Long Term Drug Abuse And Brain Damage

[Pioneer1]

I'm sure most of you have grown up seeing those public service announcements and commercials warning you of the dangers of drug use.
How dangerous it and what it does to your brain and body.

Remember the dude who used to crack open eggs and fry them in skillets talking about "this is your brain on drugs"....lol.

I know that much of the drugs out on the streets are harmful and the negative effects and consequences are clearly observable.
However one consequence or negative effect doesn't seem to be quite as observable: INTELLECTUAL IMPAIRMENT.

If routine drug abuse supposedly "fries" the brain and ruins it, why aren't most long term drug users retarded or severely intellectually disabled?

You know people who've been smoking crack or using heroine for years.
You can usually tell by their emotional instability that they're "off" or have some sort of problem, but most of them aren't "stupid" as such.
They can hold conversations, be social, hold jobs, scam, cheat, come up with lies.
Things the average retarded/intellectually disabled person can't do.

There are many musicians, entertainers, actors, and even professionals in the academic world who are addicted and have spent YEARS abusing cocaine and heroin.
Why are they still able to think well and perform well and maintain their professions and even families?
Retarded and "slow" people can't do that.
Most people you knew as slow or intellectually disabled growing up couldn't even reach that level anyway.

I'm interested in hearing OPINIONS (because I know most of you aren't medical experts) on why years of rampant drug use by most people doesn't seem to severely damage their intellect.

[ProfD]

IMO, drug usage does not prevent a *normally* developed brain from absorbing and retaining information. 

 

Drugs and alcohol will temporarily impair a person's ability to making logical decisions and/or control their physical actions.

 

Apparently, there is no longer term neurological damage as a result of drug use because lifetime drug users operation just fine when they are not *high*.

 

On a side note...POTUS OJ just signed an executive order making cannabis a schedule 3 drug.  I believe that puts the US steps closer to federalizing weed usage.

 

[Pioneer1]

ProfD

 

IMO, drug usage does not prevent a *normally* developed brain from absorbing and retaining information. 

 

This seems to line up with most of my observations as well.
Keep in mind though, I'm specifically talking about the ABUSE of drugs or MISUSE of drugs.
Not necessarily their proper usage for medical purposes or even "moderate" use of street drugs.

 

 

 

Drugs and alcohol will temporarily impair a person's ability to making logical decisions and/or control their physical actions.

 

Which is puzzling as to why they don't usually cause "permanent" or severe impairment with long term use.

Broken legs usually heal.
However how many people can repeatedly break their legs over and over again without eventually becoming a cripple?
 

 

 

 

Apparently, there is no longer term neurological damage as a result of drug use because lifetime drug users operation just fine when they are not *high*.

 

With most long term hard drug abusers, I can tell a difference in the way they move and interact with people.
But still, usually no type of intellectual decline that could be compared to someone with...say....Down Syndrome
 

 

 

 

On a side note...POTUS OJ just signed an executive order making cannabis a schedule 3 drug.  I believe that puts the US steps closer to federalizing weed usage.

 

Well....
Being the populist that he is, he just did that to increase his popular support.
You have millions of weed heads out there who could give less than a fuck about politics but if they think Trump is going to legalize Marijuana then he's "their man"....lol.

I've wondered about this for a long time, even as a kid.
How can some people abuse alcohol and drugs yet be smart, popular, and make enough money to get rich.
It didn't make a lot of sense to me.

Eventually it dawned on me that it actually DID make sense....it was a lie.

Perhaps they should start telling children the truth about things like drug and alcohol abuse.
Stop saying things like it "fries" or "melts" your brain, when it actually doesn't and most people can clearly see that it doesn't.
 

 

[ProfD]

1 hour ago, Pioneer1 said:

Keep in mind though, I'm specifically talking about the ABUSE of drugs or MISUSE of drugs.

As I alluded to above, even with abuse znd misuse of drugs, other than overdose and death, drug abusers still maintain their faculties when they're not high.

 

1 hour ago, Pioneer1 said:

Which is puzzling as to why they don't usually cause "permanent" or severe impairment with long term use.

Drug and alcohol abuse does mess up other organs over time. It just doesn't seem to impair the brain in such a way to render someone a vegetable. 

 

1 hour ago, Pioneer1 said:

With most long term hard drug abusers, I can tell a difference in the way they move and interact with people.
But still, usually no type of intellectual decline that could be compared to someone with...say....Down Syndrome

Right. Having been around a number of drug addicts, they might do weird sh8t but they're not intellectually deficient. 

 

1 hour ago, Pioneer1 said:

I've wondered about this for a long time, even as a kid.

How long did it take for you to realize Santa Claus wasn't real?

1 hour ago, Pioneer1 said:

How can some people abuse alcohol and drugs yet be smart, popular, and make enough money to get rich.
It didn't make a lot of sense to me.

Eventually it dawned on me that it actually DID make sense....it was a lie.

Just like Santa Claus and religion. People use whatever it takes to keep the masses oppressed. 

 

1 hour ago, Pioneer1 said:

Perhaps they should start telling children the truth about things like drug and alcohol abuse.

Capitalistic society is perfectly fine with building wealth on it but doesn't want to encourage drug and alcohol usage.

 

1 hour ago, Pioneer1 said:

Stop saying things like it "fries" or "melts" your brain, when it actually doesn't and most people can clearly see that it doesn't.

They don't want young people to become drug addicts and alcoholics. Preferably they should be adults.