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Severian · 03.08.2016, 07:44 PM

I don't want to answer the main question this thread is based on, because I have some controversial beliefs about the accepted societal definition of addiction, and the kind of self-talk that a lot of recovery programs promote. I don't want to piss anyone off, or give anyone who's having a successful recovery a reason to rationalize using, so I'm not going to say much on the topic of addiction, even though it was one of my major study areas when I was in grad school. I was studying addiction and dependency from a bio-chemical and neuro-psychological perspective, though, so I have learned from experience how frustrating it is to talk to people from other academic backgrounds (like Social Work, counseling or talk therapy based clinical psychology).

I just don't have a popular take on the way we "handle" addiction in this culture. Legally, socially, and often even medically, I believe we have a lot of things totally backwards.

However, I will say this: I have experimented with just every kind of drug known to man. I never got too into any one thing, but in my 20's, I pretty much did it all. This ended over ten years ago, and I've lived a fairly straight and narrow life, even though I've done a lot and seen a lot.

I know that I almost definitely have a physiological dependency on legal prescription pain and sleeping medications. I've been over this before I think. I don't abuse anything, and have quite a reputation for being "straight" probably because I'm aware that the medications I take make it dangerous to drink or get high in any way. Some people would say I'm an addict, but dependency doth not an addict make. I'm currently taking steps to get off the low dose meds I'm on. Not because they mess me up, but because I want to be healthier, and I'm getting older.

I've lost many friends to drugs and drug-related accidents, suicides, etc. I'm not even sure if this is a rare thing anymore. So many people seem to be getting fucked up these days that I'd wager most of us have known someone who has died of an overdose or something. It's quite sad.

So yeah. Make of that what you will.

03.08.2016, 07:44 PM	#9
Severian invito al cielo Join Date: Feb 2012 Posts: 11,741	I don't want to answer the main question this thread is based on, because I have some controversial beliefs about the accepted societal definition of addiction, and the kind of self-talk that a lot of recovery programs promote. I don't want to piss anyone off, or give anyone who's having a successful recovery a reason to rationalize using, so I'm not going to say much on the topic of addiction, even though it was one of my major study areas when I was in grad school. I was studying addiction and dependency from a bio-chemical and neuro-psychological perspective, though, so I have learned from experience how frustrating it is to talk to people from other academic backgrounds (like Social Work, counseling or talk therapy based clinical psychology). I just don't have a popular take on the way we "handle" addiction in this culture. Legally, socially, and often even medically, I believe we have a lot of things totally backwards. However, I will say this: I have experimented with just every kind of drug known to man. I never got too into any one thing, but in my 20's, I pretty much did it all. This ended over ten years ago, and I've lived a fairly straight and narrow life, even though I've done a lot and seen a lot. I know that I almost definitely have a physiological dependency on legal prescription pain and sleeping medications. I've been over this before I think. I don't abuse anything, and have quite a reputation for being "straight" probably because I'm aware that the medications I take make it dangerous to drink or get high in any way. Some people would say I'm an addict, but dependency doth not an addict make. I'm currently taking steps to get off the low dose meds I'm on. Not because they mess me up, but because I want to be healthier, and I'm getting older. I've lost many friends to drugs and drug-related accidents, suicides, etc. I'm not even sure if this is a rare thing anymore. So many people seem to be getting fucked up these days that I'd wager most of us have known someone who has died of an overdose or something. It's quite sad. So yeah. Make of that what you will.
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