I wish I'd read this thread when I was 18; I've become a poster-boy for kindling. Anything beyond two days of consecutive use induces withdrawal (not rebound, withdrawal; it lasts longer than the period of use, which in my mind makes it more w/d and less rebound), with benzos, opes, cannabis, whatever.
Heed this advice as well because it's very true. I've experienced first hand many times with opioids and to some extent with benzos. Let me give you an example with opioids.
I was clean for over a year once way back when I first quit opioids CT after 5-6 years of daily use. Right before I quit my tolerance was at the point where I needed about 30mg of oxycodone to starve off withdrawal/wake up and 90-100+mg to nod. Note I managed to keep the doses this low only through strict discipline. If I had more money I could and would do as many opioids as you sat in front of me. After a year clean I thought I could get away with using one time and scored some oxycodone.
The first night I started slow with 10mg. After 15 minutes or so (I preferred snorting) I could tell I'd taken an opioid but it wasn't really that strong. I went ahead and took 30mg. This got me pretty buzzed and was comparable to the feeling I used to get from about 60mg. I re-dosed again and found that my body handled it fine. I took another re-dose or two and eventually managed to nod. When I got up the next morning I discovered that I had taken about 70-80mg. So I was already needing my usual dose to nod. Although it's possible the last re-dose wasn't needed as I have a bad habit of snorting pills while already nodding.
The next morning I was still a bit buzzed but kept my word and didn't use. As the day went on I felt the opioids wear off. I had very minor aches and pains but they weren't anything I'd consider abnormal. I could have probably avoided W/D all together if I stopped right here. But since I'm an addict and I had opioids left over I decided using two days in a row wouldn't be a big deal. I'd just not buy anymore once these were gone.
So night came and I started again. This time I went straight for 30mg to open the night. It didn't feel as strong as the night before. I blew through the 100mg or so I had left. I managed to catch a nod after the 3rd or 4th re-dose. I didn't want to waste it so I sat up all night nodding. By 3am I was really craving another dose. My mind was swirling with ideas about scoring tomorrow, just one last time, and quitting after my 3 day holiday. I drifted off from a nod to a very peaceful sleep.
I woke up around noon sweating and feeling horrible. I really needed an opioid and cursed myself for not saving at least half of a pill to wake up on. It wasn't as bad as quitting my daily habit CT but it was close. It was like day 2 or 3 of full blown withdrawal. It was like I'd never quit. It took a good week afterwards until I felt normal again. It caused me to start thinking about using again to the point where a drinking straw would make me think about going to score. I had managed to go a year without contacting anyone I knew that used opioids and now my mind was filled about ideas of dropping in on old friends and trying to call old phone numbers. I knew I could recover all the ones I deleted if I went through my txting history on the phone companies website.
I did this two or three other times after long periods of being clean. I know my body better now. I can use for one night and get away with it. When I do use I always start slow but in my experience my tolerance is permanent. Well, it's more correct to say my tolerance to nodding and euphoria is permanent. The older I get I find the sweet spot between nodding and dying is getting smaller. I've ODed more than once in the past so I know the feeling of getting close to it. I find it nearly impossible to nod from the opioids I have access to now. Things like oxycodone and hydrocodone aren't possible for me to nod on anymore. I have to go straight for morphine, heroin, opium or the stronger synthetics like oxymorphone. These seem to be rare to come by now so I don't even bother trying. I consider oxy and hydro to be a waste of money in the current market so I don't even bother.
It makes sense that I would lose the magic with those two. They were my mainstays for years and I was nodding on them every night the entire time I was using them. By the end I was having to mix heavy doses of benzos, alcohol, lyrica/gabapentin, and doing everything possible (DXM, grapefruit) to get me further with less material.
People mostly talk about losing magic with MDMA but it's possible with every substance. I just think it happens faster with some than it does with others. I haven't lost the magic with MDMA or LSD but I've used them enough now where they aren't world shattering experiences anymore. Using in moderation is very good advice. Addiction is awful but addiction + the drug not even giving you euphoria is like the 7th level of hell. That's why everyone doing the methadone and bupe thing is so depressed. It's horrible a feeling being tied to a substance like that. You can't do anything without it. You can't even get out of bed. You can't even go on vacation without being absolutely sure your doses are lined up in advance. Then you worry about losing it or them not honoring their end of the bargain the entire time. If you're not open about using it you have to plan time away from the group to hide your shame. They always want to call or knock on your door the moment you put the strip under your tongue to.
I would not recommend it. All my nods combined weren't worth the lifetime of this monkey on my back.