BIGGEST MYTHS/LIES about ADDICTION?

[Pander Bear]

Bump: I linked to this thread in a related thread in the dark side. I wonder if anybody has anything else to say.


And as for chris C: The people who do nothing but recover soon find themselves miserable and alone, with nothing goign on in their lives. They either relapse (as one of my close ones just did) or the get off their asses and have some fun.

 

[jersey drape]

biggest myth and lies about addiction is that the legal substances were the worst of them all, and the legal issues controlling drugs are more harmful to us than the drugs themself.

alcohol made me do some of the stupidest things in my life, landed me arrested a few times, brought me into fights, caused cuts, broken bones, damaged property.

another myth to me was that it was going to completely empower me and i wouldnt even be able to get out of bed

i use cocaine and heroin frequently. i've gone through mild phyiscal withdrawls from heroin and smoke crack only when im in the mood and have time to commit to it... i would say im addicted inthe sense i dont like how i feel most of the time and dwelling on this makes me want to use drugs. This may be because of highs and lows of my use since i dont often use for days back to back. Its usually every other day or less depending on money.

Legal issues from getting arrested for possession and other charges brought about fromy my history have been thebiggest damper on my life. I've had to leave my steady jobs and source of money to go to rehab which left me home with no money, bills, and a label ofajunkie. had the drugs not been illegal i would really have had no negative effects from drug use as i carried on and functioned daily using.. I wasnt responsible in thesense I could raise a family, own a house, meet a nice girl.. butI was responsible in that i worked a job where i helped people and was thanked,and given praise. i was home at night,out early in the morning,kept to my self and caused no trouble other than a loud leaking exhaust.

i hope in my time i see a country which legalizes drugs so i can move there,leave quietly, noble, and keep in touch with friends via computer.thats all id need.

 

[justsomeguy]

One of the meetings i attended, some young man got up and said "hi my name is mike and I am an addict". Turns out the reason he was there was because he used to smoke marijuana on the weekends. Jesus christ.

Its not the quantity, quality, or type of drugs one takes that makes one an addict, but what taking those drugs does to oneself.

but yeah, i chuckle at bob sagats line, "you ever sucked dick for weed?"

 

[lockheart]

i hate it when people say or think that only dumb people use drugs and become addicted. some think only people with low intelligence are drugs users / abusers

 

[Tongue]

well, in my case i have found that COUNSELING and MEETINgs almost have a COUNTER-PRODUCTIVE result..i mean, i talk to people who just seem to constantly harp on being sober and constantly talking to their "sponsor" or going to meeting, sometimes MULTIPLE times per day!!im not kidding..to each his own, but when i sit around with people and talk about their past drug use, arrests, or just problems or whatever, i FEEL LIKE USING DRUGS..it sure doesnt make me wanna stay away from them..ive never come close to hitting rock bottom, so maybe thats a big part of it..

 

[Jabberwocky]

Atlas,

As a friend and former colleague, it's really inspiring to see you take up the torch and stand for what you believe in this thread. Contrary to what some might have said, I think you are exactly the type of person that should be a moderator on a board such as ours - I am proud of the stand you've taken here despite knowing full well that it would most likely bring on at least a few personal attacks.

I've been hearing the word "brainwashing" thrown around so inappropriately on this board as of late - generally by those who wish to label an organizaton or club as being subversive, having malevolent intention or as being evil/criminal in some other way. I firmly believe that there meetings are held so often so that on any given day, there is a place TO GO if it is needed, and yes, there are those who do need to go everyday. Brainwashing implies that someone is made to think something different against there will, a negative connotation. I believe that by the time a person has admitted to having a serious drug problem, they are indeed looking for a way to change the way they think. They realise that they are already a slave to mind control - from the drug that has brought them to the point of loosing there true freedom, and now is the time to de-program these urges and desires. As they are fond of saying at AA/NA, "addicts are not made overnight" so neither should they be expected to change in one night.

Sure some of the literature may seem a bit hokey, as can the strangly para-spiritual nature of NA/AA, but from what I have seen this is a system that can and does work, and it is readily available to most people.

As far as the insinuation that the members who have been clean and a part of NA/AA for many, many years are either addicted to meetings or somehow power hungry and looking to climb some sort of NA/AA orginizational hierarchy sounds just a bit paranoid. True there are those who are probably using meetings as a place to focus there addictive/compulsive personalities but I know for a fact that there are those there who feel that they can truly help. If for no other reason, they provide hope when they stand up and say "Hi my name is FRED and I have been in recovery for 15, 20, 25+ years". You can't discount the impact that such a person (who for all intensive reasons probably could have moved on from NA) might have on someone who is just starting to understand how much they have fucked over themselves and want to know if it is even possible to stay clean for a day, a week or even a month. Role models are potent sources of strength for those who are in those initial stages of accepting the fact that they have a problem - sponsors just the same.

Anyway, I am typing while half asleep right now so I should stop or risk having te edit out more than my usual share of typos when I read this again in the AM. Keep up the constructive conversation, people.

Peace,

SG

 

[inimical]

Exactly ebeenezer, you have a lot more to offer in terms of counseling other addicts about addiction than some guy who just took some classes on addiction. In the US, you cant work at any type of detox/methadone clinic if you have been an addict before.

Actually thats a myth because at the methadone maintaince program that I go to everyday, all of the counselors are ex-addicts and even the person that runs it is an ex-addict.

Also, at the detox inpatient facilty I spent 28 days at, all of the counselors and the head honcho's at the facilty were all addicts at one time. However inpatient facilitys can be usefull, I don't buy into the theory "Once an addict, always an addict."
Personally, since I've been on methadone maintence I feel 110% better about my life.


However, I feel for you geeza, I agree with your statements 100% You should definattly be allowed the chance you are looking for.

 

[TickingAway]

[BThis is just another reason i dont like going to NA meetings. One of the meetings i attended, some young man got up and said "hi my name is mike and I am an addict". Turns out the reason he was there was because he used to smoke marijuana on the weekends. Jesus christ. [/B]

Maybe the reason you don't go is becuase you only look at the differences between you and everybody else. You have to look at the similarites between you and the people in the meetings. And so what if he was addicted to marijuana? Mentally it is possible to be addicted to it. When I was in rehab I was with a kid who used to pop zoloft. Yeah stupid I know but at least he admitted that things were getting out of control. The substance used has nothing to do with an addictive personality. Like one of the other moderators said about being hooked on anything that makes you feel good, that's the addictive gene. Just give the guy credit that he's working at being sober and leave out the fact that you are working you're hardest to find any excuse you can to not get sober. Don't take offense to this or anything, and don't think that I don't know what I'm talking about becuase I've been there. I was clean for 2 years then used and never stopped.

 

[StAy HiGh]

I hate people who call people "druggies" just because they do drugs. Alot of people think that just because someone takes drugs that they are irresponsible and ignorant to what they are doing to theirselves. Just by reading this forum you can tell thats a lie. I always hear people saying "Once you start taking drugs there is no turning back."

 

[akgbird]

i got addicted to smoking crystal meth to the point where i got $140,000 in debt, lost my apartment, lost my job, went through 3 rehabs. now, i smoke meth no more than once a week and haven't had a single problem with overuse. my brain and body finally went, "if i smoke it more than once a week, i'm not getting high!" so after it stops getting me high, i just stop, too.

 

[LIVE4EVER]

I don't know about you folks, but honestly, I'm going to crave opiates for the rest of my life. Do I wish I never started? Not really. I've never been happier. I'm glad I found such relief in SOMETHING. I wouldn't say I have a huge tolerance or anything but I do like a nice 60mg of hydro or 40mg of Ox. I don't take it everyday and I have a very successful career. Yes, I spend too much money on it. Yes, I go through some withdrawal syndrome. Yes, I have abused them for over 5 years. Do I wanna quit? No. That's deep.