Posted by Racer on December 2, 2007, at 18:22:28
In reply to Re: I agree with Pstrait, posted by rgb on December 1, 2007, at 19:27:13
> Hi,
>
> I don't mean to come across as pedantic, but you wrote:
>
> >I do think it has had a lasting effect on my brain function. I don't think I'm nearly as smart as I was before starting to play with drugs.
>
> Although you did give a counterargument yourself following that.Ah, OK. That I can explain.
Everything I read says that the human brain is still developing until about twenty, so most of my drug use occurred while my brain was still developing. Somethings, like the effects of alcohol on brain development, are well enough researched that I feel pretty confident my teenage drinking caused some structural changes. Other drugs I just assume would also have lasting effects, but I haven't read anything about what those would be. (I'm a dork, and do read a lot of weird things...)
So, I think my teenage years did no favors to my brain development, and I swear I'm just not as smart as I was, but it's not something I spend too much time worrying about. The only reason I mentioned it here at all is that the original poster was attributing his/her psychiatric difficulties to drug use. I tend to think that drug use is more often an attempt to self-medicate, rather than a direct cause of problems. I know that it was about self-medication for me.
And the amounts involved were fairly substantial, and the drugs were known to have neurotoxic effects. But, again, I don't have a Way Back Machine, and don't really think about those things too much. I can still feed myself, and dress myself -- despite what my ex used to say about the results of dressing myself ;-) -- so I've got enough brain power left that I don't worry too much most of the time. Also, of course, I'm middle aged -- the middle aged brain is on the downward slide, so some of my decline is just age related. There's no way to know if or how much of my decline is related to my mis-spent youth.
Hope that answers your question.
poster:Racer
thread:797256
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20071125/msgs/798338.html