There is a big problem with stimulants though, especially when prescribed for ADHD and similar stuff.
As opposed to when they're prescribed for narcolepsy? In the past they were prescribed to treat obesity and as anti-depressants, but now that would be off-label and a liability from the malpractice insurance perspective.
The problem is that stimulants will generally benefit the majority of people at prescription-level dosages and in an acute setting. For instance, if your job is to rake lawns, you are likely going to mow the lawns more quickly.
Yeah but if your job is to rake lawns, it begs the question: whyTF are you
mowing them? Lol. I'm just messing with ya…
Anybody who takes 20mg-40mg Amphetamine is pretty likely to say that the Amphetamines made them "better" at what they were doing. That same person, for the same reason is likely to say something like "there is something wrong with how I think normally, because look at how well I was thinking on the Amphetamine.
That's an assumption. Not everyone responds well to everything. I've noticed, for example, that many times people tend to prefer a stimulant that acts as a
reuptake inhibitor –
a la cocaine, Ritalin (methylphenidate), cathinones, pyrovalerones – while others prefer CNS stimulants that function as
releasing agents – amphetamines, entactogens. Here, I'm mostly referring to dopamine and norepinephrine, but also serotonin as well, especially with certain stims (one key difference b/t methamphetamine and amphetamine is the elevated serotonergic effects of meth, which is some 10 - 15x more potent).
I think that people with stimulant prescriptions need to be extremely mindful regarding their relationship(s) with the drug.
Agreed.
Self-discipline goes a long way, but it's important to note that it's easier for some people than for others. Regardless, it isn't an excuse to abuse drugs. Even when taken recreationally, people need to observe best practices for harm reduction, take tolerance breaks, and generally use responsibly.
Avoid drug abuse.
Such a loaded term. The World Health Organization made it up circa 1958 to express that the person is "spoken for"; hence why it shares etymological roots with "diction" and "dictionary". They tried to retract it, but the word was popular. It conflates the concepts of
tolerance and
dependency w/
compulsivity. This is just my opinion, but I think the words we use to describe ourselves matter more than most ppl realize. Personally, I question how healthy it is to declare oneself an "addict", but I know it's a huge component to the 12-step program which helps some people (~15% success rate), and it's useful shorthand, if you will, most times at least.
I suggest checking out
SMART instead. It seems to be more effective, especially for atheists, agnostics, and those who dislike—or were traumatized by—religion.
Also, forgive me if it seems like I'm challenging your recovery. What works for you, works, obviously; I just wanted to offer some alternative philosophies. And kudos to you for getting a handle on the issue in your life. It's inspire and I admire those qualities in a person
If I were to drink Alcohol or do some Cocaine, I would be completely derailed in a matter of moments, completely out of control and consuming intoxicants until I can no longer stay awake.
In a
neurolinguistic sense, declaring alcohol and cocaine would "derail" you
preps your nervous system to respond that way like a
self-fulfilling prophecy. I'm not advising you drink or do cocaine; I don't even care for either substance personally. But should you find yourself in a situation where you've consumed either one, just know: it is not a guarantee that you'll go into a deep binge. I hope you don't face that dilemma, but if you ever do, don't despair. You know: you might fall off the wagon, but you don't have to plunge into the canyon either, so to speak. "Rock bottom" is a moving platform not worthy of visiting.
And the definition of crazy is not "repeating the same action expecting different results." How else do you explain a coin toss? Or how about the expression: "if at first you don't succeed, try, try again"? It's the reason most of us walk ☞ we don't give up on teaching toddlers how to walk despite their repeated failure at said activity.
So, it's pretty wild to me that I have a prescription for Amphetamines in my room, yet I take them as prescribed. This has been going on for a while now, yet it still surprises me.
Let's not discount the fact that getting older tends to make most people less impulsive. People change w/time and it's normal. Our priorities change. And I'm an old fuck for saying that, but just bc something's trite doesn't mean it's untrue.
When I take Amphetamine at these normal dosages, it's like those thoughts become blocks, one right after the other.
"Blocks" = interesting word choice. Metaphorically this can mean something limiting – or
blocking – us, but I think you meant it more as is: the jumble of ideas become less abstract in your mind's view of them, and you can start to make concrete sense of your thoughts. I get that.
The thing is: no one is perfect. We should aim for that measure, but I also believe in acceptance and not beating yourself up too much after we make mistakes.
