We understand the seratonin and dopamine receptors better than we understand the Opiod Receptors. It's that simple. They are indicated in specific diseases, they are manipulated through engineered drugs, we know what the deal is with them. Yeah, we discovered endorphins a while ago, so what. They give us satisfaction like we accomplished something. They are "pleasure after the fact". But the thing is, with heroin... we didn't accomplish *anything* but a feeling of accomplishment!
We can't establish a lack of brain damage, merely establish our current inability to detect the brain damage which, a priori, we have determined is going to result from doing things we aren't supposed to do to the brain. I hate to say it, but current technologies don't really enable us to detect the types of damage that I am hypothesizing.
Secondly, you are talking about Opiods, I am talking about Opiates. Specifically, heroin. Comparing opiods in general to heroin is like comparing sugar to methamphetamine.
What you have or haven't heard doctors say is irrelevant. Frankly being a doctor doesn't necessitate much knowledge about this particular topic. In general I don't have as much respect for doctors as I used to after having known a few pre-med kids. It's a new variation on Garbage in, Garbage out.
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Eh, that's all debateable. Under normal circumstances you increase your breathing rate to meet problems in the environment. Yes, there is a system.
Heroin fucks with the system, causes hypoxia. Therefore, living in Denver, you are going to ACCOUNT for the problem... heroin fucks with the very system by which you account for the problem! That's the problem. You stop giving a fuck. Just like you let your cigarette burn your hand for a couple seconds before you drop it when you are stoned on MJ, so too do you let your lack of oxygen kill a few brain cells before you decide to breath again on heroin. Define normal usage, and yes, it's all relative.
As far as your observations of chemicals in teh brain-- Psychoactive chemicals which don't belong in the brain that get there... thats what I meant. Eesh. Wasn't that self evident?
"Sorry, that's total bullshit" you say.
Well, from a psychological perspective, that's what you are here for. I measure your mental health based on whether you are doing a good job of accomplishing your objectives, whether you are pissing people off while doing them, and whether you are happy with the way things are going. In the case of drug use you are failing 1 and two, and lying to me about three. In most cases. Drug users are kind of like prostitutes, they would get out if they could, but the very circumstances which forced them in, keep them there.
I don't mean "should" as in morally. I mean "Should" as in, your original intent. Your basic standard way of going about things is the way you should function, deviation from that which is abnormal, atypical, and pissing someone off, is also pathological. Simple enough. Psychology is based on that, don't ya know?
If you have a vasectomy before having had kids, and didn't save some sperm or anything... frankly I think you should have your own DSM-IV category. You aren't functioning properly. Incidently, without taking a poll I can assure you that that is an EXCEEDINGLY rare thing for people to do. Abnormal, Atypical, against normal healthy functioning, and it is disturbing me.
As far as unprotected sex with strangers when you can... you'd be surprised. Hard to explain but...well... in the older societies where survival was more difficult, babies did kind of need a father more than they do now... so, we evolved to try to fuck as many women as we can and ultimately settle down. I think that's what most people do. Women evolved to only give it up if they thought the man planned on settling down. Men evolved to kind of "fake it". you know the way it is. Most people do it that way, like I said.
It's not about Objectivism, its about the concept of mental health... and mental health means functioning in the way you should be functioning under your current conditions. The easiest way to tell is to look at your own and other peoples gut feeligns about how well you are functioning, and how everyone else in similar situations is functioning... if people are feeling bad, or if you are deviating, then you aren't functioning well. Is it so tough to understand? It's MENTAL HEALTH. Eesh.
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[ 17 December 2001: Message edited by: Timerare2 ]
