Amphetamine induced confidence.
October 13, 2007 6:48 AM Subscribe
I've recently started experiencing with amphetamines during rave events.
I've used it less than 5 times, but I'm wondering...
The temporary feeling of confidence and talkativeness doesn't seem like it would be possible to fake it.
Does amphetamines change your personality to something you're not, or does it lower your self-limitation?
I've recently started becoming more social, and I talk and get people interested, but when I use amphetamines, I get a lot of confidence, and I still talk and be friendly.
Is this confidence in me, or does amphetamines truly change a person?
Facts, trivia and experiences are welcome!
The temporary feeling of confidence and talkativeness doesn't seem like it would be possible to fake it.
Does amphetamines change your personality to something you're not, or does it lower your self-limitation?
I've recently started becoming more social, and I talk and get people interested, but when I use amphetamines, I get a lot of confidence, and I still talk and be friendly.
Is this confidence in me, or does amphetamines truly change a person?
Facts, trivia and experiences are welcome!
seconding the above, i don't see how this can end well.
fwiw, i find lexapro works wonders for social phobia, and it's legal. and your insurance may cover it.
and to answer the question, yes, the confidence exists in you, because you express it. what the drug does is help you access it. but it's like using dynamite on a door when a key would work just as well (and cause less damage).
posted by thinkingwoman at 7:09 AM on October 13, 2007
fwiw, i find lexapro works wonders for social phobia, and it's legal. and your insurance may cover it.
and to answer the question, yes, the confidence exists in you, because you express it. what the drug does is help you access it. but it's like using dynamite on a door when a key would work just as well (and cause less damage).
posted by thinkingwoman at 7:09 AM on October 13, 2007
amphetamines certainly do change a person, and not for the better
posted by unSane at 7:11 AM on October 13, 2007
posted by unSane at 7:11 AM on October 13, 2007
They can change your personality from being a normal well-adjusted person to being a monomanic amphetamine-seeking machine. Amphetamines are addictive, habit-forming and harmful. I'd strongly encourage you to stop using them, if it's not already too late.
Seconding. I have friends who got into them via the rave scene, and the attitude there seems to be a lot more casual. People think because it's done in a party atmosphere and not a strictly "get high" one that they're safe from turning into an addict. Unfortunately the drug doesn't know if you're a nice kid from a good area doing it at a rave or some wacked out junkie in an alley. If anything people who take them in that atmosphere seem more likely to become addicts because they don't realize the fire they're playing with.
I believe they do lower your self-limitations. Many people have ended up in some bad situations because the meth made it seem like a good idea at the time, even though they never would have gone off alone with a stranger/slept with someone without protection/ gone to a shady address if they were sober.
posted by Kellydamnit at 7:14 AM on October 13, 2007
Seconding. I have friends who got into them via the rave scene, and the attitude there seems to be a lot more casual. People think because it's done in a party atmosphere and not a strictly "get high" one that they're safe from turning into an addict. Unfortunately the drug doesn't know if you're a nice kid from a good area doing it at a rave or some wacked out junkie in an alley. If anything people who take them in that atmosphere seem more likely to become addicts because they don't realize the fire they're playing with.
I believe they do lower your self-limitations. Many people have ended up in some bad situations because the meth made it seem like a good idea at the time, even though they never would have gone off alone with a stranger/slept with someone without protection/ gone to a shady address if they were sober.
posted by Kellydamnit at 7:14 AM on October 13, 2007
Response by poster: Thanks for all the introspective answers.
There is much left to discover about oneself.
I'm not a fan of drugs you have to take regularly like antidepressants and other, they're much worse than amphetamines.
posted by PowerCat at 7:15 AM on October 13, 2007
There is much left to discover about oneself.
I'm not a fan of drugs you have to take regularly like antidepressants and other, they're much worse than amphetamines.
posted by PowerCat at 7:15 AM on October 13, 2007
I'm not a fan of drugs you have to take regularly like antidepressants and other, they're much worse than amphetamines.
Funny, none of my friends have died from antidepressant use. Can't say the same for meth.
posted by Kellydamnit at 7:21 AM on October 13, 2007 [10 favorites]
Funny, none of my friends have died from antidepressant use. Can't say the same for meth.
posted by Kellydamnit at 7:21 AM on October 13, 2007 [10 favorites]
Response by poster: Methamphetamines and amphetamines are different.
Amphetamines have been widely used as an appetite suppressant and to treat ADHD. Although all drugs carry a risk, and home-made drugs even moreso, I decided to take the risk.
But let's keep on topic. Does anyone have any personal stories they wish to contribute?
posted by PowerCat at 7:27 AM on October 13, 2007
Amphetamines have been widely used as an appetite suppressant and to treat ADHD. Although all drugs carry a risk, and home-made drugs even moreso, I decided to take the risk.
But let's keep on topic. Does anyone have any personal stories they wish to contribute?
posted by PowerCat at 7:27 AM on October 13, 2007
There is plenty of evidence that alcohol makes one more confident and social. I don't know why it would seem strange for another drug to do the same thing.
Legal, prescribed drugs provide you with a consistent and regulated mood that is something you are working to build properly, possibly also with therapy. Drugs that are taken inconsistently and not regulated may not be providing you with the most healthy means of gaining confidence. Plus you might do some dumb things while you are on them, and later realize the confidence you felt went beyond what you would have normally enjoyed (i.e. waking up next to someone undesirable, telling your boss where to stick it, or other activities).
posted by veronitron at 7:40 AM on October 13, 2007
Legal, prescribed drugs provide you with a consistent and regulated mood that is something you are working to build properly, possibly also with therapy. Drugs that are taken inconsistently and not regulated may not be providing you with the most healthy means of gaining confidence. Plus you might do some dumb things while you are on them, and later realize the confidence you felt went beyond what you would have normally enjoyed (i.e. waking up next to someone undesirable, telling your boss where to stick it, or other activities).
posted by veronitron at 7:40 AM on October 13, 2007
I'm not clear on what your question is. Are you asking if they change your personality permanently, or while you're high?
They certainly change your personality while you're high. With lower doses you become more focused and ambitious, which is why they're used for ADD. More confident too. The confidence is in the drug, what you do with that confidence is in you obviously. With higher doses and longer use you can become quite paranoid. A friend of mine thought he heard fucking everywhere for months. It's not a good change. It's also not the sort of drug you should self-medicate with. If you have fun with a moderate amount of speed a couple of times a year then more power to you, but more regular use is definitely, definitely bad news.
posted by creasy boy at 7:46 AM on October 13, 2007
They certainly change your personality while you're high. With lower doses you become more focused and ambitious, which is why they're used for ADD. More confident too. The confidence is in the drug, what you do with that confidence is in you obviously. With higher doses and longer use you can become quite paranoid. A friend of mine thought he heard fucking everywhere for months. It's not a good change. It's also not the sort of drug you should self-medicate with. If you have fun with a moderate amount of speed a couple of times a year then more power to you, but more regular use is definitely, definitely bad news.
posted by creasy boy at 7:46 AM on October 13, 2007
Yeah you're going to go crazy and then your head will fall off. Blah blah blah... (Not to be too blase about it though... but I couldn't be arsed getting into it and that's not what you asked, anyway)
Try to steer clear of smoking it and avoid booting (injecting) it like it is the fucking plague... (-as it IS the fucking plague!!)
Think of what you're experiencing now as like having brand new batteries (things run well, huh?). It's not so much that your inhibitions have been tossed out the door (as it can be with other things..) but more that your need/desire to be doing *something* is stronger than your need/desire to be shy :)
But as I have no desire to appear as though I condone fun (yes I'm going to call it fun. Alot of things are fun it's just what people choose to do with them..) Anyway. Write a list NOW, (it has to be now-ish and it can't be in your head) Put all of your non-negotiables there, leave nothing out. You need it otherwise they slip without you really noticing until it's too late. This way it can't sneak up on you and you can make your choices accordingly.
Have fun, (trust none of them!!) and be safe :)
posted by mu~ha~ha~ha~har at 8:10 AM on October 13, 2007
Try to steer clear of smoking it and avoid booting (injecting) it like it is the fucking plague... (-as it IS the fucking plague!!)
Think of what you're experiencing now as like having brand new batteries (things run well, huh?). It's not so much that your inhibitions have been tossed out the door (as it can be with other things..) but more that your need/desire to be doing *something* is stronger than your need/desire to be shy :)
But as I have no desire to appear as though I condone fun (yes I'm going to call it fun. Alot of things are fun it's just what people choose to do with them..) Anyway. Write a list NOW, (it has to be now-ish and it can't be in your head) Put all of your non-negotiables there, leave nothing out. You need it otherwise they slip without you really noticing until it's too late. This way it can't sneak up on you and you can make your choices accordingly.
Have fun, (trust none of them!!) and be safe :)
posted by mu~ha~ha~ha~har at 8:10 AM on October 13, 2007
Best answer: Methamphetamines and amphetamines are different.
No, they're not. Meth is a type of amphetamine created by adding a methyl group to an amphetamine molecule. Adding the methyl group slightly changes the potency and duration of the effect of the drug, but it's the same drug with the same basic effects. So when you take amphetamines, you're taking a weak form of meth. Adderal, Ritalin, etc. are simply brand names for types of amphetamines that the government has decided should be legal for certain medical purposes, but again, they're the same drugs as the street amphetamines that are illegal.
Taking amphetamines can definitely change you, both short-term and long-term. Temporarily, the drug can make you feel excited, happy, competent, and like you can conquer the world. Long-term use, however, makes your brain "forget" how to feel those things without taking the drug. You become dependent on the drug to feel normal. That's how people become addicted to amphetamines and methamphetamine and why those addictions are so powerful. When people stop taking those drugs, they don't just stop feeling that wonderful high; they sink into deep depressions because their brains don't know how to function normally without the drugs.
The only way to safely take these drugs is in low doses, too low to produce the euphoria you describe. Doctors prescribe them for certain medical conditions, and patients take them safely, but not in the amounts you would have to take to feel the way that you're describing. Also, the drugs they take are purchased from pharmacies and produced in labs under safe, clean conditions. When you buy drugs at a club or from friends, you have no idea what you're actually getting. It could be pharmacy-grade Ritalin, or it could be meth cut with rat poison, and there's no way for you to tell the difference just by looking at the pills.
I believe that you should have the legal right to screw up your life any way you wish, and that the War on Drugs is a huge failure. However, you are making a bad decision here. Your confidence will fade with time, and you are likely to become addicted, and that's not a good thing.
posted by decathecting at 8:11 AM on October 13, 2007 [4 favorites]
No, they're not. Meth is a type of amphetamine created by adding a methyl group to an amphetamine molecule. Adding the methyl group slightly changes the potency and duration of the effect of the drug, but it's the same drug with the same basic effects. So when you take amphetamines, you're taking a weak form of meth. Adderal, Ritalin, etc. are simply brand names for types of amphetamines that the government has decided should be legal for certain medical purposes, but again, they're the same drugs as the street amphetamines that are illegal.
Taking amphetamines can definitely change you, both short-term and long-term. Temporarily, the drug can make you feel excited, happy, competent, and like you can conquer the world. Long-term use, however, makes your brain "forget" how to feel those things without taking the drug. You become dependent on the drug to feel normal. That's how people become addicted to amphetamines and methamphetamine and why those addictions are so powerful. When people stop taking those drugs, they don't just stop feeling that wonderful high; they sink into deep depressions because their brains don't know how to function normally without the drugs.
The only way to safely take these drugs is in low doses, too low to produce the euphoria you describe. Doctors prescribe them for certain medical conditions, and patients take them safely, but not in the amounts you would have to take to feel the way that you're describing. Also, the drugs they take are purchased from pharmacies and produced in labs under safe, clean conditions. When you buy drugs at a club or from friends, you have no idea what you're actually getting. It could be pharmacy-grade Ritalin, or it could be meth cut with rat poison, and there's no way for you to tell the difference just by looking at the pills.
I believe that you should have the legal right to screw up your life any way you wish, and that the War on Drugs is a huge failure. However, you are making a bad decision here. Your confidence will fade with time, and you are likely to become addicted, and that's not a good thing.
posted by decathecting at 8:11 AM on October 13, 2007 [4 favorites]
Best answer: I'm not a fan of drugs you have to take regularly like antidepressants and other, they're much worse than amphetamines.
Not true. Amphetamines are very, very addictive and withdrawal can leave you with depression. Stop now before it is too late. As for methamphetamine, it is just a very strong amphetamine. It will take over your life faster than pills but there is plenty of danger in the pills.
posted by caddis at 8:19 AM on October 13, 2007
Not true. Amphetamines are very, very addictive and withdrawal can leave you with depression. Stop now before it is too late. As for methamphetamine, it is just a very strong amphetamine. It will take over your life faster than pills but there is plenty of danger in the pills.
posted by caddis at 8:19 AM on October 13, 2007
Response by poster: update...
Well this thread had an effect I wasn't expecting.
Your arguments were convincing enough that I flushed the rest I had and I'm not gonna do it again.
I'm gonna stick to weed, and even then...
Thanks. I shouldn't have gotten involved with chemicals in the first place.
My goals are things I can do by myself, and I will work for it.
posted by PowerCat at 8:22 AM on October 13, 2007 [31 favorites]
Well this thread had an effect I wasn't expecting.
Your arguments were convincing enough that I flushed the rest I had and I'm not gonna do it again.
I'm gonna stick to weed, and even then...
Thanks. I shouldn't have gotten involved with chemicals in the first place.
My goals are things I can do by myself, and I will work for it.
posted by PowerCat at 8:22 AM on October 13, 2007 [31 favorites]
Awesome. I didn't even have to haul out the dry mouth, rotting teeth, loss of bone density, psychotic breaks, severe treatment-refractory depression, elevated risk of suicide, heart arrhythmias (often fatal), myocardial infarction, stroke, and cerebral hemorrhage that are all par for the course with chronic amphetamine use.
posted by ikkyu2 at 8:36 AM on October 13, 2007 [1 favorite]
posted by ikkyu2 at 8:36 AM on October 13, 2007 [1 favorite]
Well this thread had an effect I wasn't expecting.
Your arguments were convincing enough that I flushed the rest I had and I'm not gonna do it again.
I'm gonna stick to weed, and even then...
Yay! Good for you!! Seriously, you're early enough in to have an out. Turning back now is the smartest thing you'll ever do.
My goals are things I can do by myself, and I will work for it.
Honestly, if you feel like you have social anxiety issues see a doc. Antidepressants aren't like they were even ten years ago. I bet you have friends on them and don't even know it, it's not the whole zombie thing it used to be.
posted by Kellydamnit at 9:06 AM on October 13, 2007
Your arguments were convincing enough that I flushed the rest I had and I'm not gonna do it again.
I'm gonna stick to weed, and even then...
Yay! Good for you!! Seriously, you're early enough in to have an out. Turning back now is the smartest thing you'll ever do.
My goals are things I can do by myself, and I will work for it.
Honestly, if you feel like you have social anxiety issues see a doc. Antidepressants aren't like they were even ten years ago. I bet you have friends on them and don't even know it, it's not the whole zombie thing it used to be.
posted by Kellydamnit at 9:06 AM on October 13, 2007
Response by poster: growabrain: I'm not ashamed of anything.
kellydamnit: I've come a long way and I'm on the right track.
posted by PowerCat at 9:10 AM on October 13, 2007
kellydamnit: I've come a long way and I'm on the right track.
posted by PowerCat at 9:10 AM on October 13, 2007
PowerCat, seriously, this is great. Reading your update was a big relief. I don't know you, but I'm rooting for you to steer clear of the quicksand.
posted by umbú at 9:13 AM on October 13, 2007
posted by umbú at 9:13 AM on October 13, 2007
Be sure and check back the next time there's a check back thread.
posted by dhartung at 9:14 AM on October 13, 2007
posted by dhartung at 9:14 AM on October 13, 2007
This thread went in exactly the right direction. Yay.
I am seriously glad you have chosen to listen to people here. I've seen what they're talking about and it's an ugly ugly way to completely destroy a perfectly decent life.
posted by miss lynnster at 9:38 AM on October 13, 2007
I am seriously glad you have chosen to listen to people here. I've seen what they're talking about and it's an ugly ugly way to completely destroy a perfectly decent life.
posted by miss lynnster at 9:38 AM on October 13, 2007
VERY glad you're thinking about this whole thing and that this thread made you change your mind. An ex-girlfriend became a huge addict, lost her mind and fled (now 6 years ago) because of speed. Haven't seen her since, but I can honestly say I don't want to. Don't become that person.
posted by fredoliveira at 12:28 PM on October 13, 2007
posted by fredoliveira at 12:28 PM on October 13, 2007
Great, everyone! Amphetamine users are terrible people who are addicted and can't control themselves and will lose all their teeth and their hearts will fall out of their body, etc, etc, etc.
Or, people like myself need to have amphetamines in order to focus and think straight.
Try not to push it too far when you're talking about a legal drug that many people take to get by in daily life. Not everyone gets addicted and dies.
BTW, I had a great surge of confidence and happiness when I first took my legal amphetamines that were prescribed to me by my doctor. Cause I finally, after 20 years, could think in a linear, logical manner.
Try not to generalize to the entire world.
posted by nursegracer at 2:53 PM on October 13, 2007 [1 favorite]
Or, people like myself need to have amphetamines in order to focus and think straight.
Try not to push it too far when you're talking about a legal drug that many people take to get by in daily life. Not everyone gets addicted and dies.
BTW, I had a great surge of confidence and happiness when I first took my legal amphetamines that were prescribed to me by my doctor. Cause I finally, after 20 years, could think in a linear, logical manner.
Try not to generalize to the entire world.
posted by nursegracer at 2:53 PM on October 13, 2007 [1 favorite]
Nursegracer: I think the point is that therapeutic doses are far lower than recreational ones. (Which is true of a lot of drugs that have both therapeutic and recreational uses.)
posted by spaceman_spiff at 2:55 PM on October 13, 2007
posted by spaceman_spiff at 2:55 PM on October 13, 2007
Hey Powercat, awesome - glad you asked the question and it helped you make a healthy decision. I am dying to go nuts on this one, because I'm a neuroscientist and this is my specialty area, but it's been well covered above. The only thing I'd emphasize is that changes to the brain resulting from amphetamine abuse can be permanent - and in the opposite direction from the changes the drugs induce acutely.
Netflix or rent "Requiem for a Dream."
posted by frumious bandersnatch at 3:01 PM on October 13, 2007 [1 favorite]
Netflix or rent "Requiem for a Dream."
posted by frumious bandersnatch at 3:01 PM on October 13, 2007 [1 favorite]
I was thinking "oh, shit" when I read this thread because I used to live with speed freaks. At some point, all the housemates had to start locking up all their stuff because anything that wasn't nailed down began to disappear. At some point, they got kicked out for not paying rent and just generally being evil, antisocial lowlifes. Pretty much the opposite of the inital feelings from the drug. Glad you had a change of heart.
posted by oneirodynia at 6:11 PM on October 13, 2007
posted by oneirodynia at 6:11 PM on October 13, 2007
Learn from the ampetamines. They are activating dormant qualities in you. Those qualities can be drawn from later without the drugs, once you've carefully witnessed yourself under these conditions.
Using a drug as a learning experience for a short time and then dropping it can be useful in broadening your sense of self and what you're capable of, and the flavors the world can offer. It's like a painter adding new colors to his palette.
But drugs as a habitual way to lazily achieve or lock in a given effect or flavor or color is a bad, bad idea. Drugs and alcohol make very poor long term crutches. I'm assuming I don't have to explain why (side effects, tolerance, etc.).
posted by jimmyjimjim at 7:07 PM on October 13, 2007 [3 favorites]
Using a drug as a learning experience for a short time and then dropping it can be useful in broadening your sense of self and what you're capable of, and the flavors the world can offer. It's like a painter adding new colors to his palette.
But drugs as a habitual way to lazily achieve or lock in a given effect or flavor or color is a bad, bad idea. Drugs and alcohol make very poor long term crutches. I'm assuming I don't have to explain why (side effects, tolerance, etc.).
posted by jimmyjimjim at 7:07 PM on October 13, 2007 [3 favorites]
Holy shit, this thread needs to be sidebarred.
posted by secret about box at 7:49 PM on October 13, 2007
posted by secret about box at 7:49 PM on October 13, 2007
You go powercat. This is great news. The other good news is that in a few years your social reluctance will likely wane. Just keep going to parties with the attitude that you can do it and realize that probably half of the people there feel just the same way, even if they don't show it. You don't need chemicals for this, just some time and effort, and confidence real, fake or forced. Anyway, I am glad you are ditching the pills.
posted by caddis at 8:05 PM on October 13, 2007
posted by caddis at 8:05 PM on October 13, 2007
Holy shit, this thread needs to be sidebarred.
posted by Mikey-San at 10:49 PM on October 13 [+] [!]
no, it is public, yet private, let's just savor the nice benefit to powercat without overly publicizing the personal dilemma.
posted by caddis at 8:07 PM on October 13, 2007
posted by Mikey-San at 10:49 PM on October 13 [+] [!]
no, it is public, yet private, let's just savor the nice benefit to powercat without overly publicizing the personal dilemma.
posted by caddis at 8:07 PM on October 13, 2007
Another good point of reference is the book Tulsa, by Larry Clark.
posted by Etaoin Shrdlu at 10:29 PM on October 13, 2007
posted by Etaoin Shrdlu at 10:29 PM on October 13, 2007
I was on a rather heavy dose (40 mg/day) of Adderall for quite a while. While I ultimately decided to stop taking it, overall it did give me a chance to see what it feels like to actually be able to sit down to a task and keep at it for more than a few minutes at a time. The memory of being able to do that while on the drug, now helps me to do the same thing even while I'm not on the drug.
It was far from being a gateway to my becoming a meth or coke addict. I tried both substances during my Adderall days, and my reaction was basically "Meh. Kind of like Adderall, and that's legal and clean."
I'm not saying that PowerCat should rely on speed for self-confidence, but based on my extensive personal experience, I have to say that the "flush it now before you ruin your life" tone of this thread is ridiculous.
posted by bingo at 8:41 AM on October 14, 2007 [2 favorites]
It was far from being a gateway to my becoming a meth or coke addict. I tried both substances during my Adderall days, and my reaction was basically "Meh. Kind of like Adderall, and that's legal and clean."
I'm not saying that PowerCat should rely on speed for self-confidence, but based on my extensive personal experience, I have to say that the "flush it now before you ruin your life" tone of this thread is ridiculous.
posted by bingo at 8:41 AM on October 14, 2007 [2 favorites]
Even though you've already been convinced, I am adding this:
Yes they change your personality. But just be careful. When you give up — which you eventually have to — it is extremely difficult to become social again. I'm talking about two years of hermitness. And even then you're worse off than before you started .... (personal anecdote).
posted by mjao at 3:55 PM on October 14, 2007
Yes they change your personality. But just be careful. When you give up — which you eventually have to — it is extremely difficult to become social again. I'm talking about two years of hermitness. And even then you're worse off than before you started .... (personal anecdote).
posted by mjao at 3:55 PM on October 14, 2007
Hmm, was that sentence unclear? By "even then" I mean, even after two years when you finally start to feel social again.
posted by mjao at 3:57 PM on October 14, 2007
posted by mjao at 3:57 PM on October 14, 2007
based on my extensive personal experience, I have to say that the "flush it now before you ruin your life" tone of this thread is ridiculous.
Your dose was not that heavy when you consider what recreational users typically get themselves into. A small measured dose to combat ADD which is done by prescription and controlled in size is not what we are talking about. A self dose of street level sizes to combat insecurity, and where you can always add more if the insecurity seems unabated, is a prescription for trouble. Self medication is much more dangerous than doctor prescribed medication with drugs which are habit forming and to which one accommodates to ever higher dosages.
posted by caddis at 6:22 PM on October 14, 2007
Your dose was not that heavy when you consider what recreational users typically get themselves into. A small measured dose to combat ADD which is done by prescription and controlled in size is not what we are talking about. A self dose of street level sizes to combat insecurity, and where you can always add more if the insecurity seems unabated, is a prescription for trouble. Self medication is much more dangerous than doctor prescribed medication with drugs which are habit forming and to which one accommodates to ever higher dosages.
posted by caddis at 6:22 PM on October 14, 2007
Of course you'll automatically become addicted and your teeth will fall out, but all those supposed ADHD users will be fine! They won't get addicted and nothing bad will happen to them.
Christ, what a crock. My ex takes amphetamines because he supposed has ADHD, and it makes him crabby as hell and he lost a ton of weight, and he becomes even more monomaniacal and self-centered on them than he already is, but hey! It's medicinal, right?
I don't think amphetamines make you a "different" person, but they do short-circuit chemical processes, and exacerbate certain states. Yeah, the effects are seductive, and addictive to people who incline that way (and more incline that way than those who think they do).
What kills me is that none of the drug-botherers ever, ever say anything about the people who prescriptively take this shit, even though they are subject to the same effects. Do they help you concentrate better? Sure, if you use them right. But the downsides are still there, and no one ever talks about that.
Think about how you feel when you take amphetamines. Do you learn anything that carries over? Are you ever able to keep some of the self-confidence or concentration? No, you don't. And to keep the same effects, you have to keep using higher and higher doses, and the health hazards become greater and greater. In short, it isn't worth it, even for the so-called therapeutic uses, from what I have seen.
posted by tejolote at 7:10 PM on October 14, 2007
Christ, what a crock. My ex takes amphetamines because he supposed has ADHD, and it makes him crabby as hell and he lost a ton of weight, and he becomes even more monomaniacal and self-centered on them than he already is, but hey! It's medicinal, right?
I don't think amphetamines make you a "different" person, but they do short-circuit chemical processes, and exacerbate certain states. Yeah, the effects are seductive, and addictive to people who incline that way (and more incline that way than those who think they do).
What kills me is that none of the drug-botherers ever, ever say anything about the people who prescriptively take this shit, even though they are subject to the same effects. Do they help you concentrate better? Sure, if you use them right. But the downsides are still there, and no one ever talks about that.
Think about how you feel when you take amphetamines. Do you learn anything that carries over? Are you ever able to keep some of the self-confidence or concentration? No, you don't. And to keep the same effects, you have to keep using higher and higher doses, and the health hazards become greater and greater. In short, it isn't worth it, even for the so-called therapeutic uses, from what I have seen.
posted by tejolote at 7:10 PM on October 14, 2007
Speed's a helluva drug. Like anything that is that much fun and that dangerous, it is a very bad thing to do it regularly, as any kind of routine. Many people -- most, perhaps -- are just not built for it, mentally, emotionally, or otherwise.
So, yeah, it's safest to just offer blanket advice -- JUST SAY NO -- because the odds are such that most people who say 'yes' end up fucking themselves up in a big way. Stories abound, even here.
But the sanctimony in this thread stinks. Good on the poster for flushing the amphetamines, I guess, but 'sticking with weed' isn't any kind of triumphant win here, folks.
I'm kind of glad I didn't have the internet to turn to for advice when I was young, and just muddled through figuring this kind of stuff out for myself.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 10:38 PM on October 14, 2007 [1 favorite]
So, yeah, it's safest to just offer blanket advice -- JUST SAY NO -- because the odds are such that most people who say 'yes' end up fucking themselves up in a big way. Stories abound, even here.
But the sanctimony in this thread stinks. Good on the poster for flushing the amphetamines, I guess, but 'sticking with weed' isn't any kind of triumphant win here, folks.
I'm kind of glad I didn't have the internet to turn to for advice when I was young, and just muddled through figuring this kind of stuff out for myself.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 10:38 PM on October 14, 2007 [1 favorite]
Uhh, this is somewhat against the trend here, but I will say that I've had a few friends (not myself) who've done speed occasionally (i.e. only at raves) and didn't get addicted or suffer any long-term effects. On the other hand they were quite experienced with drugs in general. *shrug* That's not to say it can't be quite/very bad if it does get a hold of you though.
posted by Drexen at 6:31 AM on October 15, 2007
posted by Drexen at 6:31 AM on October 15, 2007
Bingo- thank you. At least some people felt the same way as I do.
Caddis- From my knowledge of street level doses, they usually do not exceed that of normal dosing (on the high range, though). For instance, I was taking 80mgs a day, but decided to cut it down to 10-20mgs.
tejolote- There has been research done that shows that truly ADD people do not develop tolerances to amphetamine-type medication. Therefore, the optimal dose stays the optimal dose. If the person jacks up their dose every few months, they might not have ADD (or they're weird). And it is TOTALLY worth it for the therapeutic use. Like Bingo said, and in my experience after cutting down, you do learn skills to cope with the symptoms of ADD without the drug.
Look, I'm not encouraging drug use here, but get your facts right. I've had plenty of friends who have done Adderall as a recreational drug and none of them found it necessary to switch to Meth or Coke. At least in cocaine's case, it doesn't do pretty much anything that Adderall doesn't do (at least in cases of people with ADD). This whole Adderall=>meth+coke argument suffers the same flaws as the marijuana=>heroin one.
posted by nursegracer at 7:08 PM on October 22, 2007
Caddis- From my knowledge of street level doses, they usually do not exceed that of normal dosing (on the high range, though). For instance, I was taking 80mgs a day, but decided to cut it down to 10-20mgs.
tejolote- There has been research done that shows that truly ADD people do not develop tolerances to amphetamine-type medication. Therefore, the optimal dose stays the optimal dose. If the person jacks up their dose every few months, they might not have ADD (or they're weird). And it is TOTALLY worth it for the therapeutic use. Like Bingo said, and in my experience after cutting down, you do learn skills to cope with the symptoms of ADD without the drug.
Look, I'm not encouraging drug use here, but get your facts right. I've had plenty of friends who have done Adderall as a recreational drug and none of them found it necessary to switch to Meth or Coke. At least in cocaine's case, it doesn't do pretty much anything that Adderall doesn't do (at least in cases of people with ADD). This whole Adderall=>meth+coke argument suffers the same flaws as the marijuana=>heroin one.
posted by nursegracer at 7:08 PM on October 22, 2007
This thread is closed to new comments.
Amphetamines can change your personality, but not in the way you think. They can change your personality from being a normal well-adjusted person to being a monomanic amphetamine-seeking machine. Amphetamines are addictive, habit-forming and harmful. I'd strongly encourage you to stop using them, if it's not already too late.
posted by ikkyu2 at 6:52 AM on October 13, 2007 [10 favorites]