[Locust]

Alcohol SUCKS. Kids, this is why you should not do drugs. Not because it's illegal, not because mommy and daddy will get mad, etc. But for these reasons.

1. Because they make you sick- crying, screaming, praying to God, begging for help, can't make it to the bathroom throw up on your brand new potential friend's floor and all over yourself and in your hair, shaking, feel like it will never end, make you think about how you don't want to feel this bad when you're dying kind of sick.

2. Because sometimes, they make you feel bad the next day. Headaches, sensitivity to noise and lights, etc. I haven't dealt with those to a bad extent, but I have dealt with feeling half out of it and half in it, and feeling like I was coming down with something, but the worst part was the lingering nausea. Oh, and with other drugs, there are other forms of comedown. For example if you are taking something that makes you feel wonderful, sometimes it makes you feel horribly depressed afterwards.

3. Because they make you do stupid things, like tell people you barely know, everything about yourself including some of your secrets. Sometimes you will not recall this later. If you have enough, you will actually do things you would not want to do, though granted, I admit, I think it takes you being BADLY blown out of your skull for that to happen.

4. They cost you ridiculous amounts of money and not only in purchasing them, though, yeah they are expensive. They also cost you in purchasing nausea medicine, headache medication, eye drops (for the dope smokers), food you wouldn't be wanting if it weren't for being blown (for dope smokers), food you don't want, but need to soak up the excess alcohol, drinks you need to flush it out of you, breath mints, toothbrushes (ya know, for when you throw up everywhere), makeup to cover the bruises and bloody marks you got when you mysteriously hurt yourself, but you don't recall how, clean clothes for when you puke on yours, bail money if you get arrested, gas money if you need a friend to come get you and you want to be polite enough to cover their bill, etc., etc.

5. Because they make bad impressions, like when you throw up on the floor of someone you just met and wanted to be friends with.

6. Because you can hurt yourself when you're messed up, even if you're at home with a "baby sitter".

7. Because you embarass yourself doing dumb things and making bad impressions. And of course, unwanted tatoos, bad hair decisions, and embarassing marks on your face gotten when you hurt yourself (and strangers ask you how it happened, like it was their business), haunt you for days, weeks, months, or a lifetime with the tattoo if you don't get it removed.

8. Because you have to make up lies, hide things, etc. and it's stressful. And you might feel guilty about lying- well some of you might.

9. Because if things get too expensive, and if you are addicted, you may turn to stealing, prostitution, etc. to get a fix.

10. Because you can feel your brain cells dying.

11. Because if you become addicted, you lose control and not in a fun way.

12. Because withdraw from any drug is no fun.

13. Because drugs including alcohol, age you.

14. Because they damage your body.

15. Because your family members get their feelings hurt when you cancel plans or avoid their company because you are drunk, high, hung over, or because you don't want them to see you with mysterious injuries all over, or needle marks on your arm or whatever. My sister is mad at me for not going in the other room and talking to her and my mother is mad at me, too, but I don't want people to see my face because I ****ed it up when I was drunk, and because my sister is already calling me on it saying my "excuse" for how to happened is a lie and she knows it. So why would I want to go in there knowing her or her husband will possibly call me on it in front of my mother? And her husband and two of the kids haven't seen it, yet, and my cousin is in there, too, and I don't want anyone to ask me again how it happened because....well, ya know.

16. Because if you fall asleep smoking you can catch your house on fire.

17. Because if you are blown and someone needs you, you can't be there for them like they need you to be.

18. Because you end up in jail. And I know I said nevermind legalities, but this one is a big one......I'm not talking a day or two. My cousin was in there for a long time because he failed the drug test after he left.

19. Because it's not sexy or charming to repeat yourself, either because you don't recall what you just said or to knowingly repeat, but while you normally wouldn't do so, it's not sexy to not be able to think straight, and it's not sexy to smell like vomit or alcohol sweat or skunk (for the people smoking skunk weed), and it's not sexy to puke on your date (but hey, if you're sick for other reasons it seems more acceptable), and it's not sexy to have big messed up places on you from bashing your head against a vent when you fell, and it's not sexy when you are wearing your own vomit on your shirt.

20. The munchies= weight gain (for the dope smokers).

21. Because when you smoke anything around friends, family, or pets, they smoke it second hand.

22. Drug tests at work- for you and your friends.

23. Cleaning puke isn't fun.

24. You start needing them to feel normal.

25. You might start selling your stuff to pay for it. I've seen it happen.

26. You can lose your kids, if you have kids.

27. It can harm relationships.

28. And on and on.

[angel12]

i just wanna say that i read your poost and i could relate to so much of it. Thanking for helping me more than you know.
angel

[Capp]

...
a. the shame and guilt that takes away belief in yourself

b. self esteem no longer exists except in a tiny part of your soul, weeping

c. the deadness that creeps into your feelings towards your family and friends. family screwed up? no excuse 'cause there is always, but always, someone who cares for you.

d. lost...as in no hope, no expectations of anything better

e. selfishness that drags another human being down to the gutters of the mind and heart. addiction is lonely and wants company and you are gonna see that it gets it.

f. wailing and no one can hear your pain or your plea for help.
g. belting away the ones who do hear and offer you a measure of peace.

Fear...where is the next drink/hit/pill coming from?
JC! I gotta have it, gotta. Oh Christ what am I gonna do...God if you're there I promise I'll quit after you get me my high...GDit I want it NOW!

f. Empty, no dreams/desires for anything better...you gave it away.

and you search and whine and beg and cheat and lie so you can have those few moments of float-in-feel-good,
faded memories of what life used to be...might not have been much but it was a whole lot better than what ya got with the beast that broke you
hear it laugh?
it's laughing at you

[splitimage]

And because:

--It's no fun lying in a hospital bed in the ER on Christmas day hooked up to a buch of machines that are all beeping because none of of your vital signs are normal, and you're shaking so bad with the DT's that you can't even take the pills the docs are trying give you to bring your heart rate down.

--It's less fun to hear them taking about the drunk in room 4.

--Thinking you're going to die and nobody will know where you are or be able to contact your family because you were too blitzed when you were admitted to give them an emergency contact.

--It's even less fun when you're starting to sober up, and a Dr says to your face - there's no point in treating you - you'll just drink again.

--hearing yourself described as a "chronic alcoholic" does absolutely nothing for your ego.

--having to leave your groceries and dash out of the store to a garbage can so you can puke is no fun and embarrassing.

--being fired for being drunk at work really does not enhance your chances of getting a good reference.

--Having to detox 4 times at the same hospital starts to become humiliating after a while - no matter how nice the nurses are.

--running out of money half way between paychecks cause you've spent it all on booze really sucks.

--Having to face people you've hurt, let down, embarrased yet again, disappointed after you've promised them it will never happen again.

Seriously no short term high is worth the long term downs associated with using. Took me too long to learn that.