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I never knew cocaine was a big part of socializing. I always heard how addictive it was, so I always vowed never to even try it. I agree it would be very hard to quit with the people around you still doing it.

Hi there! Please seek professional help and make sure you are ready to quit! You may not be doing it during the week now, but, the time will come! Just realize what you are doing to your body and your life when you are using. Their are much better other ways to socialize. I have had friends that really have messed up their lives on drugs and it is not worth it
sincerely,
sandy

Yes, I never tried cocaine or any other addictive drug because of the chance of getting hooked and ruining my life.
I understand that your friends do it and if you quit it may mean not seeing them. But, look at it his way: this is your life! Just because you don't see them often doesn't mean your life is over. But, if you keep seeing them it may be! You may o.D and die, get serious health problems from your habit, or get arrested and hauled off to jail. Is that really what you want? Get professional help if you do need it. All addictions start of as social. Keep that in mind. I am glad you want to quit, but now you have to be very strong and actually do it. A lot of my friends do it (and yeah, usually only on the weekends) and I really do lose respect for them when they do. I still love them dearly, but it really does affect things. And, some of them are getting a lot worse. Don't let it happen to you!

I do coke on about a monthly basis, when I first tried it I told myself if I ever 'craved' it, I would never touch it again. When I do it, and/or have it...I usually over-indulge. My friend got me into it, and he ended up getting addicted to it. We are both 19 and he ended up selling his computer, his car, taking money from his parents until he finally realized what had happened. He took it into his own hand to stop the addiction. We both still do it from time to time, but you have to have self control. If you dont think you can stop, you may need help. But if you only feel the need to do it because the people around you are, then you sound like you have what it takes to help yourself. No one is going to look down on you because you pass up some lines. They'll shrug and go on to the next person :) but if you feel it is an 'addiction' then maybe you should stop hanging around them until you feel you can control the craving. Personally, I think some drugs are fine on a social level, but once it becomes a personal thing...Is when you need to worry.

Thanks for the replys!

I dont think I actually have a "problem" as I am a very stong minded person and if I had to stop then I know I could!
It just seems that im in a routine of having a drink and then a sniff, I enjoy it, I use it, but I know when ive had enough and I know when to stop.

It seems that when im on a come down the day after, that is when I worry about it. Im young and im leading my life the way I want to I know that I can keep it under control otherwise I would stop right now.

My parner however is not so strong minded and is silly when hes had a drink, he has stupid amounts (nothin life threatening!) that he cant really afford because he says hes worked all week and he deserves it. I worry about him goin to far but he doesnt listen to me. :(

Your gonna have to find some friends that don't do coke...My boyfriend used to be really bad into it, and when he stopped doing it was when he stoped hanging around the friends he did it w/ and hung around me more. Now every time he goes to those friends house he ends up doing it.

So if you are still gonna hang around people who do it, it will be really hard for you to sit and watch them while you aren't.

I don't think you need medical treatment as long as you aren't wanting to do it every day and crave it when u wake up. You just need to be strong willed and refrain from doing it. Talk to your b/f that you think it's getting to be too much, if he really cares he will try to quit with you.

Good luck!

first off don't listen to a thing this guy says. He is still using with a person that has gone so far as to sell his stuff and steal to get cocaine and doesnt feel like that is a problem!

Second, I used for about 6 months almost daily, for free becuase I tended bar and it was give for free, to give out drinks. Go figure. I knew I had to stop and leaving all of my "friends" was a scary thing but necessary and I left the state I lived in and moved back home virginia to new york to kick the habit and start a new life with new friends!!

It is a difficult process and takes a ton of will power, your boy friend is heading down the path to total self destruction by rationalizing abuse of a drug because he has to work, second you will be in that path because you are there with him. Run run run for your life and thrive on life not on drugs! Drug dealers cut cocaine with all kinds of poisons and you are no doubt going to get hit with one of them and end up in the hospital.

You may be lucky enough to be sobered up and leave or you may leave in your hospital bed, brain dead and being fed through a tube or even worse you will be dead and your mom and dad will have to bury you, not worth it! Cocaine is only social for the dealer that is selling the junk to you.

Yes, if you quit then you quit. You cannot, "overcome your addiction" but still use occasionally.
Just remember, that everyone believes they can control it. Strong minded or not everyone's addiction starts somewhere, and it is usually when you feel you can control it that you are in trouble.
And, think about the long-term effects? It is so horrible for your mind and body. What if you get some bad stuff? This is your life here, not some game. Just please be careful, get away from your friends that use (if you are too tempted to be around them) and overcome this!

Keep in mind to that you can lead a horse to water but you cannot make them drink(hope this makes sense, as I have learned this by dealing with people).
Sincerely,
sandy

Mad chick…
nobody posts statements like you did by mistake, we don’t show up in places like this by mistake. We never do.
I quarantine you have a little voice in the back of your head that is screaming at you, error! Error! Error! Every time you use! You can smell a ton of trouble on your horizon.
But you have another little voice telling you that such an extreme position as bailing on all your doper friends isn’t really necessary. Just too extreme.

Results,
that what you want to be focusing on.
All real programs of recovery are infinitely practical, results oriented.
Make a note of how you feel now.
Honesty is the only rule here. Tell your self the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
And the question you need to ask yourself is how’s it going?

Now, make a note to check in on yourself in maybe six months from now. Again rigorous honesty is the only rule. Ask yourself the same question, how’s it going?

If you find that things aren’t going so well, that six months ago is starting to look like the good old days, then you might want to reevaluate the path you are on.

I agree with tamadrummer, don’t listen to advice from an active user on how to live a clean life. They can’t help you. They don’t know how. The idea of never using the dope of their choice again scares the hell out of an addict. They will find 100 reasons why never using again is just too extreme. Find someone who has solved this problem in their life, and ask them how they did it.

On the road to the good stuff,
richard s.

Thanks for all of your advice.
I will keep it all in mind! I know I can do it! I dont have a doubt in y mind about that!!

Mad chick,
quote…
“ive been doin this for around 2 years and really want to stop but find it hard”

if we could just stop, based on our self will, we would do so. But the fact is we don’t. If quitting was as easy as that there would be no need for any of this recovery stuff at all. We would see a problem in using most weekends for two years and just stop doing it. But for some reason or another we just don’t do it.

We are satisfied sometimes with the reasons we use for not stopping, we don’t want to be alone, we don’t want to not see my friends, it isn’t all that bad, I can handle it, I can stop if I want to, I just don’t want to stop right now.
Come saturday night after a long week at work, we kick back with a couple of brews. What’s the harm in that? People do it all the time.

I quote you again…
“i never have coke when im sober and also never do it during the week, always weekend when im in a pub or at a party.”

if you can stop, and be “happy” with being stopped, then do so. But mad chick, when you start drinking that first drink, you know that before the night is over, you will be snorting a line or two. Then the next morning, you open your eyes and you reflect on where you are going in your life, and what you are reflecting on ain’t that pretty, you worry about it.

I quote you again,
“it seems that when im on a come down the day after, that is when I worry”

there is a school of thought that holds that the reason we start drinking that first “harmless” drink is because we aren’t happy with being sober. And not you, not me, not anybody can stay sober and stay unhappy about being sober. So we start drinking, we can’t stop that cycle, and just like clockwork, all the other crap just follows.

Mad chick, try stopping. Your boyfriend isn’t going to stop, not one chance in hell of that. If you try stopping, he and your other friends will do one of two things,
#1 they will applaud you on cutting back, and offer you half a line. Or
#2 they will see your sobriety as an indictment on their own behavior, and attempt to undermine your resolve.
Either way they don’t hold a solution to what you feel you need to do in your life. They can’t help you in this. They don’t know how.

I quote you for the last time…
“i can do it! I dont have a doubt in y mind about that!!””

please, let us know how that works out.

Richard

Just wanted to add one little thing....If they are truly your friends they will support you. If you tell them you are trying to quit and they offer you even half a line then they are not your friends. They are simply people with whom you party who do not want you to quit because they cannot or will not and don't see why you should.
So, whatever happens just know there are people out there (if it turns out they aren't the "friends" you have now) who do and will love you and would rather you quit and stay healthy than try to get you to do something that will hurt you. Good luck.

Lol, first of all, he has overcome the 'addiction'. Its been almost 2 years. Its a rare thing for him now. And I never said that him stealing/selling stuff was not a problem. He got to the point that he wouldnt listen, and I couldnt help him. It hurt to know that there was nothing I could do. And just because you had to run away from your problems, doesnt mean everyone else has to.

I do not want to turn this into a flame war, but regardless of what you say, you are still using with a known abuser. Any advice you give becomes null and void at that point. Regardless if it is once a month or daily or once a year, you know this guys issues and you are being a friend and helping him out.

Manchestermadchick,
listen to the advice given by those that have been in ruins and crawled out of the ashs and beat thier illnesses.

I just got done reading about 7 articles about cocaine. As much fun as it is while you are doing it (and it really is), that is all it is is fun. Do not go overboard, do what you want and follow your own instincts, and when you disappoint yourself you know you have gone too far. Just live a life you are happy with. If you question any of your actions you are obviously looking for justification. I am just one person but, if you are asking other people to justify your actions than you should stop what you are doing and take the advice that is already in your head (that is to do the RIGHT thing and you know what the right thing is). I said, "you," a lot in this but I want you to know that there was a whole lot of we in this. This thought process helped me stay the strongest I have ever needed to be in my life. It worked. I am not good with words but I hope you understand my point.
Seriously,
Derek

I did coke for a year and a half because I was in a new relationship, that's what they all did, so in order to not be bored out of my mind, I joined in. Grew to like it. Grew to love. But KNEW that I would never get addicted because I am a very strong minded person and if I had to stop then I knew I could.

Yep. When my relationship with my boyfriend ended, I walked away from that life and didn't do coke for 5 months. Didn't even miss it. Then two months ago, something (still don't know what) led me to want to numb myself. Became depressed, ignored it and when an opportunity for coke was put in front of me I naively did it as a temporary reprieve from whatever is was that was bothering me. So on top of whatever it is that sent me on a downward spiral, I now am in trouble.

I'm now an addict. Only TWO MONTHS of doing cocaine on my own and I'm an addict. NEVER did I think a person of my intelligence, strength, integrity would find herself in such a nightmare. It doesn't take much for that switch to flip especially if you drink when you do coke. You'll believe what you want to believe to continue to use is on weekends but take it from someone that sadly now knows...you're playing with fire. Find new friends!!! It sucks and you'll look like the bad guy but deep down they'll completely understand because many of them want to drop you as a friend as well. Trust me, we all question/wonder about recreational use to ourselves just not to each other.

Be careful of what you believe. Being cocky is not a good thing to be. You need to realize that cocaine is a problem for A LOT of "strong" people for a reason. If you insist on continuing to use...just remember, you never know when life might throw you a curveball and you might not be so strong, leaving you vulnerable to believe that using coke responsibly??? during good times will be the same as using it just a couple times to help you through the bad. And that situation will present itself....you're playing with fire.

Sorry, don't mean to lecture but I know that I wouldn't have taken a post like this seriously either.....no one gets addicted on purpose and let me promise you, it happens QUICK!

Be smart.

people generally fall for cocaine because it completely eliminates inhibitions. i have seen a ton of posts from people complaining about their partners using. i will give you my take. i generally think people are screwed up when sober and cocaine makes them feel and think they way they really want to sexually. if you are in a relationship, you will have no worries or need for cocaine if you can reach the point where you can lay naked in front of your partner and masturbate while you describe your most common sexual fantasy which doesn't involve the person your with. until you can do that, don't bother complaining about the coke.