Featured Anyone else get perceived as being on drugs?

I was accused of being on drugs once by my dad, because of how forgetful I am. Ironically this was before I dabbled with drugs. When I did use drugs, I shied away from people as much as possible - the same goes for drinking. I don't like being around intoxicated people, and I didn't want sober people to be around me when I was intoxicated.

Nowadays I'm sober, but I'm still very forgetful and easily distracted - this continue to get me in trouble in every job I've had. I wonder if a formal diagnosis would ever improve how a workplace reacts to my frequent mistakes. At the end of the day I work in a job which is very stop/start. Forever having to stop what I'm doing to start something new and it can easily lead to me feeling frazzled and forgetful.

My normal face and expression seems to look quite forlorn and people have frequently commented on it before. Constantly being asked if I'm alright, or strangers in the street uttering one of the most annoying sentences - "Cheer up mate, it might never happen."

I've heard people react to strange thoughts or statements with "are you high?" but I think that's mainly to mock someone for thinking something that comes across as strange.

I find it easiest to absorb insults. I avoid conflict at all costs. When you thank someone for insulting you - it sort of nullifies their intentions to upset you. Of course it's self-deprecating behaviour - but I'm not stranger to that. People often become the butt of a joke; it's how some people function. My mum did it all the time when I lived at home and she had friends over. If I was in the room she'd constantly be making sarcastic comments about me and making be the butt of numerous, scornful jokes.

Talking to someone who obviously is on drugs isn't usually pleasant. I feel like I tip-toe around people enough in conversations, but when someone is genuinely off their face - they're often too unpredictable for me to want to spend any more time than is necessary talking to them.

Ed

 

Many times!!! I've specifically been mistaken for having taken XTC. I'm generally thought to be intoxicated after a couple of sips of alcohol (that one is super annoying at parties. No, I'm not drunk, I'm just clumsy and like to dance.) I actually had a coworker ask me if I was "on antidepressants" and if I could "recommend something" (yikes!). I had an HR guy at a hiring interview tell me flat out "we don't drug test or anything so you don't need to worry about that" (???) (I got the job by the way. Still work there in fact.)

It has, fortunately, never gotten me into any trouble but it's something that's in the back of my mind a lot.

 

My parents constantly thought I was on drugs when I was a teenager. I would go for long walks at night, or hang out in the garden, and come back super peaceful and blissed out and they thought I was high. They still don't really believe I didn't try any of that until my 20's.

 

My brother said that about me because my eyes were swollen from allergies on a regular basis. Hurt my feelings. Now l don't care what people think. Usually l have to drink tons of caffeine to get things done, so l am caffeinated, it's a life choice at times and helped me during double shifts of up to 9 hours.

 

I'm often asked if I have smokes, I quickly learned that if someone wanted "food" and asked me that it means drugs, which people have asked me in the past...

I've always put it down to my appearance, with long hair and a long beard, I probably look like someone who "might be" a drug user, even though I've never touched any drugs, alcohol or cigarettes at any time in my life...

 

I just tell them, "I'm high on life." Then flash a big, and obviously insincere, smile, which I'm sure telegraphs "Don't mess with me further" because then, they never do.

 

Can be pretty vague myself, but no, no one's asked me if I take drugs. Although they have asked if I have allergies, which I do, like Aspychata the skin around my eyes swells up anywhere near tree pollen, certain wild plants, flowers, cats, dogs, even birds. My face always know when it's spring.

 

At parties people usually think I’m on XTC because I really enjoy dancing and lose myself in good music. Or they think I’m on coke because I talk fast when I’m interested in a subject.

 

No. But I have been told I need them. BTW @Raggamuffin : Do you think your sobriety had something to do with your breakup? I have heard it can stress a relationship.........I hope not, but just wondering what you think.

 

@OkRad To be honest I don't think we were ever right for each other. I've only dated 2 people who I was interested in and both were very intense and volatile relationships "L'amour fou" (crazy love)

For the most part if anyone has shown interest in me, I'm like a moth to a flame. It's stupid really. I'm looking forward to moving out and being single. I need it - I've spent a long time in ill fitting relationships and I want to work on getting to where I want to be in life.

Sobriety has made emotions a lot more raw though. It's not been easy.

Ed

 

It's hard to think of in the moment, but next time a question like that comes up, your recommendation can be something (funny and) generic like:

1. Pepperoni pizza
2. Hugging teddy bears
3. start going to church

 

A college room mate described me as seeming burnt-out (negatively effected by long time drug use), although he knew that was not the case.

 

It depends on the speed of gossip in your area

 

Usually by very rude bitter people in my experience

 

Or uneducated therapists who don't know anything about autism. Scary people, those!!

 

Not as far as I know, but my job in a helping profession probably made people think I m an upright citizen. Or else I look too gormless and uncool. There was one time many years ago when a guy challenged me looking into a parked car window. He must have thought I looked like a car thief. But it was my car. My then partner had the keys as I didn't drive, but I realised I had left my bag in it. Had to go and get the keys to retrieve it. I did look very young in my 20s, and dressed casually, but I was a college lecturer.

 

Yes, but to be fair I probably was haha. Even now that I don't do "recreational drugs" I still have my "prescription drugs". Same crap different pile in my opinion. My ADHD med is just one molecule off of crystal meth (as 99% of them are) the only one I can think of that isn't is Strattera. Pretty funny how doctors can basically prescribe you meth or heroin, but that's ok. If you go to "street drugs" oh no.. It's hypocritical IMO.

 

Rattle Me, Shake Me; David Meece (1982)
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