Addiction

[OwnedByTheCow]

On the note of opioids. My oldest sister ( older by 25 years) is a forensic scientist for the state drug lab. She gets called to meth labs or drug overdoses almost every day. Stuff such as meth or heroin needs to be fixed. I believe that it is a choice that turns into a disease but people still need to remember that they made the decision to shoot their first bit of heroin and they bought that first bottle of pills completely on their own , it spiralled out of control but how much of it did they do to themselves? The high school I go to has a big problem with drugs. Now I can't understand is addiction at such a young age a choice or is it hereditary?

 

[Margonme]

This might be interesting to some who drink. IT IS ESSENTIAL FOR A PERSON WHO USES ALCOHOL TO STAY HYDRATED. Ethanol is the compound in the beverages we commonly consume to provide us the alcohol. To metabolize ethanol, your body uses water. Some of the damage in the liver is due to excessive dehydration. Alcohol also lowers the anti-diuretic hormone.

Well I drink almost every night. I agree with you on staying hydrated.........also must have a healthy diet and exercise routine (whether it be work or play). I've been doing this for 26 years off and on. I also ask and talk to my doctor about it. He says no worries. He does a full blood panel every year and all my numbers are perfect.
But I, like you, also feel like I'd be better off without it.

Same here. My blood panel is perfect. My blood pressure runs 120 over 75 on average. Pulse is low. 55 to 62.

 

[JMJ Farms]

This might be interesting to some who drink. IT IS ESSENTIAL FOR A PERSON WHO USES ALCOHOL TO STAY HYDRATED. Ethanol is the compound in the beverages we commonly consume to provide us the alcohol. To metabolize ethanol, your body uses water. Some of the damage in the liver is due to excessive dehydration. Alcohol also lowers the anti-diuretic hormone.

Well I drink almost every night. I agree with you on staying hydrated.........also must have a healthy diet and exercise routine (whether it be work or play). I've been doing this for 26 years off and on. I also ask and talk to my doctor about it. He says no worries. He does a full blood panel every year and all my numbers are perfect.
But I, like you, also feel like I'd be better off without it.

Same here. My blood panel is perfect. My blood pressure runs 120 over 75 on average. Pulse is low. 55 to 62.

I'm certainly not going to say alcohol is good for you. But I will tell you from personal experience that my health DECLINED when I stopped drinking every day. And that's the truth. Nothing major. Maybe it wasn't from the lack of alcohol. Maybe it was from the change of lifestyle. I used to drink almost every day. I'd knock off my regular job at 5. Didn't even need a watch. In the summer I wanted a beer. When it was cold I wanted to mix a drink. Did this for years. Never in front of my kids. Very very rarely drank enough to get drunk. Never got in trouble. Never did anything stupid. Helped me relax. Mentally mostly. 3 years ago I basically quit. Hair started turning grey. Gained weight. Get irritated more now. Pretty high stress level. Don't sleep as well. But, I don't intend to start back. Now, I may order a drink before a meal when I go out of town on vacation or out to eat and I may drink a beer if I've put in a real hard day in the sun. Can't tell you the last time I drank more than two. Haven't drank a 12 pack in the last twelve months. And I don't really miss it. Worst thing I miss is how good I slept and how I was wide open when my feet hit the floor the next morning. Now I kinda roll out slowly and it takes me 10 minutes to get my back straightened out :lol: Bad thing is if I didn't have kids I believe it would have gotten much worse. But as it stands, it all worked out fine.

As for the original question... "Is addiction a choice or a disease?" I can't even speak in the same vicinity as Brad. He's way smarter than I am. For me it was a choice. But his posts on the matter are way too intelligent to discredit. Based on this my answer to the OP would be "it depends on the person".

 

[Margonme]

Well I drink almost every night. I agree with you on staying hydrated.........also must have a healthy diet and exercise routine (whether it be work or play). I've been doing this for 26 years off and on. I also ask and talk to my doctor about it. He says no worries. He does a full blood panel every year and all my numbers are perfect.
But I, like you, also feel like I'd be better off without it.

Same here. My blood panel is perfect. My blood pressure runs 120 over 75 on average. Pulse is low. 55 to 62.

I'm certainly not going to say alcohol is good for you. But I will tell you from personal experience that my health DECLINED when I stopped drinking every day. And that's the truth. Nothing major. Maybe it wasn't from the lack of alcohol. Maybe it was from the change of lifestyle. I used to drink almost every day. I'd knock off my regular job at 5. Didn't even need a watch. In the summer I wanted a beer. When it was cold I wanted to mix a drink. Did this for years. Never in front of my kids. Very very rarely drank enough to get drunk. Never got in trouble. Never did anything stupid. Helped me relax. Mentally mostly. 3 years ago I basically quit. Hair started turning grey. Gained weight. Get irritated more now. Pretty high stress level. Don't sleep as well. But, I don't intend to start back. Now, I may order a drink before a meal when I go out of town on vacation or out to eat and I may drink a beer if I've put in a real hard day in the sun. Can't tell you the last time I drank more than two. Haven't drank a 12 pack in the last twelve months. And I don't really miss it. Worst thing I miss is how good I slept and how I was wide open when my feet hit the floor the next morning. Now I kinda roll out slowly and it takes me 10 minutes to get my back straightened out :lol: Bad thing is if I didn't have kids I believe it would have gotten much worse. But as it stands, it all worked out fine.

As for the original question... "Is addiction a choice or a disease?" I can't even speak in the same vicinity as Brad. He's way smarter than I am. For me it was a choice. But his posts on the matter are way too intelligent to discredit. Based on this my answer to the OP would be "it depends on the person".

There are benefits to moderate alcohol consumption. Wine has antioxidants. I worked with a man in Montana who was 16 years older. He had a major heart attack. His Doctor told him his heart attack was stress related and that if he had drank a couple 4 ounce glasses of Merlot every night, he may have not experienced a major heart attack.

 

[farmguy]

To me the bottom line is it's a choice. I have unfortunately seen people close to me wrestle with these choices. You get in the car, you drive to the bar, store or see the man. Your the one to reach and hand over the money. I also realize that the choice gets harder as time progresses. But at any time you can turn the car around. As a therapist once told me if you can hide your addition, blame others, stop in some circumstances for a short time, arrange things to facilitate access, you are in control. It all comes down to responsibility and yes I do know there is a genetic/personality factor that favors dependency and alcoholism. I saw my brother-in-law go through alcohol with drawl and it was not pretty. We have a grandson who has an addiction problem and as yet after prison and other incidents he is still not ready to change. Change must be not only quitting but a change in friends, habits etc. One of our daughters is a nurse who works in a hospital with addicts of all kinds. The bottom line is YOU have to make that decision. No one, no parent, no friend , no advisor can make it for you. Sorry about the ramble, farmguy.

 

[dun]

The bottom line is YOU have to make that decision. No one, no parent, no friend , no advisor can make it for you.

It bears repeating!

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

The bottom line is YOU have to make that decision. No one, no parent, no friend , no advisor can make it for you.

It bears repeating!

And once you've made the commitment AA and NA are great places to be.

 

[callmefence]

To me the bottom line is it's a choice. I have unfortunately seen people close to me wrestle with these choices. You get in the car, you drive to the bar, store or see the man. Your the one to reach and hand over the money. I also realize that the choice gets harder as time progresses. But at any time you can turn the car around. As a therapist once told me if you can hide your addition, blame others, stop in some circumstances for a short time, arrange things to facilitate access, you are in control. It all comes down to responsibility and yes I do know there is a genetic/personality factor that favors dependency and alcoholism. I saw my brother-in-law go through alcohol with drawl and it was not pretty. We have a grandson who has an addiction problem and as yet after prison and other incidents he is still not ready to change. Change must be not only quitting but a change in friends, habits etc. One of our daughters is a nurse who works in a hospital with addicts of all kinds. The bottom line is YOU have to make that decision. No one, no parent, no friend , no advisor can make it for you. Sorry about the ramble, farmguy.

Good post

 

[TexasBred]

On the note of opioids. My oldest sister ( older by 25 years) is a forensic scientist for the state drug lab. She gets called to meth labs or drug overdoses almost every day. Stuff such as meth or heroin needs to be fixed. I believe that it is a choice that turns into a disease but people still need to remember that they made the decision to shoot their first bit of heroin and they bought that first bottle of pills completely on their own , it spiralled out of control but how much of it did they do to themselves? The high school I go to has a big problem with drugs. Now I can't understand is addiction at such a young age a choice or is it hereditary?

Most opiod use begin with a doctor's prescription.

 

[True Grit Farms]

The bottom line is YOU have to make that decision. No one, no parent, no friend , no advisor can make it for you.

It bears repeating!

And once you've made the commitment AA and NA are great places to be.

I found that out to not be the case for me. I needed to get away from my comfort zone and start over. It's a shame some folks are so addicted that it kills them before THEY see the light.

 

[bball]

I would like to add just a few more thoughts that may help with understanding. Addiction is a disease, marked by powerful cravings rooted in altered brain biology/chemistry. Chemical dependence is the bodies physiological need for a chemical to function. The chemical dependence aspect can be controlled and managed in a medical/clinical environment very readily and effectively until the bodies systems are returned to baseline again; usually after withdrawal or DTs from alcohol or opiods. Addiction occurs when the brain biology/chemistry is altered and the cravings are so powerful that they take president over even the most basic of needs. 5his altering of the brain is different in each individual, which is why some people are addicted after one exposure and some people can go years before becoming addicted. The recovery from the chemical dependence aspect is very manageable while the recovery from the addiction aspect is significantly more difficult because the addict must literally focus on behaviors that 'rewire' the brain as much as possible. There is no magic medication for this. It is done through behavior modification, counseling and with a strong support system. It is a decision the addict must make. But he doesn't just make that decision one time. He may have e to make that decision a hundred times in one day. I hope this helps clarify some things.

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

On the note of opioids. My oldest sister ( older by 25 years) is a forensic scientist for the state drug lab. She gets called to meth labs or drug overdoses almost every day. Stuff such as meth or heroin needs to be fixed. I believe that it is a choice that turns into a disease but people still need to remember that they made the decision to shoot their first bit of heroin and they bought that first bottle of pills completely on their own , it spiralled out of control but how much of it did they do to themselves? The high school I go to has a big problem with drugs. Now I can't understand is addiction at such a young age a choice or is it hereditary?

Most opiod use begin with a doctor's prescription.

Except for the 17 year old girl with the sorry azz boyfriend who says "here, take one of these, you'll love the feeling" so she does and she does love the first high. Unfortunately the first high was the easiest and best high and before she knows it she's a full fledged opiate snorting junkie grasping to achieve that magical feeling but it will never come again.

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

I would like to add just a few more thoughts that may help with understanding. Addiction is a disease, marked by powerful cravings rooted in altered brain biology/chemistry. Chemical dependence is the bodies physiological need for a chemical to function. The chemical dependence aspect can be controlled and managed in a medical/clinical environment very readily and effectively until the bodies systems are returned to baseline again; usually after withdrawal or DTs from alcohol or opiods. Addiction occurs when the brain biology/chemistry is altered and the cravings are so powerful that they take president over even the most basic of needs. 5his altering of the brain is different in each individual, which is why some people are addicted after one exposure and some people can go years before becoming addicted. The recovery from the chemical dependence aspect is very manageable while the recovery from the addiction aspect is significantly more difficult because the addict must literally focus on behaviors that 'rewire' the brain as much as possible. There is no magic medication for this. It is done through behavior modification, counseling and with a strong support system. It is a decision the addict must make. But he doesn't just make that decision one time. He may have e to make that decision a hundred times in one day. I hope this helps clarify some things.

Simultaneous posting Brad. You are 100% spot on.

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

It bears repeating!

And once you've made the commitment AA and NA are great places to be.

I found that out to not be the case for me. I needed to get away from my comfort zone and start over. It's a shame some folks are so addicted that it kills them before THEY see the light.

The adage "all you have to change is everything" certainly applies.

 

[bball]

Except for the 17 year old girl with the sorry azz boyfriend who says "here, take one of these, you'll love the feeling" so she does and she does love the first high. Unfortunately the first high was the easiest and best high and before she knows it she's a full fledged opiate snorting junkie grasping to achieve that magical feeling but it will never come again.

What you described happens so frequently it's hard to believe. I can't tell you how many times I have heard this story or a variation of it... spend a lifetime(usually brief) chasing a euphoria they will never ever feel again; just a smaller, unsatisfying, version.

 

[callmefence]

It bears repeating!

And once you've made the commitment AA and NA are great places to be.

I found that out to not be the case for me. I needed to get away from my comfort zone and start over. It's a shame some folks are so addicted that it kills them before THEY see the light.

These programs may be good for the addict who needs support from others in the same situation.

But I believe it can be a bad deal to take someone who has been incarcerated. Is now completely clean and sober. And put them in the midst of a group of people on the brink.
The newly released and clean addict is going to be looking for friends. A group of addicts may not be the best place

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

And once you've made the commitment AA and NA are great places to be.

I found that out to not be the case for me. I needed to get away from my comfort zone and start over. It's a shame some folks are so addicted that it kills them before THEY see the light.

These programs may be good for the addict who needs support from others in the same situation.

But I believe it can be a bad deal to take someone who has been incarcerated. Is now completely clean and sober. And put them in the midst of a group of people on the brink.
The newly released and clean addict is going to be looking for friends. A group of addicts may not be the best place

I used to think that way too.

 

[JMJ Farms]

Stopping drugs or alcohol addiction causes withdrawals. I've been told that the only two "chemical dependencies" that will actually kill you if you have a bad habit and quit cold turkey, are alcohol and Zannex. Hopefully Brad or someone else will tell us if this is true?

 

[True Grit Farms]

Stopping drugs or alcohol addiction causes withdrawals. I've been told that the only two "chemical dependencies" that will actually kill you if you have a bad habit and quit cold turkey, are alcohol and Zannex. Hopefully Brad or someone else will tell us if this is true?

Don't know about the Zannex, but the alcohol and quitting cold turkey doesn't make any sense to me. I know when you get locked up for 35 days without a drink you don't die. And I would think a lot of druggies and drunks get locked up regularly. I'm curious as to what the pro's have to say.

 

[bball]

Stopping drugs or alcohol addiction causes withdrawals. I've been told that the only two "chemical dependencies" that will actually kill you if you have a bad habit and quit cold turkey, are alcohol and Zannex. Hopefully Brad or someone else will tell us if this is true?

Yes, alcohol and benzodiazepine withdrawal can be deadly. While withdrawal from opiates in itself is not deadly (with exception to methadone-cardiac, respiratory and seizure concerns), the withdrawal from opiods can often prompt suicidal ideation. The withdrawing heroin addicts often report deep mental disturbances, dark thoughts and self harm ideation during the peak lows of withdrawal.