Do they see me clearly, or darkly?

[funeralcrasher]

After service yesterday I met johnbutler at Tara where we saw A Scanner Darkly.  I hadn't read the book before (to be honest, I've only read V.A.L.I.S. by Philip K. Dick), so I didn't know what the storyline was in advance.  Besides being incredibly funny at times, the movie touched me because of how accurately it mirrors less attractive aspects of modern society.  Granted, few entranced by our own form of Death would see the significance in their own lives, but hopefully A Scanner Darkly will open more eyes to how nasty crystal meth is... and how, more often than not, it makes bad situations worse.

And, somehow, I can't imagine PKD would take joy knowing that his own work would become so prophetic.

At the end of the movie a note from Philip K. Dick is shown, after the names of more than a dozen of his friends passed away or had otherwise become permanently incapacitated - mentally and/or physically - from self medicating.  I feel sorry for those who have fallen victim to Death, knowing that with every little sniff their precious, irreplaceable brain is eaten away.  Every hit reduces their capacity to think and process information and increases their risk of cardiac failure and psychosis.  Yet nothing will stop addicts of this vile shit from turning away.. not when they've convinced themselves that it's the only solution.

Nothing sucks worse than watching a friend slowly die this way.

Comments

[aquaknot.livejournal.com]

Crystal Meth is indeed awful. From the toxic hotel and backroom labs, to the other hurtful crime it creates, and finally to the ravaged zombies it creates.

[imrygels-ho.livejournal.com]

a lot of the major dealers busted by the drug task force i work for deal mainly meth. interestingly, there are several regular clients at the clinic i work at part-time who are on meth pratically all the time (i assume, that or they just like taking their pets to the vet's while high). one guy is always bringing his dogs in because he thinks they have things crawling on them - it is a hallucination from all the drugs he does. these are rich people too, fyi. it's amazing to me - knowing what is put in that stuff and yet people still do it. ugh. i don't even like the way i feel when i've had to take pain killers... i just don't get drug use i guess, but i especialy don't get meth use....

[fille-morte.livejournal.com]

wow. I didn't know that a scanner darkly was about that. I haven't read the book either but really want to see the movie. I totally agree with you about the issue of drugs. I don't see the use for them. I've known many friends who do drugs mainly for escape and they don't realize that they're only making their lives worse.

[pkbarbiedoll.livejournal.com]

Know what they say to that?

Fuck it.

Just fuck it.

K makes me happier than I was before so fuck it. I don't have anything to live for anyway. I tried using the anti depressants but they don't work, k does. I'm going to die anyway. It's my choice. My body. I'm not hurting anyone else. I'll stop using it some day. But right now I have to have it. It's the only thing that keeps me going.

Vicious, nasty vile shit.

[ldygrinningsoul.livejournal.com]

Hm. I'll tell you what. A lot of things in this life are okay if you use them once in a while. You can kill yourself with booze and cigarettes, or cheesecake, or plastic surgery, if self destruction is where you're headed...

I just...I've lost a lot of friends to self medication in the last 12 months. I have two more in my immediate circle actively fighting it, and by that, I mean they're trying to get clean.

I love them, and it breaks my heart not to be able to help them because they're grown people, smart people, talented people, and you can't just shake them and say "your best isn't good enough, you're running out of time." I hate it. I hate watching it finally catch up.

I just had this conversation yesterday. I said, "I'm not going to lecture you, but I want you to tell me if you want help, if you need help." and the friend said "I know you've been through a lot this year, but you don't have to worry about me like that, I'm not doing it like that." But you know what? Not one of the people I buried this year thought they were doing it like that, I guarantee it. That's bullshit.

Breaks my fucking heart. There are too few people worth the time of day in this world as it is.