10 votes

Topic deleted by author

4 comments

  1. [3]
    Heichou
    Link
    I've always been of the opinion that you don't just fall into drug use. You're guided there, either from your own pain or the hand of someone else's. Mentally healthy people don't turn to abusing...
    • Exemplary

    I've always been of the opinion that you don't just fall into drug use. You're guided there, either from your own pain or the hand of someone else's. Mentally healthy people don't turn to abusing and eventually becoming addicted to drugs. These people want to escape, whether it be from the demons inside their head or outside. I'm taking a shot in the dark here and guessing that drugs are far cheaper than seeking consistent medical help, as it is far easier to outright purchase something for a quick fix than it is to apply for insurance, wait to get approved which could take a month or so with no hitches (and good luck with no hitches when dealing with the government), going to an initial doctor screening, paying the copay for that appointment, being referred to a psychiatrist/therapist that might be within 10 miles of you if you're lucky (Hope you have a car), and then paying the copay on a monthly basis and pay for possibly more expensive drugs.

    I don't mean to spin it off track, but really, drug use is just a symptom of a bigger issue and the quickest solution for the beaten and the damned. I firmly believe that unless we tackle healthcare and mental illness in America, and the stigma of the latter, this isn't an issue we can fix by banning the symptom of an issue. These people are barking up the wrong tree and doing more harm than good to those who need help.

    8 votes
    1. [2]
      kfwyre
      Link Parent
      There's a fantastic book on this topic called In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts by Gabor Maté. The author was a doctor who helped run a controversial support community for drug users in Vancouver, and...

      There's a fantastic book on this topic called In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts by Gabor Maté. The author was a doctor who helped run a controversial support community for drug users in Vancouver, and the book is a chilling look into the darkness that drives people to addiction (and the further depths that addiction then pulls them to).

      He advocates for many of the same things you do, but one of my major takeaways from the book was how similar treating addiction is to palliative care. Some patients will simply never break free, so the author saw his role as minimizing harm and helping them continue to use in the safest way possible. That's a tough concept to stomach--for addict, doctor, and reader.

      For anyone who is interested in addiction, I highly recommend the book. It's a compelling, challenging, and worthwhile read.

      4 votes
      1. Heichou
        Link Parent
        Unfortunately it's extremely difficult to read books these days but I appreciate the comment! That palliative care part seems like it can be very frustrating for doctors and family alike; that it...

        Unfortunately it's extremely difficult to read books these days but I appreciate the comment! That palliative care part seems like it can be very frustrating for doctors and family alike; that it can get so bad as to have the effect of something the patient needs or they will die. I think greater focus on mental illness is the best preventative care for drug abuse we'll ever have. Breaking the habit isn't the hardest part - it's making sure that it stays broken

        2 votes
  2. [2]
    Comment deleted by author
    Link
    1. Octofox
      Link Parent
      I'm undecided if the way forward is to try to protect the privacy of these people or socially accept that we all have done things like this in the past and that seeing it online doesn't matter....

      I'm undecided if the way forward is to try to protect the privacy of these people or socially accept that we all have done things like this in the past and that seeing it online doesn't matter. I'd like to think that in the future we have matured to the point that its not embarrassing to have your naked photos online but for other things like criminal history I can't see people ever not letting themselves be biased by finding those records online.