The Road Often Traveled

I look back at my many days spent in “Social Model” detoxes and think, “What kind of abuse was that???”

In my teens it was perfectly acceptable for my step-dad to beat the hell out of me-I called the Sheriff’s once…they laughed.

In my 20’s I was perfectly OK with doing a “spin-dry” with a bunch of other alkies and junkies-no meds needed (and even if they were we weren’t getting any.)

Don’t think I could do that today…body’s too beat up and the truth is modern medicine has turned a whole bunch of former die-hard dope fiends into very big cry-babies…myself very included.

Thanks for visiting Fred. Checked out your place briefly and will definitely return….As long as you’re not, well, like a “Friend of Jack T.”….. Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

A Bitter Pill

Joe remembers his last heroin high was wearing off. He felt the familiar beads of sweat. Nausea began to creep to his throat. Perfect conditions, his doctor said; bupe works only when patients are in withdrawal. So Joe curled back his tongue, placed the little hexagonal tablet underneath, and waited. He felt it slowly soften to a gritty paste and disappear. It still amazes him how quickly it worked. He didn’t feel high, didn’t feel withdrawal symptoms, didn’t even feel medicated; he just felt better. “It took away the pain,” he says. “It even took away the craving. I had my strength back, and I was eating sooner than I ever had in detox… (Wired Magazine article).

Survey Says

Ask 10 people to define addiction and its causes and you are likely to get 10 different answers.

There are some who still believe addiction is a failure of morality or a spiritual weakness, even a sin or a crime.

To the non-drinker it’s often a problem of self-control; for sociologists, poverty; for educators, ignorance.

Psychiatrists or psychologists might say that addiction is has its roots in personality traits; temperament and character being the basis of addictive “personalities.” Social-learning and cognitive-behavior theorists will call it a conditioned response. Biologists may say it is all in the genes and heredity; anthropologists will tell you that it’s cultural.

Well-known politicians have been heard to blame it on the breakdown of family values.

The general consensus today is that addiction, and addictive behavior, are diseases.

But I’ll bet that’s because they never asked you…

What is addiction? And what causes it?

Inquiring minds, both inebriated and not, want to know…

Rehab Greetings?

On a recently discovered marketing blog that I will be reading more often, Nomadishere comments on Hallmark Greeting Cards attempts to make a few sheckles from the misery, pain and suffering that are addiction.

But since the treatment centers have been doing it themselves for years (1-800-Cocaine late night TV ads, Betty Ford Alumni t-shirts and hats are at the innocent end of the spectrum), Hallmark is actually quite late to the Addiction Sells party…

The story:

Hallmark Tries to Capatilize on Drug Addiction, Cancer and Other Hardships

The response:

Is Hallmark really any different than the 12 Step groups and their “cute” slogans?

ONE ADDICT HELPING

ONE ADDICT HELPING