Party Vibe

My Dad xould do that (OK apart from chatting up girls as mum and dad stayed married for the whole of dad’s life) but at one point he had a script for 120 or more weekly, and he had been doing them since the 1970s. I certainly did nick a couple after particularly heavy weekends but when dad went down with kidney failure that scared me off doing them in large quanties. Even then benzos (and alcohol) eventually are much more likely to make me fall asleep.

the only difference betwen this and other benzos is (like many other UK RCs) the benzene in the molecule is replaced by a thiophene ring (5 sided and containing a sulfur atom) which puts it outside the class C classification. So it has uses for those who don’t want to do it regularly and do not want to get too deply involved in illegal importation or diversion of class C – but otherwise it is expensive for what you get.

basically they eventually destroy them (although so does a lot of stuff, and dad also drank, smoked and after the 1980s did not take much regular exercise other than DIY work, he would always prefer to drive. They also affect the liver (and I think dads liver may also have been giving problems) He also led quite a high pressure/stress lifestyle (which was also why he took benzos!).

At one point least 25-30mg every day, whilst also driving to and from work (two jobs) and providing for two kids. if I were to take just 5-10mg I have to retire to bed.

That said he managed to get the big prescription in the 70s before their effects were well known so developed tolerance and somewhat ironically benzos are seen as safe in renal faliure. I have a nasty feeling they may be genetic, but these sorts of conditions only present in your later years though (age 45+) and I have been lucky so far..

@p0ly 457561 wrote:

when i was in france there was a big thing on bbc radio 4 i believe about doctors prescribing people valium and getting them addicted and basically ruining their lives. seems like a lot of doctors don’t have a scooby doo about how bad benzo addiction is.

I think it depends on the age group though, of both doctors and patients. That said I suspect TBH its middle aged folk and similarly aged doctors. Todays doctors in their 30s grew up with the 1990s drugs culture, saw its consequences and are a lot more clued up. From the 1970s to 1980s benzos were seen as a safe “wonder drug” as other hypnotics like barbiturates are fatal in overdose (they are still used today for putting down animals (and also humans in some US states)) – I bet someone our age group would have far more problems getting a legit script for them…

Also dad’s first job was in the NHS and they weren’t as security concious as today 😉 – That said although what Dad went through was very unpleasant and something I hope to avoid I wouldn’t class rising from being a poor immigrant in a shitty part of London with a newly pregnant wife to being a proud father of two kids, having a professional career and owning a house in a affluent area of SE England as well as a new motor car as a “ruined life – however its probably also getting these things what destroyed his health as well as any drugs he took.

Incidentally in the last two weeks of his life Dad actually made peace with me and apologised for the arguments we’d had over drug use as he now realised the only difference between his use of drugs and mine was the laws rather than any other moral issues.