Personal Recession & Drugs

It is a terrible thing to waste your mind. What ever situation you may find your self in in life, do not turn to illegal drugs (narcotics), and in some cases, prescription drugs. The health of your mind should always be preserved at all times and it is your responsibilty as sensible adult. The only way you can be totally independent of illegal drug use is by not using it at all. I can say with conviction that I have absolutely never used illegal drugs in any form or fashion in my entire life. If you are reading this article and you have never used drugs then I urge you not to start. Abstainenance is the only solution that works. If you have already started or you are an addict then there's not much advice I can offer you because everyone's situation is unique. Drug use is also an expensive habit. Given the tough economic times that we are living in, it can take its toll on an individual's limited resources.
There are those of you I am aware, that was exposed to drugs even in the womb by drug addicted mothers. This is a hopeless, worst case scenario that is mind boggling. Some people are born into addiction. This is a real problem for our society on a whole. There is no simple solution. I therefore expect young computer savvy readers who never used drugs to benefit most from reading this article.
The community I grew up in back in Grenada had many pot smokers. Most of my peers smoked pot. Two of my brothers did it, one of whom I lost as a result. I became aware of pot, the primary local illegal drug at the time, from since I was seven or eight years old. I often questioned my older peers about the benefits they got from its use. No one gave me a convincing answer. Though I had an inquisitive mind, I decided early in life that I would learn as much as I can from other people's experiences and from asking lots of questions. I learned to discern early what's right from what's wrong and good from bad. Once I decided that there was absolutely no benefit in something for me then I left it alone. I also learned a lot by observation. If I saw someone doing something that I perceived as non-beneficial or harmful to self or society, I decided right away that I would not be doing that. There are obvious evils that come to mind as things absolutely not to do: illegal drug use, rape, murder, robbery, armed robbery and  pedofiling are top of the list.
The brain controls all of your functions: thoughts, moods, senses and actions (involuntary and voluntary). Your brain cells develop and perform highly specialized functions. Brain cells communicate by nervous impulses. These impulses are stimulated by natural chemical reactions. Illegal drugs acts as external stimuli that directly influence the workings of your brain. Herein lies the problem.
Your brain controls your mind through a natural chemical process. By consuming illegal drugs, you are substituting the use of natural brain chemicals for those of the drugs. In so doing you either kill your brain cells ot render them ineffective.
For those of you in doubt, here are some basic scientific facts you need to know about your brain. Each human being has a fixed number of brain cells. When a brain cell dies, it is not replaced. The brain controls your mind. Your mind does not control your brain.
Therefore, any thing that controls your brain will inevitably control your mind. A healthy brain can contribute to a healthy mind. Drugs destroy your brain and consequently your mind.
 I once heard a pot smoker say that he can control his high (on pot). He was very misguided. Many pot users believe that pot is not a drug. This belief is false. Apart from being a drug, I also consider it as a stepping stone drug, that is, it can lead to the consumption of more (harsh) drugs. Incidentally, this particular pot user, whom was one of my closest friends, later became a (crack)cocaine addict. He resorted to stealing and subsequently died from ingesting tainted cocaine (allegedly stolen). Such is the sad reality.
There is also a staggering economic reality of using illegal drugs. By and large it is an expensive habit. Many users become dependent on it. The more someone uses it, the more he/she likely becomes dependent and the more money and resources that is consumed. Drug users spend lots of their time indulging in their habit. They may also go to great lengths in search of supplies. Time is a scarce resource. I guarantee you that when you trade your time and money for acquiring and using drugs, you have nothing to show for it. Nothing. Just misery.
What happens to drug users and addicts who lose their source of income, like their jobs, savings or both? Given  the current adverse economic times (recession) that  we live, many people are losing their jobs. Let me clarify that most drug addicts cannot keep a decent job (unless they have a stake in the company or are protected by "higher-ups").
However what happens to the unprotected addicts that lost their income? What if they don't have any savings or a good (family) support system?  Even worse, they may not get another decent job because it may require that they are "drug free". You are ostracized by friends. Fellow addicts who are just as desperate cannot help you (with a fix). Your supplies are cut off. Then you start experiencing withdrawal syndromes. All of a sudden you are an addict without options.
What does an addict do in this grim situation? Things can go down hill fast. I haven't heard of many addicts that check themselves voluntarily into rehab(ilitation). Many who do suffer relapses.
The problem of drug addiction becomes society's problem when  addicts can no longer legally and independently finance their habit. This problem can adversely affect the lives of any one the addict comes in contact with; directly or indirectly. This includes family, friends, loved ones, acquaintances, passer-bys..anybody. Many addicts who go untreated may become homeless, suffer mental deterioration, pick-up and spread diseases intra-venously, rob, steal and in some extreme cases, even kill.
There are those wealthy addicts though because of their social status may not go down that path simply because they can afford their habit. In some cases they may voluntarily check themselves into rehab bacause they have a stronger support system.
During an economic recession, who do you think will adapt better if they lose their primary income (job)? Someone who does not use drugs or someone who does? This is critical. Your decision to start using drugs may not adversely affect you and society now, but later on; when you face adversity.
On the contrary, should you not take drugs, when you face adversity, your survival instincts which are more intact, on an average, will dictate that you take assertive measures to improve your situation right away. You don't quit. You are driven. Your mind is clearly focused on your goals.
The addict on the other hand, faced with adversity, instead of endeavoring to remediate his/her situation, will look to find, by any means necessary, ways to satisfy his/her cravings (for more) drugs. You are practically, out of your mind. Drugs are in control. Not you.
Consumption of illegal drugs can lead to an irreversible and a vicious cycle of social decay and self-destruction for addicts with limited resources. Some may argue that drug use is an expensive habit of the rich. Others may argue that marijuana is not a drug; that it has medicinal properties; etc, etc.
My questions to you are, having started consistently using drugs, can you stop? If you can , why don't you? What benefits do you get from using drugs? Do you borrow money to buy drugs for your personal consumption? Do you 'borrow' from your rent or mortgage money to buy drugs? Do you use your food money? Or your kids day care or babysitter's money? Your car payment? Your phone bill money? Are you unemployed? Do you spend many hours each day using drugs with friends rather than looking for a job? Or pursuing a career? Are your grades falling at school due to smoking pot or sniffing coke? Have you dropped out of school or college? Are you getting caught up with the wrong crowd? Do you abuse your grand-parents prescription drugs then swap with your peers over at a family friends' house? Have you changed your dress code? Your attitude?  Do you disrespect your parents? Your wife? Your husband? Your kids? Your elders? Have you began having sudden mood swings and experiencing depression while in your teens, twenties, or thirties? Do you sleep late every morning? Have you lost your desire to succeed in life? Do you find it hard to bounce back when you hit adversity?
Obviously, the list can go on and on. You get the picture though. If you don't it's probably too late for you because you are already in too deep to get your life back (from drugs). To those of you who never used drugs in your life, do like I did, don't start. This is the only solution.
To put this all into perspective, most former drug users are either (socially and professionally))dead (or just dead), locked up, terminally ill, rehabilitated (how many?) or rejuvenated (converted to Christianity). Very few drug users walk off, into the sunset, unscathed. Some, unfortunately, never do. Being a drug user, which category would you choose when you become a former user? The fact is, if you let drugs decide, then you will most likely self destruct. To some degree, with the exception of marijuana, your fate is already sealed when you let drugs decide it.
I am not exempting marijuana from being an addictive and dangerous drug. However I have known many of its users that seemingly live to see ripe old ages, living productive and healthy lives. Others I know of made that fateful switch to use "harder" drugs and paid the price (in some cases with their lives). Few walked away. At the end of the day , is the risk worth it? Some users become addicted from their first "draw". My understanding is that you never quite re-capture your first "high'. Besides being an expensive habit, it can be deadly. You keep consuming it and it will eventually consume you.
Non-users, I urge you: Don't start using drugs.