# Did your youthful heavy drug & alcohol use affect your current mental abilities? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 7, 2006, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-your-youthful-heavy-drug-alcohol-use-affect-your-current-mental-abilities/338905 "2006-01-07T17:12:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2006, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-your-youthful-heavy-drug-alcohol-use-affect-your-current-mental-abilities/338905/1 "2006-01-07T17:12:21Z")
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? ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2006, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-your-youthful-heavy-drug-alcohol-use-affect-your-current-mental-abilities/338905/2 "2006-01-07T17:23:57Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2006, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-your-youthful-heavy-drug-alcohol-use-affect-your-current-mental-abilities/338905/3 "2006-01-07T17:46:28Z")
> [@jackelope](#): > > It _wrecked_ my tastes in music and clothing for a few years, though. As long as you move on eventually, it’s okay. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2006, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-your-youthful-heavy-drug-alcohol-use-affect-your-current-mental-abilities/338905/4 "2006-01-07T20:28:34Z")
> [@astro](#): > > 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? How would you know? ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2006, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-your-youthful-heavy-drug-alcohol-use-affect-your-current-mental-abilities/338905/5 "2006-01-07T20:41:40Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2006, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-your-youthful-heavy-drug-alcohol-use-affect-your-current-mental-abilities/338905/6 "2006-01-07T20:43:45Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > How would you know? Hmm… good point. ---
**Author:** ![sleestak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/919ad9/32.png) [@sleestak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sleestak)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2006, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-your-youthful-heavy-drug-alcohol-use-affect-your-current-mental-abilities/338905/7 "2006-01-07T21:08:18Z")
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 ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2006, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-your-youthful-heavy-drug-alcohol-use-affect-your-current-mental-abilities/338905/8 "2006-01-07T22:51:01Z")
This isn’t perchance a snideswipe at Bush, is it? ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2006, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-your-youthful-heavy-drug-alcohol-use-affect-your-current-mental-abilities/338905/9 "2006-01-07T22:55:04Z")
Um - I forgot the question. ---
**Author:** ![DianaG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@DianaG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DianaG)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2006, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-your-youthful-heavy-drug-alcohol-use-affect-your-current-mental-abilities/338905/10 "2006-01-07T23:34:39Z")
I don’t understand the question, but I dimly remember a time when I would have. ---
**Author:** ![Nic2004](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/4491bb/32.png) [@Nic2004](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nic2004)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2006, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-your-youthful-heavy-drug-alcohol-use-affect-your-current-mental-abilities/338905/11 "2006-01-07T23:39:19Z")
😃 Oh MAN! MY hands are HUGE!!! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2006, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-your-youthful-heavy-drug-alcohol-use-affect-your-current-mental-abilities/338905/12 "2006-01-08T00:02:53Z")
and my veins…are connected…to the electrical grid…of the _universe!!!_ Nope. ---
**Author:** ![Burrido](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Burrido](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Burrido)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2006, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-your-youthful-heavy-drug-alcohol-use-affect-your-current-mental-abilities/338905/13 "2006-01-08T17:27:11Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Indygrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@Indygrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indygrrl)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2006, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-your-youthful-heavy-drug-alcohol-use-affect-your-current-mental-abilities/338905/14 "2006-01-08T21:09:37Z")
> [@astro](#): > > 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? 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. ---
**Author:** ![Andy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/aeb1de/32.png) [@Andy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2006, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-your-youthful-heavy-drug-alcohol-use-affect-your-current-mental-abilities/338905/15 "2006-01-08T21:21:55Z")
> [@Burrido](#): > > 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. Dude, it’s probably in that funny little wooden box near the tv or behind the panel in the bathroom or somwhere. ---
**Author:** ![vl\_mungo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc8723/32.png) [@vl\_mungo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vl_mungo)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2006, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-your-youthful-heavy-drug-alcohol-use-affect-your-current-mental-abilities/338905/16 "2006-01-08T21:26:09Z")
Are you threatening me? ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2006, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-your-youthful-heavy-drug-alcohol-use-affect-your-current-mental-abilities/338905/17 "2006-01-08T22:47:09Z")
Why do they call them fingers? I’ve never seen them finging. Oh, wait - there they go. ---
**Author:** ![Nancarrow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c37758/32.png) [@Nancarrow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nancarrow)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2006, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-your-youthful-heavy-drug-alcohol-use-affect-your-current-mental-abilities/338905/18 "2006-01-08T23:01:57Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Nancarrow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c37758/32.png) [@Nancarrow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nancarrow)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2006, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-your-youthful-heavy-drug-alcohol-use-affect-your-current-mental-abilities/338905/19 "2006-01-08T23:04:22Z")
Oh, and Bu$h is TeH SuXX0rZ!!11! ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2006, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-your-youthful-heavy-drug-alcohol-use-affect-your-current-mental-abilities/338905/20 "2006-01-08T23:27:44Z")
> [@Nic2004](#): > > 😃 Oh MAN! MY hands are HUGE!!! 😃 And they can touch anything, except themselves…! Whooooaa! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-your-youthful-heavy-drug-alcohol-use-affect-your-current-mental-abilities/338905.md?page=2)