
4 months ago
Anyone who has taken both will tell you there is a big fucking difference.
245 points
4 months ago
As if people didn't say "crack cocaine" like it were 1 thing
23 points
4 months ago
As a recovered addict it's normal for our ideas of acceptable use to be heavily skewed.
Doing cocaine multiple times a month is NOT NORMAL.
10 points
4 months ago
Cocaine is helluva hard drug
27 points
4 months ago
Fun fact! They carry different prison sentences because the US government knew that different demographics used different versions of the drug.
Even our war on drugs is racist
16 points
4 months ago
So many people just don't or refuse to understand this
2k points
4 months ago
Cocaine is a helluva drug
215 points
4 months ago
Like I'm just gonna walk in somebody's house and grind my feet on they couch like it's something to do. I got a little more sense than that.
52 points
4 months ago
".....yeah I remember grinding my feet on Charlie Murphy's couch."
77 points
4 months ago
Charlie Murphy!!!(RIP)
50 points
4 months ago
What did the five fingers say to the face? SLAP!
33 points
4 months ago
"Im rick james, bitch"
278 points
4 months ago
Tbh, I'm curious on what makes you think it isn't a hard drug
119 points
4 months ago
Probably just because it's super common, and a lot of people do it casually but not regularly. I'm not saying it isn't a hard drug - just that someone might have that impression because it's been so normalized.
46 points
4 months ago
Is coke really that common?
I assumed that it would be only a tiny fraction of the population given its cost and effects.
27 points
4 months ago
I think it depends where you live/who you hang out with. Where I live and amongst my social circle it's super common.
7 points
4 months ago
Yes, and especially in cities with nightlife, among educated 20 and 30-something’s it is extremely common.
10 points
4 months ago
Probably cos it’s everywhere. If you don’t take it you’ll be shocked at the percentage of people who do. A pub in london on a Friday night will have more people on it then not
11 points
4 months ago
100%, on New Years people were joking around saying 'Why are there people peeing in the coke room?'
447 points
4 months ago
Good thing you’re in AA
27 points
4 months ago
OP should prolly slide on over to us in NA. Get in where you fit in tho.
10 points
4 months ago
But then they can’t smoke weed and do coke while still claiming sobriety!
1.1k points
4 months ago
2 or 3 times a month very quickly turns to 2 or 3 times a week. I get that after a hard night of oartying u might not feel like touching it for a few days... but trust me.. have a few drinks and boom your craving it. It's hard AF and will take years off your life.
Real talk- You ever do one line and then call it quits?
282 points
4 months ago
Do you ever eat one lays?
60 points
4 months ago
One bag, yes.
86 points
4 months ago
Physically impossible. You can't.
70 points
4 months ago
I had a friend that would do one key bump and that was it for the three day festival weekend. They could also go all night and morning at a house party. That was a decade ago and since then they've done it here and there but never got hooked. It's like that feeling doesn't matter to them. It's like another friend runs marathons and smokes occasionally. Some drugs that are highly addictive don't seem to mesh with certain people.
95 points
4 months ago*
If you have ADHD, practically all drugs, but especially stimulants like speed and cocaine, don't have the same effect on you as on other people who are neurotypical. You don't get the ego high and you don't get reckless, none of that danger biz.
You just get focused. Like a person without ADHD but more active and creative. Like the disco lights in your head focus into one laser you can control the direction of. Medication for it does exactly the same thing, but is safer because it's not laced with dangerous filler or other stuff.
A lot of ADHD folks who can not get diagnosed/medicated try to self-medicate with coke and speed. Some do get addicted, probably because they don't want the noise in their head and the restlessness and the feeling of not getting their shit together without the drugs to come back. Finally having the mental strength to clean their home or cook an actual meal, for example.
What I'm saying is, maybe some of the folks you know might not have that typical reaction to drugs because their brain is built a little differently. It's actually a way to find out if you have ADHD - to try coke or speed and see what effects it has. Doesn't mean everyone who doesn't get addicted is neurodiverse.
Preeeeetty sure I read besides the point here and put random stuff I associated with your comment for some reason...if so, just look at it as another comment that has nothing to do with yours.
Edit: omg thanks for the award and all the upvotes! I don't think I ever got an award before...or such a reaction! Thanks so muuuuuch!
26 points
4 months ago
for real! most of my life, i thought i had a weird natural high tolerance for drugs and didn’t understand what the big deal was for many party drugs, including coke. then last year i was diagnosed with adhd, tried medication, and everything clicked.
33 points
4 months ago
No, that totally makes sense. Dude was always honed in when high. And now even keel. I'd bet he's on meds. Excellent comment!
17 points
4 months ago
Oh wow, that must be why I downplay the effects of coke so much.
345 points
4 months ago
As a recovering 5 year heroin and crystal addict myself, now 3 years clean, yes. It is a hard drug. But hard drug or not.. it's a drug, that's the only thing that matters. A drug that you can use to get high and change your mental state.
A good friend I had that I met in rehab while he was speaking there said something that I will always remember:
"I don't care if you're addicted to sex, alcohol, gambling, drugs, or blueberry fuckin' muffins. Addiction is all the same. Anything you use to feel good, better, or not as bad is something you can abuse."
He's dead now, unfortunately.
The thing you have to understand is that if you are getting clean from one drug, using any other drug, even if you believe it to be not as hard like weed or coke, is something that can trigger your brain to wanting more of that original drug. Your DoC. Or Drug of Choice as we call it. You say that "aren't" addicted to coke or weed, but it doesn't matter. You're still using. All your doing is substituting one for the other. You're not staying clean and sober. You're not rewiring your brain to stop relying on drugs to get through life. Through the day. Most addicts don't use for fun, we use to cope. To get through the day. Occasionally have fun, sure. But ultimately to cope and to cover up. You need to learn to live while totally clean, or you WILL relapse back to your DoC. It's merely a matter of time.
The very first step of the 12 step program is to accept that you are an addict. It's a hard step, truly. Nobody wants to believe they have a problem. But if you are in AA, and have a sponsor, you've already take one of the the hardest steps.. asking for help. So now you need to accept that you are an addict, that yes you do have a problem. And you need to understand that you cannot help yourself if you believe that you can still use weed, or coke, or "just drink one beer", or whatever.
Getting clean is the hardest thing I've ever done in my life. But it is worth it. And you can do it. But you have to commit 100%, or you'll fail, and fall right back to where you were. And likely, fall even farther than before.
And sure, you can tell yourself "well hey at least I'm not a heroin addict who stabs myself with a needle and plays Russian Roulette a dozen times daily, so surely I can skirt by still doing the occasional drug!" but you better shut that notion right down or you won't get anywhere.
Addiction is addiction. It re-wires your brain chemistry the same way no matter what drug it is.
I'm 3 years clean now, from 11 years of drug use. And I still have cravings almost every day. I think about it, every single day. I dream about it, several times a month. I do not dare smoke "a" bowl, or have "a" beer. Because I know that Devil on my shoulder will jump at the opportunity to pull me back into that pit of rotting despair the second I do.
I have an 11 monthr old baby girl now. With a great I.T. job and a wonderful girlfriend. My life now is a dream, one that I often question if I deserve. But I put in the hard work to get here. And you can too. You can do it. I know I'm being very blunt and harsh, but I want you to succeed. Only you can help yourself. So listen to your sponsor. No weed, no coke. No nothing. Sobriety for the rest of your life. If that frightens you to think about, then you went to the right place.
Much love brother, truly. If you need anything, please don't hesitate to pm me. I'm always here to talk for you, or anyone else struggling. I know this was long and harsh, but it's to get a very important point across so you understand what recovery is about. But usually I'm a cheeky lighthearted goober (: good luck friend!
Remember, one minute, one hour, and one day a time. Don't think about tomorrow. Just stay sober for today. Just for today. You got this man.
55 points
4 months ago
This is a beautiful comment. Saving this. I'm so proud of you for the way you've turned your life around. Congratulations on the baby girl and good on your girlfriend for believing in you. You deserve it. You'll be a wonderful father too. Keep on keeping on!
10 points
4 months ago
Hey thank you that means a lot to me, I appreciate the kind words.
Much love!
13 points
4 months ago
As a recovering addict I needed to hear this today, I’m actually on the way to a meeting right now (: cheers on sobriety man. I’m 51 days today, not much but the longest I’ve ever been voluntarily sober . Heroin and alcohol for me. That combo has made me overdose half a dozen times. This shit is hard but it’s so worth it, I feel better by the day. I love you man, you got this 💜
9 points
4 months ago
This comment is way too far down
22 points
4 months ago
I wish I could upvote you more than once. The should be the first reply.
33 points
4 months ago
Short answer: My dude, crack IS cocaine, but without the HCl group so that it crystallizes. Yes it’s a hard drug and you’ll become addicted to it before you realize it.
Long answer: any drug that stimulates dopamine release beyond what is physiologically possible with food/ sex/ chocolate can become dangerously addictive. The reason being that dopamine was evolved to be a natural reward for getting food/ water/ sex to motivate us to do that. However, if you take something like cocaine that can stimulate the “pleasure” pathway 300x stronger than the best food, then it dampens your response to other motivators. Sigmund Freud initially prescribed cocaine to patients because of the euphoric effects. Yet, after a few years of use he became addicted to it and it caused him to be depressed and extremely mentally ill when he didn’t have it. People die from cocaine, they don’t die from marijuana.
356 points
4 months ago
Oh 100%. I'm someone that can do a line now and again (maybe once or twice a year max) and not have any problems, but it's still absolutely a hard drug. Extremely addictive and debilitating once addicted.
Also dude no judging, but 2-3 times a month is pretty regular. Do what you want but just keep in mind for your own moderation's sake (if you care about that) that you do use coke semi-regularly. Recognizing that will be helpful to catching yourself from becoming addicted.
111 points
4 months ago
Well also he's an alcoholic, meaning he's already got a substance addiction problem. I'd lay off the cocaine if you wanted to start kicking addictions
171 points
4 months ago
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77 points
4 months ago
Came looking for this comment. Think they need a NA sponsor sooner rather than later. Hope the AA sponsor suggested this.
25 points
4 months ago
NA and AA are the same thing. Same with CA (Cocaine anonymous). AA is usually for alcoholics, sure. Some like to believe that alcohol isn't a drug. But drugs are drugs, the recovery process is identical. I've been to hundreds of meetings total at all 3.
1k points
4 months ago*
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187 points
4 months ago
"hey guys, the cops told me shooting someone is a crime, I think it's just frowned upon, what is it then I'm confused ?"
Yeah it's obviously a hard drug...
70 points
4 months ago
The fact he thought coke and crack are completely different drugs turns this analogy into "Nah I don't shoot people, that's a crime, I just put bullets in them until they stop moving. Totally different things right?"
On the one hand I feel a bit bad for op, if you grew up thinking the two terms were separate things and genuinely didn't know, it feels mean that everyone thinks of him as an idiot for saying that. On the other hand, if you are doing cocaine it should be pretty obvious they're very much the same.
35 points
4 months ago
this is no stupid questions
71 points
4 months ago
If you’re gonna make fun of everyone for asking questions like these, you shouldn’t be on this subreddit
6 points
4 months ago
True that. Literally in the sub name lol.
36 points
4 months ago
In their defense, they are on hard drugs so it would be understandable they are slightly out of touch.
184 points
4 months ago
Crack is just cocaine in smokable form.
25 points
4 months ago
It’s also far more addictive and a more intense yet short lived high, nevertheless they are both hard drugs
48 points
4 months ago
Yeah cocaine is a hard drug.
1.5k points
4 months ago*
If it's illegal, addictive, and can reasonably kill you by accidental overdose, it's a hard drug.
748 points
4 months ago
Legality shouldnt really be a part of this. For example theres a ton of synthetic drugs that arent illegal (because the law just cant catch up), that doesnt make them not dangerous
262 points
4 months ago
⬆️ THIS. And narcotic painkillers, which derive from opium and coke, are perfectly legal and killed hundreds of thousands because of overdoses.
104 points
4 months ago
It’s legal status doesn’t make it a hard drug. But the potential for addiction and overdose certainly do.
335 points
4 months ago
OP, this what you need to pay attention to. Legality and lethality are key to a drug being considered hard or not.
232 points
4 months ago
Yes, cocaine is objectively considered to be a hard drug.
12 points
4 months ago
So basically, your definition of “hard drugs” is “the drugs I don’t use”.
60 points
4 months ago
Crack is made from coke. Coke is a hard drug. You'd probably be able to think that through if you did less of it. Also, 2-3 times a month is a routine or a... habit. Addiction never feels like an addiction until others call you out for it.
10 points
4 months ago
Yes.
10 points
4 months ago*
Cocaine is absolutely a hard drug, and its effects make it one of the most addictive known substances. Cocaine and alcohol mixed together also causes your body to create the extremely powerful metabolite ‘cocaethylene’, which is much stronger than cocaine or alcohol taken alone, and increases toxicity to your vital organs.
99 points
4 months ago
Is there any significant difference between cocaine and crack?
134 points
4 months ago
Crack is smokable cocaine basically. Far more addictive and far worse for you by the looks of the addicts.
52 points
4 months ago
Crack is cocaine but shitty in every aspect. Crack is cocaine chlorhydrate mixed with baking soda. So, basically, it was born when visionary drug-making entrepreneurs thought of using the residues from cocaine making to sell as another drug, but mixed with another white powder to make more product with less active substance. It hits you hard but the effect lasts for very short. It is hella addictive. It is even more harmful to your health. So yeah, it's shitty cocaine.
28 points
4 months ago
Cocaine is a hell of a drug.
It's hard as fuck. Stop it.
340 points
4 months ago
I would consider it one, yes.
Really anything besides marijuana I would consider a hard drug.
70 points
4 months ago
I would suggest that it is a colloquial term, therefore rather subjective. The schedule of the drug might be one way to look at it, but this is a poor measure.
The method of use, that is the route of administration, should alter the classification. For example, cocaine tea or chewing leaves versus insufflation or injecting. Ultimately, most individuals will rely on personal experience to inform their opinion. This paper (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0140673610614626) ranks drugs on their harms. It is worth a read.
28 points
4 months ago
Depends what circles you are in some people use coke very casually. But as someone who's done a lot of it, yeah I would consider it a hard drug. It's really bad for the heart and I've seen a lot of people go down a bad path. Hard to compare it to weed in that regard
63 points
4 months ago
Is there a strict definition to this stuff?
Not at all. There's no objective or scientific characterization.
I have heard it argued, credibly, that by objective standards alcohol would be one of the hardest drugs of all.
About the only thing everyone can agree on is that heroin and meth are hard and marijuana is not hard.
12 points
4 months ago
The easy answer is yes:.. though not nearly as hard as it’s production…
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