Crystal Meth -- Is it really surprising?

This post has absolutely nothing to do with theatre -- well, perhaps peripherally. Just been thinking about this, and thought I would glean some opinions.

Firstly, I've always been the "sensible" one -- even as a teenager. Oh, I did some wild and stupid stuff, but I always knew not to push it to excess.

Recently, an old friend of mine re-connected with me. Back in "the day", this guy was talented (that's the theatre connection mentioned in paragraph 1), smart, beautiful, led the kind of life you dreamed of, and had more sex than I thought was humanly possible. However, somewhere along the line, he started doing tina. It was a gradual descent, but now he's starting life anew in his hometown, used and burned out, and filled with regret, self-hate, and thoughts of suicide at how he (in his own estimation, not mine) wasted his life through bad decisions. Decisions that were made solely to be "cool".

And I'm thinking: what kept me from doing that? I was presented with the same opportunities, temptations, etc., but chose never to go that route -- and I could have, quite easily. Was it the little voice in my head? Was it pure fortuitious happenstance? Or was it good ol' common sense? I dunno. There were many times that I felt woefully out of the "popular crowd" in my late teens/20s, but I never crossed the line into doing something I instinctively knew would have serious repercussions. He did..and is paying for it now.

If only the youngsters would listen to us old-timers, huh? More often than not, we turn out to be right.

Updated On: 6/21/05 at 10:05 AM

I am going through the same things you went through, and, although peer pressure is extremely powerful, I do not believe I will ever "cross the line into doing something I instinctively know will have serious repercussions"-as you put it.
Young adults are not as "uncontrolled" as many adults think we are. It truly is a small number of us that is giving all teenagers a bad name.

---

Jacob, Thank God you never fell into that trap. I've known far too many people who have including myself. Support your friend all you can. His hole is a deep one to crawl out of. But he can do it. I did.

I recently came across this picture. It speaks for itself.

http://www.nyblade.com/2005/6-17/news/national/methmouth.cfm

---

Updated On: 6/21/05 at 10:32 AM

Tina is more highly addictive than other drugs. It hooks people who were able to use other drugs "recreationally."

I have lost two friends to Tina. Both are still alive--barely. They have pushed their friends away, they have lost their jobs, their apartments, their families. It's as if they have become vampires.

---

Updated On: 6/21/05 at 10:51 AM

We have a friend of the family that was producing and distributing meth in Kansas, he will likely go away for a long time. It has destroyed his family and life.

What I find surprising and appalling is that even though we have this information, there is a trend in the NYC gay community of using tina and having unprotected sex.

Not having done hard drugs (I do drink), I can't comment on the appeal. But I do know one person who was infected with HIV after snorting tina and having sex.

Sad and scary stuff.

---

Excellent post... I only gave in to smoking as a teen, and continue trying to quit. I did have the temptations of drugs, but having an alcoholic father and a drug addicted brother, I knew in some part of my head that I'd go the same path, so I steered clear of most drugs. I do drink, though not as much as I'd like and tried 420 a couple of times, but didn't handle it well.

---

It's interesting when you're talking about effective parenting, isn't it? Sure, I think I was raised in a stable household...a helluva lot more stable than some of my contemporaries. We had our problems, but we all got by.

I'm amazed when I catch a bit of these shows like SUPERNANNY and NANNY 911. These kids are little hellions -- hitting their parents, climbing all over the furniture, throwing tantrums, cussing, etc. I sit there with my mouth gaping open, because...

if I had ever acted like that, I woulda been killed. Pure and simple. Or at least slapped into next week.

And I didn't turn out to be a serial killer, so I guess there is something to having a little discipline, huh?

was there a field trip that followed, robbie?

worse, rath?

---

Tina is the biggest drug problem going on today...

Why, because it's cheap, and the high lasts for a lot longer than cocaine. It's a very easy trap to fall into because, when you start using it, you feel like you can accomplish anything (and usually do, like cleaning your house from top to bottom with a toothbrush). But, when you come down, it's a powerful crash. So, you begin to use a little more then a little more, but you never again get that feeling of empowerment.

I'm can say that in my younger days, I fell into this trap. I finally stopped after reading an article about what Meth is made out of. The list of ingedients will shock you. The biggest shock was rat poison. I decided then and there to stop. I spent a week in bed and cleaned out my system. I've never looked back.

Be there for your friend, he may act like he doesn't want you there, but he will come to a point where he needs someone to talk to. I didn't have that. I kept it private and it really hurt not having anyone to turn to. But, DON'T become a crutch to him. Offer love and support, but he's going to have to go through some dark moments before he see's the light at the end of the tunnel.

Good Luck to you both.

---

rlb - interestingly enough, I was NOT raised in a stable household - far from it. My parents divorced when I was about six-an-a-half and my mother remarried two years later to a manic depressive with two hellions for children - just a few years older than me - who made my life a living hell - torturing me physically and emotionally, but for some reason, my mother's very strong sense of self and moral values became imbedded in me and I survived and left those relationships a stronger and healthier person.

---

Very interesting, the comments about how meth enhances sex. For that reason and that reason alone, I get down on my knees, thanking the powers-that-be that I never dabbled in it. I was somewhat of a sexual compulsive personality in my 20s/early 30s, and if I had found something that amplified the feelings during sex, I would have been a goner for sure. Now I'm a little older and wiser, so I know better.