hemp studied
If you want to use drugs, read this first

What's addictive/addiction?

With every drug there is the difference between physical and mental dependence Physical dependence means the body gets used to the drug, it needs more and more of it to accomplish the same effect. Finally, the drug is merely used to counteract the withdrawal sympthoms that appear when no drugs are being taken. These withdrawl sympthoms can be transpiring, feeling cold, goose flesh/pimples (:cold turkey), running nose, stomach cramps, aching muscles, diarrhoea.

mental/psychological dependence means somebody can't feel comfortable/relaxed anymore without the drug. This mechanism has nothing to do with the body, but with feelings of fear, pain, shame, guilt, loneliness and so on. The drug is used to forget problems which should be solved. Because of certain backgrounds (homeless, (sexually) abused, lonely) some people are more likely to get mentally dependent on drugs.

There is a very high chance of addiction when a drug causes both physical and mental dependence.

This is an article from the newsgroup alt.drugs.hard

Newsgroups: alt.drugs.hard
Subject: Re: Friend of a heroin user
From: [email protected] (Peter McDermott)
Date: Wed, 08 Nov 1995 15:16:15 +0000


In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] (PSYCHE ARIES) wrote:
>i have a friend who is a heroin shooter. she wants to stop. 
>(heard that one before?) 


Many times...


>she wants me to get her some Valium. will that help?


No. Not at all, in my view.


>my weekness was/is coke, and i have always stayed away from heroin, so i am 
>not sure where to go from here. 


I hate to say this, but be aware that many heroin injectors are
terrible scammers who will say anything to get drugs/money/whatever.


There is only one way to stop, and that's to stop. Dead. Now.
If she can't manage by herself, and she is sincere about stopping,
she might try in-patient help. (Detox, rehab, Therapeutic Community.)


If she is having problems but doesn't really want to stop, she 
should think about a methadone program.


The only sure thing is, you can't give her the help she needs.
Be supportive, but if you start giving her money, drugs or whatever,
you'll come to regret it eventually.


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