The Language We Use When We Talk About Substance Use and Addiction Matters

[dalpat077]

Now that a notorious druggie, a moderator on BL has brought drug cigarettes to light, the DEA is going to include drug cigarettes in their manual, and they should if they want to be woke rather than a joke. They are the cigarettes with the bad drugs yo. Very bad. Very very bad.

I shall update the manual on your behalf. Any particular section you'd like for it to be included in?

I'll need to check though i.e. could be that's of interest to the ATF too not?

Ya'll gonna get me in trouble. Sooner or later they're going to assign an agent to monitor this site who doesn't have a sense of humor and is pissed that he's been relegated to reading all our moronic shit. And that'll be the end of my career and scientific research before it even begins.

Can we get back on topic (cannot believe that's coming from me) (yeah. yeah. I know I have myself to blame for the thread ending up here)!

 

[Jabberwocky]

DEA is going to include drug cigarettes in their manual, and they should if they want to be woke rather than a joke.

shall update the manual on your behalf.

If WOKE isn't already in the Manual you should definitely include. Firstly it is obvious that it refers to all stimulants, but in recent years it is a slang for a particular batch of meth that is heavily diluted with several half baked ideologies and is circulating USA. Portland has the biggest problem with WOKE meth (maybe there is a Mexican/Chinese lab?) so please update the manual. Thank you DEA @dalpat077 .

Edit - not from USA, am joking not woking, please try not to get into politics as politics is full of drugs. Just look at the politicians. You need other proofs?

 

[Joey]

Yes. Make sure to inform them of some new meth names for me in particular. This is their current list.

Accordion; Amp; Aqua; Arroz; Assembled (crystal meth); Batu; Begok; Biker’s Coffee; Blue; Blue Bell Ice Cream; Beers; Bottles; Bucio; Bud Light; Bump; Cajitas; Chalk; Chandelier; Chavalone; Chicken; Chicken Feed; Chicken Powder; Chris; Christine; Christy; Clear; Clothing Cleaner; Cold; Cold One; Colorado Rockies; Crank; Cream; Cri-Cri; Crink; Crisco; Crissy; Christy; Crypto; Crystal; Cuadro; Day; Diamond; Dunk; El Gata Diablo; Evil Sister; Eye Glasses; Fire; Fizz; Flowers; Foco; Food; Frio; Fruit; Gak; Garbage; G-Funk; Gifts; Girls; Glass; Go-Fast; Go-Go;Goofball (methamphetamine mixed with heroin); Groceries; Hard Ones; Hare; Hawaiian Salt; Hielo; Hiropon; Hot Ice; Hubbers; Ice; Ice Cream; Ice Water; Icehead; Jale; Jug of Water; L.A. Glass; L.A. Ice; Lemons; Lemon Drop; Light; Light Beige; Livianas; Madera; Mamph; Meth; Methlies Quick; Mexican Crack; Mexican Crank; Miss Girl; Montura; Motor; Muchacha; Nails; One Pot; No-Doze; Paint; Pantalones; Patudas; Peanut Butter Crank; Piñata; Pointy Ones; Pollito; Popsicle; Purple; Raspado; Rims; Rocket Fuel; Salt; Shabu; Shards; Shatter; Shaved Ice; Shiny Girl; Small Girl; Soap Dope; Soft Ones; Speed; Speed Dog; Spicy Kind; Spin; Stove Top; Stuff; Super Ice; Table; Tina; Tires; Trash; Truck; Tupperware; Tweak;Unassembled (powder meth); Uppers; Ventanas; Vidrio; Walking Zombie; Water; Wazz; White; Whizz; Windows; Witches Teeth; Yaba; Yellow Barn; Yellow Cake; Yellow Kind; Zip







My update: Jib, parTy, high speed, fast, coffee or Tea?

Also Tell them it's preTTy sweeT and They should come over someTime for a TrysT

 

[dalpat077]

Keep this up and I'm going to have to start posting using a different account!

That's gonna have somebody scrambling to scan the database and try match IP addresses to accounts! Don't bother. Only joking.

 

[Joey]

I actually am DEA. This is a character we have created to bust your butts! But we are waiting for
@Zephyn to drugually assault me with DMT before that happens.

Cmon bby come get me...

 

[Zephyn]

Lol. She's the one who said it, if I wasn't on lsd I wouldn't have believed her considering her trash resumeo. We were just chilling, and she started getting worried about some drugs that were coming in the mail, wouldn't let it go. Then she's like I want to make sure I'm not recorded, can we shower? In there she's like yeah I'm DEA. Then she set her ounce of dmt on fire, made me burn my drugs, and bounced.

To be fair, I might have done it, but like, there are enough bs stories about me, and well, how do you even force someone to smoke dmt? Blow it in their nostril? That's some seriously kinky shit.

 

[Joey]

Lol. She's the one who said it, if I wasn't on lsd I wouldn't have believed her considering her trash resumeo. We were just chilling, and she started getting worried about some drugs that were coming in the mail, wouldn't let it go. Then she's like I want to make sure I'm not recorded, can we shower? In there she's like yeah I'm DEA. Then she set her ounce of dmt on fire, made me burn my drugs, and bounced.

To be fair, I might have done it, but like, there are enough bs stories about me, and well, how do you even force someone to smoke dmt? Blow it in their nostril? That's some seriously kinky shit.

That is an amazing story dude. It really figures the DEA woulf have some agents that are totally into drugs themselves. Corrupt.

Its a sign that they should just give up or change their positions to enforce from a position of total decriminalization or legalizaton.

 

[Zephyn]

Decriminalization across the board for sure, and ending mandatory minimums and reducing sentences and providing career counseling for low level dealers of actual toxins, legalization of the rest.

 

[Vastness]

Interesting topic, I don't really know anything about Hunter Biden but whatever, in this instance I think he was correct to call out the interviewer. It's like saying "so, you've been in and out of the nuthouse", or "so, you've been back and forth to the headshrinkers" for someone who's been hospitalised or just sought out therapy for mental health issues, and if current progressive trends continue in these areas, this will eventually seem obvious to everyone.

Absolutely, the language we use to talk about substance use does matter. For one, terms like "addict" are divisive, belittling, and IMO generally unhelpful, and 12 step organisations are one of the worst offenders at perpetuating this kind of language. Of course, the word does mean something - in the most neutral interpretation, it simply refers to a person who is currently experiencing an addiction to something. And, I think - despite what I just said - I get it's usefulness, in a sense, since a primary goal of 12 step philosophy (as I perceive it) is to break down people's ego and get them to begin to view certain elements of their own thinking as dysfunctional and not a reliable path to happiness. But, I don't think this is something that is really understood by the majority of 12 step adherents and in fact thinking too deeply about the philosophy rather than just blindly following the steps is actively discouraged, so on that basis (again, just IMHO) use of terms like addict probably just does more harm than good and deters at least as many people as it helps.

I'm not saying this kind of term should be completely taboo of course, again it serves a purpose, and people experiencing addiction may well choose to refer to themselves as addicts just as people experiencing any other mental health issue might jokingly (or not so jokingly) refer to themselves as "crazy". But the idea that this would be acceptable in a treatment setting - let alone something that people are encouraged to make part of their identity - is just absurd. On that note, the idea that it's in any shape or form a sensible tradition in any kind of group support meeting for everyone to introduce themselves as an addict and therefore intrinsically different from the rest of society is all kinds of absurd, just as it would be for any other kind of mental health support meeting to kick off by everyone introducing themselves as, "Hi, I'm crazy/insane/mentally disturbed".

I could go on but I guess I'll leave it there so as not to just keep bashing 12 step programs.

 

[Jabberwocky]

I actually am DEA.

If you were DEA you would put "woke" in the manual as slang for amphetamines and leave it for 24 hours. And if you did that it would be so cool. I could speak with DEA officer! I would tell you everything i know, even about myself. And then I would say to you to go f..meh...that is old. I would love you, rape you with salvia and surrender. ❤

 

[Zephyn]

If someone tells you they are dea, do like I did and silently get out of the shower and tag them in a Facebook post.

 

[Joey]

Interesting topic, I don't really know anything about Hunter Biden but whatever, in this instance I think he was correct to call out the interviewer. It's like saying "so, you've been in and out of the nuthouse", or "so, you've been back and forth to the headshrinkers" for someone who's been hospitalised or just sought out therapy for mental health issues, and if current progressive trends continue in these areas, this will eventually seem obvious to everyone.

Absolutely, the language we use to talk about substance use does matter. For one, terms like "addict" are divisive, belittling, and IMO generally unhelpful, and 12 step organisations are one of the worst offenders at perpetuating this kind of language. Of course, the word does mean something - in the most neutral interpretation, it simply refers to a person who is currently experiencing an addiction to something. And, I think - despite what I just said - I get it's usefulness, in a sense, since a primary goal of 12 step philosophy (as I perceive it) is to break down people's ego and get them to begin to view certain elements of their own thinking as dysfunctional and not a reliable path to happiness. But, I don't think this is something that is really understood by the majority of 12 step adherents and in fact thinking too deeply about the philosophy rather than just blindly following the steps is actively discouraged, so on that basis (again, just IMHO) use of terms like addict probably just does more harm than good and deters at least as many people as it helps.

I'm not saying this kind of term should be completely taboo of course, again it serves a purpose, and people experiencing addiction may well choose to refer to themselves as addicts just as people experiencing any other mental health issue might jokingly (or not so jokingly) refer to themselves as "crazy". But the idea that this would be acceptable in a treatment setting - let alone something that people are encouraged to make part of their identity - is just absurd. On that note, the idea that it's in any shape or form a sensible tradition in any kind of group support meeting for everyone to introduce themselves as an addict and therefore intrinsically different from the rest of society is all kinds of absurd, just as it would be for any other kind of mental health support meeting to kick off by everyone introducing themselves as, "Hi, I'm crazy/insane/mentally disturbed".

I could go on but I guess I'll leave it there so as not to just keep bashing 12 step programs.

I dont know much about Biden either but he is releasing an addictions memoir in April so I plan on reading that.

I absolutely agree that 12 step groups are the worst offender. Generally in the addictions field these days terms like substance use disorder and drug user are more commonplace. There are two things which happen when you first enter a 12 step group. First, you introduce yourself as an alcoholic or addict. Then, the first step you take is acceptance of powerlessness. Therefore, youre a powerless alcoholic or addict.

After that, once youve accepted a god “as we understood Him” into your life you go on to make moral inventory, confess, and have God remove your defects of character. Then you make your amends, continue to take inventory and pass the message on like any good Mormon.

(as we understood Him is an addendum made AFTER the 1st edition of AA was initially published btw because it was slowing down membership to stop at God... AA and all its copycats are in fact Christ based institutions and Id be happy to NEVER hear some dumb occultist say otherwise again)

So now you are a powerless alcoholic/addict with a moral failure only God can resolve and a messenger boy for the church. This is the vast majority of our addictions systems.

 

[dalpat077]

Job opportunity.

Spoiler: Anyone?

 

[Imaginarium]

So my point for discussion here is how do we revise this language we use? What is the best route to saying things in a more accurate and less loaded way? What do you think the language should look like?

A great starting point for a very important discussion!

1. How do we revise language around drug use?

Adopt the use of person-first language. Using person-first language promotes respect for the worth and dignity of all persons. Person-first language literally puts the words referring to the person before words describing their behaviors - in this case, drug-using behavior. For example, instead of 'drug user' the preferred phrase would be a 'person who uses drugs' (PWUD).

Stop using discriminatory and stigmatizing words when referring to PWUD. For example, terms such as 'addict', 'junkie', 'drug abuser' only perpetuate harmful stereotypes, and create barriers to health and social services. Further, using terms such as “addict” and 'junkie' has been empirically demonstrated to increase stigma towards individuals labeled with these terms. See Wakeman (2019) for more on this.

Don't conflate 'addiction' and 'dependence'. See Szalavitz (2021) for the most recent, evidence-based presentation on why these terms should not be used interchangeably or conflated. Dependence is different from addiction. Physical dependence is an ordinary biological consequence of taking certain medications on a frequent and regular basis - often weeks or years— while addiction is continued drug use that persists in the face of negative consequences. Conflating the two can, for example, place stigma on medication treatment for addiction with agonists like buprenorphine and methadone. This can result in serious consequences as studies have shown that OST for maintenance can reduce mortality rates by up to 50%.

Above are only some of my suggestions, but hopefully, they address some of your questions.

 

[thegreenhand]

Don't conflate 'addiction' and 'dependence'

I was getting into it with my sister over this last night. She was talking about how European colonial powers got the Chinese people ‘addicted to opium’. I corrected her and pointed that they may have become dependent on opium but few were probably recklessly and compulsively using it.

She brushed me off by saying they are basically interchangeable terms and that people who are dependent become addicted easily and vice versa… That’s when I gave up

 

[Imaginarium]

Sounds like an interesting exchange!

Personally, I am a strong advocate in support of differentiating 'addiction' and 'dependence', not only because of my lived-experience, but because of the consequences for PWUD.

In my opinion, there is no justification for conflating these two terms.

As you were told:

they are basically interchangeable terms and that people who are dependent become addicted easily and vice versa

For one, depending on a substance to avoid physical withdrawal symptoms is neither necessary nor sufficient to define addiction. Many drugs cause dependence but not addiction, for example, paroxetine and clonidine. However, when people have effectively tapered off these drugs successfully, they don't return to using them or craving them. But when people withdraw from these medications, they do not crave them, and once successfully tapered, they do not have recurrent use. In contrast, craving and recurrent use are common symptoms of addiction, often in the early part of their self-defined recovery.

In my opinion, conflating the two can have real and practical ramifications. If we think about the clinical ramifications, not differentiating, perpetuates a negative misperception about the most effective treatments we have for opioid use disorder. Opioid substitution therapy (OST) as maintenance with methadone or buprenorphine is the only treatment shown to reduce the risk of overdose death and relapse by more than 50%. Both methadone and buprenorphine work by maintaining physiological dependence while successfully treating addiction.

 

[Burnt Offerings]

Yes. Make sure to inform them of some new meth names for me in particular. This is their current list.

Accordion; Amp; Aqua; Arroz; Assembled (crystal meth); Batu; Begok; Biker’s Coffee; Blue; Blue Bell Ice Cream; Beers; Bottles; Bucio; Bud Light; Bump; Cajitas; Chalk; Chandelier; Chavalone; Chicken; Chicken Feed; Chicken Powder; Chris; Christine; Christy; Clear; Clothing Cleaner; Cold; Cold One; Colorado Rockies; Crank; Cream; Cri-Cri; Crink; Crisco; Crissy; Christy; Crypto; Crystal; Cuadro; Day; Diamond; Dunk; El Gata Diablo; Evil Sister; Eye Glasses; Fire; Fizz; Flowers; Foco; Food; Frio; Fruit; Gak; Garbage; G-Funk; Gifts; Girls; Glass; Go-Fast; Go-Go;Goofball (methamphetamine mixed with heroin); Groceries; Hard Ones; Hare; Hawaiian Salt; Hielo; Hiropon; Hot Ice; Hubbers; Ice; Ice Cream; Ice Water; Icehead; Jale; Jug of Water; L.A. Glass; L.A. Ice; Lemons; Lemon Drop; Light; Light Beige; Livianas; Madera; Mamph; Meth; Methlies Quick; Mexican Crack; Mexican Crank; Miss Girl; Montura; Motor; Muchacha; Nails; One Pot; No-Doze; Paint; Pantalones; Patudas; Peanut Butter Crank; Piñata; Pointy Ones; Pollito; Popsicle; Purple; Raspado; Rims; Rocket Fuel; Salt; Shabu; Shards; Shatter; Shaved Ice; Shiny Girl; Small Girl; Soap Dope; Soft Ones; Speed; Speed Dog; Spicy Kind; Spin; Stove Top; Stuff; Super Ice; Table; Tina; Tires; Trash; Truck; Tupperware; Tweak;Unassembled (powder meth); Uppers; Ventanas; Vidrio; Walking Zombie; Water; Wazz; White; Whizz; Windows; Witches Teeth; Yaba; Yellow Barn; Yellow Cake; Yellow Kind; Zip







My update: Jib, parTy, high speed, fast, coffee or Tea?

Also Tell them it's preTTy sweeT and They should come over someTime for a TrysT

Where's "Bounty: The Quicker Picker-Upper"?

I also find it amusing that they don't include what's undoubtedly the most common word for it in my neck of the woods ("fast"). They've got "go-fast" but I've never really heard anyone refer to it that way

 

[thegreenhand]

@Imaginarium I agree that addiction and dependence have distinct meanings and should not be conflated

Millions of us are dependent on caffeine (headaches and crankiness without it) yet I don’t think I know anyone who continues to use coffee despite negative consequences. Same with some antidepressants, as you noted. I take mirtazipine myself in fact.

I agree that buprenorphine and methadone are essential in treating opioid decency (and addiction for that matter). However, I also think that we need non-substitute opioid agonist therapy. Switzerland provides pharmaceutical heroin to patients who do not respond to the formerly referenced medications. They haven’t had a single overdose since starting the program in the late 90s

Also, I believe we need to expand substitute options by including hydromorphone. At least in the US, hydromorphone (Dilaudid) is commonly used by healthcare professionals and they feel comfortable working with it.

But that’s just my 2 cents