AS and drugs (the good kind...)

Before I begin this post I feel like I need to put in some sort of disclaimer. I'm sorry if this is going to offend anyone but I can't find anything anywhere that says I can't post about this topic. It's something I'm genuinely interested in as part of coming to terms with having AS. If anyone has any problems with this discussion feel free to have this thread removed from the forum.

I've just finished reading a book by Howard Marks entitled "Book of Dope Stories". It's a collection of short essays, letters and other writings related to the consumption, distribution and legal status of drugs such as tobacco, alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, opiates, amphetamines and psychedelic substances. It struck me that a lot of the personal accounts were somewhat scientific in approach: the subject consumed whatever drug not out of any hedonistic urge but simply to analyse its effects on the human body and psyche. Moreover, many authors appeared to have a profound understanding of the cultural significance and the chemistry behind the drugs.

Given that people with AS have a different neurological make-up that NTs, it would be reasonable to assume that mind-altering substances will thus also produce different effects, and perhaps more importantly, be consumed for different reasons.

I read an account my a young man (can't remember where) who had had a troubled youth due to his inability to socialise and make friends. He proclaimed that a few terms' worth of heavy drinking at university had sorted him right out. He did not believe that he had AS and was equally sceptical about many other people on the forum, but that is besides the point.

I have just received an unofficial diagnosis from the mental health unit at my university. They lack the necessary expertise to diagnose AS in adults, but confirmed that I scored highly in all six areas of the test that I took, with the exception of motor coordination (I'm pretty clumsy and can't play any sports that involve balls and bats, but that's nothing extraordinary, apparently). Every other test that I've taken, I've scored well out of the normal range. This is despite the fact that on questions where I am unsure what to answer, I always opt for the more NT response. So by now I'm pretty convinced that I have AS.

I get drunk most weekends because it's the only way I can really socialise without being uncomfortable and fidgety. I smoke cigarettes like a chimney because it stops me from picking at my fingers or lips, which I know tends to freak people out a bit. I have also dabbled in numerous other substances, mainly for the reasons outlined in the first paragraph, and I would be interested in hearing from anyone else who has had similar experiences. PM me if you prefer.

As an afterthought that might provoke some discussion, I remember reading several news stories recently about the use of currently illegal drugs to treat medical conditions. Notably, these were the use of psychedelic substances such as LSD to treat addiction, depression and schizophrenia, and the use of cannabis to relieve the suffering of people with MS or undergoing chemotherapy (see www.newscientist.com). Maybe this is another AS thing, but why does everyone think that drugs are bad? How can a chemical compound be inherently evil? It doesn't make sense. It's not that drugs are bad as such, it's just that:

a) some of them are addictive (but that hasn't stopped adults from being legally allowed to consume cigarettes or alcohol)

b) like any other substance (including water), consuming too much can be dangerous and even fatal

c) because they are illegal, it means that in order to get hold of them you have to hang around with dodgy people and they cost loads, so you might just have to sell your TV or mug an old lady to get the money (I haven't actually done either)

d) finally, and probably most importantly, drugs make you different, and most governments seem terrified of people who are not your average hard-working familiy with 2.4 children and whatever

So... as people who may (or may not, as the case may be) benefit from having illegal substances decriminalised... what do you think?

You're a freak and you should be locked up!

Hehe. Seriously, though, my cigarette smoking never kept me from working on my nails and the flesh around them. How did you manage?

Anyhow, I did pot for a while and got fat and 'expanded my mind'. Did it help with AS? Quite indirectly, and not in a way I'd say can't be substituted for.
I drank a lot for a while. Even the people in the office would know and comment on it. Didn't help with AS.

Didn't try anything real heavy, so dunno those.

I do not disagree with you. However, I do not agree either and here's why:

All of the substances are band-aids. And unfortunately, there is no one way to make us all see the world the way NTs do.
A drug can alter behavior by working on dopamine receptors and regulating satiety, which then might help with ADD, which then might help me stay focused longer and wider, which then may enable me to understand the world better, which then may help a little better with my AS deficiencies.

That, I do not dispute.

But, having consumed pot and alcohol and tobacco in high doses at one time or another, I, personally, did not find any benefit in those.

I also agree with you in that if I were the alcohol lobby, the last thing I'd want is home-grown intoxicants. Imagine not having to pay $10 for a six-pack of bubbly liquid.

About hard-working people and stuff. Well, I dunno. The potheads I know smoke all day every day and I would not want one of them operating the heavy machinery outside on the street while I pass by. But that's a two way argument and it's a fact that people who work with heavy machinery in Germany can and do buy beer and drink it on the job.

In the end - any substance can be used in a multitude of ways. I can drink and be courageous enough to meet my future wife and raise a happy happy family of hardworking people. Or I can drink, become a fiend, and go pee in front of the mayor's office... or something.

Smoking only stops me from picking at my fingers while I'm actually smoking (preferably with a beer in the other hand so I can't actually use either hand for picking because they are respectively involved in holding the cigarette and the beer)! If I don't have a beer I find myself continuously flicking ash or tapping the cigarette against the ashtray. So I guess it's also just a temporary band-aid.

I smoke a lot of weed but I find it tends to accentuate many AS traits, which can be really useful. I did all my art exams at school stoned and got an A* in ceramics, fine art and multimedia (we were only supposed to be allowed to take one art subject but I persuaded my teacher to let me do the other two in my spare time). N.B. That doesn't mean it's gonna work for everyone!

It's also an excuse to be antisocial, which can come in very handy e.g.

Friends: Oh come on, come out for a drink, the pub's only across the road! You never come out, don't you get bored staying at home when you have nothing to do now that you've finished uni?

Me: No thanks, I've just had a spliff and I feel like chilling and watching that documentary about people who are allergic to everything on Channel 4. It's really interesting. I think it has something to do with the fact that less people are being breastfed and also the fact that kids aren't allowed to play in the mud, and that there's a major drama when little Jimmy cuts his finger so it has to be dealt with using antibiotics. You see, the immune system...

Friends: Yeah ok, right, whatever. We're off to the pub now so come along if you fancy it, alright?

This isn't really about using drugs to try to achieve a NT state of mind. Why would I want to do that? I like who I am, and quite frankly, I would rather not be like "most" people because I find them boring, narrow-minded and stupid. But maybe that's just me...


I'm just quite interested because my reasons for trying the drugs I have tried have been quite different to those of my peers. I have always been fascinated by the ideas of consciousness and spirituality, and drugs seem to play a great part in understanding both. That is my reason. Most other people just want to get f*cked up! It also p*sses me off that we live in a world that is so illogical. We have so many problems that could easily be fixed if only someone were willing to sit down, think about it properly for a couple of hours, and overhaul the existing system (education, healthcare, whatever).

Drugs are a case in point. Drugs are personal (like the right to have an abortion or to die a dignified death) which makes them all the more controversial. It comes down to the age-old problem of one group of people trying to impose their moral values on another group of people. That's not right. We make exceptions to even the most fundamental moral rules - it's ok to kill someone if you're a soldier in a war, for example. But obviously there are systems in place to ensure that said soldier only kills "the enemy" and not innocent bystanders. Why can't the same thing be applied to drugs, or abortions, or the right to die? Drugs (and even the other two) are a hugely profitable industry, and since money makes the world go round, why aren't governments interested? Surely each person is the sole governor of his or her body and should be allowed to decide what does and doesn't cross the border? And surely the medical and scientific experts who would like to do research into these illegal substances can a) be trusted not to get off their nut during the course of research, b) could thus provide valuable information about the safety and activity of these substances and c) could potentially provide new and better substances. What's wrong with making people feel happy or buzzed or chilled out? Prescription and non-prescription drugs do it, they're just not as good in some cases...

Smoking only stops me from picking at my fingers while I'm actually smoking (preferably with a beer in the other hand so I can't actually use either hand for picking because they are respectively involved in holding the cigarette and the beer)! If I don't have a beer I find myself continuously flicking ash or tapping the cigarette against the ashtray. So I guess it's also just a temporary band-aid.

I smoke a lot of weed but I find it tends to accentuate many AS traits, which can be really useful. I did all my art exams at school stoned and got an A* in ceramics, fine art and multimedia (we were only supposed to be allowed to take one art subject but I persuaded my teacher to let me do the other two in my spare time). N.B. That doesn't mean it's gonna work for everyone!

It's also an excuse to be antisocial, which can come in very handy e.g.

Friends: Oh come on, come out for a drink, the pub's only across the road! You never come out, don't you get bored staying at home when you have nothing to do now that you've finished uni?

Me: No thanks, I've just had a spliff and I feel like chilling and watching that documentary about people who are allergic to everything on Channel 4. It's really interesting. I think it has something to do with the fact that less people are being breastfed and also the fact that kids aren't allowed to play in the mud, and that there's a major drama when little Jimmy cuts his finger so it has to be dealt with using antibiotics. You see, the immune system...

Friends: Yeah ok, right, whatever. We're off to the pub now so come along if you fancy it, alright?

This isn't really about using drugs to try to achieve a NT state of mind. Why would I want to do that? I like who I am, and quite frankly, I would rather not be like "most" people because I find them boring, narrow-minded and stupid. But maybe that's just me...


I'm just quite interested because my reasons for trying the drugs I have tried have been quite different to those of my peers. I have always been fascinated by the ideas of consciousness and spirituality, and drugs seem to play a great part in understanding both. That is my reason. Most other people just want to get f*cked up! It also p*sses me off that we live in a world that is so illogical. We have so many problems that could easily be fixed if only someone were willing to sit down, think about it properly for a couple of hours, and overhaul the existing system (education, healthcare, whatever).

Drugs are a case in point. Drugs are personal (like the right to have an abortion or to die a dignified death) which makes them all the more controversial. It comes down to the age-old problem of one group of people trying to impose their moral values on another group of people. That's not right. We make exceptions to even the most fundamental moral rules - it's ok to kill someone if you're a soldier in a war, for example. But obviously there are systems in place to ensure that said soldier only kills "the enemy" and not innocent bystanders. Why can't the same thing be applied to drugs, or abortions, or the right to die? Drugs (and even the other two) are a hugely profitable industry, and since money makes the world go round, why aren't governments interested? Surely each person is the sole governor of his or her body and should be allowed to decide what does and doesn't cross the border? And surely the medical and scientific experts who would like to do research into these illegal substances can a) be trusted not to get off their nut during the course of research, b) could thus provide valuable information about the safety and activity of these substances and c) could potentially provide new and better substances. What's wrong with making people feel happy or buzzed or chilled out? Prescription and non-prescription drugs do it, they're just not as good in some cases...