They're talking about physical stuff, not the mind, and it might be different for people in physical pain as well, as it kind of opposes opioid effects
Well I'm now in a constant anhedonia and something that sounds and feels like ADHD (I had ADD before but it was a joke compared to now, posted about this in another thread). It sucks. Wonder whether this is a result of too much dopamine for too long and affect users of almost all drugs. Did I take any stimulant or dissociative at low dose it would go away all for the duration of the agent.
I think one of the most serious mistakes (or well, maybe self-delusion and anti-religious hate) of late 19th and 20th century Science was the fact that they despised the possibility of considering the terms "Spirit" and "Soul" as existing phenomena.
Most people consider them just religious bullshit and non-sensical terms and then throw them into the rubbish can of "magical thought". Not everyone, but well, that was the definite trend.
When you consider those terms you can also consider what was usually told about them and how we (humanity) used those terms for talking about human nature.
It makes a lot of sense about talking about soul or spirit when we talk about opioid dependence because what they seem to "deplete" or erode is some kind of integrity of what's called soul.
It makes sense to say, "my soul has been eroded/weakened by opioid use", makes much more sense than saying: "My mind has been..."
So, I think the fact that it cannot be "measured" in a scientific way doesn't make it less real.
In anycase I think the soul cannot be totally destroyed, so I think it's more like a "connection" with it, it's like some kind of dissociation from your inner self/soul.
Surely it has bio-chemical correlates but I don't think that path can be completely rebuilt just counting on meds or chemical support, they can just help, support, the reconnection, but it's something that it's difficult.
I saw your comment in the other thread and yes, I feel the same, my ADD wasn't ever as bad as today is, +4 years after kratom use. For me that's enough to think about ending my use of it, because I think it's not sustainable, even if it's beneficial for so many things.
I think dopamine drugs users end up with anhedonia generally, not a "kratom-thing" but more like a "constant dopamine release" thing. I'm pretty sure in a couple years you'll be the same you remember. But you know, I think in my life and I've always been craving dopamine, I think about my 15 years old myself, drinking a lot of alcohol, just for the temporary feeling of peace (not so much for socializing, for example) and the same happent some years after that, till 25 when I smoked cannabis regularly, it was all because of that peace of mind, then I found kratom when having 27.
Those years in between, without almost not using anything, was hell, I felt like shit and I didn't think it was because of dopamine craving, but I know now, since I finally recognized I have a super obvious undiagnosed ADHD.