What does that quote about the "cat who used DXM" have to do with what we are talking about? Even what is described in that little anecdotal evidence is NOTHING comparable to acute opioid withdrawal syndrome. Perhaps you should study up on the DSM-5...
Show me some actual scholarly papers and we can talk. I'd share my CV with you, but I'm not arguing with you because I have a personal issue with you - I take issue with what how you are presenting what you're saying. This isn't about your background or mine, but what you are declaring about the character of using this particularly poorly understood substance.
I'm not saying DXM use is safe. I'm not saying it is something that people should consider as a healthy alternative to other more effective ways of maintaining their health. But I have no problem pointing out blatant inaccuracies in what you are saying.
Do you have any experience with the regular use of DXM yourself? No, I know you don't given what you've said.
Comparing opioid withdrawal to what can only be described very vaguely as DXM "withdrawal" (because again, any acute withdrawal syndrome associated with chronic DXM use is NOTHING like the acute withdrawal syndrome associated with chronic opioid use) demonstrates your lack of first hand experience either taking the substance or working with people who have regularly used it.
I love the DSM-5, it is a huge improvement over the DSM-4 IMO. But this is still a very problematic document. I don't need to get into that here, because I think it does a lot more good than harm, but telling me to go read a diagnostic manual that doesn't touch on anything we've been discussing (it does NOT go into any possible causal connection between substance use and mental health concerns - you want to dispute this, feel free to quote the manual, because as I said, I'm more than well enough versed in it).
Please don't misunderstand me - I'm not trying to pick a fight of be an asshole. From the way you post I think you are probably a very valuable member of our HR community. I just want to clarify some of what you are presenting as "fact." I apologize if I was/am being too strong with my language or prickish or whatever.
Despite the clear dangers of its use, I have a soft spot the entheogenic and empathogenic therapeutic potential of DXM use, however risky its chronic use in fact may be.
The cat is simply a "SWIM" reference, it's obviously not the person's cat, but the person trying to use the SWIM method of deflecting the fact that it is either them or a friend they are talking about; trying to be cryptic.
I said it has many common withdrawal effects akin to what is seen from opioid withdrawal (such as; hallucinations, nausea, vomiting, sweating, hot and cold flashes, cravings, and many, many more seen in the sources). Not that it was exactly the same, but that it shows parallels. Three sources, including one from our own website, is hardly anecdotal evidence. I think you are being ridiculous now. Maybe you should stop taking this conversation personally and go back and read my sources and exactly what I said. The only reference I was using regarding the DSM-5 was in relation to childhood trauma or trauma that occurs throughout the development of a person's psyche. This is the main source, as demonstrated in the .pdf I posted (I remember being scolded for this statement additionally)
I showed you one scholarly paper, a scientific journal, of a person's experience with physical dependence with DXM and his severe withdrawal symptoms. Did you not see that or did you glance over and skim through my post because you are taking this conversation personally?
Now if you are going to make assumptions, that would be highly immature. I've been around these forums way longer than you have. So, let's get that straight. Firstly, my favorite drug was DXM at one point. I used it frequently, once a week in a 300 mg dosage. I loved it. I used to use it daily in 150 mg doses. I loved the energetic, upbeat, serotonergic effect I used to get, when I mixed it with Energy Drinks and Espresso; it used to feel like a Jr. Speedball to me (on top of the world!). Any time I couldn't get my hands on proper psychedelics I used to always use 300 mg DXM + Cannabis + N2O. It was one of my favorite drugs to use from 2005-2010. Except, the problem what I noticed is, just as stated, is I experienced even from the day after nasty side effects that lasted sometimes for a month. Such as; visual distortions, auditory distortions, and of course the separation from reality as this is a disassociative drug. My sociability decreased to such extreme lengths it was damaging to my life, and as a result I became inherently introverted. As far as physical withdrawal goes, I experienced the norm; restlessness, anger, depression, hot/cold flashes, sweating, loss of appetite.
So to say I have no personal experience with it is quite disappointing to hear. I get it, DXM is a wonderful drug at a wide range of doses, trust me I know.
I do not see why you are getting so angry from the parallels between the two, as they share common withdrawal effects. Of course opiate withdrawal is way more painful, but my point here is look at the doses OP is taking and look at the doses that were posted in the Scientific Journal. If he ever stops, he is going to have to go to detox, he won't be able to do it on his own.
When I was talking about the DSM-5, I was talking about childhood trauma or trauma in general that is the main causality of mental illnesses (this was one of the points I made that was criticized). I wasn't even mentioning anything regarding dual diagnosis or co-occurring in the DSM-5. I already posted the scholarly paper that summarizes trauma using the DSM-5.
But besides that fact, please do not dismiss the other sources that I used regarding dual diagnosis or co-occurring; they tend to go hand in hand and the statistics I posted show this severely.
I do not dismiss your love for the therapeutic possibilities of DXM. Honestly, infrequent use of DXM is in all reality relatively safe. I truly see even no problem with someone using DXM once every couple of months to one a year as a therapeutic cleansing, assuming they can't get a hold of traditional psychedelics. However, my concern here, is about the habitual use and abuse of an over the counter medicine. I do not think it is safe, especially in the dosages he is taking, and I fear for his life.
The statistics about the use of substances by people with mental disorders means what exactly? If people have a mental illness they will probably try to self medicate, the substance also could have jump started the illness but without a correlation to that you can only get to that point by conjecture. Do you think remission of a mental illness while using euphoric drugs is impossible?
Correlation to the fact that the majority of people who have mental illnesses usually are drug addicts or the majority of drug addicts usually have mental illnesses. What does this mean exactly, there is factual information available that shows the two go together. Meaning that more than likely, one caused the other. More accurately, your drug addiction is what brought out one or more of your dormant mental illnesses. Perfect example, habitual Cannabis use. When the person is sober, they are miserable. When the person is high, they are happy. Continue this cycle for many years. Then suddenly stop smoking Cannabis. Now what happens. You caused a severe alteration and a chemical imbalance (basic knowledge of pharmacology and pharmacodynamics exposes this; alternation of natural neuropeptides). This is a precursor for Bipolar tendencies. Mood swings. Depressive states to manic states. Quite common with habitual Cannabis use. If the person went to a psychiatrist they would be diagnosed as Bipolar. This could easily be seen as a result of the Cannabis use itself. Why it is so hard for so many people to quit Cannabis completely. Hope that gives you your correlation. This obviously applies to any drug that releases catecholamines (basically all of them).
I think remission of mental illnesses can come from euphoric drugs, but I do not see it as cut and dry as you put it. I think that someone could have a ++++ experience..:
PLUS FOUR, n. (++++) A rare and precious transcendental state, which has been called a "peak experience," a "religious experience," "divine transformation," a "state of Samadhi" and many other names in other cultures. It is not connected to the +1, +2, and +3 of the measuring of a drug's intensity. It is a state of bliss, a participation mystique, a connectedness with both the interior and exterior universes, which has come about after the ingestion of a psychedelic drug, but which is not necessarily repeatable with a subsequent ingestion of that same drug. If a drug (or technique or process) were ever to be discovered which would consistently produce a plus four experience in all human beings, it is conceivable that it would signal the ultimate evolution, and perhaps the end, of the human experiment.
...Come out of it, and be changed forever, giving them infinite happiness and purpose to life. But that requires a breakthrough dosage of any psychedelic and/or empathogen. However, I do not believe after this that they wouldn't need to be put on regular medications. I think that this type of approach goes together. Use psychedelics and empathogens to treat underlying issues but after those experiences are over, use traditional medications to maintain stability.