You think there's any middle class people who inject heroin?

parc

Was just thinking this today

Anyone think there's middle class heroin users who hold down a job and do it at the weekend? Is it even possible?

mikom

parc wrote: »

Was just thinking this today

Anyone think there's middle class heroin users who hold down a job and do it at the weekend?

Guaranteed there is at least one.
They may not be able to do it in perpetuity however.

dr.bollocko

We refer to it as opium darling.

aaronjumper

Yes. It is expensive after all.

Eve_Dublin

Yep. I know a few.

4zn76tysfajdxp

Pete Doherty.

Galwayguy35

Someone doesn't automatically have to be working class to be a junkie.

Fight_Night

Definitely. Probably only temporarily middle class though. Heroin will **** ya up. They'll end up on the streets if it turns into an addiction.

parc

Josie Blue Tic-tac-toe wrote: »

Pete Doherty.

Yeah but he robs and is a skank. You'd know he does it to look at him

deandean

The middle class can't afford drugs anymore :mad: I'll have to go onto SW.

Latchy

Yeah ...Jim Morrison was very middle class . .

Seaneh

aaronjumper wrote: »

Yes. It is expensive after all.

Only lately, was quite cheap for a time after the US let the farmers in Afghanistan go mad producing 2/3rds of the worlds total crop unharassed.

Tom_Cruise

There are many.Usually the drug gets the better of them in the end though.Everyone starts somewhere.

dr.bollocko

Oh look!

The indo's got an opinion from 5 years ago!

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/middleclass-heroin-use-rising-as-drug-spreads-nationwide-1253957.html
Puke.

4zn76tysfajdxp

dr.bollocko wrote: »

Oh look!

The indo's got an opinion from 5 years ago!

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/middleclass-heroin-use-rising-as-drug-spreads-nationwide-1253957.html
Puke.

That's kind of sickening. "Oh no, not the middle classes!"

T-K-O

OP cannot be serious or lives a very sheltered life

Madam_X

I don't think it, I know it.

Madam_X

Josie Blue Tic-tac-toe wrote: »

That's kind of sickening. "Oh no, not the middle classes!"

Typical indo. In their coverage re the two young lads who died in Kinsale last week, they deemed it relevant to mention that they were middle-class and one of the guys' parents lived in a nice house by the sea.

Colmustard

You don't have to inject heroine, you can smoke it, or chasing the dragon as its called. It was popular for weekend recreational use among the middle classes in London and New York during the pre-depression years, so if there you can be assured it went on here.

If you go by addiction studies 10% of them would have got into trouble and progressed to injecting it. So yes is the answer there are middle classed people who injects heroine. I don't know any, I did know a few recreational weekend cocaine users though. (Twats)

BillyMitchel

I's say there's a good few that smoke it but injecting the numbers would be pretty low I'd say.

hardCopy

parc wrote: »

Was just thinking this today

Anyone think there's middle class heroin users who hold down a job and do it at the weekend? Is it even possible?

Loads I'm sure, I know I've read on boards about a couple of users troubles.

Even Jack Bauer managed to hold down a stressful job while on the junk.

punchdrunk

yes,I personally know the son of a business man who owned a fairly small but successful niche electronics business in Dublin.the business owner died he son got his hands on his portion of the cash and blew it on a downward spiral of drug use.
really nice,intelligent guy but a complete fúck up of a bloke.he's still only young too

T-K-O

hardCopy wrote: »

Loads I'm sure, I know I've read on boards about a couple of users troubles.

Even Jack Bauer managed to hold down a stressful job while on the junk.

#
WTF, you take that back

EclipsiumRasa

I am disappointed to think someone who used the apostrophe correctly in the there's in the title couldn't come up with a better thread.

Marsden

I know someone who became middle class after getting addicted, does that count?

theteal

One or two alright

Colmustard

EclipsiumRasa wrote: »

I am disappointed to think someone who used the apostrophe correctly in the there's in the title couldn't come up with a better thread.

HuH

I am disappointed with someone who uses perfect grammar and structure in their sentences could not come up with a better post.:(

Chuck Stone

De dentists, doctors, nurses do be hookin demselves up to de morphine drips.

Terrible Joe.

dr.bollocko

EclipsiumRasa wrote: »

I am disappointed to think someone who used the apostrophe correctly in the there's in the title couldn't come up with a better thread.

Colmustard wrote: »

HuH

I am disappointed with someone who uses perfect grammar and structure in their sentences could not come up with a better post.:(

mod:

knock it off lads.

T-K-O

Lads, I'm disappointed with yas

Hande hoche!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xhdPmu2dEA

minidazzler

aaronjumper wrote: »

Yes. It is expensive after all.

Actually, it's really really cheap, the problem is the tolerance goes up very quickly so you need more a lot faster than you would for most drugs.

I've heard plenty of stories of people who only do it at the weekends, function perfectly normal during the weak. But haven't ever met any.

Scrappychimow

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikGtCA3OJJc

Logical Fallacy

parc wrote: »

Was just thinking this today

Anyone think there's middle class heroin users who hold down a job and do it at the weekend? Is it even possible?

Plenty do, for a time.

Then it all falls apart on them.

later12

I would guess that there are three major reasons why heroin is a drug that appears to be disproportionately skewed in its uptake to those of a poor background.

One reason is the nature of the drug; users seem to be going through such negative emotional states whilst at the same time, having no socially favourable position in life to lose, that the notion of addiction is less frightening.

This leads on nicely to the social side of heroin use. I once read that heroin users can be seen to be retreatists ; people who are alienated by authority and do not understand mainstream goals, and form their own close knit band of conspirators who sympathise with one another's experiences. And that does seem to be borne out on the streets; heroin is something of a group activity involving small bands of very close friends.

The third reason may relate not so much to the poor, but to the rich. As well as having 'something to lose' by taking on an addiction, the rich are aware of heroin's popular reputation as belonging to a certain socio economic class. Instead, perhaps they choose to identify with alternative drugs as part of their social interactions, ones that are not so much vehicles to deal with pain directly, but which are associated with a 'party' or leisure culture.

That's my take on why the socially disadvantaged may be more likely to take up heroin anyway; but by no means am I suggesting that middle class heroin users do not exist.

Just one question.

I've often heard about the chemically addictive nature of heroin on an anecdotal basis - that whilst the high is unlike many other drugs, heroin is also a stronger (chemical) addiction to kick. I know that's very much the anecdotal experience, but is it actually true? I've often been suspicious that a large part of the reason why heroin is so popular to kick is because of the problems that gave rise to its uptake in the first place. But that's a question, not a statement of fact.

Media999

minidazzler wrote: »

But haven't ever met any.

I guarantee you several people you know have been like that at some stage. People who smoke heroin dont get a stamp on their head saying "i smoke heroin"

The amount of young people today who smoke heroin is shocking. I would say 1 in 15 young men today smoke / have smoked heroin in some areas.

A 20 year old i know says to me that 4 of the 25 people in his old class smoke heroin that he knows about. Hes not even from the worst area.

T-K-O

Media999 wrote: »

I guarantee you several people you know have been like that at some stage. People who smoke heroin dont get a stamp on their head saying "i smoke heroin"

The amount of young people today who smoke heroin is shocking. I would say 1 in 15 young men today smoke / have smoked heroin in some areas.

A 20 year old i know says to me that 4 of the 25 people in his old class smoke heroin that he knows about. Hes not even from the worst area.

That right there has made my day

Odysseus

Yeah, I have worked with quite a few over the years.

Media999

later12 wrote: »

I've often heard about the chemically addictive nature of heroin on an anecdotal basis - that whilst the high is unlike many other drugs, heroin is also a stronger (chemical) addiction to kick. I know that's very much the anecdotal experience, but is it actually true? I've often been suspicious that a large part of the reason why heroin is so popular to kick is because of the problems that gave rise to its uptake in the first place. But that's a question, not a statement of fact.

Ive been in contact with many ex Heroin users and they all claim that its actually not that hard and that Nicottene is far worse. However i think its a combination of things. If youre injecting, nothing to lose, friends still taking it etc etc.. then im sure its bad alright.

minidazzler

Media999 wrote: »

A 20 year old i know says to me that 4 of the 25 people in his old class smoke heroin that he knows about. Hes not even from the worst area.

I am. I know plenty of people who take heroin, either IV or smoking, but none are middle class that I know of.

I'd probably have the same amount in my class when I graduated and more than that would take heroin from time to time these days. (not counting those who have died from my class).

I'm from a very working class are of Cork.

anhedonia

later12 wrote: »

I've often heard about the chemically addictive nature of heroin on an anecdotal basis - that whilst the high is unlike many other drugs, heroin is also a stronger (chemical) addiction to kick. I know that's very much the anecdotal experience, but is it actually true? I've often been suspicious that a large part of the reason why heroin is so popular to kick is because of the problems that gave rise to its uptake in the first place. But that's a question, not a statement of fact.

Nope its not just psychological with Heroin, if you build a physical dependence on the drug and have to go without, you will be horribly sick for a week while you're going through initial withdrawals, nausea, sh1ts, anxiety, insomnia, restless legs, shivering one minute fever the next etc. Time will fix it in the long run, but a shot will fix it immediately and then some, most choose the shot.

After you beat the physical withdrawal period, there will still be weeks of depression in store. This is because your body stops producing endorphins when you are physically dependent on an opiate. Endorphins are the body's natural painkiller, among other things, and they bind to the opiate receptors in your brain in the exact same way that heroin does. Biochemically endorphins are identical to opiates, Endorphins are endogenous morphines, or the morphines produced within. Your body sees no need to produce endorphins when you constantly have exogenous morphines (heroin) binding to your opiate receptors. It can take a few weeks to months for your body to start producing a healthy level of endorphins again after kicking a daily habit.

So given that, its not a trivial endearvour to kick when you've got a savage oil-burning gear habit.

To conclude, heroin is delicious and really More-ish.

MyPeopleDrankTheSoup

Well you'd have to define middle class but here's a Heroin users thread from this month on a popular drug forum.
http://www.bluelight.ru/vb/threads/641229-Regional-Heroin-Discussion-v-Sweet-Sixteen

I always thought that all junkies were homeless but it seems some have Internet and high post counts anyway! Don't know if this answer the question but I was surprised anyway

SEPT 23 1989

steddyeddy

I wish people would question their belief of junkie = working class. Have you ever heard of any middle class people being addicted to coke say?

Fuinseog

parc wrote: »

Was just thinking this today

Anyone think there's middle class heroin users who hold down a job and do it at the weekend? Is it even possible?

only scumbags inject heroin. doing a line of charley is the way to go.

kowloon

If the pharmacies are anything to go by Solpadeine is the bomb yo.

Aidric

Galwayguy35 wrote: »

Someone doesn't automatically have to be working class to be a junkie.

..but it helps

later12

anhedonia wrote: »

Nope its not just psychological with Heroin

So given that, its not a trivial endearvour to kick when you've got a savage oil-burning gear habit.

Oh no, of course it's not just psychological. I didn't suggest it was trivial, even aside from the physical addiction.

I was questioning whether it is an empirical fact that heroin is more physically addictive than other physically addictive psychoactive substances.

Media999 wrote: »

Ive been in contact with many ex Heroin users and they all claim that its actually not that hard and that Nicottene is far worse. However i think its a combination of things. If youre injecting, nothing to lose, friends still taking it etc etc.. then im sure its bad alright.

Yeah, the one relevant paper i read said that most researchers consider nicotine more physically addictive too.

Of course the difference with nicotine is that it's less physically and personally destructive. You can smoke a cigarette while working, if you're lucky. It doesn't become the only thing in your life, which is, I suspect, where a lot of the difficulty in kicking heroin lies, and not necessarily in the physical addiction in itself.

Which means, in theory, ameliorating addicts' social welfare (not that type of social welfare...) could reduce uptake or aid users to come off the drug.