Posted by chemist on May 8, 2005, at 12:39:34
In reply to Re: chemist: alcohol? how much? » Larry Hoover, posted by AMD on May 7, 2005, at 20:32:34
hello amd...in general: using a substance - ketamine, 3,4-MDMA, cocaine, alcohol, etc. - once in any quantity short of landing one in the emergency room is going to induce remorse (perhaps) and a lousy waking the next day and very little else: this is a well-established fact and not my opinion. my opinions, commentary, and even some factual information follow, delineated by asterisks....yours, chemist
> Well, I rarely drink /that/ much, and if you did it daily for /years/ and have recovered to a point indicative of your literate, intelligent posts, well ... I guess there is hope for those of us out there with the occasional habit.*** everybody enjoys immunity from the ills of addiction and damage to the body/mind for the very infrequent party gone awry, i suspect...many of us boozed our way through college and/or high school, tried an assortment of drugs in our youth, and lived to tell about it...when use becomes a problem - or when headaches and money spent at bars becomes excessive - it's time to throw in the towel, in my opinion....*****
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> My problem is deeper. I went out Friday and, whaddyaknow, one drink too many and I'm flying, next thing I know it's cocaine, cigarettes, beers, and 36 hours in bed. I am up now, still feeling more-or-less horrible, mind-scattered, and generally ... well, I've been on here enough that you know how I get.
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> Mix some marijuana in there, as well.**** the ``occasional habit'' sounds like a cyclical breaking of self-imposed prohibition. the question is if/when occasional becomes often, at which point it might be a little late to try to evaluate the situation with a clear head. at that point, you will be glad to know that the a.a. meetings on perry street are not fictional plot devices for a recently-concluded cable television program series starring sarah jessica parker. try the late-night meetings on friday or saturday night: an old pal of mine kicked a 2-liter per day vodka habit and was among the lightweights in attendence there (yes, a friend and not yours truly: however, i cannot say that i was not unimpressed by the stories i heard and the people who told them.)...if you are looking to get scared straight about booze and drugs, rest assured, a trip like this one will do it. ******
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> I also did a bump of ketamine, which has me worried. I didn't even know what I was doing at the time -- didn't realize it wasn't just another line.**** probably not pure ketamine...more than likely the coke...*****
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> I didn't feel any noticable effects from the K. It was probably offset by the cocaine. But I'm not in the habit of using downers, and I especially didn't want to do it unknowningly.**** see above comment. if a bump is an amount one would assign to the quantity of a powdered substance that can fit on the end of a automobile key (or so i am told...): forget about it, don't do it again, and stay away from tranquilizers used by the veterinarian. the coke will show up invariably at social functions where you can reasonably expect to find it. this means: if you can spot the guy who is holding when you walk into a room, you had better be of a mind to be able to decide yes or no...don't put yourself in the position of being unable to decide if doing some blow is good or not: if you are liquored-up, then chances are.....*****
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> Are there any long-term effects from one bump? And what about cognition? How long should I expect the ketamine to be in my system and affecting my concentration and executive functioning?**** nope. as for residence time, it is certainly gone by now. the only residue is in your conscience *****
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> Dammit -- this is vicious cycle. I calculate I do one night of hard partying out every two weeks or so. Is this extreme? Is this "moderate" or "heavy"? Given the amount of time between "parties," should I relax about long-term damage and concentrate, instead, on quitting before it /does/ become a more habitual and (I assume permanently damaging) habit?**** to me, the one night of hard partying inclusive of coke, pot, a potential spell in the k-hole, lots of booze, smokes, and three prescription meds is one night too many: i say ``heavy.'' however, i have not been in a social setting where anything other than booze and cigarettes makes an appearence: even pot is in the noise level, although i expect it to be as it's not on my menu...thus, my idea of ``heavy'' is likely biased...i think your proposal to concentrate on quitting this behaviour - forget about whether it is damaging your liver, brain, memory, etc. for the moment, as there are more pressing issues at hand - is the best plan. it makes the other queries irrelevant: one of the reasons i do not post questions concerning use of alcohol/drugs in addition to the drugs prescribed to me is that i do not mix them. hence, no worries about marijuana, alcohol, etc. this does not mean i am worry-free: it means i have less to worry about, and that is very attractive to me...perhaps you can try a similar tack...***
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> I am considering doing another geographic -- leaving New York and heading back to California, where I was drug and (mostly) alcohol free for 18 months, near family, and stable in my job. I know, this probably sounds like a "band aid," but I wonder if the East Villege is not the best mileau.**** it depends on what you are doing there, really...yours truly hails from the nyc metro area, and the perils of my youth are no longer present when i visit: the closest i come to living on the edge is banking on the NR to exhibit some sort of regular schedule. i would recommend heavier use of zagat's and more visits to the guggenheim, the whitney, and moma for a good start. i realize that the temptations are many in the city, and that turning the channel, as it were, is difficult. however, i am certain that the night-life in los angeles and san francisco rivals that of n.y.c., and the party scene can be found by those who look for it...*****
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> More erudite thoughts welcome!
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> And for the record, chemist (and you know this), erudite means "out of rudeness (ignorance)". So that was, in fact, a complement.*** many thanks, and tongue firmly in cheek in previous, of course...****
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poster:chemist
thread:492031
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