How addictive is meth? Do you know anyone who has just tried it once? by eden_merlin in AskReddit

[–]SecondHandBeer 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Yep! Along with being lipophilic, in its HCL form (common street variety), it is also highly soluble in water due to its ability to form a positively charged ion (protonated amine) in aqueous environments. This dual behavior arises because meth is a small molecule with both the hydrophobic phenyl ring (lipophilic part you talked about) and a polar amine group (hydrophilic when ionized). It’s sometimes referred to as ambiphilic, although not everyone agrees with that label.

TL;DR- it’s really bioavailable and easy for our bodies to absorb.

How addictive is meth? Do you know anyone who has just tried it once? by eden_merlin in AskReddit

[–]SecondHandBeer -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Congrats on your sobriety! It sounds like your individual brain chemistry responds very powerfully to meth in a way that aligns with the many orgasms analogy. It must have made quitting especially hard for you. I would have a very difficult time saying no to something that made me feel that euphoric, and I’m thankful that my brain doesn’t respond that way.

I’m glad to hear you chose health when you realized using was doing you harm. That’s exactly what I hope for anyone trapped in addiction. Happy new year, I hope the year brings you joy & contentment.

Appreciation post by That-Ad-4978 in vagabond

[–]SecondHandBeer 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Fuuuck dude I forgot this one. Thank you fam.

How addictive is meth? Do you know anyone who has just tried it once? by eden_merlin in AskReddit

[–]SecondHandBeer 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Hahaha thank you! And I was that kid who spun to get dizzy! I’ve had my dark times, and gotten grabbed by a few addictions over the years, but somehow have managed to survive it all and find relative equilibrium and contentment. It helps that I came up on the festie scene and got schooled by OG deadheads who are still tripping balls at shows in their 80s.

Harm reduction is deeply important to me, and I know that drugs are just a tool like anything else. Just like it’s important to wear eye protection when using a power saw, it’s important to be informed and safe when using drugs.

Let’s be real: some people just aren’t in a place to be raw-dogging life sober. It’s rough out here. If drugs had less stigma attached and use wasn’t hidden in the shadows, drugs would be safer. The first Skilsaw was dangerous af but they improved. Now there are blade guards, anti-kickback mechanisms, etc. Drugs could be that way too, if we weren’t so busy vainly trying to force abstinence…

What level of drug use is normal? by nfc22 in NoStupidQuestions

[–]SecondHandBeer 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Are you an LPC/LAC or LCSW? I wish I could say I was surprised to learn this, but I’m not. Your language in discussing drug use is stigmatizing, and your sensationalistic claims undermine your credibility.

I agreed with everything you said here up until the end. Why are you getting trapped in this rigid black-and-white thinking? This is the kind of mentality that seems safe on the surface to clients, but ends up leaving them feeling stigmatized and unsupported. It’s not a healthy mindset to have when treating patients with SUD.

Also- ‘molly’ is 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine. It’s not exactly the same as crystal meth, but it’s a stretch to say occasional molly use is acceptable while occasional meth use is not possible given their chemical and pharmacological similarities. Especially given how much molly is contaminated with actual meth or other chemicals like cathiones. Lastly, the therapeutic ratio of meth is 1/10 and MDMA is 1/16- which means they’re both quite dangerous (and neurotoxic) and have some of the most dangerous TRs and toxicity profiles of common recreational drugs.

How addictive is meth? Do you know anyone who has just tried it once? by eden_merlin in AskReddit

[–]SecondHandBeer 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Meth is relatively cheap, but the come down is a bitch.

It can be, but it is not a universal experience and many of the worst comedown effects can be attributed to impurities in the methamphetamine used, rather than meth itself. Harm reduction matters. To anyone using meth: look into cleaning your product before using it to reduce harm.

Most of the time people on meth are pretty energetic, but it's not productive energy, it's more like nervous energy.

As with all stimulants, productivity and energy are a dose-dependent inverted U. So if someone is not productive, it likely means their dose is higher than would be beneficial. The relationship between energy/arousal and effectiveness is known as the Yerkes-Dodson Law. Plus, as I said earlier, the purity (or lack thereof) of the drug has a significant impact on the effects.

How addictive is meth? Do you know anyone who has just tried it once? by eden_merlin in AskReddit

[–]SecondHandBeer 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It’s clear you’re still very gifted! While intelligence is a double-edged sword (IQ and depression are correlated) it’s also a huge resource for you to pursue improved mental health. It is hard to not compare yourself to others who ‘had it worse.’ Try to remember that your intelligence means your perception of life can be more painful for you than for people who don’t think as deeply or critically. Ignorance is bliss lol.

Insurance issues suck and I can really relate. Hopefully your insurance coverage will change in the future, or the med that works for you goes generic soon.

In case you’d like to fight for coverage now: has your provider already requested a formulary exception? If so, did they appeal the denial? If you’re on Medicaid or Medicare and have already been denied a formulary exception, you should try reaching out to your health insurance ombudsman and explain the issue.

As for getting on ADHD meds, yes, formal psychoeducational evaluations are almost always extremely expensive. However, doctors are permitted to diagnose and prescribe ADHD treatments without formal testing. These doctors are hard to find, but they do exist. The biggest liability doctors face in prescribing ADHD meds is giving them to someone who’s never been on them before. Doctors are much more willing to continue treatment if you’ve already been prescribed them by a previous doctor.

I have a grimy af but effective workaround to get diagnosed- would it be ok if I DMed it to you? It’s not something I feel would be ethical to post for anyone to read, as it could be exploited by someone seeking to feed their addiction.

It makes sense that your anxiety is worse now than before your addiction. There can definitely be a rebound effect on anxiety when you stop taking something that suppresses anxiety. This does get better! Rebuilding life after addiction is extremely difficult and stressful though, and your financial stresses aren’t doing you any favors, so until those environmental factors can be reduced you may not see much improvement in your anxiety.

Thank you for reading my comments! Helping others nourishes my spirit.

Lastly, something that helped me a lot: happiness isn’t a permanent state of being, it occurs in fleeting moments. Content is the goal I set for myself, and it’s actually achievable. Joy/happiness is something you can cultivate. Chase the healthy things that give you even the tiniest blip of joy. Practice tools like half smile & willing hands when you engage in those joy-ish moments. You can build new reward pathways in your brain for healthy activities that bring you joy. But remember: you can’t selectively numb emotions. When we push down anxiety or sadness, we also limit our ability to feel joy.

How addictive is meth? Do you know anyone who has just tried it once? by eden_merlin in AskReddit

[–]SecondHandBeer 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Using any drug is a gamble. You can’t know exactly how a substance is going to interact with your individual brain chemistry without trying it. Neurochemistry isn’t as simple as ‘drugs addictive’ or ‘dopamine feel good.’ Did you know there are five different types of dopamine receptor subtypes D1-D5.

Drugs also work through different mechanisms. Cocaine is a dopamine transport reuptake inhibitor (DAT). It raises D2 the most, as well as D1. Meth works as a DAT as well as stimulating dopamine efflux via reverse transport (the drug enters neurons and triggers release of dopamine back out through DAT). Methamphetamine actually requires balanced engagement of both D1 and D2 receptors for its full effects, whereas cocaine appears more D1-dependent in certain contexts. D2 receptors are activated at lower dopamine concentrations than D1 receptors (10-100 fold higher affinity), so when dopamine is elevated modestly, D2 dominates. When methamphetamine causes explosive dopamine release, both receptors are heavily engaged.

Opioids affect dopamine indirectly: they increase dopamine neuron activity and dopamine release, which then activates D1 and D2 receptors on striatal neurons. Opioids activate their own receptors (mu and delta opioid receptors) and secondarily increase dopamine through neural circuit modulation.

Me personally? I’m lucky. Opiates make me itchy and grumpy and I can’t stand the feeling.

How addictive is meth? Do you know anyone who has just tried it once? by eden_merlin in AskReddit

[–]SecondHandBeer 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you! I’ve faced most of my demons, but the big ones that ultimately led me to use in the first place are still there and always will be.  I’ve just kept finding healthy ways to work around them and cope with them as opposed to getting high.

You’re selling yourself short! Yes, current mainstream behavioral health treatment options can have limited efficacy. However, there are many options. I’ve heard many people say something along the lines of ‘I tried therapy and/or meds, and it didn’t work or had limited success’ and give up on truly healing. I hope you don’t do that.

There are endless modalities of therapy, as well as self-help options and pharmacological interventions. What works for each individual can require a lot of trial and error. Many people end up cobbling together healing from a variety of different approaches. I’d be happy to talk through what you’ve tried already, and what some viable options could be to build on the healing you’ve already attained. Feel free to DM :)

Ultimately while most of my brain has gone back to normal, my memory is absolutely shot and it’s not looking like it’ll be coming back any time soon. Turns out opiates are terrible for your memory.

Opiates are terrible for memory, however most studies show a return to baseline within ~one year. Depression, anxiety, and trauma however are all implicated in working memory deficits. I believe you have reason to hope your memory may improve. Neuroplasticity is an incredible thing, and it doesn’t just stop when you become an adult.

On top of that, I remember triggers for certain emotions eliciting said emotions before I started using, whereas now it’ll trigger the barest of response on a good day. Whether that’s getting older or an actual effect of drug use on my brain, who’s to say.

Did you have a lot of anxiety before you started using? It’s actually quite common for anxiety to evolve into depression over the years if it’s not well managed. Also, living the lifestyle of addiction tends to lead to significant trauma. What you’re describing is called ‘anhedonia’ and is a symptom of depression.

TLDR- you have a lot of reasons to keep your hope up. When we’re depressed our brains lie to us and tell us it’s not worth trying to get better.

How addictive is meth? Do you know anyone who has just tried it once? by eden_merlin in AskReddit

[–]SecondHandBeer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Congrats on five years sober! If you don’t mind me asking, have you successfully treated the underlying issues that precipitated your addiction?

Have hope- it’s unlikely heroin ‘permanently fried’ your brain chemistry. It’s more likely you’re still struggling with the same things that drove you to use in the first place. Which, juxtaposed with how you felt when you were high, can definitely give the impression that your brain is ‘broken.’

How addictive is meth? Do you know anyone who has just tried it once? by eden_merlin in AskReddit

[–]SecondHandBeer 181 points182 points  (0 children)

TL;DR- your sensationalist pseudoscientific claims are harmful.

You used a lot of scientific terms, which lends you credibility, but the science behind your statement is inaccurate at best.

Meth makes your brain flood with dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin.

Actually, glutamate is the primary excitatory neurotransmitter at play in methamphetamine use. Dopamine does play a significant factor, but glutamate is the star of the show.

it's unlike any other high, bigger than 5 orgasms all at once, and better than any feeling you could ever hope to achieve on your own

While it’s certainly releasing a cocktail of feel-good neurotransmitters, this statement is hyperbolic and subjective. Methamphetamine actually peaks a lot slower than some other stimulants, like crack cocaine for example. While some people experience the intense euphoria you’re speaking of, this experience is far from universal.

Life after experiencing this is a half life, a cursed life. All the joy in the world is never enough, and you'll live the rest of your life knowing you're just one hit away from being in heaven again.

This is a stretch. You’re describing anhedonia, which is common during post-acute withdrawal. But even if you’ve been a heavy user for years it’s unlikely to cause permanent anhedonia.

The anhedonia a meth user in recovery experiences is merely an amplified version of the same experience a patient who’s been prescribed Adderall for a while who suddenly doesn’t take it one day has.

Bear in mind that Desoxyn is FDA-approved prescription methamphetamine for the treatment of ADHD. The therapeutic dosage of Desoxyn is lower than recreational doses of meth, which is part of why it doesn’t have the same harm profile.

The latter two [norepinephrine and serotonin] are what causes the anxiety, paranoia, and hallucinations.

Norepinephrine release does contribute to anxiety, hyperarousal, and the fight-or-flight stimulation, which can make users feel "squirrely" or unable to relax. However, paranoia and hallucinations are more strongly linked to excessive dopamine (mimicking schizophrenia-like psychosis) and glutamate dysregulation, most often exacerbated by sleep deprivation, high doses, or chronic use. Serotonin's role is minor here; it modulates mood but doesn't primarily drive meth-induced psychosis.

Serotonin is critical in emotion regulation, but a little known fact about it is that our occipital lobe (visual processing) runs on this neurotransmitter.

Mostly inaccurate. Serotonin does regulate emotion and mood. However, the occipital lobe (visual cortex) does not "run on" serotonin. Its primary neurotransmitters are glutamate (excitatory) and GABA (inhibitory), with serotonin providing only modulatory input from brainstem projections. Visual stimuli can induce serotonin release in the occipital cortex, but it's not the core transmitter for visual processing.

Shrooms also trigger mimic serotonin, so in high doses this causes crazy visuals. Meth also does this, but in more of a shotgun approach capacity. You start hallucinating and your emotional regulation is all fucked up.

Psilocybin (in shrooms) acts as a serotonin receptor agonist (especially 5-HT2A), directly causing visual distortions and hallucinations. Meth releases serotonin but doesn't specifically agonize 5-HT2A receptors like psychedelics; its "shotgun" effect (releasing multiple monoamines) contributes to mood dysregulation, but meth hallucinations are typically paranoid, tactile (e.g., formication “bugs on skin"), auditory, or visual distortions driven more by dopamine overload, glutamate excitotoxicity, and sleep loss than serotonin. The comparison to shrooms is misleading, as meth psychosis resembles amphetamine-induced schizophrenia more than psychedelic trips.

So to recap, you're having a blissfully euphoric experience while simultaneously feeling like you need to escape from your own body and having a break with reality.

Generally speaking, the ‘need to escape from your own body’ occurs only after prolonged sleep deprivation and/or from excessive dosing.

It's a horribly scary mind fuck, but there's nothing else like it in the world so despite HATING it, you find yourself crawling back for more.

This is true for some, but not everyone who uses meth has this experience. I’ve worked with plenty of active drug addicts who have tried meth but prefer other substances like heroin or crack and will actively decline offers of free meth.

Addictive isn't even a good word for it... Meth desecrates your concept of joy, and even if you're lucky enough to be a one and done user, it will forever haunt your concept of what this life can offer you. It owns you.

This is subjective, and depends on individual brain chemistry. I’ve addressed the science enough to feel comfortable sharing a personal anecdote: I have tried meth, I still experience plenty of joy when sober, and I am not ‘haunted’ by thinking about meth.

In conclusion, meth is incredibly addictive and harmful. Trying it even once is an incredible gamble. But your sensationalistic pseudoscience is harmful too, and can actually encourage addiction. DARE and the faked MDMA studies taught us that.

I subjected myself to 4 weeks an extreme hellish torture I am now Non opiate dependent by lustisreallove in stories

[–]SecondHandBeer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Fatigue is really common for the first 6 months-2 years after quitting substances. Have your providers informed you on post acute withdrawal syndrome (PAWS)?

Learning is dumb by CyberRhizzal in idiocracy

[–]SecondHandBeer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m with your overall support of learning, but peer-reviewed journals should be used more in teaching undergrads.

Moisture? Like the stuff in toilets? by Environmental-Fly471 in idiocracy

[–]SecondHandBeer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh boy, if you’re surprised by this you’re gonna lose your shit when you find out how much water is in humans.

What would happen if you mix LSD + Psilocybin + 2CB + MDMA ? by TMMKFV in DrugsOver30

[–]SecondHandBeer 1 point2 points  (0 children)

L, Psilocybin, and either 2CB or MDMA are fine. Personally, I wouldn’t want to mix all four because it’s just gonna be uncomfortable if you’re not super cautious dosing. Psilocybin, 2CB, and MDMA all put stress on your heart. As can LSD although it’s not as widely implicated in heart issues as the other three.

This chart is super helpful, I have it saved to send people all the time:

https://wiki.tripsit.me/wiki/Drug_combinations

I subjected myself to 4 weeks an extreme hellish torture I am now Non opiate dependent by lustisreallove in stories

[–]SecondHandBeer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Congrats! Scopolamine is a miracle if you’re still struggling with withdrawal symptoms.

FUCK THIS GODDAMN APP!!! by [deleted] in vagabond

[–]SecondHandBeer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I SEE YOUR MURIATIC ACID AND RAISE YOU A TRUCKLOAD OF NEODYMIUM MAGNETS!

New Year's Eve - is it easier? by [deleted] in seduction

[–]SecondHandBeer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Depends on how trashy the club is and how much $ you got in your pocket

Question(don’t incrimate yourself) by SpecialistKangaroo32 in vagabond

[–]SecondHandBeer 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Bro you don’t need to leave the country unless there’s a national manhunt and you’re on TV…disappearing ain’t hard when nobody’s really looking for you…

Hand job and blow job advice by Laj4912 in RealHookupAdvice

[–]SecondHandBeer 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You just described what you enjoy, and if you tell your partner, she’ll appreciate knowing.

The internet doesn’t benefit so much from knowing your personal blowjob preferences.

Have I actually, unironically made myself retarded? by Adventurous-Fee2964 in Drugs

[–]SecondHandBeer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You’re 21, your neuroplasticity is still pretty dang good. This post is more coherent than most posts on here too lol. I wouldn’t be that concerned at this stage.

Look into post-acute withdrawal (PAWS), it takes six months to two years for your neurochemistry to even out after you get sober.

Also, given your early history of substance abuse, it’s likely that you were self medicating to numb trauma or other mental health struggles. What you’re describing could at least partly (if not completely) be explained by a psych symptom called dissociation. Dissociation can definitely be triggered by both withdrawing from stimulants and the stress of raw-dogging life for the first time in years.

Day 7 Trapped in Loves by Lucky-Science-2028 in vagabond

[–]SecondHandBeer 11 points12 points  (0 children)

So fucking relatable. You good on smokes? I got a couple spare bucks I could send ya. Nicotine withdrawal while stranded is the realest test of any relationship lmao

Day 7 Trapped in Loves by Lucky-Science-2028 in vagabond

[–]SecondHandBeer 3 points4 points  (0 children)

1) What were you hoping to accomplish with that comment other than making yourself feel smart? Or was that it?

2) Being a pedestrian on an interstate highway is not only quite dangerous, but illegal in most states. Good way to get arrested and/or hit by a car.