I’ve been free for 15 years from 18 years of addiction and at my worst, I was trapped on heroin and methadone. I started using drugs and alcohol at the age of 13 year old. The 12 step program wouldn’t have been for me. I went to teen challenge, a faith based rehab centre. The beauty of recovery is everyone are individuals and no two peoples recovery journey is the same in “one shoe size doesn’t fit all” but the concept of being around others who are healing from addictions definitely gives hope and fuels your own recovery. James, I’ve written a book about my healing journey of getting free as I wanted the message out there for others. It wasn’t easy but I drew strength from a variety of different people, as people say recovery takes a village of others.
@@jacquireid6190 Congratulations! 15 years is an amazing achievement! I totally agree. The importance of a being around others on the journey is so important and getting out whilst I did almost certainly saved me from giving in to trying heroin. Very grateful. Thanks for sharing 🙏
Watching the BBC documentary show, it made me realise how glad I am that I grew up in the late 90s/ early 00s where drug culture was a lot more fun and innocent. I wonder about the societal changes that have created such a drug culture? When did it become so dark? Why do so many people enjoy the dissociated feeling of K? I concur with what the producer said about how Ketamine was viewed 'back in the day'. When I was young, E was the main clubbing drug, and Ketamine was around but E was the main drug of choice. And Ketamine was kind of viewed as an 'extreme drug' not a party drug like E, and a Ketamine high was more unpredictable than an E high. I took an E that was cut with K, not on purpose, and it was such a weird and scary experience. I hated the dissociated feeling- which seems to actually be one of the reasons why people like K. I am shocked and horrified that K has become so popular and the devastating effect it has on young people/ kids. Maybe it's my age, but I feel that the British drug culture has taken a dark turn, like 'in my day', drug taking was an 'add on' to the fun party or clubbing night. Whereas now there are kids taking Ket so young, and many seem to be taking it as a way to escape. Why are so many kids/ people desperate to escape?
Hey, Its Tom here! Well done to you both ! I listened to every second of this and I wish this podcast could be aired on UK radio ! So helpful having these conversations! ! X
Thank God you started to mate changes when you did James 🎉 you may have been saved from the path of heroin crack and other drugs. Addiction is addiction, no matter what the drug is..
Am currently an addict,addicted to tramadol. I currently take it in high dozes to forget about my failures of life and also forget dat I failed to pass high school and my dream of becoming a doctor came to un end. Recently I tried to get off it but I almost lost my mind. And the physical effects are more worse than the psychological effects. I guess am gonna be on it for my entire life. I now take it to survive and not lose my damn mind.
I am really sorry to hear that. Physical withdrawal is really rough but don’t give up hope. I know it can be done with the right support if you want to make the change. 🙂
@@breakthechain2645 It's really hard to get the right support in my country because most people's perception regarding such matters are extremely wild.
Thanks for this video! I did K for a few years and about a year daily (maybe more, I can't remember) I stopped two weeks ago, because I started having bladder issues and my toilet routines changed and I promised myself since the beginning, I would stop the day that happened... I REALLY feel terrible, with daily suicide thoughts and I'm constantly tired, I've stopped using other drugs before (weed and coke) without professional help, so I know I can get off this too, but how long a period can I expect, before going back to some more normal daily routines? As I said, I am two weeks in, and are starting to get worried, because this is so heavy on me... Oh and I by the way stopped smoking weed also, to be able to heal better, as I hope for normal toilet habits again.
It varies from person to person but it will get better. I didn’t get to the bladder issue stage but I was using daily for over a year. It’s been about five months now since stopping and gradually things are getting back. The first few weeks were terrible, big comedown and the reality of what I was trying to escape had to be faced. After the initial shock of not having it in your system and as part of your daily life, it absolutely does get better.
I’ve been free for 15 years from 18 years of addiction and at my worst, I was trapped on heroin and methadone. I started using drugs and alcohol at the age of 13 year old. The 12 step program wouldn’t have been for me. I went to teen challenge, a faith based rehab centre. The beauty of recovery is everyone are individuals and no two peoples recovery journey is the same in “one shoe size doesn’t fit all” but the concept of being around others who are healing from addictions definitely gives hope and fuels your own recovery. James, I’ve written a book about my healing journey of getting free as I wanted the message out there for others. It wasn’t easy but I drew strength from a variety of different people, as people say recovery takes a village of others.
@@jacquireid6190 Congratulations! 15 years is an amazing achievement! I totally agree. The importance of a being around others on the journey is so important and getting out whilst I did almost certainly saved me from giving in to trying heroin. Very grateful. Thanks for sharing 🙏
Watching the BBC documentary show, it made me realise how glad I am that I grew up in the late 90s/ early 00s where drug culture was a lot more fun and innocent. I wonder about the societal changes that have created such a drug culture? When did it become so dark? Why do so many people enjoy the dissociated feeling of K?
I concur with what the producer said about how Ketamine was viewed 'back in the day'. When I was young, E was the main clubbing drug, and Ketamine was around but E was the main drug of choice. And Ketamine was kind of viewed as an 'extreme drug' not a party drug like E, and a Ketamine high was more unpredictable than an E high.
I took an E that was cut with K, not on purpose, and it was such a weird and scary experience. I hated the dissociated feeling- which seems to actually be one of the reasons why people like K.
I am shocked and horrified that K has become so popular and the devastating effect it has on young people/ kids. Maybe it's my age, but I feel that the British drug culture has taken a dark turn, like 'in my day', drug taking was an 'add on' to the fun party or clubbing night. Whereas now there are kids taking Ket so young, and many seem to be taking it as a way to escape. Why are so many kids/ people desperate to escape?
Hey, Its Tom here! Well done to you both ! I listened to every second of this and I wish this podcast could be aired on UK radio ! So helpful having these conversations! ! X
Thank you Tom! 😄
Drug trends are changing and services need to move with the times
I didn’t learn anything at school about heroin and crack
Thank God you started to mate changes when you did James 🎉 you may have been saved from the path of heroin crack and other drugs. Addiction is addiction, no matter what the drug is..
Am currently an addict,addicted to tramadol. I currently take it in high dozes to forget about my failures of life and also forget dat I failed to pass high school and my dream of becoming a doctor came to un end. Recently I tried to get off it but I almost lost my mind. And the physical effects are more worse than the psychological effects. I guess am gonna be on it for my entire life. I now take it to survive and not lose my damn mind.
I am really sorry to hear that. Physical withdrawal is really rough but don’t give up hope. I know it can be done with the right support if you want to make the change. 🙂
@@breakthechain2645 It's really hard to get the right support in my country because most people's perception regarding such matters are extremely wild.
Thanks for this video!
I did K for a few years and about a year daily (maybe more, I can't remember) I stopped two weeks ago, because I started having bladder issues and my toilet routines changed and I promised myself since the beginning, I would stop the day that happened...
I REALLY feel terrible, with daily suicide thoughts and I'm constantly tired, I've stopped using other drugs before (weed and coke) without professional help, so I know I can get off this too, but how long a period can I expect, before going back to some more normal daily routines? As I said, I am two weeks in, and are starting to get worried, because this is so heavy on me... Oh and I by the way stopped smoking weed also, to be able to heal better, as I hope for normal toilet habits again.
You will feel completely normal in about 3 more weeks.
It varies from person to person but it will get better. I didn’t get to the bladder issue stage but I was using daily for over a year. It’s been about five months now since stopping and gradually things are getting back. The first few weeks were terrible, big comedown and the reality of what I was trying to escape had to be faced.
After the initial shock of not having it in your system and as part of your daily life, it absolutely does get better.
To me, it all comes down to intention. Are you using ketamine to escape or enhance your reality?
There was a time when I had this attitude. Unfortunately the chains of addiction are too light to be felt until they are too heavy to be broken.
It will inevitably lead to the former