Not Looking for a Natural High
May 9, 2011 10:10 AM Subscribe
As the antithesis of this post, can you recommend a special something that will help me relax & enjoy myself on special occasions?
At one time I lived a drug-fueled youth, but it has been many decades since, & for the first time ever, I find myself feeling wistfully nostalgic about it. Not because I want to obliterate realities or self (my prior goal), but merely to assist in a complete "unwinding", say after a particularly stressful week or month.
I find myself envying friends who so thoroughly enjoy an evening of wine &/or the occasional joint. Unfortunately for me, alcohol makes me hurl (definitely not the desired result!), & marijuana just makes me feel blah & sleepy.
I did have occasion to try MDMA a couple of times with a previous boyfriend, which I found immensely enjoyable. (Admittedly, I haven't a clue where I would even obtain such a thing.) I used to enjoy the occasional good cigar, but that no longer holds any allure.
I'm not looking for a crutch or to take up a life of crime. At a time when I often feel somewhat beaten up by circumstances in life, it sure would be nice to have something to look forward to.
At one time I lived a drug-fueled youth, but it has been many decades since, & for the first time ever, I find myself feeling wistfully nostalgic about it. Not because I want to obliterate realities or self (my prior goal), but merely to assist in a complete "unwinding", say after a particularly stressful week or month.
I find myself envying friends who so thoroughly enjoy an evening of wine &/or the occasional joint. Unfortunately for me, alcohol makes me hurl (definitely not the desired result!), & marijuana just makes me feel blah & sleepy.
I did have occasion to try MDMA a couple of times with a previous boyfriend, which I found immensely enjoyable. (Admittedly, I haven't a clue where I would even obtain such a thing.) I used to enjoy the occasional good cigar, but that no longer holds any allure.
I'm not looking for a crutch or to take up a life of crime. At a time when I often feel somewhat beaten up by circumstances in life, it sure would be nice to have something to look forward to.
Try a very, very specific kind of fantastic food. Something you really, really like, and know one place that does it really, really well. Then you can make an evening of "that's it, I'm gonna go get some of Igor's red beans and rice."
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 10:24 AM on May 9, 2011
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 10:24 AM on May 9, 2011
At a time when I often feel somewhat beaten up by circumstances in life, it sure would be nice to have something to look forward to.
Snuggling with a cat works for me. I suppose a dog would work too.
posted by desjardins at 10:28 AM on May 9, 2011
Snuggling with a cat works for me. I suppose a dog would work too.
posted by desjardins at 10:28 AM on May 9, 2011
Xanax seems to calm my friends down and you could probably get it from a doctor with relative ease.
posted by darkgroove at 10:39 AM on May 9, 2011
posted by darkgroove at 10:39 AM on May 9, 2011
I'd experiment a bit before giving up on marijuana. Vaporizing it rather than smoking may help to mitigate the couch-lock effect, as will experimenting with dosage, and some strains are also much more of a head-trip than others. If you have pot smoking friends, ask around; maybe you can find a weed mentor.
Is there a hot spring or mineral bath anywhere close? I find these to be more relaxing than just about anything else; not much is better than a whole evening spent soaking, followed by a sauna.
Chocolate also comes to mind: a small bit of fine, dark, dark chocolate is a special thing. Also, bath salts/oils/bubbles, for the hot-spring-at-home experience. Hell, eat the chocolate in the bath!
posted by vorfeed at 11:02 AM on May 9, 2011
Is there a hot spring or mineral bath anywhere close? I find these to be more relaxing than just about anything else; not much is better than a whole evening spent soaking, followed by a sauna.
Chocolate also comes to mind: a small bit of fine, dark, dark chocolate is a special thing. Also, bath salts/oils/bubbles, for the hot-spring-at-home experience. Hell, eat the chocolate in the bath!
posted by vorfeed at 11:02 AM on May 9, 2011
Following up on vorfeed's suggestion, if you make or get some nice cannabis butter you can combine it with, say, dark chocolate and make some sort of lightly buzz-inducing desert; or if you prefer savory stuff you can use it almost anywhere where butter is called for. "A friend of mine" did this with some homegrown outdoor clippings: it was weaker than what you'd normally buy to begin with, and the clippings are less THC intensive, so the butter was enough to give you a goofy grin and relax your muscles without being overpowering. Pot is often a question of strain and dosage. Unfortunately too often people are only interested in the most "powerful" you can get, so "blah and sleepy" results.
posted by Hoopo at 11:12 AM on May 9, 2011
posted by Hoopo at 11:12 AM on May 9, 2011
For me, one of my favorite ways to de-stress and have a great time is cooking/dining with some good friends. Planning what to cook can be a fun creative activity, easy to achieve with easy and difinitive goals. Stimulating conversation and lots of laughter are a great way to take my mind off whatever is bugging me.
posted by annsunny at 11:24 AM on May 9, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by annsunny at 11:24 AM on May 9, 2011 [1 favorite]
I feel like I can do a total 180 on a bad day if I take a slow, easy bike ride in the park or around a fun neighboorhood. Extra plus if I can listen to my ipod and pedal.
That, or swinging on swings.
posted by shortyJBot at 11:53 AM on May 9, 2011 [1 favorite]
That, or swinging on swings.
posted by shortyJBot at 11:53 AM on May 9, 2011 [1 favorite]
I quite like yoga. It's not just the exercise and the spirituality, but there's something relaxing about being told EXACTLY what to do at all times for an hour and a half ( put foot here, stretch back like so. spread fingers out) that's extremely welcome at times when it seems like I have to make myself and my ambitions out of whole cloth each and every day.
posted by sweetkid at 11:57 AM on May 9, 2011
posted by sweetkid at 11:57 AM on May 9, 2011
A friend recommends a Quarter dose of shrooms. That should loosen you up without making you too weird. Maybe start with like half a gram?
posted by thsmchnekllsfascists at 12:23 PM on May 9, 2011
posted by thsmchnekllsfascists at 12:23 PM on May 9, 2011
Damn, do NOT take 7 grams of shrooms (not that I think you would just people do dumb things, and inexperience+ 7grams=shit hitting the fan). An eight would do.
I would add don't necessarily give up on marijuana. As others say, strains matter. Dosage matters. Just importantly your tolerance matters. I don't know how many people have written off cannabis as some monolithic experience but many factors come into play, and getting use to the effects make it less" blah and sleepy".
posted by handbanana at 9:40 PM on May 9, 2011
I would add don't necessarily give up on marijuana. As others say, strains matter. Dosage matters. Just importantly your tolerance matters. I don't know how many people have written off cannabis as some monolithic experience but many factors come into play, and getting use to the effects make it less" blah and sleepy".
posted by handbanana at 9:40 PM on May 9, 2011
Jesus Christ I was not suggesting a Quarter oz. I was suggesting a quarter-dose, assuming a standard dosage of 2 grams.
That's why I said "Half a gram".
posted by thsmchnekllsfascists at 7:29 AM on May 10, 2011
That's why I said "Half a gram".
posted by thsmchnekllsfascists at 7:29 AM on May 10, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by cyndigo at 10:17 AM on May 9, 2011