Met Up With Old Friend, Really Strange Experience

[Kevo]

I recently met up with an old friend who I haven't seen in the past several years. He was a good friend in high school and college. He's a smart guy with a good family.

Back in college, he was part of the standard social party scene. At some point, he started to use weed and some psychedelics on a regular basis. I guess my observation is that over time he just kinda changed. By the time I graduated from college, he was a little bit different- more of a typical, forgetful stoner than his smart, intelligent former self.

After graduating, I didn't see him for several years and then a few times between 2-4 years ago. It's been 2 years since I last saw him.

When I met up with him at 4 in the afternoon on a weekend, he'd already had quite a bit to drink and was high. Now, I realize that this is just a one time observation and not a pattern, but in talking to him it was like something was just missing.

It's really hard to describe- he'd have a train of thought and then just lose it. He was also having trouble regulating internal vs external dialog- He'd start to say something and then say "no I can't talk about that". He'd also be talking about something and get really confused when I didn't follow because he'd left out significant portions of a story that he'd thought he'd vocalized.

He was also talking about everyone in terms of whether they were good or bad people. Whether they could be trusted or not. Really strange. His apartment was also like something out of the movie "Train Spotting".

I'm really not trying to be judgmental- It was a bit worrisome though and caught me off guard.

Can cannabis/shrooms permanently alter someones personality? Does long term use just bring out traits that were there all along? Do some people just really change a lot between teenage years and late 20s?

My last observation is that some of the most successful people I know experimented with drugs. For them, it seemed like it was all about the new experiences and different perspective. One by one they all moved on in life and either stopped using or are really good at understanding how to regulate and what they want out of using. This guy though would smoke or drink when he had a bad day or was worried or stressed or depressed. Maybe that's the difference?

[LightRanger]

My last observation is that some of the most successful people I know experimented with drugs. For them, it seemed like it was all about the new experiences and different perspective. One by one they all moved on in life and either stopped using or are really good at understanding how to regulate and what they want out of using. This guy though would smoke or drink when he had a bad day or was worried or stressed or depressed. Maybe that's the difference?

I agree with that. Several of the smartest guys I know experimented with drugs (mushrooms, ecstasy, GHB, sometimes coke, weed of course) more than my other friends. But for them it was generally just to check them out, with emphasis on the word "experiment." Some people can do that. Others can't. I think the difference is not turning to them during dark times and using them to self-medicate.

[iceman]

Obviously it's a guess, I haven't met your friend, but I would bet that he's mentally ill. Drugs themselves don't have those effects in my experience, but they do sometimes unmask or perhaps the word might be "unleash" latent mental illness. I've had three people I know well go off the deep end and each time it was pretty much the same story. Smart guys, a little "different" and one day it's like wait, this is fucked up.

What society does in general these days is try to push it down the line to the next person but there's not much of a safety net any more, and the "next person" may never come along until it's too late.. This is one of the reasons we have these violent explosions from some people, they are mentally ill but they never get diagnosed and they continue to get worse. If you have the ability to push him in the direction of the doctors I recommend you do so. Saying something to your friend isn't going to do anything, but if you know his family that might be a place to start.

Mental illness is a real thing, and it can have horrible consequences, but it's generally treatable at some level, so you would be doing a favor for your friend if you tried to steer him in a direction that might end up helping him. Forget about the "Cuckoo's Nest" bullshit, sometimes people need help.

[liv2ski]

Anything in moderation will likely not goof you up. Sounds like your buddy has gone way beyond moderate use, hence his issues.

[mobygrape]

^^I was going to say the same thing, but of course, Ice put it better than I would have.

[4matic]

Don't give him any money.

[OldLarry]

Iceman is correct IMO- I have seen this happen to people, and it seems to be prevalent in people with above average intelligence in my experience. The substance abuse seems to draw out otherwise latent bipolar/paranoid schizophrenic tendencies. It is exaggerated and goes unnoticed if the person is isolated and spends a lot of time by themselves.

Try to contact your friends family or close friends. It is not a good thing.

[that dude who did that thing]

I'll "third" iceman and oldlarry. This sounds like mental illness, not THC. And, yes, people do change a good bit between their teens and their late 20s. That is, in fact, "prime time" for onset of many forms of mental illness, and is also a period of significant cognitive and personality development.

[Danno]

Yep, not the weed. I have seen long term excessive hallucinogenic use have some of that happen, like the synapses sometimes don't fire or fire in a delayed way, making things come out weirdly and having the person seem to have gaps, for lack of a better term. But weed for the most part, even excessive amounts, just makes people dumb.

I think ice and larry are right.

[strawjack]

Yes, it would certainly appear to be mental instability.

Could acid, shrooms, etc cause some mental issues...I'm sure that is debatable amongst the professionals.

Alcohol is where I have personally seen it the most and they have fallen into the sad hollows of alcoholism. Only the few with solid families to help them have pulled out of it. Even then it's a continuous battle.

Good luck to your bud.

[warthog]

I have an uncle that is Schizophrenic, and you just described it in a nutshell. No pun intended. That guy needs to be on drugs, but not the self medicating kind. Watch A Beautiful Mind, and then check back here.

[BmillsSkier]

TGR is the new WebMD?

Good luck to your old friend. See if he'll seek actual medical help/diagnosis.

[flatlander#2]

In my medical opinion, I'm going with witch. Definitely struck by a possession, assumable to be eeeevilll. I'd go with burning right away. Check in with Fucked Anything Up thread later.

[XXX-er]

It sounds like too many warning signs to just be drug use, perhaps the drug use is a sign of mental illness and its very possible buddy would have gone off the deep end without drugs lots of people do rec drugs and come out of it OK

I found being being drug & alcohol free for 6 months last ski season to be a real rush

[hutash]

Wait, what's the question?

[Pegleg]

When I met up with him at 4 in the afternoon on a weekend, he'd already had quite a bit to drink and was high.

Seems to me like there's a big difference if this is how he always acts, or if he was actually on psychedelic drugs when you met up with him. If he'd taken some acid or shrooms that morning, then behavior like you describe isn't necessarily atypical - the fact that he'd taken them before seeing an old friend is indicative of having a problem, but the behavior itself isn't necessarily out of the ordinary for an actively tripping person. OTOH, if he had just smoked some herb and/or had some drinks (or if he was sober) then that behavior makes it sound like he's got some significant underlying psychological issues going on.

I know a guy (wife's college friend) who was a super smart dude going in to college but by the time he'd graduated was pretty out of it due to excessive tripping. He's cleaned up a good bit since then (still smokes a lot, but fewer psychedelic drugs), but he's never been the same.

[XXX-er]

When I met up with him at 4 in the afternoon on a weekend, he'd already had quite a bit to drink and was high. Now, I realize that this is just a one time observation and not a pattern, but in talking to him it was like something was just missing.

well if it were ski season that would be a pretty normal apres ski

[strawjack]

In my medical opinion, I'm going with witch.

Well, does he float?

[jtran10]

have a friend that's def. different now because of long-term acid use in his early 20s.

would agree it's not THC.

[iceman]

Fuckin witches, man. I shoulda known.

[moose pit]

Whoa iceman fucks whiches....

[iceman]

Just one...

...did I say that out loud?

[userA]

tgr is still a written format, nobody heard a thing.
b

[BigDaddy]

I blame MTV.


Had one friend recover and now leads a completely "normal" life while another who is basically a shell of his former self. It's tough to see him, but I still try and keep in touch, hoping it may make a difference.

[skiballs]

Yo OP,
Sometimes people that don't really like you, will act weird, so they don't have to deal with you anymore.