JKLivin wrote: ↑Thu Jan 06, 2022 10:08 am
RainbowsandUnicorns wrote: ↑Thu Jan 06, 2022 9:40 am
JKLivin wrote: ↑Thu Jan 06, 2022 8:20 am
That drug abuse is ridiculous and unhealthy? That relying on mind-altering substances to deal with life is weak and pitiful? Guilty as charged.
Sometimes I find it difficult to engage in a conversation with you but I'm still going to try.
6 simple quick questions.
1. If someone has a beer or two or even three after work, are they an alcoholic in your mind?
2. If someone smokes a joint or a few hits of weed to "unwind", are they a drug abuser in your mind?
3. Do you feel marijuana is more dangerous to a person's health than alcohol?
4. Do you feel most (not all, not some) addicts enjoy being drug addicts?
5. Have you ever personally taken and/or have you prescribed a prescription "psych med"?
6. What do you do for a living and what are your qualifications?
I am a PhD psychologist who works full-time in academia and part-time in the clinical world. I have twenty years of experience in clinical work, including stints working inpatient substance abuse treatment and as the clinical director of an outpatient clinic for people addicted to opioids.
Not all prescription psych meds are equivalent. All seem to have some sort of discontinuation syndrome associated with them, but some, like benzodiazepines, are extremely addictive. They have their place when taken under the supervision of a prescribing medical professional, but are also widely abused and/or misused.
By definition, alcoholism (or substance dependence of any kind) is when someone uses more than they want or intend to use despite efforts to stop or unwanted negative consequences associated with use of the substance. So, no, someone who has a beer or three after work is not an alcoholic. Of greater concern is substance abuse, wherein one uses the substance to deal with life and it becomes a substitute for healthy coping mechanisms. That can lead to dependence.
No one I have ever met or worked with enjoyed being an addict. It is an insidious disease, and I wouldn't wish it on anyone. It ruins lives and destroys families in ways most people can't imagine. The problem is, addiction is a slippery slope for a percentage of the population. They may start out binge drinking on the weekends or taking a few bong hits after work to unwind, but it leads to other substances and behaviors that contribute to an unhealthy lifestyle. I've lost track of how many stories I have heard in therapy about starting off taking a hit off a joint or drinking at a party in high school and end with giving blowjobs in cars in the parking lot of the methadone clinic so they can get their fix to get them through the day. It's heartbreaking.
Inhaling smoke of any variety is not good for your lungs. High levels of THC lead to hormone imbalances in men. THC leads to amotivational syndrome, which is rampant in the culture today. I've spent years listening to addicts argue that they should be able to quit the meth and the coke and the benzos, but keep smoking weed: "It's an herb, man. God made the plants, right?!?" And maybe that works for some people, but for most, recovery is an all-or-nothing lifestyle change. The frequent flyers in inpatient treatment programs are the ones who leave with the "I can have one beer" or "I can still smoke weed" mindset.
They always come back because they never address the root problem, which is that life is unfair, painful, and inconvenient sometimes, and there is no valid way to escape those realities. You either learn to deal with them or you hide behind substances and slowly kill yourself. Or you spend 15 hours a day lamenting your lack of social, financial, and vocational success on a message board and advocating for a complete overthrow of the social order because you aren't happy with your life decisions to this point and are unwilling to do anything to make it better.
A well thought out lengthy response and I sincerely appreciate it. Would probably be best if we discussed it privately but I will share my 2 cents publicly.
I'll begin by saying we happen to agree in most regards.
Obviously I am NOT a PhD psychologist who works full-time in academia and part-time in the clinical world.
I AM someone who has had "stints" in substance abuse treatment both as a "patient" and as a "mentor".
While I completely respect your credentials, my guess is you would agree that unless you yourself have ever had any drug addiction issues, you truly don't know exactly what goes through the mind of an addict.
I 100% agree that not all prescription psych meds are equivalent. The extent of my prescribed usage has ranged from Bupropion, to Sertraline, to Klonopin but that's it. I have seen people who have been prescribed "hardcore" meds when they have been on their meds and when they have been off their meds. AT TIMES it's been a very unpleasant thing to witness.
Absolutely there are many people who are taking psych meds that were NOT prescribed and they abuse them. Again, a very unpleasant thing to witness.
I don't know what actual legal and clinical definitions are 100% accurate in regards to alcoholism and substance abuse. What I do know is that I have been asked more than once if I considered myself to be a "user", "abuser", or "addict". I have been all 3 at various times. Defined and diagnosed both by myself and "clinically".
I am someone who "self medicated" frequently.
Of course addiction starts with a single "dosage" and goes on from there. Some can continue to use recreationally with little consequences and and some become addicts and or/have extreme health issues because of it.
I have to assume you're correct that inhaling any smoke of any kind in to your lungs is not a good thing.
We agree that for MOST it has to be 100% abstinence from any and all substances. Problem is we then start questioning what was the drug/s of choice in regards to abuse and addiction and can someone have a beer or two or smoke a few hits and be "ok". My perhaps ignorant response is, yes - for SOME but definitely not for ALL. Why would I be told it is NOT ok for me to smoke a few hits of weed but it IS ok for me to be dependent on a prescribed psych med?
We are on the same page in regards to the need to address the root problem/s and how people need to figure out how to deal with them. Problem is as I am sure you are well aware of, people deal with things in different ways. While exercise, diversions, finding things I enjoy and get pleasure from, should be and are my "outlets", how many times do you hear someone say, "I NEED a drink"? I question do they really NEED a drink or do they WANT a drink?
Of course there are times I come on here and simply vent. I choose this place as an outlet for several different reasons. Is it "healthy"? Probably not but at times it's a lot healthier for me to read what's posted and post myself than it would be for me to slam a bottle of Vodka and snort a 1/4 ounce of cocaine.
In regards to my making my life better, there are some things I can control and others I can not.
I can only control how I choose to deal with those things and at times I struggle.
Here is some brutal honesty from me. I have a very tough time with the serenity prayer in that a) I don't believe in "God" or even a "higher power" per se and I believe "God" or a "higher power" does nothing for me so why speak out and ask for help ("grant") from something that I don't believe exists and b) I fully admit I struggle with the "wisdom to know the difference".
Anyways, back to the original thought. I began this by questioning why you would poo poo over someone who "casually" smoked weed and obviously we got in to a much deeper conversation.
Moving on......