The topic of drugs and their usage has been of great interest to me for the longest time. I never did drugs (and, moreover, have decided to do none early on in my life), but I have sympathy towards those who do. I understand that it's a method of escapism akin to reading, watching films, engaging in extreme driving or mountain-climbing, although a more physiological one, with a more direct effect on the body than any of the aforementioned. I understand, too, that people don't engage in taking drugs unless they have problems they want to escape from in real life, ranging from boredom to aimlessness in living to troubles within relationships to difficult economical situation to the overwhelming fact of death of a close person, and anything in between, before and beyond.
But...
Whenever I encounter as little as the idea of someone taking drugs in reality - in the tangible, proximous reality rather than the ideal, distant, unaffecting reality that exists in the mind - I feel dread. A quiet, but powerful voice within me says "Oh my God RUN! THEY'RE USING DRUGS HERE!!!" - and after that, I lose the ability to sympathize I so eagerly display at a distance, such as when writing the post about it. I know that this voice is false and I know that the person taking drugs is no less a real human being whom I can interact with in much the same way, but at the point of taking drugs they become somewhat alien. They're no longer the people I can have fun with or discuss philosophy - they're now something else, as if an impostor of a human being.
If this is how most people feel about drug users, it's no wonder humane treatment of addicts is so slow to arrive. If my feelings on the subject are anything to go by, people treat drug usage - and drug addiction, by extension - as something so abhorrent it strips the user of any trust and crushes the sympathy one might have established with the addict. People are terrified of addiction and/or of drug usage... but why?
I first got to thinking on the subject when I heard Kurzgesagt talking about addiction, a few months ago. They were using Bruce K. Alexander's Rat Park experiment as a basis for their idea of what drug addiction is. Wikipedia indicates that further studies failed to reproduce Alexander's experiment results, and I didn't dig further, but the idea that isolation cultivates addiction makes intuitive sense to me. It seems reasonable to me to assume that people use narcotics to escape the bad life, even if for just a little, and/or to satisfy the needs unmet by reality. I have a high sexual drive, and while I don't have a sexual partnet, I resort to masturbation; while I do have a partner, though, I enjoy the sex, and any act of masturbation during that period is more sensibly assigned to kink rather than addiction. It doesn't make me any sort of an expert over the subject of addiction, of course, but I understand the underlying principle, and it makes sense that it's not so much of the drug but the life situation that provokes use and abuse.
The next time I've encountered the subject and the idea of humane treatment of drug users is, again, through Kurzgesagt's video on War on Drugs being a huge failure. There, they've mentioned an important point: the Switzerland heroin maintainence program, within which heroin addicts (the group that has exploded in quantity in the 90s) get free treatment and are assisted in reestablishing their lives (mainly by finding them regular jobs). Many of the things the US' War on Drugs suffers from (increased street violence and murders, no decrease in narcotics supply, waste of money with ground-low efficiency etc.) are managed well in Switzerland, according to the video. In the US, drug users are incarcerated; in Switzerland, they're rather treated like human beings in trouble.
I've never witnessed either of the sides personally and am only incurring information from the videos and the superficial Internet research I've done on the matter (mainly because I'm only establishing my ground here and don't want to fall into extremes just by witnessing them sooner). Like I mentioned before, I've never taken any narcotics, either. Therefore, I can't judge the situation with any amount of certainty; but it seems to me that two things are true: people are afraid of drug users and/or addiction; and treating drug users like human beings helps them more than demonizing drugs. On those two simple facts, rests the entire world's relationship with addiction.
Are people afraid of their animal urges - something that they can't control? Many people are similarly afraid of sex and sexuality, and that can't even hurt you (let alone STDs and the shame of being a slut, the latter being purely cultural and, therefore, psychological rather than physiological). Are people afraid of it because it tells them that it could be them (with the little voice telling them "And he's human, just like you!")? How do we reconcile humane treatment of addicts with the bestial anxiety?
First off, the term 'drugs' is as close to useless as you can get. A drug is simply a substance, other than food, that affects body/brain function. Aspirin is a drug. You used the word 'narcotics' which can refer to illegal drugs in general or just opiates/oids, barbiturates, benzos, and the like. Even if we limit ourselves to illegal drugs, we are still talking about a wide range of substances. Legality has next to nothing to do with danger. There are drugs like cannabis which are practically harmless, and there are drugs like oxycodone which are quite dangerous and very addictive. You seem to think that user == addict, but the two shouldn't be conflated. Whether you actually believe this or not, I don't know, but that's what I read from your post, and it is surely a common misconception. Yes, there are addicts out there, and we should treat them humanely and help them get treatment, but there is also such a thing as responsible drug use. There are plenty of us out there who take safety and addiction very seriously and are very careful with out use. Here's the thing. There certainly are people out there who use drugs as a form of escape, but there are also those of us out there who use drugs as a form of exploration. This is why I've never really been interested in stims or downers. I might drink some caffeinated beverage in order to pull an all-nighter for a paper or something, or I might get drunk at a new years celebration, but that is the extent of my stim/downer usage. Their effects aren't interesting, and they aren't particularly insightful. Psychedelics and dissociatives on the other hand, can be useful tools for self exploration. Of course, I'm not saying that they will give you some divine insight or something like that, but they can make you think in ways that you might not have thought otherwise. On top of that they are generally fun to do. Anyway, the point of is this is that no two drug users are the same. We should help those who are addicted, but there is no need to take pity on those of us who use drugs responsibly. I understand that it's a method of escapism akin to reading, watching films, engaging in extreme driving or mountain-climbing, although a more physiological one, with a more direct effect on the body than any of the aforementioned. I understand, too, that people don't engage in taking drugs unless they have problems they want to escape from in real life, ranging from boredom to aimlessness in living to troubles within relationships to difficult economical situation to the overwhelming fact of death of a close person, and anything in between, before and beyond.
Yeah, agreed! I'm perfectly happy with my life and don't feel any need to escape anything but i'm always open for new and fun experiences. I would not pass on the occasion to go on an epic rock climbing trip with and experienced and knowledgable friend the same way would not say no to going on a mushroom trip with the experienced and knowledgeable friend. Never done either, and I really want to do both. But the danger and lack of experience is what's stopping me of going at it by myself. And I unfortunately don't know anybody that does this kind of thing :( It really sucks because i'm in Chiang Mai right now with great mountains around and can't really afford to go on the "tour" of rock climbing expeditions. I can't go alone because I lack experience so i'll propably miss out on that. I'm stuck in the perpertual wanting things but never doing. Same goes mostly for drugs. I do know it's all doable if a dedicate the time into finding people, so maybe I don't want it hard enough?
This is definitely a good approach. While mushrooms are unlikely to cause you any actual harm (no one has ever died from mushrooms), they can be psychologically taxing if fall into an uncomfortable mindset. One of the major points in the drug community is to never trip without a sober sitter, especially if you are not very experienced and especially if you are some place unfamiliar. The sitter is there to keep you from doing anything stupid and to help you with challenging mental states.But the danger and lack of experience is what's stopping me of going at it by myself.
yup, i've read a lot about that :) Somehow, maybe it's my personality but I don't have many "new agy" kind of friend to do this stuff with. Most my friends are pragmatic engineer types (or they're just older and prefer drinking which is fun too) and we have loads of fun but sometimes I wish I was buddies with them free thinking dreadlocked musicians. Anyway, it's not a huge priority and i'm not in a hurry but would definitely love to try one day!
All fine points, but you've missed the main one: it's not what I think that matters to the message - it's what the people ( == the general crowd of humans) think. My thought process on the matter was just an instance of what may or may not go through most others' heads, and if that's what's truly happening in people's minds, then I say it's no wonder drug users ( == those who use socially-reprehensible narcotics) of any sort get such a bad reputation. Whether or not such usage is responsible doesn't seem to matter: in the public eye, all drug users are some sort of degenerates, abhorrent inhuman people - which is exactly what's wrong. My two questions, therefore, are: why? and what do we do about it?
I do "socially reprehensible narcotics" from time to time and I find them very enjoyable. Never had an addiction aside from cigarettes. I've tried most of the drugs I could get my hands on and am currently trying to get ahold of some exotic psychedelics. I'm at least a decent father, husband and son. As an employee I was always one of the most reliable and capable workers. I generally have as much fun at work as I can while still getting my tasks done in a tidy competent manner. Right now I'm self employed and working 80 hours a week. My skin tone is good my eyes are white, my back aches a bit but I spend most my day on my feet. I've never been arrested or overdosed. I've never sold my things so I could buy drugs. I've never shot anything in my veins but I've put a few things up my nose. I've passed out on a few couches, I've thrown up, I've had more than a few blackouts. I've had the doors of my mind opened by powerful chemicals and realized that I was a vicious, petty, small minded, fearful and violent person who could change, and I did change. I became much happier, trusting, open to new points of view, less judgmental and more generous. I've had a lot of fun on drugs. I've experienced exquisite pleasure, I've opened up and communicated on levels that I would have never suspected existed with out mind altering chemicals. I really only do powerful drugs about once a year now a days. I've wrung most of the profound realizations I have coming to me out of them for the time being. I drink often, I occasionally smoke weed, I rarely take a stiff dose of opiates and like I said about once a year I'll take a little trip. Mostly you see people and don't realize they are drug users. Someone primed your pump to see drug users as something they usually aren't. Not every one has the constitution, mental fortitude or will power to avoid addiction that it takes to be a responsible drug user. You need to ask yourself why I really can't tell you why you have these misperceptions about drugs and users. The what? Stop thinking like a small minded prick, that should solve it.
I feel like almost all of the anti-drug sentiment or fear comes from ignorance. If you think all drugs are bad, and all drug users are addicts, of course your going to be terrified when someone smokes weed around you (for example). People who paint with broad strokes usually don't know enough or have enough experience to view with more shades of grey. Better self education and public education would go a long way here. I will say not all drugs are dangerous, but some are. If you are going to experiment, plan ahead, and ffs test your shit. If you can afford drugs you can afford to do it safely.
That hurt, and I don't feel like I deserved it. I was doing my best to relate the experience many people possibly have in order to focus better on that and maybe - one can dream - find a solution to the problem of perception of drug usage. While it may not be enlightened or very educated, it's what I have, and I expressed it without an intention to in any way mistreat or diminish the responsible drugs users. I see your point - it might seem like I keep insisting on seeing drug users as abominations of human beings - but that's not what it's about. I don't mean to conduct a crusade of any sort, but if we are to figure out what puts a general person off about drugs and those who use them - which I hope we are - there's a need for discussion. I appreciate you sharing your point of view: it's invaluable when there's no one around to show you how drugs aren't necessarily bad in themselves. However - would you come up to every single person in your country, wherever it is you live, and tell them your story to persuade them? I don't think you have the physical capability to do so considering your coffee... uh, place? (after visiting Amsterdam I have troubles with calling it "coffee shop") - or your responsibilities before your family and friends. Even if you travel the country and present the issue publically, how many people would you gather around yourself to listen? How do you explain to a scared mother of a seven-year-old that drugs aren't that bad?Stop thinking like a small minded prick
Now you've given me another chance to do you a favor. If telling you to stop thinking like a small minded prick hurts than you need to get over some shit. I don't follow you, you don't follow me, I'm just some guy on the internet and my opinion shouldn't amount to a hill of beans aside from being one of a bazillion opinions to bounce yourself off of. In needing to get over some assholes opinion on the internet being an issue to get over, you are not alone. Hubski has lost some of it's best and brightest to this particular affliction. It's been the occasion for many a dust up, a block, a mute and a rage quit. It's even been the occasion for many a plaintive whine. You really shouldn't give an emotional damn about my opinion of you. You might consider my arguments about the lack of homogeneity of the drug using population. You might consider that drugs use can be a positive or fun experience for some or many users. Every recreational pastime that large numbers of humans engage in probably has some upsides and downsides. By no means would I think that your opinions on drugs or your perception of drug users would change overnight. I would hope that my comments might give you a new perspective on an issue which you have many preconceptions but no practical experience with. I do fear that I might have painted too rosy a picture with my comment. I've seen lives delayed, derailed, minds shattered, health compromised, families and trust destroyed by drugs. To be on the safe side one should avoid heroin, meth, cocaine and alcohol if they are of the faint of heart. They can all lead down the road to ruin. Just like too much Pokemon, comics, Star Trek, video game music, anime or so so many other things, there are very few things more annoying than a hardcore drug enthusiast. A person who thinks only of their favorite drug, talks only about their favorite drug, does only their favorite drug is a child in an adults body. They are a boor. A single minded love of drugs isn't meritorious. It doesn't have to be perilous to negative. briandmyers the comment isn't not directed at him. He obviously has some false ideas of what and who drug users are and would benefit from reexamining his beliefs (which is to some extent what he seems to be trying to do, I just think he could use a little shove). In conclusion. Don't be hurt. I've been a small minded prick about oh so many things, innumerable things. I can say with certainty that I must be a small minded prick about many other things that no one has called me out on to this very day and I'd thank them to get me started on reexamining my perception even if those thanks started with a fuck you. Most people do or have done some kind of drug in their life and the world keeps on turning. They can be fun, they can be dangerous, they can open and heal minds they can lead to ruin. Hope I've at least given you some thing to consider and don't give a damn about my opinion of the position you now hold if you want to consider your self mentally healthy.
I've been thinking a lot about what you wrote, and... thank you. I went through quite some stages trying to figure out the proper response to your words - but, thankfully, this time, I went past the nastier ones. I realized that I've been... what's the phrase... so "over myself"? "into"? That is, I've been taking myself, my "safety" from harm, real or imaginary, way too seriously, which is what lead me to be offended by your words earlier. I realized, as well, that whatever "license to harass" that you might get from me just letting your words pass through, doesn't matter. You might tell me a lot of things, and it doesn't matter what bad things you say about me as long as you don't hurt me in any way (which excludes not paying attention to actual bullying from the rule, thus giving me the line with which to measure actual potential damage of the situation). You're not the one to define me, nor is anyone but myself, so whatever you say is your opinion as long as it doesn't harm my activities. I'm grateful for you taking your time to write this. I'm lacking an awful lot of understanding about human relationships and interactions with the world, and it's words such as yours that give me the much needed insight. I appreciate you putting effort into explaining this to me instead of simply walking away. Thank you. And about drugs - you've given me quite a bit to think about, as well. It feels odd to discuss drug usage with someone, but I think it's going to result in at least a good insight.
Stop. Please just stop. You're the spitting image of my roommate. Well, maybe not, he's much whinier. But there's still that thinly veiled "woe is me attitude" that I always get from him. You'd like to believe you've taken something away from this, but you just went on a three-paragraph-long rant about how much this didn't hurt your feelings, with a tiny sidenote about the main fucking topic at the end. Come on, dude. It feels childish. You wanna know why I came back to hubski? Three weeks back I dealt with some, hella, hella racist shit. And I just hit this level of Zen, where I realized that I can't change anyone's opinion. Their bigotry is always going to be there, their opinions are always going to be there. It's not my job to get them to understand, and it's not really my job to listen to them either. And it's the same here. There's really no point in me taking some of the pseudo-intellectual libertarian bullshit that I have to put up with. The amount of people I like here outweighs that. SO i'm askin' ya to actually take C-dude's post to heart, without getting defensive. Stop taking yourself so seriously. It's the internet. There are things about it I'd change, but it also let me make a close friend after punching her lights out in Street Fighter. Take a breather.
I'm pretty sure that he'll think about drugs and drug use a bit differently after reading my comment. His new perspective will lead to other new revelations. No idea if it will lead to a perspective that I agree with but I think that regardless of how he perceived my motive and how personally he took my criticism the damage of new perspective has been done. And yes I pretty much loath 99% of video game music. Listen to the score for anywhere from a minute to a few hours and then I turn that shit off. Good anime is good and I have no problem with it. Seems like there are people who only like and like all anime and that is obnoxious. Play all the Pokemon you want, just don't tell me all about it. People with one or just a few interest and topics of conversation are booking. My wife watches a lot of Star Trek, it's swell, but our living room isn't done up like the Enterprise.
It's funny. Your comment almost made me forget what I actually took away from cgod's comment. I've been the weirdo all my life, for everyone but a few people. Nobody seems to get my vibe, even those few. I explain myself because I don't like that. I explain myself because I'd like to get in touch with people despite my disconnect from my feelings and empathy, despite my lack of social skills that my narcissistic parents never let me develop and despite people always telling me how weird I feel to them. I have very strong emotions. I can't sense them in the way most people seem to. It's like looking at a table full of things and not being unable not only to name them but to recognize them at all. Yet, I experience them all the same, and their strength is not dimished by my lack of understanding. I feel very disconnected from even myself, and that adds a lot to an already big pile of self-resentment that I've grown to accumulate, in big part due to people telling me I act weirdly. I'm a writer, and I like to explain things long-hand because it feels right. It allows for avoiding confusion and for a better sound, with more clever turns of the phrase and wittier explanation of complex ideas. It allows me to feel less like a weirdo and more like a person - someone that's more that just the uncomfort to others. I explain myself long-hand because it feels most right. I had a lot of scenarios on how to reply to you, none of them but this successful. You're a respected member of this community - so respected that when you rage-quitted, people wanted you back with the kind of attachment I've rarely, if ever, seen before. I'm explaining this to you because I appreciate this community, and I appreciate this community because here, for the second time in my life, I feel like I'm not just a weirdo; like I can have a conversation with other human beings and actually feel them, instead of just nodding out of politeness. For me, this means a lot. I don't know if I want to appreciate you at the moment, but I'm willing to explain myself to you in case that beyond that rant of yours, you're a reasonable person who's got a case of inappropriate image juxtaposition from a previous acquaintence of yours. If that isn't good enough for you, there's nothing else I can offer, so you'll have to just live with it. For all my flaws, I believe myself to be a decent person - decent enough, at least, not to take shit from someone who doesn't even know me, let alone pay respect to someone they've never had a conversation with.
To be honest, I didn't see that as directed at you - I read that as directed to the person you described, who feels that "all drug users are some sort of degenerates, abhorrent inhuman people", as you said.
I see where you are coming from. The main reason, I think, for drug users being demonized is legality. It is very easy for people to equate lawful with good. If people are doing illegal things, they must be bad, right? Another reason might be scarcity of information. The people who are likely to become addicted are less likely to have access to accurate, unbiased information about specific drugs. The type of information that is provided tends to be along the lines of "drugs are bad, m'kay" without any real information. I think the best way to combat these is to legalize, tax, and regulate all drugs and to provide accurate information on drugs and drug safety. That's likely to be pretty controversial, and I don't think it'll happen any time soon, but It seems to be the only way that promotes safety and protects individual freedom.
That's the sentiment I hear a lot when it comes to this issue. I can see such a change happening in the more free-minded European countries (and it already happened in Switzerland as I've mentioned in the post), but for both Russia and the United States, that, indeed, seems like a stretch to presume it's going to happen any time soon. There seems to be a movement to legalize marijuana in the US, which is a good first step towards the solution. Anything else on the matter that I should know about? Any other movements? or political/cultural sentiments?Another reason might be scarcity of information. <..> I think the best way to combat these is to legalize, tax, and regulate all drugs and to provide accurate information on drugs and drug safety.
I'm not sure that I'm the best person to be discussing movements/general sentiments with. My knowledge tends to be more in the realm of the effects and use of specific drugs. I will say that there has recently been an increase in scientific research on drugs such as MDMA, LSD, and psilocybin. This, I think, bodes well for the future of drug policy.
I've dealt with addicts and seen others do the same, treating somebody like they are more than their addictions/are human helps them. If we don't see that they are more and deserving they won't either. I wish they taught loving-kindness meditation to youth and it's something I would like to teach to violent offenders one day. In a nutshell, it helps us to have compassion for everybody, including ourselves. I think this would have an effect on that anxiety or dehumanizing of addicts. As for why people have this anxiety, I think they were told too. Whether directly or indirectly something in their life told them to fear addicts. Which also means the behaviour can be changed.
This got me thinking: why would you tell someone to fear addicts? I would understand avoiding addicts because, in theory, they will hook you up to the drugs as well, and that's known to be a miserable living when you're on narcotics. But why to fear? Addicts are known to go to great lengths to satisfy their craving, and it's known that the extreme cases (which are what gets most exposure in the public's eye) can be quite violent to get what they so desire for - up to robbery and murder. This much alone could justify anxious avoidance, I grant you, but I feel like it's not all there is to it. Why not treat addicts like people with problems to begin with? What's to stop us?As for why people have this anxiety, I think they were told too.
I think people tell their children to fear them because they want them to in turn fear becoming them. I could understand being fearful in specific situations but people do let it get in the way of making good decisions about how to handle the situation. Like needle exchange programs for example, it's been shown that they are beneficial yet people just don't like the idea of them. People want to justify not helping them so they tell themselves the addicts got themselves in that situation and it's their own fault. There are people who think if we just got rid of all the drug addicts and demonized it further it would stop. Despite the fact that we can look at other countries and see what does work. If these people chose to see an addict as a person, they would have to accept that they are the type of person who thinks "getting rid of" sick people is a good idea. People want to believe they are good and compassionate people so they dehumanize the addict. Just like how we dehumanize Hitler to avoid accepting that humans are capable of evil.
I've read about existential anxiety recently, and it resonated with me greatly. It's a feeling of dread with which you encounter things that you could have done that terrify you. I remember panicking as a child, standing on the balcony and looking over the edge of the window, three stories down; and being terrified that I might fall down, despite the balcony frame staying aguard to my equilibrium. Human beings are like that. We're terrified of becoming something - of the possibility of being something - that we can't even fathom, that we can't relate to. So, how do we get over it?People want to believe they are good and compassionate people so they dehumanize the addict. Just like how we dehumanize Hitler to avoid accepting that humans are capable of evil.
There's something called pure-o ocd (the name makes no sense because they named it before they understood it) where people have a thought they don't like and they end up obsessing over it thinking these thoughts are desires when really they are just thoughts. Thats the quick explanation at least. I don't think this is common, however most mental illnesses like anxiety have a normal emotional response/trait that has been brought to an extreme. There's nervousness and then there's anxiety disorders, shyness and then social anxiety, sadness and then depression, anger and then anger problems, liking yourself and then narcissism. So I'm not talking about people with that disorder however I do believe people are capable of experiencing this "phenomenon" to a lesser extent. It's common for people to try and bury these thoughts for fear of what people will think which actually makes it worse. It's important for people to understand that they are just thoughts and not desires. Just because somebody has thoughts of themself dying by accident or on purpose ( steering the car off the road for example) doesn't mean they actually desire these things. For somebody with a disorder it's hard to overcome and it normally manifests in people who are being made to suppress certain things. I knew somebody who although it was illogical was horrified of the idea of being gay. He didn't even dislike gay people and he obviously wasn't gay but his father was so homophobic that being that way terrified him. He didn't have this disorder as it didn't stop him from living life however it was certainly something he had to work through. I imagine somebody who has been in an environment where people say degrading things about addicts and how horrible they are might find themselves in a position where they fear becoming that as my friend feared being gay. Even though that person might might not think the same way about addicts or in my friends case gay people it still affects them. I typed that all out because one of the ways to deal with that is to understand it. It's important to understand when these are thoughts as opposed to desires.
That's an interesting point. I used to be terrified of the idea of being a narcissist because I was terrified of what they did to me in the past; I kept noticing in myself little things that at the time may or may not have been exactly healthy, and each such a detail made me more and more anxious. I feel like you're spot-on about addicts: now that you've mentioned I remember never hearing a single word of compassion spoken of the heroin addicts who've lived in the neighbourhood or, in my grandma's situation, right in her house (I wanted to say "подъезд" but could find no corresponding word in English; elizabeth, I hate to bother you, but - do you know any, by chance?). My parents and grandparents always looked down at such people, and our law enforcement kept drilling into our young heads the idea that's perfectly expressed with the title of this post. It was always the good-looking and the well-mannered that deserved helping.I imagine somebody who has been in an environment where people say degrading things about addicts and how horrible they are might find themselves in a position where they fear becoming that as my friend feared being gay.
подъезд is sort of the lobby (entry?) of them communist apartment blocks. In the us, i'd compare it to the rent-controlled community buildings. The подъезд is usually full of graffiti, sometimes smells like piss and teenagers hang out there. Grandmas are not too far away gossiping about who left and entered the подъезд at what time: always useful when you need to know if someone's home, not so useful if you're cheating on your husband. There's probably no literal translation but from my experience, that's the gist of it. There are better and worst подъездs'. Some are not too bad, some have a special reputation.
My issue with any sort of narcotics is that it makes you into a person with less control over yourself. Perhaps I'm wrong - especially after seeing cgod's comment in the thread - but I feel like using drugs will rob me of the reasoning skills and the willpower I so treasure (for I don't constitute a lot of them), and I very much would rather avoid it. Like I mentioned, I have some experience with addiction, and it's... unpleasant already.
I highly recommend this podcast for you: https://gimletmedia.com/episode/44-shine-on-you-crazy-goldman/ The psychonauts I know have way, way more control over themselves then just about anyone else I know. The ability to handle your brain radically changing normal function, and not only handle it but derive something of value, takes incredible strength of self and is not to be belittled. Then don't. No one is making you. But if you aren't willing to take the risk you probably shouldn't pass judgement on those who do, because it's something you don't understand. Most worthwhile experiences in life come with risks, its your call if those risks are worth it for you. Setting an arbitrary barrier on what you allow yourself to experience seems to me to limit personal growth, not advance it. You are going to change. You're reasoning and willpower are subjected to a million external influences anyway, hunger, tiredness, how much sunshine you've gotten. Who you are will be shaped by what you experience, like it or not. The only choice you have is what those experiences will be.My issue with any sort of narcotics is that it makes you into a person with less control over yourself.
but I feel like using drugs will rob me of the reasoning skills and the willpower I so treasure
Thank you for the link. I'll listen to this podcast with interest. People you know aren't me, and I know myself better than you do, so please, don't pass judgement of your own onto me. I'm not telling anyone what to do or not to do, nor am I pretending to be pushed by someone to do something when I'm not. I hope I'm expressing the general sentiment of many humans of all nations towards narcotics and their users and/or abusers, and I hope to figure this whole thing out or even catch a glimpse of understanding before it collapses into "drugs are good vs. drugs are bad" or "do drugs or miss out", which it seems to be going. Morality is an arbitrary barrier, and yet humanity prospers through using it rather than stagnates. Barriers are all of different kinds, just like narcotics or the ways of using them. I'd rather not experience diminishing selfishness, even if it limits my capabilities somehow. In the same way, I'd rather not take narcotics of any sort, for a number of reasons, all of which are important to me (and go along and beyond the issues of control); I'm not going into those reasons because it's not the point of this discussion, but I might want to discuss it with Hubskiers later on.Setting an arbitrary barrier on what you allow yourself to experience seems to me to limit personal growth, not advance it.
Do you often worry about losing control over yourself ? The thing is many people might decide they aren't interested in some drugs and that's perfectly fine but to actually fear becoming an addict when you have no intention of doing drugs is a bit more confusing. Sometimes we fear being something society or close family looks down upon because we fixate on getting their approval.
Go look up some images of hardcore drug users on Google. Meth, heroin, crack, etc. They don't look healthy, do they? Nasty skin, nasty teeth, nasty hair, hauntingly thin. They're not what you and I think of when we think about happy, healthy, beautiful people. Unfortunately, they are what we think about when we think "drug user." Their drug use and the way it alters their appearances and behavior creates a huge psychological barrier, making them "others." When you combine that with social, economic, and racial barriers, suddenly there are a lot of walls that need to be broken down. So what's to stop us from helping them? A few things. You're busy. I'm busy. Everyone here on Hubski is busy with our own lives. For a single person, drug addiction is a huge, sometimes insurmountable problem. It's hard to help any individual with the problems drug users face when we have our own lives to worry about. That's part of the reason things like social workers, addiction counseling, drug clinics, and all sorts of other social programs work. It's easier to handle these problems when it's your job and you have other people helping you. It's also why it's important to try and be there for your friends and family whenever possible, because it's a lot easier to keep people off drugs in the first place than it is to try and help them once they've gone over the edge.Why not treat addicts like people with problems to begin with? What's to stop us?
Yeah, but not all addicts are so hardcore, are they? I think you're closer to the real reason for most addicts (who aren't such ghastly-looking) with the fact that drug usage changes their behavior. I feel like this is what repells me so much: them saying such a hard "fuck it" about their lives; a defense mechanism of my psyche: if you don't care about your life, why should I? Maybe it's also about the mental strain that's visible only to our subconscious but that we can feel being present, though this is my speculation more than an evidence of any sort.Go look up some images of hardcore drug users on Google. Meth, heroin, crack, etc. They don't look healthy, do they?
Yeah. They're also not the ones we think about when we think "drug addict" either. Functional drug users often slip under our radar because more often than not, we don't even know they're on drugs. It's the extremes that cause the stigma.not all addicts are so hardcore, are they?
That's not what you think about - and I presume you're a US citizen. Where I grew up, we never had meth addicts. The worst we ever heard about was heroin. For me, those hooded Adidas-wearing young men are drug addicts ad extremis. It was much later that I learned about the debiliating effects of more potent drugs on one's skin, from the US media. Our views on the matter differ significantly. Compared to the US, my perception of a typical drug addict is much milder, and vice versa.They're also not the ones we think about when we think "drug addict" either.
Its awesome that you wrote this, and you ask some important questions. Sharing until I get time to write out.