I'd been using BL as a reference for some time before deciding to join.
I entered into the world of tertiary substance abuse treatment six years ago. I worked for an organization for four plus years that operated from an abstinence-only paradigm.
While working for this organization, I was also a full-time student at an undergraduate institution that houses some well-known harm-reduction advocates.
It took only one chemical dependency course, taught by a man who eventually became my mentor, to turn my world upside down… in a good way, that is.
You see, while I knew that the organization for which I worked helped some people, it seemed there were far too many whom we could not, and were not willing, to reach. I do not enjoy human suffering. The mentality of, “Come back to us when you’ve hit rock-bottom and are willing to change,” never sat well with me. Far too many individuals, in my experience, died before they “hit rock bottom.” For them, “rock bottom” was literal- the grave.
Thus, the idea that as a provider, I could help to mitigate the harm that individuals do to themselves while they are using, rather than turning them away at the door, was both pragmatic and ideologically appealing. Although abstinence may still be the ideal, it is just that- an ideal. I’m not a person of faith, spiritual or otherwise, and I don’t “believe” in abstinence. I use the word believe deliberately, as many abstinence-only persons do seem to embrace it as a faith.
After finishing my undergraduate education and cutting my ties with the aforementioned organization (for whom my wife also worked), my wife and I moved across the country. She is currently working at a methadone clinic. I am enrolled in a doctoral clinical psychology program, with a position in one of the nation’s top five specialty AD/HD Clinics. My research centers on AD/HD and adolescent substance abuse, and my clinical work is consistent with the harm-reduction paradigm.
I am also a drug user, both therapeutically and recreationally. The information I’ve gleaned from this site, in the time that I’ve been browsing it, has been useful both for me and for my clients.
No other site can compare to BL. I've read a plethora of studies suggesting that Suboxone cannot be abused. Yet, here I can find first hand accounts of people not only snorting it (to increase bioavailability), but also shooting it.
BL is both a hobby and an invaluable resource for someone who works with substance abusers. Hell, as much as I want to be a know-it-all, BL has provided me with information that’s potentially saved MY life. I know of no other site that is as comprehensive; sure, there’s plenty of government-sponsored sites and the not-for-profit erowid.org, yet they pale in comparison to BL.
Thank you to all the members who make meaningful contributions. I am so grateful for this site.
(Sidenote: A little high right now, but I genuinely feel this way about BL).