Why I don't I have signs of addiction or withdrawal?

[ajahag]

swim is a 21 year old male. he's been using ice and cocaine primarily for the past year on and off.he's never felt a symptom of withdrawal from either of the two substances.swim did however when swim turned 21 back in March of '08 develop a drinking problem. July 18th swim stopped drinking, smoking ice, coke, pot.. swim started running 2 miles a day and got swim's body back in a sense. This was just over a month ago swim made these decisions. It's the longest period swim's been clean sinceswim became a user.

swim never havs had any urges (joneses) or whatever you want to call it. When swim gave up drinking didn't have the thought of giving up drugs entirely. swim told swimself swim was going to quit ice and was going to quit smoking marijuana. (quit the pot for UA's) The cocaine was just a passive unintended affect, but swim was never a big user of coke.swim only used maybe every two or three weeks. The ice howeverswim pretty much got high and stayed high for a few weeks to a few months at a time for a year. The pot/alchohol swim used since 16 years old.

swim doesn't think swim quit cocaine permanently in fact this friday night it's very possible swim might use again.swim can say that swim has no intentions or beliefs that he'll use meth again.


swim knows this can't be normal swim sees people going threw terrible gut wrenching withdrawls from ice within the first day or two of not having any. The worst swim ever had was being hungry which swim means when you don't eat much because of the decrease in appetite for 2 weeks that's not so much a withdrawal from the drug as it is a reaction of your body to the lack of nutrients.

swim could probably ramble on for a while, but swim thinks swim has wrote enough information for now.

Thoughts?

[chillinwill]

First off, go read the rules about self-incrimination which can be found here http://www.drugs-forum.com/forum/misc.php?do=cfrules and to use SWIM or the equivalent

congrats on the decision that SWIY wants to get clean....the biggest step of this whole process is admitting that SWIY has a problem and wants to do something about it....if SWIY doesn't mind me asking, why does SWIY feel the need that they have to stay off drugs? does SWIY think they can do without weed, alcohol, coke and meth and all other drugs?

Reputation Comments on this post:

Good job on assisting with the rules.

[drug-bot]

neither meth (aka ice) nor coke produce much of a physical withdrawl (unlike opiates, bezos, barbituates and alcohol), its mostly mental, just being irritable and sluggish, you might have had it so mild you proberly didnt even notice it. (at absolute worse, meth as well as coke can lead to brief psycosis). as far as alcohol withdrawls (which can be fatal) they develope slowly over many months to years so he's not surpised you didnt withdraw from that.

swims more surprised at your lack of cravings, maybe you had more control over your use than you thought (but it wouldnt be a good bet to test this theory out by returning to heavy drug use).

good luck at staying off meth and coke.

[~lostgurl~]

Because SWIY stayed up for so many days in a row, SWIY probably slept for many days afterwards and may have slept through the worst of it. If this is not the case then I would guess it to be mind over matter. Apparently some have this ability. SWIM does not!

Like drug-bot said, methamphetamine is not known for being physically addictive, though the cravings often manifest in anxiety which there are certainly many physical aspects too.

Exhaustion is also common due to sleep deprivation.

Many other illnesses including those brought on by a lowered immune system can take effect during this time if you have not been ingesting enough vitamins, minerals etc (caused by not eating)

[marct]

it depends what and when did you use it for .... and how long have u stopped...
to summarize .... its called reliancy ...
being an addict ... means u become reliant .... in other words ... ur mind needs it to do something ... like u just said so urself ... u need it on friday nites .... to have fun ... try not having it on a friday nites n let me know if u still have fun ...
as a person goes deeper into using ... as life goes on ... u mind just needs it to do n e thing n everything ... by the time u releaze how deep ur in ... basically ur mind evolves having it to do n e thing n everything in ur life ... so that leads back to my first qn ...
"What and when did u use it for .."

[dogzz]

Besides when and what it was used for,...for how long meth was used. Swim has known many people for whom meth was just a once in a while thing.....maybe only a couple days in a month. Or some people would buy a fairly good amount, go on a few day run and leave it at that,....not use again for 2, 3 months. Swim became somewhat jealous of those people.......but swim knows he dug his own hole and it was no ones fault but swim's.
Actually, the physical withdrawals of meth are basically non-existant....yes, sleep deprivation drains the body,....rest, gettin caught up on sleep, and usually needing to rehydrate.........What people who don't get into meth use, and the strictly occassional recreational user don't understand is what ends up happening to the mind,....that delicate balance and dance of brain chemistry which in reality is our whole being.
That euphoric feeling when ones in love, or extremely happy,....the gratification one gets after accomplishing something great.....For the chronic user of meth,..that entire system has been artificially and overly stimulated to such an extreme,....it no longer functions the way it was meant to. Dopamine reserves have been used up,...That is why depression, the inability to find or feel the slightest enjoyment or pleasure in anything and everything...Swim needs anti-d's .....even tried quitting those after feelin so good after more than two years clean....but it didn't take long to realize anti'd's are something swim is gonna have to live with.....
Swiy asks why swiy doesn't feel addicted or withdrawal symptoms? Thank the stars and the universe,....count your blessings and stop using while you are ahead. If swiy is going to go ahead and play with fire.....swim would suggest never use more than a couple times a month at most. Never go longer than 2 days without stopping and sleepin......and most important.......the first time swiy wakes up on a monday morning and decides swiy needs a bump to get thru the workday......stop using at all....for at least a few months.....ask any meth addict how it started for them.....most will say,.it was just to party on the weekend,....but then a lil bump to get back to work,...just that first day after the weekend....then it becomes 2 days....before one knows what happened it's an everyday thing....then everything swiy has, does, will change....