# How to avoid the vices that people often associate with this lifestyle?



## Fanatical Steward

I believe, after looking at various threads, that alcohol and drugs often have a detrimental effect on the people that abuse them. The best advice I could find on this topic include the avoidance of social activities with people that actively use these substances, the establishment, or substitution, of healthy stress management strategies, and the establishment of strong boundaries towards people that infringe upon this decision. What other methods, strategies or tips might you suggest to avoid these potential issues?


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## iamwhatiam

if I'm ever being descended upon by a horde of tweekers late at night in the city, I love making the sound of a siren and watching them scatter


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## Desperado Deluxe

Well I'm a year sober and I frequently hang with kids who drink. I usually just dip when shit gets stupid. Having a set of standards of what is acceptable to be around. Also having something integrating can help I keep around a set of dice to play 10,000 which is fun to play if your sober or not. Also keeping your cool is important I've had a lot of situations that I've just had to walk away from annoyed but that's a lesson being sober has taught me. Another thing is people think I'm a cop usually just jokingly but conversation about trains or other things in this lifestyle can ease the situation.


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## Matt Derrick

Fanatical Steward said:


> I believe, after looking at various threads, that alcohol and drugs often have a detrimental effect on the people that abuse them. The best advice I could find on this topic include the avoidance of social activities with people that actively use these substances, the establishment, or substitution, of healthy stress management strategies, and the establishment of strong boundaries towards people that infringe upon this decision. What other methods, strategies or tips might you suggest to avoid these potential issues?



just say no?


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## MolotovMocktail

Matt Derrick said:


> just say no?


Nancy Reagan: the original straightedge kid.


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## MarsOrScars

I'm a D.A.R.E. role model.


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## Kim Chee

Did it take reading various threads for you to determine "...that alcohol and drugs often have a detrimental effect on the people that abuse them."?

Fucking genius! You should be the next Surgeon General.

For all of you who are committed to stop abusing substances or anything else, more power to you. Feel free to shoot me a pm if you would like to talk to somebody about your desire to quit.


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## Fanatical Steward

@7xMichael
I simply recognized, after reading several threads, the prevalence of these issues among the community. I have known for a long time of the deleterious effects that originate from drug, alcohol, and tobacco use.


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## angerisagift

"drugs and alcohol have ruined my life" Tyrone Biggums


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## creature

wait.. wait..

steward?

aren't you addicted to intellectualism?

please provide some original substance.. poetry, adventures, etc., before we waste our time discussing gameplay with an armchair quarterback..

you may be a fine person, but if you have nothing intrinsicly meaningfull to say, then all you do is sap the resources, time & life from others whom do.

your ability elicit response from them, since they respond in earnest (& probably with compassion, should you ever need aid) is no indication of superiority, but only the weakness of one whom can play upon pretending to need, based upon what we sworn, formally, informally, knowingly or otherwise to support..

namely the the right of others to express themselves & act, until they prove they are actually just assholes.

which. admittedly, i may be among the first..

so tell us, if only in hints so that you do not boast,

where & what

have you hung your balls upon, my friend?

do you have children, raised well & kind?

my admiration is out to you from the extents of my soul.

have you come close to dying from thirst, to see if you could live from merely faith alone?
then no one has any right to question..

have you left all behind that was safe, in order to do what you believed Love demanded of you?

have you been a hardcore prick, because you have seldom seen a promise kept, and can rely only upon yourself & whatever wits keep you from death?

please, let us know.

give us some poetry..

give us a tale..

give us some proof that you deserve our company, because if you cannot?

you are merely a liar, in a paper bag, speaking to a mirror..

sooo.. unless you are in a wheelchair & angry (in which case i will pick you up **my fucking self** & drive your ass for 5,000 miles, no fucking shit, should you truly have a love for what you should know & deserve), please keep your.. eruditions.. to yourself..

if yer just here to fuck around, well.. you may not be as bad as a spook, but the smell is still the fucking same..

i mean, really, i don't know about anyone else, but when i read some of your stuff (strictly restricting it to those instances where it appears you are offering implicit or explicit admonishments) all i see is a goddamned clown, scared & needing to point out the illogic in others which they themselves are unable to face... it is not that you *wish* to be a clown, but it is that what you are doing is such a tragic solution to what you actually wish you were that it is not merely absurd, but *hilarious* that you aren't willing to look at yourself for what you actually (transparently a coward, if you can give us not instances of at least:
a) courage to attenuate to your essential identity
or
b) a sacrifice of that identity for others (such as caring for family or another loved one)

so write us poetry..

tell us your stories..

because right now, frankly, all you are is funny.


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## roguetrader

I see absolutely no reason to quit / avoid alcohol or (most) drugs - i don't really see why a 'straight edge' lifestyle is desirable apart from for those who have developed problems and need to quit for good - booze and drugs have enhanced my life undoubtedly - Acid is fantastic for helping one reprogram the brain and lose some of that ego that's bred into the Western mindset ; Ecstasy helped me develop a love for my fellow man that remains long after the drugs wear off ... its not all good news - i've fucked myself up plenty of times (daily Ketamine use made me feel like i was going insane !) but with education / research many of the common pitfalls can be avoided.... you don't have to be a fuck up ; drugs can be used sensibly ; they are not an automatic ticket to the bottom - mankind has altered his consciousness in one way or another for thousands of years, and i for one ain't stoppin'........ (fuck me typing this ain't half made me thirsty)


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## Deleted member 125

um just dont drink/do drugs if you dont want to? im assuming yer not an addict since you are asking ways to avoid these things. its pretty easy to turn down alcohol/drugs if you dont want/need them. yes drinking and drug use is a part of this culture, just like being a 9-5 worker. people do drugs. people drink. if you dont want to be a part of it just dont drink or do drugs.


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## Kim Chee

People here are too poor to go to a doctor to get prescribed dope so they go for the cheap stuff.

Choose your poison even if it is highlighting the darker side in others.

You're addicted to something.

How much tv did you watch yesterday?


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## Tude

BF is 5 yrs sober, I drink - we go out but don't hit the bars like we used too. He's ok with bar restaurants and such.


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## MarsOrScars

7xMichael said:


> People here are too poor to go to a doctor to get prescribed dope so they go for the cheap stuff.
> 
> Choose your poison even if it is highlighting the darker side in others.
> 
> You're addicted to something.
> 
> How much tv did you watch yesterday?



The official "I don't do drugs" starter pack 
> 2-liter of soda
> Caramel latte 
> Donut
> Acetaminophen
> Energy Drink
> 12 pk of shit beer.


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## creature

MolotovMocktail said:


> Nancy Reagan: the original straightedge kid.
> View attachment 28543


on prozac..

or *some* kind of happy pill.. 

HTT?

(holier than thou???)


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## creature

In any case, i need to apologize..

steward?

i don't know how old you are, or how sheltered you life has been..

in any case, the point is that most people on this site are skating the lines between areas of thin, thin ice..

what goes on in here is an exchange of information & resources that really & truly make a difference between life & death.. not to mention freedom or incarceration..

i remember, once, when i was about 14 years old.. my family took a trip to florida, & someone i met had been bitten by *something*.. two nice little dots that looked just like a snake bite.. he was in a panic, but it was pretty clear he should have been a lot worse off (or so i thought) if whatever had bitten him were actually venomous..

venom typically works very quickly on the local of injection, and after 7 or 8 minutes there was no inflammation & he wasn't experiencing any signs of reaction, rather than panic..

his father, however, was a medical doctor, & when he saw his son crying, he came out to help him..

now, i said something about the snakes in the area, or about the bite or something i thought was wise & saw the big picture & all, and as i said this, being 14 fucking years old, this doctor, examining his son's leg says to me "would you please just shut up & go away?"


& as much as my ego was bruised, it wasn't until i was a bit more grown up that i understood i got exactly what i deserved..

right or wrong, information offered without experience, but asserted to nonetheless be correct, carries little weight, not because the ideas might not be good, but because the proponent cannot provide any context other than what is actually speculation.

in this case you *cannot* assert you ideas are factual in nature.

you can *propose* them as possibilities, but.. unless you are going to work at getting experience, you will forever risk asserting that you can deflect the disinterest, anger possible hatred of a police officer by throwing clever quotations at them..

may you never, ever, ever *EVER* have to test that theory in real life, because unless you are *intentionaly* trying to piss a cop off, the *last* thing they like is being made fun of..

it gets a little too close to making them be honest.. & since they can't do anything about it?

they will do something to *you* in fucking stead..

so instead of making a bunch of statements, listen..

you may have been raised in a situation where debate has been asserted to be some high, fine & sharp edged tool, but the true bastards of existence laugh at it like a beetle spinning on its back..

if you love truth, & if you love meaning & if you love the idea of being usefull,

go out & *do*..

volunteer with those whom struggle, travel, do *something* to start to get you hands dirty..

yer a good, good kid, & it would be a shame to see you go no further than being able to say things.

anyways..

good luck, & my apologies for being such a shit..



C


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## Mankini

drugs? Timothy Leary was a brave man...and maybe even a wise man. Castaneda even more of a role model. Likker, drugs, anything can cause problems. But the Puritans are, and historically have been, sons of bitches. Puritanical traits persist in u.s. society. protestant work ethic? pssshhh. i shit on it. frowning on vices? For fussy old ladies. 

This society -and i use that term loosely....bans swearwords and nudity but glorifies gore and murder, war and greed, in every other 99.999% of its messages.

Whence morality?

Now, Steward, riddle me that.


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## RnJ

voodoochile76 said:


> drugs? Timothy Leary was a brave man...and maybe even a wise man. Castaneda even more of a role model. Likker, drugs, anything can cause problems. But the Puritans are, and historically have been, sons of bitches. Puritanical traits persist in u.s. society. protestant work ethic? pssshhh. i shit on it. frowning on vices? For fussy old ladies.
> 
> This society -and i use that term loosely....bans swearwords and nudity but glorifies gore and murder, war and greed, in every other 99.999% of its messages.
> 
> Whence morality?
> 
> Now, Steward, riddle me that.



LOL. Are you serious? Society has not banned swearwords and nudity. For real?
There are more laws against gore and murder (within a nation) than swearwords and nudity.
I sort of get what you're saying, because I am to against the nation state and its actions, but mostly here you're justifying your total lack of control with intoxicating substances.


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## Fanatical Steward

I simply cannot state that it was ever my intention to rile such emotions amongst the people on this forum. 
@creature I sincerely accept the apology. I will keep future tangents with myself. I also apologize towards you and everybody that was involved with my "holier than thou" attitude because it was inappropriate and childish behavior on my part. 
@voodoochile76 Why do you think I do not mind using avatars with blatant artistic nudes (e.g. The Death of Sardanapalus)? I simply know the damage that unregulated intoxicating substances can have on not only the person, but the people around them as well. What happened towards courtesy of those that a person respects?


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## creature

no, no, no motherfucker..the tangents are *good*..

& shit to hell, DEFINITELY rile people!!

& **Bless** any 'holier than thou' attitudes you take on, so long as you are willing to *fight* for them..!!

there are a LOT of shitheads, you know?

just try and.. i dunno.. not make yer shitheadedness hurt anyone..

gabenosecar hates me, & that's cool, because he honestly thinks i'm an asshole..
more power to him.. makes me need to be carefull, because if you fuckup when you give advice, or criticize?

that's hardcore shit.

one wrong fucking comma can cost a life, mofo.

thank you for being wise & introspective...


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## creature

dunno about the Sauropod thing, but.. hope it resolves..

peace, y'all..


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## creature

& by the way..

time kills..


there is little point in keeping as much of it as you can..


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## creature

& double BTW, there are a lot of shits on this forum who have either died or come close to dying, because of what they loved.

they, blasphemers or otherwise, friends whom i love & hope i would die with my teeth upon the State for, though i seem to them too unholy to save..

O read that carefully,


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## creature

O fuck it.

if God is God,

God does what God does..


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## creature

prick or fucking too much for us or Otherwise..


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## creature

i'll hit you up, jesus, & maybe doubledown
since i haven't seen you all that fucking clearly, lately.


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## Mankini

Steward, It is not you, per se, that I rail against but the Puritanical cultural values which prevail in the US. So much hypocrisy. Pop culture and puritanism go hand in hand in this aspect: Hollywood makes war movies with guts, blood, atrocity and sociopathy. But that same movie may not show nudity, and its curse words are regulated. (PG; PG 13; R; etc)

Many areas of the country espouse these old, Calvinist values: temperance. Chastity. Austerity. Frugality. etc etc This is not far from any other cultural conservatism. It is a general hatred of pleasure, joy, and free-spiritedness which puritans promote. No dancing. No sexy outfits. No libertines. !!!!!.....No debauchery. It is repression that I oppose. My war is with the dour and the repressed, Steward.

My revolutionary activities are on behalf of la dolce vita. Or as Aristotle would call it, Eudaimonea.

I fight for Siesta. Manana. For sipping espresso and chit chat and newspapers all day long, wasting time and flirting with pretty girls. There is no life apart from this.


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## roguetrader

@voodoochile76 well said son - i get tired of being told that liking drink and drugs is a weakness and character flaw and i should be ashamed - only thing i'm ashamed of is the society we live in ! love the last sentence as well - imma go back to bed and NEVER get up again !


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## Fanatical Steward

I believe, and this remains my opinion, that moderation remains the best course to avoid moral destitution in any form. The presence of excessive or deficient behaviors, from my opinion, in an individual often lead towards more harm than good.


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## Mankini

[We must go to the Tuscans, the Parisians, the Costa Ricans, and the Viennese for confirmation. Cafe culture. Pura Vida. La Dolce Vita. Many names for a concept which was, and still is, widely embraced wherever free men and women value love, beauty, joy, and passions over........the alternative.


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## roguetrader

@Fanatical Steward i agree ; as i was trying to communicate in my first reply ! i value a clear uncluttered mind as default setting but also value a regular drink and smoke (and maybe more) .... as well as being unhealthy being wasted 24/7 is boring as hell. I understand why people do it though - do you think you could sleep rough in a doorway in London / San Francisco / NYC without drink or drugs ? intoxication sure helps me cope in some tough situations......


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## Mankini

it cannot be primarily based around intoxication. rather intoxicants which enhance social interaction.


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## Mankini

Nothing finer than a 3 pound cigar and a double shot of Skye single malt in a wood fired country pub. Or a pack of Gauloises, a paper, and a carafe of Turkish coffee. 

If the home we never write to, and the oaths we never keep,
And all we know most distant and most dear,
Across the snoring barrack-room return to break our sleep,
Can you blame us if we soak ourselves in beer?

When the drunken comrade mutters and the great guard-lantern gutters
And the horror of our fall is written plain,
Every secret, self-revealing on the aching white-washed ceiling,
Do you wonder that we drug ourselves from pain?

_*We have done with Hope and Honour, we are lost to Love and Truth,
We are dropping down the ladder rung by rung,
And the measure of our torment is the measure of our youth.
God help us, for we knew the worst too young!*_


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## Hypnofrog

Fanatical Steward said:


> I believe, after looking at various threads, that alcohol and drugs often have a detrimental effect on the people that abuse them. The best advice I could find on this topic include the avoidance of social activities with people that actively use these substances, the establishment, or substitution, of healthy stress management strategies, and the establishment of strong boundaries towards people that infringe upon this decision. What other methods, strategies or tips might you suggest to avoid these potential issues?


Resolve to not use drugs... If you're asking how to avoid getting into drugs then you are already weak willed and being around them will get you hooked on them


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## codycodnyk

I'm a sober alcoholic and I think alcohol and drugs are a big part of culture period, at least in most cases. Its in music, its advertised, there's bars and liquor stores everywhere. All I can say is developing a drinking or drug habit sucks and weighs you down, even more so if you're poor or homeless. I stay away from people who are into drugs or drink a lot because it can get tempting for me, but if its not a vice for you, just politely decline and its probably a good idea to stay away from the hard drug scene,that comes with a lot of desperation and shady people who might be friendly when they have what they need, but will rob you/hurt you if they fel the need to


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## Schala

I don't want to do drugs, but if I get into traveling again soon (which I REALLY want to do) what do I do to help with my chronic panic attacks and anxiety? Right now, I have 90 pills of Klonopin, prescribed to be allowed to take up to 6mg a day (2mg three times as needed) and this had been a godsend. I don't know what I would do without it. I know benzos are crazy addictive, but I go to a psychiatrist. I've been diagnosed. No other anxiety medication works for me. I've tried them all, believe me. Even Xanax does nothing but taste like wet chalk unless I take 5 of them, which depleted my stock pretty quick when I had them. My Klonopin is amazing. I can go up to 2 days without needing to take one. Is there something else out there that is cheaper, that I can get without a prescription, or am I screwed and stuck buying benzos from drug dealers if I must have them? Kratom helped a lot, but that's getting banned at the end of this September, so I'm shit out of luck there, too. 

Don't want alcohol. 
Don't want cigarettes.
No heroin or cocaine.
Open to marijuana if I can find it cheap.
Open to other benzos if I must, such as Valium or Ativan, since they're usually cheaper.
Also willing to try other herbal remedies to help with anxiety. Not Valerian or Chamomile. Doesn't work.


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## QueerCoyote

I struggle with abuse of a certain smoke-able plant, or rather, dependence. I have medical issues that cause a lot of pain and smoking helps me work through it, as well as pretty bad generalized anxiety. I could go on a bunch of other shit to alleviate the same issues, but every single medication I've been on I've regretted.

That being said, I hate being dependent on anything and I hate having everything dulled constantly. I'll frequently try to stop smoking or cut back and as soon as I haven't been stoned for a certain amount of time I start pretty much turning into a pacing, cigarette smoking, irritable mess.

I engage in other fun things occasionally and definitely think people should explore safely within their comfort zones, though. I know a few traveling kids that are straightedge, so if this ain't part of the culture you want to partake in just don't or be selective about who you travel with.


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