Also I joined a Zen meditation group yesterday together with my housemate. I think this is going to be very helpful to me.
That's cool man. Without taking into account the potential benefits of meditation itself I think it's therapeutic just to get out of the house and do things with people.
That's an aspect of my life I have to work on. The whole urban living thing has seen my hobby/outdoor time go from 60-0. I've lived in the country my whole life where there was always a trail to ride down, always a garage with a 50 year tool build-up 50 feet away, always something to build or fix, and one of my favorites; target shooting.
These city folk around quiver when they here the word 'gun' mentioned. I prefer the terms 'rifle' or 'shotgun' myself and use it where appropriate, but I have yet to meet anyone else interested in the sport. When in a conversation about hobbies, I find myself feeling lucky when the other person's eyes don't open wide in fear when I mention target shooting.
In September when things were starting up again I thought I would get into a university archery team or club of sorts. Being an old olympic style sport I figured there would be a team or club, but there wasn't. I'm not sure if it's lack of interest or if some fear mongerers didn't like the idea of students launching wooden projectiles into a piece of styrofoam in a gymnasium.
At any rate, I miss my garage, my rifle, my field. I have to adapt somehow though and find some other way to engage in social hobbies.
Do you think opiates are purely recreational drugs, or can they have therapeutic value / serve some other purpose? Just curious, I've never done them.
Never done them?? Ever break a bone or get your wisdom teeth out? A lot of people get their first opiate fix from the medical establishment. I guess in about grade 10 or so I dabbled in the odd T3 or perc. I didn't really get bit by the bug until I broke my shoulder, got fentanyl in the ER, then again before the operation (those were like limp-body, psychedelic experiences before I passed out within 30 seconds). Besides for those times on fentanyl my entire ~3 day hospital stay was spent on IV morphine, then after I got out, 2 weeks of constant oxycodone. I guess I developed a taste somehow. Before that experience opiates were like weed, didn't care about it all that much, didn't think it was a big deal, etc.
I guess that was a bit much; I was just surprised to hear of you having never had an opiate.
As to your question; (for me) they definitely have therapeutic value. BUT (big but), it's a spherical sword with an infinite number of edges lol. They are addictive. Moderation is crucial, and depending on the person and circumstances it can be difficult to manage. I go through phases where I'll use semi-regularly (say ~90mg codeine (equivalent generic opiate) every couple days, for about a week or two). When I get overly tired with no energy or motivation, and feel like I'm falling behind in things I'm supposed to be doing, I know I have to stop my run. It's a bit of a pain, but usually it's not too hard; like having a mild cold.
Sometimes opiate 'highs' aren't high at all and feels more like non-euphoric tranquilizer, most of the time it's simply pleasant and anxiolytic, and sometimes it can actually be profoundly peaceful and therapeutic. For me oxycodone has a tendency to give those opio-delic experiences, but only when starting from a clean system; the effect wears off in a run.
Opiates are recreational when just hanging out, they're definitely not recreational if you're doing anything active or going somewhere [enter amphetamine]. They're actually 'anti-recreational' if you have to go somewhere, it's a thing to hang out, cozy up and watch movie with.
Opiates are therapeutic when that cozy feeling reaches a certain level, and your mind is free from any pain or anxiety. It's incredibly liberating. I've had many opiate afterglows from such experiences.
Beware the Ides of March, Pandora's Box, and all that stuff. It can give you something that's not always good; perspective. After feeling all opio-cozy, regular cozy doesn't feel as cozy anymore.
Yeah, I'm trying to get a refill of my lorazepam, but I have to get approval from a doctor first. They are making it rather difficult for me to get the necessary approval, and I'm getting fed up with it. I'm just about ready to buy some alprazolam off the black market, and give the proverbial finger to the established, legal pharmaceutical industry.
God, the only things I bother asking my doctor for are things that aren't scheduled in any way and have no abuse potential. If I want something that I know doctors are going to be suspicious of I just cut the corner and find an RC equivalent or go black market. Sad state of affairs, unregulated, untested chemicals or dealing with situations that could be dangerous or have legal consequences vs. just letting people have a reasonable quantity of something researched and relatively safe that would improve their quality of life.
