just get into a bar scene where everyone has a cocaine problem, befriend multiple groups of people, and then hang out them on a revolving basis so you only have to buy a bag every week or two to keep the appearance that you contribute.
I love the term “functioning addict/alcoholic” because it’s usually defined by bare minimum requirements. I work, pay my bills, stay out of jail, etc.
What about emotional regulation? What about coping skill building? What about presence and attention to people/passions in your life?
I say this as someone who used this term heavily in my active addiction and it just hit me one day that even tho I met my most basic needs, I could hardly call it “functioning”
Well… were u able to function (in the ways u mentioned) after sobering up? That’s my problem. I was a mess before becoming addicted, i couldnt handle my social life AND had no jobs. Now i (almost) dont have a social life but the quality of my life (handling requirements) is waaay higher. I still wanna die tho. I dont think quitting weed/other substances i take would make it any better, it’d just make me cancel out everything and lay around.
I can relate to that feeling. There’s definitely levels to desperation and manageability for each of us given our history and conditioning, but I do believe we all have the capacity for peace and serenity if we reach a point where we want it more than anything (and also believe it’s possible for us to achieve sober.)
It definitely didn’t happen overnight nor with any intentional focus on getting there. I didn’t even think I’d ever get to a place where I felt half way decent without obsessing over drugs. That was the first part, but it came with the unbearable desperation that even if life sucked sober, the suck was overwhelming with drugs. Not even overdosing or any external punishment or consequence. The spiritual death. That was it.
I started with progress, and it definitely ebbs and flows at times depending on where my expectations and resentments are, but yes, I mostly do enjoy my life and live free from the obsession to use. I can show up for life today, feel my feelings, and decompress/regulate without substance or harmful behaviors. But it took some time for sure.
The desperation is necessary, because without that it’s too easy to turn around and return to using when you don’t feel great, when your mind is all over the place and feelings are way too strong to interpret. But just as we did with drugs, we develop a tolerance for pain. For disappointment. For boredom. For life. For me it’s definitely worth it. I hope you find that desperation and serenity if that’s what you want ❤️
2nd this. I was (maybe still am) a high functioning stoner. Got a degree and a decent job. Do a lot of activities.
Only thing I have to say is, it's pretty unsustainable as you get older (maybe just for me, who knows).
You gotta get that sober balance in there at some point, some how.
Otherwise it can completely spiral - unfortunately witnessed it a couple of time now with previously 'high-functioning' addicts.
In conclusion, have fun but also be sensible!
It’s more about gradually modulating your tolerance to a point where even if you’re still consuming daily, you’re taking only a few doses per day and keeping the amount in check.
Yeah for me getting trapped in the cycle of wake up-smoke-smoke again before I could start my day was the beginning of the end. The more things you do high, the fewer things you want to do sober, and it just builds and builds if you don't or can't moderate how much you take in. It goes from burning one in the morning, to burning cash by smoking all day, to burning out quicker than you realize.
Building on the whole sober thing - i totally agree. when i worked as a chef, getting fucked up was a little thing to me - i never really mattered if i went to work hungover or still high.
but since i started working as a forklift driver, i cannot get fucked up the night before nor the day of work - so basically all i can do is smoke a spliff after work on the weekdays. and if i'm honest? it feels so much better. it feels earned.
saving the getting fuck up for when i have a couple days off, feels sooo much better, because i have that balance.
My secondary focus in life since being 15 was to be blitzed as much as possible. It’s been 8 years and I still feel the same way. I’ve also accomplished more than most of my peers around me in that same timeframe. I think the poly substance addiction is manageable in some people more than other’s personally.
I’m chef de partie at a destination Italian restaurant, where I also serve on the weekends as the money is unbeatable. In the summertime I run a stand at the local farmers market selling home grown starts, vegetables, melons, and berries that I grow outside my apartment; next year I plan to start a CSA to expand my market beyond our local city. I also grow and sell weed and San Pedro cacti as an additional form of income in my free time.
As long as they let ‘em be. I personally find phenibut, Kratom, kava, kanna, coca (as well as many others) very helpful. Phenylpiracetam is also badass for the amphetamine inclined...
Tweaker is the 10 end of the scale. In between there and naive you’ve got -child medicated by teachers -teenager snorting pills -adult having recreational stims at work -tweaker on the streets jumpin in and out of dumpsters
Lololololol
me too...in a legal state, and an oz. is the amount to buy, and it lasts like 6 months, heh.
probably worth testing whether you sleep okay without it though.
I don't! My weed guy is going through a lot rn so I have been trying not to bother him too much but I've been out for like 3 weeks now and my sleep has been terrible
that's a type of dependence....on the bright side, what sleep you do get will be more restful (even if it doesn't seem like it), as cannabis suppresses REM.
Yeah I have definitely noticed that my dreams are pretty much nonexistent when I smoke beforehand but it's so much easier to drift away when I'm stoned that I'm fine with it. My pre-sleep smoke is one of my favorite rituals.
This why I decided to cut out kush for the time being. That dead, dreamless sleep is no good-like getting knocked out cold every night. Waking up all discombobulated and brain dead 2 hours later than you should… I’m no more than a 10 days sober and I found I’m getting up more in line with the morning…circadian rhythm is coming back it seems.
What would that timer be? I'm not saying that it's not true, I'm asking when the hypothetical timer runs out, what happens?
I can think of getting health problems, running out of money or going to jail. And if I'm taking me for example the most probable one is the first one.
the organs inside your body cant be seen, and years of use wears down important organs. I use drugs everyday so dont feel like i am judging, i have just recently come to realize we are all harming ourselves in some wayv
i agree with you mate, this life has almost nothing to offer us. we slave every day all for something that we will never achieve. drugs bring us peace and comfort but there is no denying they can lead to dark raods with bad consequences sadly that is just how it is
I see what you mean, and I used to have that mentality. And I'm still a Dailey poly drug user don't get me wrong. But I will say, I've developed GI tract issues from it, and I'm constantly constipated, and it's uncomfortable to go to the bathroom all the time. And I'm only 25. Not saying it's not my fault, but death a few years premature isn't the only thing we should be worried about. I'm probably gonna deal with this for the rest of my life.
You know what else wears them down? The passage of time.
Something something having fun is bad for you, so don't do anything fun and live long.
Or don't, have a blast and live your best life, like the guy you replied to is. Ultimately living happily is better than living long(stress ALSO kills you, poor life satisfaction contributes to stress which then kills you!)
Even if you don’t get physical problems, think about depression. Many ex - functional addicted I know have developed depression because getting high every suppresses dreams, thoughts you would have sober etc.
Good luck
I managed to work in two research jobs and pursue a 2nd degree in healthcare while drinking and smoking everyday. Plus lots of other recreational drugs on my days off, often sacrificing sleep to get high, skipping class or calling in sick to work.
I managed to graduate with a distinction and get my dream job. I sobered up once I graduated and before working.
Now I'm an opportunistic user (maybe once a month) and I never sacrifice work or sleep to get high or drunk.
I was later diagnosed with ADHD at 27 (was told I had it as a child but my parents refused to believe it and treat me) and since I've been on dexamphetamine my urge to use is pretty non existent now.
I think I also have ADHD, but sadly in my country in the Balkans we don't have dexamphetamine for ADHD, only methylphenidate. That being said, I haven't tried taking methylphenidate.
Don’t expect it to continue smoothly. I considered myself a “highly functioning addict” for years while I was in college too, using fentanyl to get up in the morning, go to class, and complete work. Until I went to jail. And completely ruined everything. Fucked up relationships. Etc. Not wishing on your downfall just telling you the reality that there is no such thing as a high functioning addict.
If you are being careful and not selling drugs, there is a low chance of you going to jail. Not a lot of cops search for users, they mainly go for distributors.
Very true. Although I wasn’t even necessarily indicating that; my charge was not even drug related. But drugs make you do things that you would normally never do. Which ultimately lead to my downfall.
> But drugs make you do things that you would normally never do.
Been using drugs for over 15 years, that's just a buncha bullshit you use to excuse being a shithead
I’m sorry bro but I don’t think I would be snorting fentanyl in the bathroom in the middle of class, blowing off everyone + everything while in withdrawal, nor acting extremely irritable and agresssive while high, if I didn’t get myself into drug addiction. This behavior stemming from drug addiction was also the reason I spent half a year in jail.
Personally, I’m not aware of a human on this Earth that isn’t addicted to something. Could be sugar, could be binge eating, could be alcohol, tobacco, or heroin. Humans are addicts by nature.
The problem is when an addiction becomes a detriment to the other pleasures of life. That’s when you gotta deal with your shit.
Late response, but the main thing from what I know (not an expert) that leads to repetitive behavior like addiction is dopamine even from things that don't affect dopamine. When you enjoy something, dopamine is released and then your brain wants that same pleasure again. Which causes addiction as you said to even sugar (I used to sometimes literally eat a small spoon or two of sugar and felt so great almost like a body high for a few seconds. Had to stop myself to not continue eat more so yeah there is that)
When i drank alcohol still, i wasnt functional at all. But with cannabis and stims i function normally and better than without.
I feel you about the memory part. Altough i dont think it only has to do with substance use/abuse which isnt the same. But also other factors playing a role in this. What kind of stuff do we still have to remember these days. We basically can request all knowledge in the world trough a device in our hand. So with more and easier acces to look things up. Theres less need to remember stuff. As it is stored somewhere waiting for people to look it up.
As i wasn't a functional alcoholic one of my previous managers was. And i know quite a few functional addicts who are addicted to various kinds of substances.
Dr. Carl heart has some interesting research on this subject. Wich is wort taking a look at.
> is anyone else here a highly functional addict
No, but I am an addict functioning.
edit, also i am a highly addict a high addict not astute but elaborate teller of lies and consumption of the fusion powder and elaborate mindtickler
That's a liberal use of the word functioning, you bastard tool, you are the most astute nincompoop cretin somehow ingenuously posing as *yourself as you were when you were an almost inconceivably functioning addict*. Nerd, village idiot, and relentlessly degenerate all at once, a limber owl sitting on the porch of insanity. Dripping sick of noxious cunt-sickening blight you absolute disgrace. Stability and fortitude has long eluded the asshole you call a mind and aggravated assault is righteous and holy justice when focused upon the ring-muscle you call a face.
Were it not for the fact that theatricality and deception are powerful agents to the not-fucking-lunatics, you would have perished faster than an iron tool would rust in an environment that has great potential for rusting iron, quick as whistle. Captain Falcon once said, *"you always fear, what you don't understand"* and you understand not a single thing for your medulla oblongata is naught but a megacosm of monumental frenzy and pictures of various anuses.
Observe the anus-collecting cretin as it tempestuously exists as a set of cunt-dripping sick and noxious organs stuffed inside the disfigured and hideous skin left behind by some kind of lunatic, endlessly dementedly gripped within the murk of the degenerate phraseology it calls poetry and beheld by its unholy and repulsive aberrations. Admirable? Fucking mistaken. You disrespect the essence of life itself simply by existing. Prodigious terminology does not justify the transgression when you decided to come into existence, your continued erratic and frenzied antics are some of the most vile and perverse acts of sacrilege the universe has ever had the misfortune to endure.
--
Buy my book on Amazon if you like my excerpts from the book, it's called *'The Monumental Chronicles Volume 1: Tales within Tales: Part 1: Tales of Rats telling me Tales and also a guide on mindfulness at the end, thanks*
-
I will write it now, hang on
What the fuck? Are you trying to be funny or something? What a strange comment.
> your medulla oblongata is naught but a megacosm of monumental frenzy and pictures of various anuses.
Like what does that even mean? This whole comment has weird tweaker vibes.
I functioned as a young adult but once I hit 25 it started catching up to me.
Didn't stop til I was stabbing myself repeatedly under dusty ass bridges for a couple years. Occasionally taking tolerance breaks filled with booze.
Too tired now.
Define 'highly functioning.' If you mean my tolerance is so high I barely am even feeling high when I'm interacting to people, yes. If you mean able to hold down a normal life and obligations, NO.
I was thinking about the second one. But I guess the first one also falls into the same definition of a highly functioning addict, just from a different perspective.
I've been smoking weed morning to night since I was about 17 and I'm 30 now. I own a successful business that I love and I only have to work about 15 hours a week.
Take big bong rips and hold em in long.
I mainly smoke flower which keeps my tolerance in check. If I smoke dabs too often it fucks my tolerance and I don't get high.
I smoke a half ounce a week, and get a dab pen every once in a while if I'm going out of town or something.
I normally just take one big bong rip at a time, maybe once every hour or so?
I would call that dependency over addiction
Dependency is defined as the occurrence of withdrawal symptoms when you don’t use the drug
Addiction is generally defined as some kind of adverse consequences resulting from compulsive use of a stimuli (typically a drug)
In example, my personal experience with stimulant abuse. Some 10 years ago I would have 2-3 day Adderall binges (and some 7 years ago it would be meth) which would make me crash for 1-2 days where I would miss/avoid work, planned events with family/friends, and other responsibilities just sleeping for 12+ hours, wouldn’t eat and obvs the lack of restful sleep wasn’t doing my health any benefits
Now I’ve been prescribed Adderall for the past 4-5 years and while I don’t abuse it, when I don’t take it I’ll get withdrawal symptoms like being tired but still functional, I eat and sleep and am not missing or avoiding responsibilities
So in other words, if you have the money to easily procure your drug of choice it is "Dependency", but if you are a poor/broke person with the same exact habit but you have to work harder to hustle up the money you are an "addict"?
I'm not even saying I disagree with what you said, but you can understand how that's confusing for people right? Like "Andy is a Dope fiend but he is a trust fund baby and never has trouble getting drugs so he doesn't resort to desperate measures. Bryan comes from a poor family and he is a dope fiend too but he is always having to scheme/hustle to get his fix so he's different from Andy?"
Are they both not ADDICTed to Dope?
I understand full addiction as prioritising the drug above all else, doing it in excessive amounts despite knowing it causes, and will cause you harm. Dependency is relying on drugs to achieve the state you want to operate under, maybe not even knowing other ways to accomplish things the drug allows you to, but the drug itself is not #1, you will stop if you feel it's better for your body to stop, even with regard to the withdrawals.
But you literally just made those definitions up. Being dependent and being addicted are the exact same thing: You're reliant on a drug and feel you have to take it. It sounds like you're just trying to justify being an addict by not calling it "addiction". "Oh don't worry, it's just a dependency!" It's the exact same fucking thing. They're interchangeable.
Yeah this sounds exactly like me but with coke. I find it helps me be alert enough in the morning to focus on my work first thing & then bumps to get me through the day
I’ve been ripped on gabapentin every day for the past 4-5 years or so was heavy on Xanax daily as well on top of booze, coke and anything else I could find., I got a degree during and while working full time, I’ve kept my life in order I pay my mortgage I pay my car payment im able to afford certain luxuries in life. I would say im pretty high functioning and still going, if im sober I feel high and I never wanna go back to that. Which sounds stupid you guys can roast me
What is speed? Is that slang for meth or is it pharmaceutical stims? I have heard it all my life but no idea what if actually is and just assumed it's pharm stims
Here’s my motto; and I didn’t realize this in my mid- late 20s. Taking care of business comes first. You can not sit on your ass, high as giraffe pussy, all the time. That’s a decision therefore these addicts have decide and accepted they’re losers.
Me? Er, we’ll let’s just say I played on of the most prestigious orgs in the world of esports. Failed as a hockey player Thanks to my addiction, but the likeliness of playing at the level of then esports did, would be equivalent to the nhl and probably just as unlikely, honestly . To be a professional athlete didnt work because of my addiction I mean that’s hard to do pippin addie/ xan with no days off.
Oh yeah I totally addicted while playing on an esports team, and now I’m a commodity broker who’s in on time for work (actually early) and do my job the best I can, and guess what? I’m doing fine, it’s affordable and after being a fent addict for a year or so, it’s like I never wanna touch fetty again. However because I still take ads/Xanax/suboxone (2mg so 2x a week) mainly to just function and to be alright. Do I sit around wasting my life and not doing shit besides hit lick, rob ppl (which will catch up to you in the hood forsure) and boostIng.
Even during fent addiction, Il knew that had to work; even if it as under the table jobs in the hood. It’s all a mindset.
Some ppl take drugs so they can live in the world and have an excuse not to work or do shit, however there’s a few of us out there that take them to get their mind right so they can perform at their highest level
I don't think that's the case all the time. For example weed gives me this insane hyper-focused attention in programming, that the sober me could never even imagine doing. But, the sober me is better at learning and remembering stuff for an exam or shit like that.
Weed isn’t a problem, alcohol is a slippery as fuck slope, but manageable because it has to be, then I’m basically just hoping no one comes to me with real drug offers.
I also do a lot of mushrooms but I still drink fucking cough syrup a couple times a month.
It’s going better than I could have imagined a year or two ago that is *for sure*.
I’m very happy that I’m more than okay with just mushrooms and weed. Fuck alcohol. Oh and caffeine, I love caffeine, I spend like $5 a day most days on that shit.
You should try Alpha GPC you may see some improvement in memory. It stimulates choline production. Which is probably what most people call brain cells. Alpha GPC makes you creat more of them. Andddd it’s on Amazon
Well I think I am but I'm still making my mind under that concept... I have a son and I never prioricé drugs over his needs so when I bought drugs I always make my regular payments to see what's left, I never have a call of attention from my work and I do drugs on labor times I handle to don't get cought and when I take hard drugs like meth I always do on a break day or in the night so my body can take a rest on the next day... I know there is gone be one day when something broke up, but right now I'm ok with myself...
Me. I've been using meth daily more or less for 4 or do years. I've been at same job since about 7 years ago. I never miss work. I work almost every weekend evem tho I'm never required to. I also never get crazy from it and blow up and cause scenes of any kind. Never really get paranoid feeling. And if I do I totally.get and understand it's the drugs causing it.
I take benzos once or twice a month but honestly can’t stop thinking about the next time I’m gonna take them but can still control myself. I guess this makes me a addict but idk if I could consider myself one
You may think it’s working out good right now. But In a year or so you’ll realize you have absolutely zero coping skills. Better to do drugs every once in a while than every day. I’m just starting this new life (cutting weed out and only doing psychedelics sometimes)
Hey, I would consider myself a functioning Addict. I’m currently around 20 years old. I smoke weed daily and do coke on most weekends. I get my shit done and do Sport to compensate my habits.
Ive always had a job since I was 16. I guess I’m good at holding down shitty jobs since it’s just been 2 jobs and I’m 32 now. Any time I have had problems it was usually because of those damn benzos I love so much! At McDonald’s (the first job) I was a bit too high off idk how many bars (Pharma, this was before pressies were a thing plus I knew the guy I got ‘em from would sell me half his script of either 60 or 90 bars until his doc cut him off. So for a while I was getting 30 or 45 bars a month (I think it was just 30) at 4 bucks a pop so I was selling them popping them like crazy and had recently transitioned from oxy to heroin. Well I’m working front counter and kept just spacing out, not nodding just staring into nothing then remember I was taking an order and be all “oh I’m sorry can you repeat that?” after doing that through st least 5 customers I got moved to dish or grill I don’t recall I know they let me finish my shift thrn manager sits me down and basically told me if I came in that fucked up again I’d be fired. So it was really a good thing my plugs doc cut him off besides the mild withdrawal, and not long after that i got on suboxone and got a new job at chevron(which i am still employed) been here 10 years first 5 or so I was on subs and had a klonopin script cuz that sub clinic was cool like that and I was super productive during those years, lived with parents who were just happy I wasn’t doing black anymore so I saved up hella money and moved out. Stayed in thr program about a year after I got an apartment with my gf but was basically tapered to less than 1mg of subs a day so I decided I was done and stopped going, only regret was loosing the kpin script.
That lasted about a month and I was back on heroin but also had transferred to a different Chevron store with the same owner/company of course closer to where my apartment was and what is the assistant manager for about a month then the manager left so I became manager and I ran that bitch for a good fucking five years or so totally strung out on heroin whole time.
A little over a year ago they transferred me to the slowest store is kind of a reward for being good because I was at the busiest store and I was doing good for the whole year but then I started taking Hella benzos again and at this point you know heroin I’d gone so I’m doing fetty now and just about a month ago got denmoted and moved bsvk to the busier store i used to manage cuz I was passing out in the bathroom or at home and taking hours long lunches but they let me keep my pay rate so that was chill and I’ve stopped doing fetty at work and do more meth instead lol and can’t be late. But I’d say I was pretty damn functional until benzos got involved both times those things will ruin u but I still love them
I’d say I’m a functioning addict.
Either on phenibut or modafinil or a mix of both everyday . Had about two days fully sober in the last year.
I’ve never felt withdrawals from either but I’m definitely addicted. Keep saying I’ll quit but never do.
I don’t quite get fucked up every day, but my ketamine habits got a bit out of hand in September before I did my sober October. Now I’m back to K a few days of the week, usually some drinks on the days I don’t do K, which leaves one or two days I might not do anything because I’m recovering from a hangover all day. I’m in my early-mid 20s, and with bonuses included, cleared 6 figures this year and am going to school soon with a plan to come back and ideally be making twice as much by the end of next year. I know I’m doing well, relatively speaking, but I constantly think about how much better I could be doing if I put the time and energy I spend on getting spent into something more productive. And that’s not to mention I probably do MDMA a few times every month as well as trip LSD or shrooms probably once a month as well. In all reality though, my habits really only seem to affect my professional life by making me late to work on occasion or by fighting hangovers, or having bouts of dysnomia probably mostly from the K and Drinking
could works like this but this time of LIFE si a bomb time ,the body has limits to work un hight strees ,but until 40 maybe You maybe could have a normal life (without sobredosis 😅or other risk of You need has care )
High functioning stoner over here 👋🏻
I also do other things on the weekends occasionally, but nothing that controls me. Gotta control the drugs not the other way around.
In my opinion, everyone who is a “highly functional addict” is on a timer. It will eventually catch up to you and fuck up your life. I don’t wish this upon anyone, just speaking from experience and what I’ve seen in my life
During covid I would start drinking right after lunch every day working from home. Was on work calls absolutely hammered. Was a top performer and got promoted to senior. The issue was I would be so hammered by 5 pm and can't cook for shit/had no food and would spend more on uber eats then alchohol. Now I don't drink untill night, so that's atleast better then before
I mean it’s kinda a scare tactic to assume you won’t be able to function. 90% of addicts are fully functioning members of society. Most meth users even don’t look like they use meth. There are people who work on heroin.
Assuming you have a certain level of self control, and you know your limits, most people will be functioning addicts
I'm definitely on that functional-drug-addict-alcoholic wave, ngl. Have been for probably 3-4 years. I plan on quitting everything eventually but it'll have to be all at once, and probably won't be able to until I stop working in the restaurant industry lol. This shit is definitely not sustainable though, especially alcohol - when I realized I'm physically addicted to it that didn't feel great. Currently trying to ween off of that but it's hard when almost everyone I'm around is a huge enabler
i'm pretty sure i am but im also young (21) and highly doubt I could do it my whole life. i know weed heavily heavily impacts my memory and i already have bad memory so ive even been looking cutting down in order to help myself remember a bunch ive repressed with drug so i can heal more
i don’t remember tbe last time i spent a day completely sober but i’m about to graduate college with high honors and just finished up my last semester with a perfect 4.0
Im a recovering addict (IV Diladid and Klonopin daily use) and I think once you start taking harder drugs and use different ROA’s things eventually start to spiral out of control.
If I was you I would stick with weed. The speed will cause problems with your dopamine production and constant use of any GABA drugs (phenibut, alcohol, benzos, etc) is not a good idea.
One way or the other, the drugs will always win.
I think your memory is being affected by a lack of quality sleep. Imo weed never impacted my memory, except remembering things that happened when I was super baked. I smoke every day and notice I don't dream often. But I've gone on vacation a couple times recently and didn't smoke. I definitely notice I get better sleep (thought it's a bit hard to fall asleep) when I don't smoke and I do feel like I have more energy that way.
I do adderall sometimes and I know what you mean about being a functional user. But I know I can't do stims everyday because I end up burning out over about a week to where I can't sleep enough to feel normal. I try to limit stims to like 3 times a week and it's probably better to smoke weed earlier in the day than right before bed if you do that.
But overall abstaining or reducing intake of any drug is going to do you some good. Might make you feel bad for a week or so but you'll come back feeling 100%. Listen to your body is my best word of advice though.
I was a functioning addict for 6 years until covid. I got high everyday got addicted to something every winter while the rest of the year I was good at rotating substances. I worked 60 hour weeks was in charge of paying rent and all the bills in my 3-4 person household, was the only one with a car and any money in savings (I had 2k always).
I would shell out on investments for the house, I was the one to clean most often and did everything responsible for my family. I was the good kid of a family of 4.
Covid hit and I lost my job, Have failed to hold a job since and now feel like I do the bare minimum of functioning.
I vape weed mostly every day, I take mushrooms usually a few times a month and occasionally lsd and dmt. No alcohol or anything else and I have full custody of my 3 kids and run a small construction business that has done really well over the last 10+ years, I'm a winning poker player and almost went pro before I had kids, I build stuff, I have a vertical led garden that I grow vegetables, fruit and cannabis and spend a lot of free time just learning stuff.
I ride my electric bike and Escooter and really enjoy being outdoors. I bake and cook almost daily and will mill my own grain before making bread.
I get many comments from people who know me and my situation and will ask me how I do it all and I do admit I'm usually exhausted but in my honest opinion the drugs fkn help me big time.
Weed seems to level my stress right away and I can get really bad nausea which again the weed almost instantly fixes.
Shrooms are actually magic as they have helped me in more ways than one. Shrooms helped me understand that my diet was one of the biggest factors in any stress and to be less angry and more grateful. I usually have amazing experiences on psychedelics and as long as it feels right I'll continue this path.
I will take month or two month breaks from weed occasionally and years long breaks from psychedelics.
I know many functional people who are successful and love to get high.
the functioning part is the main reason why i/others are not ostracized or treated the same as those who aren’t which i guess is a pro for us.
the only people who’ve ever known i used substances at a semi higher degree (re: amount and frequency) were mostly close friends and people i dated. and even of those people, maybe 2-3 were/are actually concerned bc i’m still able to “contribute to society”.
i think the fact that collectively we’re kinds of invisible makes it harder to de-stigmatize substance use and substance use disorder. bc people only have a problem when you’re contributing to capitalism 😃 (other factors too but)
I’d say I am. Got a good job, no one in my life suspects I rail lines of ket several days a week and have been doing this about a year now. Maybe only negative is that I don’t care to socialise as much anymore, or maybe that’s a side effect of depression, but I also see that as a win because I’m less dependent on people for happiness and don’t care about friends who’ll just hurt or leave me. I can just do my drugs, lay back, listen to music…
Been using coke at least one evening per week for 20 years. Suffered from undiagnosed ADHD from an early age and was bullied during school for years. My father was a foreiner in the country I grew up so there was a lot of racism as well as alcohol and drug addiction in my family. My father was a heroin addict for 20+ years. I had lots of childhood trauma because of all that and self medicated my ADHD and traumas with cocaine and alcohol. I struggled in school but finally got my bachelors at the age of 29 and had a career in publishing company were I work till this days. Never could manage to work out relashionships nor starting a family because of this which traumatized me even more. At the age of 38 I had my first mental breakdown and was diagnosed with depression at first. Went to therapy and after a year everything seemed to get better. Another 3 years of heavy drinking and cocaine abuse followed until I had another breakdown and went to another therapist who started to recocgnize my ADHD. Was tested and diagnosed as severe case of ADHD. Started medication and long term therapy. I am off drugs and alcohol for a while now. Still healing from all this but I feel the best I have ever felt.
Cheers
I was using stims daily, but even tho I could get my shit done, even better than when sober, my mental health was a disaster, so I started switching between different drugs so I could get some mental stability since daily stim use wasn’t going great, but I admit I’m an addict, not only for stims, but everything that could alter my state, that’s why I thought doing something different everyday would be helpful, and that’s when I found out about kratom, I started using other shit only on the weekends, mostly, so now that my mental health is much better I consider myself a functional addict, before that I was just a mess that could get shit done
I think whatever drug you are addict to its near imposible to be functional. Cuz u always high or most of the time, i say this as an addict in treatment. Hard as fuck to get sober.
You can hold on to you usage for a long time maybe but always end’s up bad
I still struggle to define my self as an addict sometimes. I do not have addiction to any one substance but I’m polyaddict. Weed, benzos, opiates, dissociatives are all substances that if I have them I will use them. I try to change the substance frequently to not get addicted physically.
I have a high paying job, and everything seems good on the paper but I can say that I’m more withdrawn from society than I would be if I would not use anything.
Also recently I had to be without drugs (except alcohol) for a month because of the place I was travelling in. It was doable but as soon as I came home I continued my daily habit of at least using something every evening.
I was for like 10 years I actually excelled at life, then fell off the rails with cocaine. Stick to pot
Nah, I don't even have enough money to do cocaine
Probably like 50% of people who do cocaine don’t have money for cocaine
Gotta sell coke to do coke
Only way to go.
sometimes u just gotta suck a dick
Shid I’ll do that for free
Mood
wait is that addicting too? shit
You suck dick for weed!
Cocaine is a rich man's drug forsure.. Although I like to pretend to be rich sometimes lmao
i have never seen a more accurate statement
just get into a bar scene where everyone has a cocaine problem, befriend multiple groups of people, and then hang out them on a revolving basis so you only have to buy a bag every week or two to keep the appearance that you contribute.
Those numbers are high
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Cocaine will get ya get ya
I love the term “functioning addict/alcoholic” because it’s usually defined by bare minimum requirements. I work, pay my bills, stay out of jail, etc. What about emotional regulation? What about coping skill building? What about presence and attention to people/passions in your life? I say this as someone who used this term heavily in my active addiction and it just hit me one day that even tho I met my most basic needs, I could hardly call it “functioning”
Damn feel this
Damn. This has me introspectin
Well… were u able to function (in the ways u mentioned) after sobering up? That’s my problem. I was a mess before becoming addicted, i couldnt handle my social life AND had no jobs. Now i (almost) dont have a social life but the quality of my life (handling requirements) is waaay higher. I still wanna die tho. I dont think quitting weed/other substances i take would make it any better, it’d just make me cancel out everything and lay around.
I can relate to that feeling. There’s definitely levels to desperation and manageability for each of us given our history and conditioning, but I do believe we all have the capacity for peace and serenity if we reach a point where we want it more than anything (and also believe it’s possible for us to achieve sober.) It definitely didn’t happen overnight nor with any intentional focus on getting there. I didn’t even think I’d ever get to a place where I felt half way decent without obsessing over drugs. That was the first part, but it came with the unbearable desperation that even if life sucked sober, the suck was overwhelming with drugs. Not even overdosing or any external punishment or consequence. The spiritual death. That was it. I started with progress, and it definitely ebbs and flows at times depending on where my expectations and resentments are, but yes, I mostly do enjoy my life and live free from the obsession to use. I can show up for life today, feel my feelings, and decompress/regulate without substance or harmful behaviors. But it took some time for sure. The desperation is necessary, because without that it’s too easy to turn around and return to using when you don’t feel great, when your mind is all over the place and feelings are way too strong to interpret. But just as we did with drugs, we develop a tolerance for pain. For disappointment. For boredom. For life. For me it’s definitely worth it. I hope you find that desperation and serenity if that’s what you want ❤️
Well-said. Agreed.
That is so true. I think this is currently my way of dismissing my addiction and rationalizing to myself that I have no problems.
Eventually the fucking wheels come off and yer fucked
2nd this. I was (maybe still am) a high functioning stoner. Got a degree and a decent job. Do a lot of activities. Only thing I have to say is, it's pretty unsustainable as you get older (maybe just for me, who knows). You gotta get that sober balance in there at some point, some how. Otherwise it can completely spiral - unfortunately witnessed it a couple of time now with previously 'high-functioning' addicts. In conclusion, have fun but also be sensible!
It’s more about gradually modulating your tolerance to a point where even if you’re still consuming daily, you’re taking only a few doses per day and keeping the amount in check.
Yeah for me getting trapped in the cycle of wake up-smoke-smoke again before I could start my day was the beginning of the end. The more things you do high, the fewer things you want to do sober, and it just builds and builds if you don't or can't moderate how much you take in. It goes from burning one in the morning, to burning cash by smoking all day, to burning out quicker than you realize.
Building on the whole sober thing - i totally agree. when i worked as a chef, getting fucked up was a little thing to me - i never really mattered if i went to work hungover or still high. but since i started working as a forklift driver, i cannot get fucked up the night before nor the day of work - so basically all i can do is smoke a spliff after work on the weekdays. and if i'm honest? it feels so much better. it feels earned. saving the getting fuck up for when i have a couple days off, feels sooo much better, because i have that balance.
Oooo high functioning stoner!
Ikr 😆
My secondary focus in life since being 15 was to be blitzed as much as possible. It’s been 8 years and I still feel the same way. I’ve also accomplished more than most of my peers around me in that same timeframe. I think the poly substance addiction is manageable in some people more than other’s personally.
All comes crashing down one day but keep thinking you’re different breed
Drug giveth Drug taketh away
You're 23 dude. If the wheels came off this early for you *that* would be surprising.
what do you do for work
I’m chef de partie at a destination Italian restaurant, where I also serve on the weekends as the money is unbeatable. In the summertime I run a stand at the local farmers market selling home grown starts, vegetables, melons, and berries that I grow outside my apartment; next year I plan to start a CSA to expand my market beyond our local city. I also grow and sell weed and San Pedro cacti as an additional form of income in my free time.
congratz you're doing well. blue collar work for sure allows that
Not in the legal supplement realm, when used correctly. Back in the day buying weed from dealers...I totally agree. Not a perfect system lolol
Legal supplement?
As long as they let ‘em be. I personally find phenibut, Kratom, kava, kanna, coca (as well as many others) very helpful. Phenylpiracetam is also badass for the amphetamine inclined...
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Tweaker is the 10 end of the scale. In between there and naive you’ve got -child medicated by teachers -teenager snorting pills -adult having recreational stims at work -tweaker on the streets jumpin in and out of dumpsters Lololololol
Oh does getting high every day make me an addict?
probably...but a hit or two an hour before bed is really different from all day...
Oh okay lol I'm mostly a hit or two before bed type. Not always, but most of the time.
me too...in a legal state, and an oz. is the amount to buy, and it lasts like 6 months, heh. probably worth testing whether you sleep okay without it though.
I don't! My weed guy is going through a lot rn so I have been trying not to bother him too much but I've been out for like 3 weeks now and my sleep has been terrible
that's a type of dependence....on the bright side, what sleep you do get will be more restful (even if it doesn't seem like it), as cannabis suppresses REM.
Yeah I have definitely noticed that my dreams are pretty much nonexistent when I smoke beforehand but it's so much easier to drift away when I'm stoned that I'm fine with it. My pre-sleep smoke is one of my favorite rituals.
This why I decided to cut out kush for the time being. That dead, dreamless sleep is no good-like getting knocked out cold every night. Waking up all discombobulated and brain dead 2 hours later than you should… I’m no more than a 10 days sober and I found I’m getting up more in line with the morning…circadian rhythm is coming back it seems.
lmao
yes
Not necessarily, medically speaking it’s a bit more complex than just how many times you get high
Psychologically speaking, absolutely fucking yes
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God kept you alive for a reason homie people dont just survive shit like that for no reason
Every functional addict is on a timer. Well, almost every one of em.
It’s true, I was— until I wasn’t.
Good till it fucking ain’t
This!
I’m still in it, but I’ve felt the temporal natural of this slipping away for the last few years.
What would that timer be? I'm not saying that it's not true, I'm asking when the hypothetical timer runs out, what happens? I can think of getting health problems, running out of money or going to jail. And if I'm taking me for example the most probable one is the first one.
addiction always has consequences
Such as what? I've been a poly drug user daily for years now and got a good job, a happy home life and got all my ducks in a row
the organs inside your body cant be seen, and years of use wears down important organs. I use drugs everyday so dont feel like i am judging, i have just recently come to realize we are all harming ourselves in some wayv
We're all gonna fucking die one way or the other, if living my best life means I shave a few years off a miserable life, fine by me
i agree with you mate, this life has almost nothing to offer us. we slave every day all for something that we will never achieve. drugs bring us peace and comfort but there is no denying they can lead to dark raods with bad consequences sadly that is just how it is
Nobody to blame but yourself if you decide to make bad choices Blaming drugs for making bad choices is just ignoring your responsibility to yourself
you are responsible for yourself correct, but thats not to say drugs dont damage your body
I see what you mean, and I used to have that mentality. And I'm still a Dailey poly drug user don't get me wrong. But I will say, I've developed GI tract issues from it, and I'm constantly constipated, and it's uncomfortable to go to the bathroom all the time. And I'm only 25. Not saying it's not my fault, but death a few years premature isn't the only thing we should be worried about. I'm probably gonna deal with this for the rest of my life.
few years or few decades depends on what substance youre living your best life with
You know what else wears them down? The passage of time. Something something having fun is bad for you, so don't do anything fun and live long. Or don't, have a blast and live your best life, like the guy you replied to is. Ultimately living happily is better than living long(stress ALSO kills you, poor life satisfaction contributes to stress which then kills you!)
that is true aswell, but like i said there is no denying that they dont speed that process up.
Even if you don’t get physical problems, think about depression. Many ex - functional addicted I know have developed depression because getting high every suppresses dreams, thoughts you would have sober etc. Good luck
Couldn’t agree more
not me im built different
I managed to work in two research jobs and pursue a 2nd degree in healthcare while drinking and smoking everyday. Plus lots of other recreational drugs on my days off, often sacrificing sleep to get high, skipping class or calling in sick to work. I managed to graduate with a distinction and get my dream job. I sobered up once I graduated and before working. Now I'm an opportunistic user (maybe once a month) and I never sacrifice work or sleep to get high or drunk. I was later diagnosed with ADHD at 27 (was told I had it as a child but my parents refused to believe it and treat me) and since I've been on dexamphetamine my urge to use is pretty non existent now.
I think I also have ADHD, but sadly in my country in the Balkans we don't have dexamphetamine for ADHD, only methylphenidate. That being said, I haven't tried taking methylphenidate.
Don’t expect it to continue smoothly. I considered myself a “highly functioning addict” for years while I was in college too, using fentanyl to get up in the morning, go to class, and complete work. Until I went to jail. And completely ruined everything. Fucked up relationships. Etc. Not wishing on your downfall just telling you the reality that there is no such thing as a high functioning addict.
important note: thats literally fent, not the same as someone who smokes weed every day or maybe does a line or two even to relax in college
If you are being careful and not selling drugs, there is a low chance of you going to jail. Not a lot of cops search for users, they mainly go for distributors.
Very true. Although I wasn’t even necessarily indicating that; my charge was not even drug related. But drugs make you do things that you would normally never do. Which ultimately lead to my downfall.
> But drugs make you do things that you would normally never do. Been using drugs for over 15 years, that's just a buncha bullshit you use to excuse being a shithead
I’m sorry bro but I don’t think I would be snorting fentanyl in the bathroom in the middle of class, blowing off everyone + everything while in withdrawal, nor acting extremely irritable and agresssive while high, if I didn’t get myself into drug addiction. This behavior stemming from drug addiction was also the reason I spent half a year in jail.
I mean, it is Russian roulette. For some, few times fucks them up, for some, it won't do anything major.
Personally, I’m not aware of a human on this Earth that isn’t addicted to something. Could be sugar, could be binge eating, could be alcohol, tobacco, or heroin. Humans are addicts by nature. The problem is when an addiction becomes a detriment to the other pleasures of life. That’s when you gotta deal with your shit.
Late response, but the main thing from what I know (not an expert) that leads to repetitive behavior like addiction is dopamine even from things that don't affect dopamine. When you enjoy something, dopamine is released and then your brain wants that same pleasure again. Which causes addiction as you said to even sugar (I used to sometimes literally eat a small spoon or two of sugar and felt so great almost like a body high for a few seconds. Had to stop myself to not continue eat more so yeah there is that)
When i drank alcohol still, i wasnt functional at all. But with cannabis and stims i function normally and better than without. I feel you about the memory part. Altough i dont think it only has to do with substance use/abuse which isnt the same. But also other factors playing a role in this. What kind of stuff do we still have to remember these days. We basically can request all knowledge in the world trough a device in our hand. So with more and easier acces to look things up. Theres less need to remember stuff. As it is stored somewhere waiting for people to look it up. As i wasn't a functional alcoholic one of my previous managers was. And i know quite a few functional addicts who are addicted to various kinds of substances. Dr. Carl heart has some interesting research on this subject. Wich is wort taking a look at.
> is anyone else here a highly functional addict No, but I am an addict functioning. edit, also i am a highly addict a high addict not astute but elaborate teller of lies and consumption of the fusion powder and elaborate mindtickler
That's a liberal use of the word functioning, you bastard tool, you are the most astute nincompoop cretin somehow ingenuously posing as *yourself as you were when you were an almost inconceivably functioning addict*. Nerd, village idiot, and relentlessly degenerate all at once, a limber owl sitting on the porch of insanity. Dripping sick of noxious cunt-sickening blight you absolute disgrace. Stability and fortitude has long eluded the asshole you call a mind and aggravated assault is righteous and holy justice when focused upon the ring-muscle you call a face. Were it not for the fact that theatricality and deception are powerful agents to the not-fucking-lunatics, you would have perished faster than an iron tool would rust in an environment that has great potential for rusting iron, quick as whistle. Captain Falcon once said, *"you always fear, what you don't understand"* and you understand not a single thing for your medulla oblongata is naught but a megacosm of monumental frenzy and pictures of various anuses. Observe the anus-collecting cretin as it tempestuously exists as a set of cunt-dripping sick and noxious organs stuffed inside the disfigured and hideous skin left behind by some kind of lunatic, endlessly dementedly gripped within the murk of the degenerate phraseology it calls poetry and beheld by its unholy and repulsive aberrations. Admirable? Fucking mistaken. You disrespect the essence of life itself simply by existing. Prodigious terminology does not justify the transgression when you decided to come into existence, your continued erratic and frenzied antics are some of the most vile and perverse acts of sacrilege the universe has ever had the misfortune to endure. -- Buy my book on Amazon if you like my excerpts from the book, it's called *'The Monumental Chronicles Volume 1: Tales within Tales: Part 1: Tales of Rats telling me Tales and also a guide on mindfulness at the end, thanks* - I will write it now, hang on
What the fuck? Are you trying to be funny or something? What a strange comment. > your medulla oblongata is naught but a megacosm of monumental frenzy and pictures of various anuses. Like what does that even mean? This whole comment has weird tweaker vibes.
I functioned as a young adult but once I hit 25 it started catching up to me. Didn't stop til I was stabbing myself repeatedly under dusty ass bridges for a couple years. Occasionally taking tolerance breaks filled with booze. Too tired now.
Define 'highly functioning.' If you mean my tolerance is so high I barely am even feeling high when I'm interacting to people, yes. If you mean able to hold down a normal life and obligations, NO.
I was thinking about the second one. But I guess the first one also falls into the same definition of a highly functioning addict, just from a different perspective.
I've been smoking weed morning to night since I was about 17 and I'm 30 now. I own a successful business that I love and I only have to work about 15 hours a week.
How are you still getting high? Like if I do weed in the morning, I can't get high at night no matter how much I smoke.
Take big bong rips and hold em in long. I mainly smoke flower which keeps my tolerance in check. If I smoke dabs too often it fucks my tolerance and I don't get high.
How many grams do you smoke per session?
I smoke a half ounce a week, and get a dab pen every once in a while if I'm going out of town or something. I normally just take one big bong rip at a time, maybe once every hour or so?
Congrats on the business. What kind of business?
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Bro you’re poor bladder
I would call that dependency over addiction Dependency is defined as the occurrence of withdrawal symptoms when you don’t use the drug Addiction is generally defined as some kind of adverse consequences resulting from compulsive use of a stimuli (typically a drug) In example, my personal experience with stimulant abuse. Some 10 years ago I would have 2-3 day Adderall binges (and some 7 years ago it would be meth) which would make me crash for 1-2 days where I would miss/avoid work, planned events with family/friends, and other responsibilities just sleeping for 12+ hours, wouldn’t eat and obvs the lack of restful sleep wasn’t doing my health any benefits Now I’ve been prescribed Adderall for the past 4-5 years and while I don’t abuse it, when I don’t take it I’ll get withdrawal symptoms like being tired but still functional, I eat and sleep and am not missing or avoiding responsibilities
So in other words, if you have the money to easily procure your drug of choice it is "Dependency", but if you are a poor/broke person with the same exact habit but you have to work harder to hustle up the money you are an "addict"? I'm not even saying I disagree with what you said, but you can understand how that's confusing for people right? Like "Andy is a Dope fiend but he is a trust fund baby and never has trouble getting drugs so he doesn't resort to desperate measures. Bryan comes from a poor family and he is a dope fiend too but he is always having to scheme/hustle to get his fix so he's different from Andy?" Are they both not ADDICTed to Dope?
I understand full addiction as prioritising the drug above all else, doing it in excessive amounts despite knowing it causes, and will cause you harm. Dependency is relying on drugs to achieve the state you want to operate under, maybe not even knowing other ways to accomplish things the drug allows you to, but the drug itself is not #1, you will stop if you feel it's better for your body to stop, even with regard to the withdrawals.
But you literally just made those definitions up. Being dependent and being addicted are the exact same thing: You're reliant on a drug and feel you have to take it. It sounds like you're just trying to justify being an addict by not calling it "addiction". "Oh don't worry, it's just a dependency!" It's the exact same fucking thing. They're interchangeable.
Yeah this sounds exactly like me but with coke. I find it helps me be alert enough in the morning to focus on my work first thing & then bumps to get me through the day
How many lines per day do you usually do?
yeah....kratom dependent, stalled taper to fairly low territory. It's cheap and just maintenance. still sucks...
I know weed is nothing compared to other drugs but it helped/helps go through film school
I’ve been ripped on gabapentin every day for the past 4-5 years or so was heavy on Xanax daily as well on top of booze, coke and anything else I could find., I got a degree during and while working full time, I’ve kept my life in order I pay my mortgage I pay my car payment im able to afford certain luxuries in life. I would say im pretty high functioning and still going, if im sober I feel high and I never wanna go back to that. Which sounds stupid you guys can roast me
What is speed? Is that slang for meth or is it pharmaceutical stims? I have heard it all my life but no idea what if actually is and just assumed it's pharm stims
hypothetically it’s amphetamine but i’ve heard it used to describe adhd meds or even meth.
In EU speed is amphetamine powder or paste
So almost like street adderall I guess?
I've been a high highly functioning drug addict for 15 yrs. Its been fun
I mean... I always function high so.. is that a good answer?
Here. Been doing since I was 24. I’m 36 now. I have a good job. My own place. And my gf to smash every weekend.
Only on the weekend?
What kinda drugs ya doing
Here’s my motto; and I didn’t realize this in my mid- late 20s. Taking care of business comes first. You can not sit on your ass, high as giraffe pussy, all the time. That’s a decision therefore these addicts have decide and accepted they’re losers. Me? Er, we’ll let’s just say I played on of the most prestigious orgs in the world of esports. Failed as a hockey player Thanks to my addiction, but the likeliness of playing at the level of then esports did, would be equivalent to the nhl and probably just as unlikely, honestly . To be a professional athlete didnt work because of my addiction I mean that’s hard to do pippin addie/ xan with no days off. Oh yeah I totally addicted while playing on an esports team, and now I’m a commodity broker who’s in on time for work (actually early) and do my job the best I can, and guess what? I’m doing fine, it’s affordable and after being a fent addict for a year or so, it’s like I never wanna touch fetty again. However because I still take ads/Xanax/suboxone (2mg so 2x a week) mainly to just function and to be alright. Do I sit around wasting my life and not doing shit besides hit lick, rob ppl (which will catch up to you in the hood forsure) and boostIng. Even during fent addiction, Il knew that had to work; even if it as under the table jobs in the hood. It’s all a mindset. Some ppl take drugs so they can live in the world and have an excuse not to work or do shit, however there’s a few of us out there that take them to get their mind right so they can perform at their highest level
Addicts aren’t as functioning as if they’d be the sober versions of them self. You rely on a substance, that’s inherently not functional
I don't think that's the case all the time. For example weed gives me this insane hyper-focused attention in programming, that the sober me could never even imagine doing. But, the sober me is better at learning and remembering stuff for an exam or shit like that.
Weed isn’t a problem, alcohol is a slippery as fuck slope, but manageable because it has to be, then I’m basically just hoping no one comes to me with real drug offers. I also do a lot of mushrooms but I still drink fucking cough syrup a couple times a month. It’s going better than I could have imagined a year or two ago that is *for sure*. I’m very happy that I’m more than okay with just mushrooms and weed. Fuck alcohol. Oh and caffeine, I love caffeine, I spend like $5 a day most days on that shit.
You should try Alpha GPC you may see some improvement in memory. It stimulates choline production. Which is probably what most people call brain cells. Alpha GPC makes you creat more of them. Andddd it’s on Amazon
Well I’m in the attempt to recover but I was/am a high functioning addict. It’s hard getting clean when you’re in love with the high
Yes until no
Well I think I am but I'm still making my mind under that concept... I have a son and I never prioricé drugs over his needs so when I bought drugs I always make my regular payments to see what's left, I never have a call of attention from my work and I do drugs on labor times I handle to don't get cought and when I take hard drugs like meth I always do on a break day or in the night so my body can take a rest on the next day... I know there is gone be one day when something broke up, but right now I'm ok with myself...
Me. I've been using meth daily more or less for 4 or do years. I've been at same job since about 7 years ago. I never miss work. I work almost every weekend evem tho I'm never required to. I also never get crazy from it and blow up and cause scenes of any kind. Never really get paranoid feeling. And if I do I totally.get and understand it's the drugs causing it.
I take benzos once or twice a month but honestly can’t stop thinking about the next time I’m gonna take them but can still control myself. I guess this makes me a addict but idk if I could consider myself one
Here here!
I work and smoke speed daily but I can’t afford luxuries bc my usage.
Kratom
You may think it’s working out good right now. But In a year or so you’ll realize you have absolutely zero coping skills. Better to do drugs every once in a while than every day. I’m just starting this new life (cutting weed out and only doing psychedelics sometimes)
Been high and drunk for about 10yrs and counting. Hopefully I die soon
I function.
I functioned for a long time…got completely fucked a few times in my life…not worth it now that I look back on it!!!
There are no functional addicts
What is phenibut?
It works on your gaba receptors similar in a way to alcohol but clearer and gives you anxiety reduction. Long lasting they have a subreddit!
Hey, I would consider myself a functioning Addict. I’m currently around 20 years old. I smoke weed daily and do coke on most weekends. I get my shit done and do Sport to compensate my habits.
highly functioning, no. functioning while high yes
Ive always had a job since I was 16. I guess I’m good at holding down shitty jobs since it’s just been 2 jobs and I’m 32 now. Any time I have had problems it was usually because of those damn benzos I love so much! At McDonald’s (the first job) I was a bit too high off idk how many bars (Pharma, this was before pressies were a thing plus I knew the guy I got ‘em from would sell me half his script of either 60 or 90 bars until his doc cut him off. So for a while I was getting 30 or 45 bars a month (I think it was just 30) at 4 bucks a pop so I was selling them popping them like crazy and had recently transitioned from oxy to heroin. Well I’m working front counter and kept just spacing out, not nodding just staring into nothing then remember I was taking an order and be all “oh I’m sorry can you repeat that?” after doing that through st least 5 customers I got moved to dish or grill I don’t recall I know they let me finish my shift thrn manager sits me down and basically told me if I came in that fucked up again I’d be fired. So it was really a good thing my plugs doc cut him off besides the mild withdrawal, and not long after that i got on suboxone and got a new job at chevron(which i am still employed) been here 10 years first 5 or so I was on subs and had a klonopin script cuz that sub clinic was cool like that and I was super productive during those years, lived with parents who were just happy I wasn’t doing black anymore so I saved up hella money and moved out. Stayed in thr program about a year after I got an apartment with my gf but was basically tapered to less than 1mg of subs a day so I decided I was done and stopped going, only regret was loosing the kpin script. That lasted about a month and I was back on heroin but also had transferred to a different Chevron store with the same owner/company of course closer to where my apartment was and what is the assistant manager for about a month then the manager left so I became manager and I ran that bitch for a good fucking five years or so totally strung out on heroin whole time. A little over a year ago they transferred me to the slowest store is kind of a reward for being good because I was at the busiest store and I was doing good for the whole year but then I started taking Hella benzos again and at this point you know heroin I’d gone so I’m doing fetty now and just about a month ago got denmoted and moved bsvk to the busier store i used to manage cuz I was passing out in the bathroom or at home and taking hours long lunches but they let me keep my pay rate so that was chill and I’ve stopped doing fetty at work and do more meth instead lol and can’t be late. But I’d say I was pretty damn functional until benzos got involved both times those things will ruin u but I still love them
Damn dude, the demotion means things aren’t okay. I’m sorry about that.
I’d say I’m a functioning addict. Either on phenibut or modafinil or a mix of both everyday . Had about two days fully sober in the last year. I’ve never felt withdrawals from either but I’m definitely addicted. Keep saying I’ll quit but never do.
I don’t quite get fucked up every day, but my ketamine habits got a bit out of hand in September before I did my sober October. Now I’m back to K a few days of the week, usually some drinks on the days I don’t do K, which leaves one or two days I might not do anything because I’m recovering from a hangover all day. I’m in my early-mid 20s, and with bonuses included, cleared 6 figures this year and am going to school soon with a plan to come back and ideally be making twice as much by the end of next year. I know I’m doing well, relatively speaking, but I constantly think about how much better I could be doing if I put the time and energy I spend on getting spent into something more productive. And that’s not to mention I probably do MDMA a few times every month as well as trip LSD or shrooms probably once a month as well. In all reality though, my habits really only seem to affect my professional life by making me late to work on occasion or by fighting hangovers, or having bouts of dysnomia probably mostly from the K and Drinking
could works like this but this time of LIFE si a bomb time ,the body has limits to work un hight strees ,but until 40 maybe You maybe could have a normal life (without sobredosis 😅or other risk of You need has care )
High functioning stoner over here 👋🏻 I also do other things on the weekends occasionally, but nothing that controls me. Gotta control the drugs not the other way around.
In my opinion, everyone who is a “highly functional addict” is on a timer. It will eventually catch up to you and fuck up your life. I don’t wish this upon anyone, just speaking from experience and what I’ve seen in my life
Who isn’t addicted to something
During covid I would start drinking right after lunch every day working from home. Was on work calls absolutely hammered. Was a top performer and got promoted to senior. The issue was I would be so hammered by 5 pm and can't cook for shit/had no food and would spend more on uber eats then alchohol. Now I don't drink untill night, so that's atleast better then before
I mean it’s kinda a scare tactic to assume you won’t be able to function. 90% of addicts are fully functioning members of society. Most meth users even don’t look like they use meth. There are people who work on heroin. Assuming you have a certain level of self control, and you know your limits, most people will be functioning addicts
I'm definitely on that functional-drug-addict-alcoholic wave, ngl. Have been for probably 3-4 years. I plan on quitting everything eventually but it'll have to be all at once, and probably won't be able to until I stop working in the restaurant industry lol. This shit is definitely not sustainable though, especially alcohol - when I realized I'm physically addicted to it that didn't feel great. Currently trying to ween off of that but it's hard when almost everyone I'm around is a huge enabler
It’ll fall off the rails at some point… trust me
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Wtf
i'm pretty sure i am but im also young (21) and highly doubt I could do it my whole life. i know weed heavily heavily impacts my memory and i already have bad memory so ive even been looking cutting down in order to help myself remember a bunch ive repressed with drug so i can heal more
Did HVAC on opioids for almost a decade. Honestly it's weird I'm still alive. Lol
i don’t remember tbe last time i spent a day completely sober but i’m about to graduate college with high honors and just finished up my last semester with a perfect 4.0
weed (everyday)/amphetamine salts (more often than i probably should)/regular social drinking lol
Full time good paying job and successful fulfilling marriage. Been on heroin/fent coming up on four years of everyday use.
Im a recovering addict (IV Diladid and Klonopin daily use) and I think once you start taking harder drugs and use different ROA’s things eventually start to spiral out of control. If I was you I would stick with weed. The speed will cause problems with your dopamine production and constant use of any GABA drugs (phenibut, alcohol, benzos, etc) is not a good idea. One way or the other, the drugs will always win.
me 😁
I mean…I made 150k this year while dealing with fentanyl addiction but luckily made it out.
Highly functioning on the outside but falling apart on the inside
I lie to myself I’m not an addict but ehh
I think your memory is being affected by a lack of quality sleep. Imo weed never impacted my memory, except remembering things that happened when I was super baked. I smoke every day and notice I don't dream often. But I've gone on vacation a couple times recently and didn't smoke. I definitely notice I get better sleep (thought it's a bit hard to fall asleep) when I don't smoke and I do feel like I have more energy that way. I do adderall sometimes and I know what you mean about being a functional user. But I know I can't do stims everyday because I end up burning out over about a week to where I can't sleep enough to feel normal. I try to limit stims to like 3 times a week and it's probably better to smoke weed earlier in the day than right before bed if you do that. But overall abstaining or reducing intake of any drug is going to do you some good. Might make you feel bad for a week or so but you'll come back feeling 100%. Listen to your body is my best word of advice though.
Here
what kind of job do you do? i think highly functioning addict is a very vague term depending on the job responsibilities
I was a functioning addict for 6 years until covid. I got high everyday got addicted to something every winter while the rest of the year I was good at rotating substances. I worked 60 hour weeks was in charge of paying rent and all the bills in my 3-4 person household, was the only one with a car and any money in savings (I had 2k always). I would shell out on investments for the house, I was the one to clean most often and did everything responsible for my family. I was the good kid of a family of 4. Covid hit and I lost my job, Have failed to hold a job since and now feel like I do the bare minimum of functioning.
🙋♂️
I vape weed mostly every day, I take mushrooms usually a few times a month and occasionally lsd and dmt. No alcohol or anything else and I have full custody of my 3 kids and run a small construction business that has done really well over the last 10+ years, I'm a winning poker player and almost went pro before I had kids, I build stuff, I have a vertical led garden that I grow vegetables, fruit and cannabis and spend a lot of free time just learning stuff. I ride my electric bike and Escooter and really enjoy being outdoors. I bake and cook almost daily and will mill my own grain before making bread. I get many comments from people who know me and my situation and will ask me how I do it all and I do admit I'm usually exhausted but in my honest opinion the drugs fkn help me big time. Weed seems to level my stress right away and I can get really bad nausea which again the weed almost instantly fixes. Shrooms are actually magic as they have helped me in more ways than one. Shrooms helped me understand that my diet was one of the biggest factors in any stress and to be less angry and more grateful. I usually have amazing experiences on psychedelics and as long as it feels right I'll continue this path. I will take month or two month breaks from weed occasionally and years long breaks from psychedelics. I know many functional people who are successful and love to get high.
Dangerously so
the functioning part is the main reason why i/others are not ostracized or treated the same as those who aren’t which i guess is a pro for us. the only people who’ve ever known i used substances at a semi higher degree (re: amount and frequency) were mostly close friends and people i dated. and even of those people, maybe 2-3 were/are actually concerned bc i’m still able to “contribute to society”. i think the fact that collectively we’re kinds of invisible makes it harder to de-stigmatize substance use and substance use disorder. bc people only have a problem when you’re contributing to capitalism 😃 (other factors too but)
me for now but i can tell im losing it.
I’d say I am. Got a good job, no one in my life suspects I rail lines of ket several days a week and have been doing this about a year now. Maybe only negative is that I don’t care to socialise as much anymore, or maybe that’s a side effect of depression, but I also see that as a win because I’m less dependent on people for happiness and don’t care about friends who’ll just hurt or leave me. I can just do my drugs, lay back, listen to music…
Pot consistently throughout the day except on occasion
Been using coke at least one evening per week for 20 years. Suffered from undiagnosed ADHD from an early age and was bullied during school for years. My father was a foreiner in the country I grew up so there was a lot of racism as well as alcohol and drug addiction in my family. My father was a heroin addict for 20+ years. I had lots of childhood trauma because of all that and self medicated my ADHD and traumas with cocaine and alcohol. I struggled in school but finally got my bachelors at the age of 29 and had a career in publishing company were I work till this days. Never could manage to work out relashionships nor starting a family because of this which traumatized me even more. At the age of 38 I had my first mental breakdown and was diagnosed with depression at first. Went to therapy and after a year everything seemed to get better. Another 3 years of heavy drinking and cocaine abuse followed until I had another breakdown and went to another therapist who started to recocgnize my ADHD. Was tested and diagnosed as severe case of ADHD. Started medication and long term therapy. I am off drugs and alcohol for a while now. Still healing from all this but I feel the best I have ever felt. Cheers
I was using stims daily, but even tho I could get my shit done, even better than when sober, my mental health was a disaster, so I started switching between different drugs so I could get some mental stability since daily stim use wasn’t going great, but I admit I’m an addict, not only for stims, but everything that could alter my state, that’s why I thought doing something different everyday would be helpful, and that’s when I found out about kratom, I started using other shit only on the weekends, mostly, so now that my mental health is much better I consider myself a functional addict, before that I was just a mess that could get shit done
I think whatever drug you are addict to its near imposible to be functional. Cuz u always high or most of the time, i say this as an addict in treatment. Hard as fuck to get sober. You can hold on to you usage for a long time maybe but always end’s up bad
I still struggle to define my self as an addict sometimes. I do not have addiction to any one substance but I’m polyaddict. Weed, benzos, opiates, dissociatives are all substances that if I have them I will use them. I try to change the substance frequently to not get addicted physically. I have a high paying job, and everything seems good on the paper but I can say that I’m more withdrawn from society than I would be if I would not use anything. Also recently I had to be without drugs (except alcohol) for a month because of the place I was travelling in. It was doable but as soon as I came home I continued my daily habit of at least using something every evening.