THE PAIN OF P: Brother `ruined my life'

This is a story of some close family and friends affected by the drug P.
"My brother first introduced me to the drug and it was not just a smoke - it was a needle. You see, influenced by a close family member to do it was comforting and reassuring . . . that I was going to be fine, and it was.
It was the best feeling in the world. To shut out pain, hate and insecurities that I had, and it was a love I had been searching for.
"It had many effects that would straighten the mind and focus on positives. You could basically do anything you put your mind to. Your personality was solid and you could persuade anybody that you were right in your thinking, 'coz you were two steps ahead of him or her.
"For me I got a nasty spin-off one day when I got on P, then did some LSD. It buggered me for life. You see, there is lots of information out there, but you have to go looking for it. For some it can be all to late. I was lucky.
"This can mean facing reality and facing people about your habit. You have to ask these questions. "The best info you get is from the users themselves. And even then they can be wrong. I think that society doesn't want to accept that there are these types of people out there.
"Problem is, is that there are middle-stream people doing it.
"I am from a well-educated background of good morals and high standards. You can't see it at the time but it can reduce you to being the scum of the earth and the stigma that goes with it, if you're not strong - and often you're not. When you try to straighten your life out, it can crumble and waste a lot of money.
"You don't think that, but your next hit is your next saviour. As time goes on, your perceptions of what is going on around you change, and you start thinking some whacked-out stuff.
"It can be dangerous because the danger is when you start to believe some of it. Half the adrenaline rush can be the thought of being followed, for various reasons, but can include police or gangs. Fact or fiction, you can spend hours just trying to keep undercover.
"Scared? - you should be 'coz what goes in the mind of these people is sometimes a minefield. I was no better than the man in the gutter, 'coz once I was hooked I thought I was better than that.
"I floated along for a while thinking 'this is the way life should be'. It did bit me on the ass. By that stage nobody wanted to know me, and I lost a lot of friends along the way.
"Why? 'coz I influenced friends and they don't want some waster just trying to stuff their life as well - that's what it came down to. "Sometimes you've got to step back from the crowd to realise what you're doing. You're only young once.
"For me, I wish I had the willpower. It's a bit late now.
"It can take five minutes of fun to damage yourself and reputation, and the rest of your life building trust in your family and getting those parts of your life out of the way to succeed in the real world.
"Life isn't easy, and people don't forget. "