garuda said:
But I also think there is a bad side to this, if drug addiction is a mental disease it is not a great leap to define drug use itself as a mental disease. I have already seen an article where a counselor(possibly a psychiatrist) was quoted as saying the people that need to get into treatment are the people just starting out with drugs and whose use is still recreational, so basically in his world view there are addicts and non addicts and recreational users are just nascent addicts. This is a troubling view point that could become the norm, especially since there is a financial incentive to get all drug users into expensive treatment.
I agree, it isnt a great leap at all. Id have to say that counseler you are talking about may be like half right. Stopping drug usage before it starts is the perfect way to reduce addiction. Be honest with yourself for a minute, and if you already agree with what Im about to say, then ok, but just because we like using drugs you cant say that you want people to follow the same paths we have. I know nobody here wants someone to become a junkie someday. Hopefully no one thinks like that. Stopping someone in their tracks before they get the chance to become addicted is much easier than getting an addict to just stop using all-together.
I do NOT agree, however, that there are only addicts and non-addicts. Some, actually more than youd expect, people have the ability to control their use and keep it recreational and never become addicted. Those people should not be put under the title of Addict when they are not an addict in any way, shape, or form.
But think about this too, what doesnt have financial incentive behind it anymore? Everyone is trying to make money off of something, and thats the way its always going to be. Its not a new concept to make money of drug addicts at all. I got more on this coming up....
garuda said:
Treatment centers and rehabs often have patients who are forced in by the courts, they greedily accept thousands of dollars from involuntary patients to treat them for nonsense like "marijuana addiction" or "shroom addiction" when medically they know no such thing exists.
Again, I totally agree. Rehab and treatment centers should take it in their own hands to say "Look, there is no 'shroom addictions' or 'marijuana addictions', at least not so much that its life threatening, and we are not going to waste our time pretending otherwise for the peace of mind of some over-reacting parent." It is sad that they accept patients on those grounds, BUT, we cant totally discount all the other lives they are saving from real addictions. Its something we will just have to accept for the time being because they are still providing a great service to people who really need it.
garuda said:
Also the treatment industry from rehabs to counseling to methadone clinics that have come into being because of viewing drug addiction as a disease are just another way the drug war is being used for monetary gain, they depend on drug use being viewed as a negative and societal stigma and guilt for their profits. In the end the vast treatment industry will just be another roadblock to overturning drug prohibition, they will lobby hard because their industry depends on it. If heroin was legally available would any heroin addicts go to methadone clinics? How many empty beds would rehabs have if they didn't have "weed addicts" being forced in by the courts? How many fewer people with non-problematic drug use would go to rehab out of family induced guilt if drugs were not illegal?
This is the only part where I dont agree. I dont think they are capatlizing off "guilt and negative social stigmas" anymore. More and more, as we have been discussing, drug addiction is being viewed as a disease. Its actually becoming accepted as a medical condition because of it. Like I said before, if it takes calling it a disease to get it the acceptance it needs, then Im all for it. I dont agree that its a disease, but this is what thousands of CEO's and Politicians do everyday to get people to accept what they do, they play on semantics to make it seem different than it really is so it will gain support from more people.
Theres nothing wrong with addiction being used for monetary gain. Peoples AIDS and Cancer are used for monetary gain, do you think thats wrong too? As long as there are people who need help, there will be people to provide them help in exchange for money. Its the way the world works, and I dont think the world would work without it.
The treatment industry is the least of anyones worries when it comes to over turning prohibition. Again youre going to have to be honest with yourself and realize we are not going to see the end of drug prohibition in our lifetime. We dont have to accept that, but we also dont have to worry about clearing the way for its immediate uprooting either, meaning the treatment industry is not in the way of anything at this very moment.
Would addicts go on methadone if heroin was legal? Who knows. You cant say that there are not any addicts out there who do not want to use heroin anymore. Id assume some would still go on methadone.
Empty beds because of no weed addicts? That is something that can be fixed in the present time, and something we both know needs to be addressed.
How many less people forced into rehab in non-addiction situations by concerned parents if drugs were legal? I dont think it would make a difference. You can change laws but thats not going to change peoples minds. You cant expect parents to all of sudden go "OH! drugs are legal now. That means my child can use drugs and I dont need to care." It doesnt work like that. Parents will always be concerned. Its the job of the treatment center to not accept them and make the parent aware that they can do just as good of a job as a treatment center in getting their kid to stop smoking pot.
, but good luck and drugs are a waste of time