Ask a former IV heroin addict

[AceBoogie]

Can you describe how it feels to use PCP?

PCP, at low doses, feels sort of like being drunk. You definitely do sometimes feel "wet" all over your body which is weird, and I'm sure why PCP has earned that slang name. It's not quite the same as being drunk but that's probably the best way I could explain it. You feel sort of dizzy and disoriented and kind of feel like you are outside of yourself. At higher doses it gets super disorienting and you can have intense audio and visual hallucinations. At one point on a really strong PCP trip I felt like I was glued to my buddy's table as Notre Dame fighting Irish-esque symbols drifted across the stained wood in an infinite loop.

Can you describe how it feels to use heroin?

Injecting heroin is like having a warm blanket of pleasure washing over you that is akin to something like a full body orgasm. When you start nodding out it's sort of like falling asleep... but if you do just the right amount you sort of stay half awake as your nodding out and sometimes you'll have crazy dreams during the nod. Interestingly enough this magic nod is what pretty much all opiate users start chasing once they experience it. But in general you feel super calm... have absolutely no anxiety or fear about anything... you definitely get warm and itchy. So warm in fact I can remember pumping gas into my car in the middle of winter in just a t shirt.

Did you go through horrible withdrawl symptoms?

Yea, opiate withdrawal is fucking terrible.

Were you afraid of HIV?

I was never afraid of HIV because I almost never shared needles. I did share needles two times and even though I cleaned both syringes (one with alcohol and hot water and one with bleach and hot water) I found out later that neither of those methods are effective in killing any type of hepatitis or HIV. Luckily I'm disease free.

Have you ever seen trainspotting?

Yea, really good movie actually

Did you not feel like you were crossing a boundry by injecting drugs into your viens?  It seens like a huge step up from snorting, smoking or ingesting.

I guess at that point I was so deep into my addiction that I convinced myself that it was just another form of "experimentation," so no, I didn't feel like I was making some huge leap. Looking back I realize that injecting any drug is as about as hardcore as it gets and that at that time I probably would've convinced myself of anything in pursuit of a bigger, better high.

Did you ever commit crime to fund your habit?

I did return some stolen items for someone once, though I never actually stole anything from stores. I did steal from family quite a bit, which I'm a bit ashamed of, but it's true.

But mostly I basically had my own money or would ask family/friends for money. I did run off on dopeboys plenty of times.... in other words tell the guy I had 100 bucks and hand him a bundle of ones with a twenty wrapped around it and drive off real fast after doing the hand off.

Do you like tea?

Sure. I enjoy hot and iced tea more than coffee, most days. Hot black tea or green tea plain is awesome. Iced tea I usually enjoy sweetened.