If you were a heavy duty stoner and/or drug & alcohol abuser when younger, do you feel that this affected your mental abilities later? Do you think that possibly you may have lost some mental acuity along with the brain cells, or are you as keen as you ever were?
I’m not admitting to anything. And all that stuff to which I’m not admittting didn’t seem to affect me a bit in terms of cognitive function.
It wrecked my tastes in music and clothing for a few years, though.
As long as you move on eventually, it’s okay. 
How would you know?
Is this question going to get an imbalanced answer? I’m just thinking that people who have lost more than a little mental ability aren’t going to be Dopers. Someone like my cousin, for example, who was once way smarter then I am, but isn’t any more.
Hmm… good point.
Yep. I am a recovering alcoholic and my short term memory isn’t as good as it used to be. My memory has gotten better since I got sober, it improved a whole lot since I quit, but it still isn’t quite as good as it used to be. It doesn’t affect me all that much, I just write down more lists than I used to do. If I go to the store without a list I am going to forget something.
Slee
This isn’t perchance a snideswipe at Bush, is it?
Um - I forgot the question.
I don’t understand the question, but I dimly remember a time when I would have.
Oh MAN! MY hands are HUGE!!!
and my veins…are connected…to the electrical grid…of the universe!!!
Nope.
I would have to say it did in my case. Obviously there is no way to really determine if it is just age or my past drug use. I’ve just been noticing that I can’t remeber where I put shit anymore.
Amazingly, I don’t think my drug and alcohol abuse really ever affected my mental acuity. I guess its possible, but I feel like the internet has drained my brain far worse than any drug ever could.
I haven’t suffered many physical effects either, except occasional weight gain/loss and hangovers if I drink. It didn’t age me like it has some of my friends, and I’m really very healthy even when I use. But, I don’t go at it like I used to.
Dude, it’s probably in that funny little wooden box near the tv or behind the panel in the bathroom or somwhere.
Are you threatening me?
Why do they call them fingers? I’ve never seen them finging. Oh, wait - there they go.
I’m 26 and have been doing all sorts of shit since 18. A couple of years ago I started feeling like I wasn’t remembering, concentrating, learning new stuff, or following logical trains of thought as well as I used to. It could well be the drugs. Or it could be that I left uni. Or it could just be aging. But my fave theory at the moment is that it’s because I’ve been an accounts assistant these past three and a bit years.
Warning: accountancy turns your brain to mush. Just say no.
Oh, and Bu$h is TeH SuXX0rZ!!11!
And they can touch anything, except themselves…! Whooooaa!