[Lingo]

Hello. I am new to this site and have a question.

I'm currently dealing with substance abuse. I am on medication for dysthymia but I also smoke dope and drink on a regular basis. Sometimes I do cocaine, ecstasy and LSD.
My life is fairly ok. Is it only a matter of taboo or is it a fact that illegal drugs affect my brain more negatively than the legal ones?

Lingo

[shakes]

Welcome to the site.
It really does depend on the drug and on the individual. While some drugs are not physically addictive like pot....cocaine is very addicitive!! Please be careful with that stuff...once you are hooked it is very hard to get off.
Drugs like LSD do not have any addicitive qualities to them, but they are a poision and should be only consumed in small amounts. Native Americans used to (and still might) use it in ceremonies to get in touch with a spiritual side.
I am not condoning drugs use, but you should know your facts before taking any.

Jessica

[Rapunzel]

Drugs that are illegal are so because someone noted enough difficulty with them to decide to make them illegal. Many legal and illegal drugs work in the same way, and some drugs that are now illegal were actually developed for medical purposes, and were prescribed by doctors until someone decided that those particular drugs were doing more harm than good. Legal/prescription drugs can be abused also, and can do as much damage as illegal drugs. There are also cases of drugs that were designed for entertainment purposes, that were found to be useful and now are being used legitimately (such as Nitrous Oxide). So, no, it's not really a matter of some drugs just plain being bad, and others good. It depends on who is using them, how, and for what purpose. But the idea is that drugs with the most potential for harm are made illegal.

[igotid]

I am new to the site too. I have recently stopped cocaine. I was doing it everyday for about 4 months and the abuse escalated from a gram a week to a ball a week. I moved across the country to start a new life and get clean. I messed up a couple times and did some. Since then I have been having cravings. I have also been extremley depressed. I was anorexic in my teen years, and the cocaine made me lose weight and feel good. Since I have been clean, I have gained a little weight and am miserable. I don't know what to do about these cravings. I am with a wonderful guy who is very supportive of me I know that I risk losing everything I have if I start again, but I am feeling so desperate for the high it gives me and the confidence, even though in my rational mind, the confidnece is an illusion...i still crave it.