How to Stop Time: Heroin from A to Z

[stringbeanjeans]

Read this book a few years ago... Most drug stories chronicle the downward spiral of the heroin user. Not this one. Anne Marlowe makes a six figure salary on Wall St, wears all the most expensive clothes, lives in downtown Manhattan, and is a 7 year heroin addict. She claims to have only used a bag a day for the length of her addiction. She is able to stop whenever she likes. It's all about willpower for her. Either she has superhuman willpower or this whole memoir is BULLSHIT.

I read this back before I had done the big H and a few days after I finished the book I copped some dope. It's a good read and I like the book, but it made heroin addiction seem so controllable. I just don't believe that you can do 1 bag a day for seven years.

Anyone else read this book?



http://www.rainbowbookstore.org/isbn_images/0385720165.jpg

[tch2296]

No, never read it, I might have to pick it up, sounds like a unique take on heroin addiction.

I agree it seems unlikely that you could keep it to a bag a day for seven years; it seems at some point your tolerance would go up and one bag wouldn't do anything. There are many long-term heroin addicts that live normal and successful lives, but most of them increase their use to around a bundle a day and stop somewhere around there.

I suppose if you just kept it to one dose a day, it might be possible to still cop a buzz off of one bag, but I doubt it, I mean what's the point of using heroin if you aren't even getting high any more?

Seems doubtful...

[Deadfiend]

No, never read it, I might have to pick it up, sounds like a unique take on heroin addiction.

I agree it seems unlikely that you could keep it to a bag a day for seven years; it seems at some point your tolerance would go up and one bag wouldn't do anything. There are many long-term heroin addicts that live normal and successful lives, but most of them increase their use to around a bundle a day and stop somewhere around there.

I suppose if you just kept it to one dose a day, it might be possible to still cop a buzz off of one bag, but I doubt it, I mean what's the point of using heroin if you aren't even getting high any more?

Seems doubtful...

The same point of methadone, to not be sick,maintenance to feel normal would be my guess.

[Raz]

I seriosly doubt the validity of dis claim, "one bag a day"....

The only time i ever used one bag a day was in jail....And that was on days when i couldnt get no more!!

[trainwrecker]

I really didn't like this book. I think it's full of bullshit and lies. She makes herself out to be superior because she was able to maintain on a small amount and quit easily. She comes across as someone who started doing heroin too be cool and have creditability on something to write about. Fuck this bitch.

[Saint]

Here in Amsterdam, one bag usually equals 1 gram... so if we'd be talking about amounts like that I CAN imagine getting by on 1 bag a day for 7 years (although personally I still wouldn't be able to... for me 1 gram would be 2 within 6 months etc.etc.).
But I think in the US one bag is as little as 0.1 gram. Correct me if I'm wrong.
So, I think this book is fucking big bullshit... no-one can do that. And even if you can, what's the use anyway? You won't get the slightest high, especially after a while, so you might as well quit which is relatively easy on such a low amount.
I don't buy this, I think this is exactly the reason she has all that money in the first place: she makes big bucks by doing/writing about stuff of which she knows people will be interested in, even if it's BS..
Can't deny she's clever that way, I mean, I admit I'd like to read it too..

[lilred0005]

I read this! After I went thru my own h period, I started reading anything I could on heroin like this book, Wonderland Ave., Junkie, ect. This book seemed very "heroin as trendy & cool". Not only did she use very little but made a big point of stating how she "only ever snorted-never used a needle". Idk about you but I was using "the needle" within a week. Hell if I was gonna do heroin, I was gonna go all the way & get the total rush needle included. I do know it is possible to never IV but after 7 years? Highly unlikely. I thought the book glossed over heroin. Like she was talking about just some mundane phase. This book was not for me although I do like the idea that not every experiece has to be of "The Basketball Diaries" type. Burrough's "Junkie" will always be my fav. especially the part on how everything runs on "junk time". Most truthfull story I've ever read.

[Kicks]

I read Marlowe's book before I did H, too. At the time, I liked as much as a person who's never done dope but so badly wanted to could. Having the perspective I have now, it's bullshit. A one-bag-a-day habit for seven years? Put her in the Guinness book because she's the only one. She's not telling the whole truth, but even if she is, her experience is an uncommon one, and that is what makes it dangerous. Saying that a person can control a dope habit with willpower is an irresponsible attitude to perpetuate.

While I believe heroin, and all drugs, should be legalized and sold at your local Rite Aid, to deny its addictive nature is an outright lie. And as long as it remains illegal, a dope habit is a lifestyle—it's going to cost you a lot of money, there's always a risk of being caught, and having access to a steady supply becomes your main priority. Fuck, I love H, but it ain't easy being a junky.

Another thing that gets me about Marlowe's book is the good reviews she got. Places like the Village Voice gave it accolades because to be a functioning junky flies in the face of mainstream sensibilities about heroin. It was successful for its shock value, not its authenticity. It's evident to all of us that she's full of shit, but not to the dope-naive.

[Raisin]

It could be a well written piece of shit. People believe what they want to believe. I have a friend who's mom was a hospice nurse for years and I would go hang out when he was living with her. He would be nodding out in his plate and she would say "What's wrong with you, don't you feel good?"

This was a lady who doled out heavy narcotics and saw the result for years (and this was after she'd busted him shooting up) but because she didn't want to see it she didn't.

If she's a decent writer then people who don't know any different will eat it up. Look at all the ridiculous information that gets spread by the media that people pick up and run with. People are just looking for the new piece of sensationalism to glom onto until the next one shows up.

Here's an experiment for you. 90+ percent of the time someone says "what?" they've heard you, they're just waiting for their brain to process it so they can figure out what to say. It's a defense mechanism that we use. Try it out. Ask someone a question when they're semi distracted about something that you know might make them uncomfortable and see what they do.

[pinn3d]

Here's an experiment for you. 90+ percent of the time someone says "what?" they've heard you, they're just waiting for their brain to process it so they can figure out what to say. It's a defense mechanism that we use. Try it out. Ask someone a question when they're semi distracted about something that you know might make them uncomfortable and see what they do.

I notice this all the time in people.....a lot of people get in the habit of saying "what?" even when they hear you if your question throws them off, or if they are busy, or if it's kinda noisey (but still able to hear what you said!), and when they are tired, slow, or flustered..... It annoys the shit out of me, and I usually just wait, or look at the person and then half the time they will answer.... half of the time they will force me to repeat myself as they insist, as it were, that they really did not hear me...... remember that scene in pulp fiction??


"I-S---T-H-A-T----A---T-A-S-T-Y----B-U-R-G-E-R?" --- -----"What"?


:violent4:

Oh--- I've never read that book btw----- but it sounds fishy to me!

[stvip]

Sorry, but there's absolutely nothing unusual about using strong opiates ad lib without becoming addicted.
Opium was legal and easily available for thousands of years. Many societies were familiar with it and people used it for various reasons (not necessarily for relief of acute pain) ad lib.
It is you people, who deem opiates to be a controlling power - stronger than you, who are the exception, not her.

[TheJuggla1207]

Sorry, but there's absolutely nothing unusual about using strong opiates ad lib without becoming addicted.
Opium was legal and easily available for thousands of years. Many societies were familiar with it and people used it for various reasons (not necessarily for relief of acute pain) ad lib.
It is you people, who deem opiates to be a controlling power - stronger than you, who are the exception, not her.


dude i seriously hope u are jokin and i just dont realize it....but yeah opiates are a controlling fuckin power...b4 i became addicted to opiates i was pretty much the guy who said i wouldnt do any drug that could ruin my life...yea i smoked weed and ate shrooms once but neither are so addcitng to the point that u are willing to lie, cheat, and steal to get the fix....b4 opiates i always had money even when i was working a job making $5.50 an hour...i was always active and rarely sick and i was someone people looked up to and my parents trusted and never thought twice of......i was always going out with my friends to parties or to hang out somewhere or to the movies or to a trip down the shore or wherever cuz i was a fun guy and alway had the cash to...now i make bout 33,000 a year and guess what? after 4 days i am broke and lie to people so they can lend me money til i get paid again.....im sick at least 3 days outta 14 cuz of my habit....my parents dont trust me anymore and have said that i have changed and they want the old me back from a couple years ago (i been an addict for bout 2 1/2 years)...i used to say that i would never get rid of a present that someone gave me well guess what i pawned a 24kt gold chian and cross that i was given for my communion i nthe 3rd grade so i could have 200 bucks to buy a handful of oxys that lasted 2 days, whereas ive had that chain for 14 years and it was given to me by my moms side of the family and my grandmother presented it to me and now she is deceased and she meant everything in the world to me but i got rid of it becuase i didnt wanna be withdrawaling......i am not active on days i dont have anything or dont have a good amount.....i am a miserable prick when i dont have anything....and now i rarely go out even if i have a supply because i would rather stay home and nod out in my basement in front of the tv with a cig in my hand....like right now, i ran outta shit sunday night and have no money and no way to get money and am at work feelin like utter shit and payday isnt until thursday...but i already got somehtin set up for it and dont wanna do anything until 8am thursday morning when i got a couple a hundred milligrams of oxy in my hand....and u know how fuckin psyched i am that payday is a day early cuz my work is close friday...i am counting the hours....this all stems from my addiction to oxy's....trust me i wanna get clean and i do from time to time...the control this drug has on me is strong.....


and i know for a fuckin fact that i am not in the minority in this case.

[Thebane]

Sorry, but there's absolutely nothing unusual about using strong opiates ad lib without becoming addicted.
Opium was legal and easily available for thousands of years. Many societies were familiar with it and people used it for various reasons (not necessarily for relief of acute pain) ad lib.
It is you people, who deem opiates to be a controlling power - stronger than you, who are the exception, not her.

Obviously addiction to opiates is timeless, do you honestly believe all of addiction is a cultural construct? Ever read Confession's of an Opium-Eater? Surprisingly DeQuincey writes in the 19th century about opium addiction and pinpoints 99% of the things addicts complain about today. And he had no idea opium was 'addicting' in any way when he started. He just looked at his experiences and reported what is still being reported today. He also didn't know what the hell physical dependence was, so that wasn't messing with his mind. In fact, he didn't "deem opiates to be a controlling power," they just were if you look back on his life. Human nature doesn't change, to argue opium wasn't addictive to homo sapiens at some point is absurd. No intellectual has argued that point since Hume proved human nature was unchanging.

Not to mention the references to addiction as far back as the Odyssey (Lotus-Eaters) and countless other ancient writings which are evidence of addiction.

[stringbeanjeans]

dude i seriously hope u are jokin and i just dont realize it....but yeah opiates are a controlling fuckin power...



I second that

[SHELLEY]

^
when i first started heroin, i didn't know about withdrawal
of course i knew it was addictive, but i didn't know the details
i figured it would be like comin off speed,
where you didn't sleep for a night or so and puked a lot for bout 24 hours
then passed out, woke up, ate breakfast, and felt like a million bucks

i started shooting dope to come down a lil after shooting speed (thanks whorundasouf :rolleyes:)
and didn't think that the one shot every few days/once a week was enough to cause problems
but then i realized that if i did a huge shot of meth and followed it with a huge shot of h
then i was about as fucked up as humanly possible without hallucinations
so i started doing that a few times a day...

normally i quit speed runs after a month or so,
"kicked" then stayed straight for a few days to even out before picking up the tweak again
i tried to do that after introducing all that dope into my system...
i felt like shit the first 2 days, which i expected
then the third day i honestly thought i was gonna die, i didn't understand why i felt so shitty
i had been awake over 2 weeks and still couldn't sleep, just heroin w/d
and that was only after using for a few months...

then i did a shot of h, just to help me sleep, and instantly felt great
and realized "holy shit... that was easy! i guess i'm a heroin addict"

off topic, blah blah blah :D

[chopstix]

It is you people, who deem opiates to be a controlling power - stronger than you, who are the exception, not her.

Umm, spent much time dopesick? All stats I've ever heard/read are rather in favor of junkies remaining junkies for most if not all of their lives once habituated. I think you've got it backwards dude.

And if you could be a bit more of an abrasive asshole in future posts, I think we'd all appreciate it. Thx..

[nick]

And if you could be a bit more of an abrasive asshole in future posts, I think we'd all appreciate it. Thx..

Um I believe this is what is known as the pot calling the kettle black.You're not known for your patience bro.

Obviously opiates are highly addictive drugs,but social policy determines how damaging they are to a huge degree.Addiction is addiction,but it was a lot easier being an addict in 1809 than 2009.

[chopstix]

I'm not really known for keeping my mouth shut either..

[Raz]

This book is a crocka shit....Wouldnt even read it while wipin my ass, or i'd use it to wipe my ass....

She;s just another fuckin wannabe, makin a few bucks by writin wat she knows fuck all about.....I bet the stupid cunt werent even buyin gear, probably some shit they told her was gear....A bag a day , yeah bolloxs....

[stvip]

You can easily find the information to which I'm referring, if you're interested. It's clear that replying here is going to be a waste of time, as you (those who take personal offense to these facts, not Opiophile members in general) have no desire to examine the issue from a rational, factual basis (accepting it would shatter your worldview, the entire set of lies and excuses you need - is that abrasive enough Chopstix?).

If you need some pointers for basic research: Rat Park Experiment, Stanton Peele, Vietnam Veterans' study, ancient (thousands of years, not the recent Romantic Era glorification/demonization of opiates of De Quincey, Cooleridge, Berlioz, Baudelaire, and the like) accounts of opiate use, placebo alcohol social experiment, the history of alcoholism in Judaism, various published case reports and statistics of fully functioning long-term chippers. Those are good starting points.

For those genuinely interested in my take on the issue: the focus of my site is going to be applied science of opioids, high quality practical information for the layman opioid user, but it will eventually (after the bulk of that is put in place) include material relating to pro-legalization efforts and social commentary, so I will eventually write a full article of the above.

By the way, all of the above is not written as defense of the titular book, which I have not read.

[dalottafun]

I'm hardcore owned by dope even when I don't want to do it and I've gone through w/d I still do it but crack is something I could do and then just stop. Most people can try a drug once and stop and don't get caught in that control sort of thing it can have over you. Those normal people who are the majority aren't "us" and I've definitely done coke every day for months and just stopped I don't even like the shit but with opies it was done with the first and this can be vice versa it's weird how some of us are addicts and some aren't

[Russellmeboy]

Stvip you are a straight fucking retard. plain and simple. ref. any study you want. Ill give you a little experiment to do on your own, Do 3 bags of heroin a day for a week. then abruptly stop. let me know if you do it again :rolleyes:. What kinda fucking nerve, this really pissed me off. yeah opiates arent addicitive we all do this shit cause its fun and has stayed fun and will allways be fun. yeh so do the daily thing go through a cold turkey detox ill bet your brain craves that euphoria that you got that first day even a week-month-year later. you ovbiously have never done any opiates for any real time in your life.
Russ

[Raz]

Man they only time i ever ever used a bag or 2 per day was in jail....And ya know wat, ya still fuckin cluck even from dat...Alright the WD werent hell, but i wouldnt be sleepin for maybe 2/3 nights....Wouldnt have da projectile vomitin, or shittin, but trust me, i was still cluckin....

Dis whore was fuckin sniffin 2% gear probably.. i got my ist habit at 20 yrs old ,i'm nearly 46 now and have never used da needle....Even when dopesick and theirs only needles around,i still didnt fix...But so fuckin wat, dont make me a better person, better junkie....I'm just smart enuff to know i'm a greedy cunt when it comes to gear and fixin would kill me eventually....

This book is a crock a shit...Put her somewhere wiv some real dope and real junkies and lets see how she fairs?

Fuckin wanna be;s man....I wouldnt even buy dis book, cunt aint gettin any royalties outta me...Is it available to read online somewhere?....I need a laff....Has anyone actually bothered to read dis shit?...Obviously someone wiv a lotta time on dere hands....