R.I.P Amy Winehouse...

[AlterEgo99 5,000+ posts]

Oh, and Amy Winehouse? Many may not give a shit about her personally or really ever paid any attention to her. I am one of those people. But as a "famous" person, she gets the press needed to raise the awareness of what addiction is all about.

She was 27 when she died. Toxicology will take another few weeks to fully determine her cause of death, but an otherwise healthy young woman dying at age 27, who was known to be an addict, well, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to put two and two together.

I have met and known kids 13, 14, 15 years old who are recovering addicts and have had many friends who have died from this disease. It's sad. These are kids, not adults. And we are losing a generation because of it. The "war against drugs" is bullshit. What the population needs is education about the disease and how to address it. Not incarcerating every user and treating it simply as a crime.

 

[morespl 10+ year member]

Oh, and Amy Winehouse? Many may not give a shit about her personally or really ever paid any attention to her. I am one of those people. But as a "famous" person, she gets the press needed to raise the awareness of what addiction is all about.
She was 27 when she died. Toxicology will take another few weeks to fully determine her cause of death, but an otherwise healthy young woman dying at age 27, who was known to be an addict, well, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to put two and two together.

I have met and known kids 13, 14, 15 years old who are recovering addicts and have had many friends who have died from this disease. It's sad. These are kids, not adults. And we are losing a generation because of it. The "war against drugs" is bullshit. What the population needs is education about the disease and how to address it. Not incarcerating every user and treating it simply as a crime.

Incarceration is the answer in some ways I used to do drugs everyday alcohol coke weed acid ex. I got caught they threatened me with 6-30 years. Incarceration was the reason I stopped and reality. They offered this thing called judge doyles drug court in kane county il. basically you see a judge once a week and they **** test 3xs a week. If you fail they give you your time. It worked for me being held accountable for my actions haven't did any drugs accept smoking cigarettes in ten years. This worked of many previous attempts that lead to failure. The worst is knowing you have a problem wanting to stop but saying I'll stop tommoro. The funny part is after quitting got back into car stereo and getting equipment is like scoring always looking for the hook up trying to get directly from the distributor or manufacturer at a discounted price. I have seen people numerous times on this forum and others saying I'm done with stereo and then you see a build log after they sell there ****.Other than killing you like drugs car stereo will take you on a long expensive path if you let it. I guess it might be worse for me because I have a addictive personality. But this crazy women had nothing to blame but herself there is no excuse for not stopping. The hardest thing was filling the void the time invested in to doing drugs is like another job. She knew she had a problem and wrote a song about it. Excuses genetics and detox are not enough at times they're the last crutch a druggy claims to, to not quit. The other thing is thinking I will just stop for a while. All the time people ask if I want a beer and I just say I have a allergic reaction to alcohol I break out in hand cuffs.

 

[jtomsic 5,000+ posts]

Addiction has been listed as a true medical disease. It's not just physical but neurological in nature. The physical part of addiction (withdrawal) can be readily managed with the appropriate medications. The main issue is the uncontrollable, compulsive drug craving, seeking and use. There has been much scientific work that shows a link between the disease of addiction and genetics. As a matter of fact, it is said that if you have an addict in your family lineage, your children have a 1 in 4 chance of becoming an addict themselves if they ever use. Even once. That is all it can take to trigger the limbic system of the brain and begin to rewire the reward system.
The limbic system is located near the brain stem is one of the most basic of brain functions. It links together a number of brain structures that control and regulate our ability to feel pleasure. Feeling pleasure motivates us to repeat behaviors such as eating - actions that are critical to our existence. The limbic system is activated when we perform these activities - and also by drugs of abuse.

The cerebral cortex is divided into areas that control specific functions. Different areas process information from our senses, enabling us to see, feel, hear, and taste. The front part of the cortex, the frontal cortex or forebrain, is the thinking center of the brain; it powers our ability to think, plan, solve problems, and make decisions.

So, just think about what happens when drug use rewires the reward system of the brain and then these reward sensations interact with the cerebral cortex. Once addicted, a vicious loop is wired between the limbic system and the cerebral cortex. This manifests itself in behavior such as obsessing over the drug, how to get it and using. This involves behavior such as lying, isolation and indifference to anyone and anything but the drug of choice.

Many in this thread have basically alluded to their drug use as recreational and they can choose to stop whenever they want. Indeed, that may be the case, but if this disease is truly genetic and even using once "lights the fuse" of addiction, do you really want to take the chance? From someone who has experienced first hand what addiction can do to a person and the family/friends around them, I can honestly say that if you have lived that hell, you would not want to take the chance.

addicting runs in my family heavy..did dope once...never looked back so i absolutely believe the fact its hereditary.

 

[jtomsic 5,000+ posts]

Incarceration is the answer in some ways I used to do drugs everyday alcohol coke weed acid ex. I got caught they threatened me with 6-30 years. Incarceration was the reason I stopped and reality. They offered this thing called judge doyles drug court in kane county il. basically you see a judge once a week and they **** test 3xs a week. If you fail they give you your time. It worked for me being held accountable for my actions haven't did any drugs accept smoking cigarettes in ten years. This worked of many previous attempts that lead to failure. The worst is knowing you have a problem wanting to stop but saying I'll stop tommoro. The funny part is after quitting got back into car stereo and getting equipment is like scoring always looking for the hook up trying to get directly from the distributor or manufacturer at a discounted price. I have seen people numerous times on this forum and others saying I'm done with stereo and then you see a build log after they sell there ****.Other than killing you like drugs car stereo will take you on a long expensive path if you let it. I guess it might be worse for me because I have a addictive personality. But this crazy women had nothing to blame but herself there is no excuse for not stopping. The hardest thing was filling the void the time invested in to doing drugs is like another job. She knew she had a problem and wrote a song about it. Excuses genetics and detox are not enough at times they're the last crutch a druggy claims to, to not quit. The other thing is thinking I will just stop for a while. All the time people ask if I want a beer and I just say I have a allergic reaction to alcohol I break out in hand cuffs.

yeah thats how i am...whatever i get involved in i get totally obsessed/addicted to that...its just my personality..i will go through phases with car audio, body building at the gym, and i had a run with drugs obviously..but any of those things i get involved with i go 200% in lol. ive never been able to do anything in moderation like most people for some reason...

 

[systemJLx 10+ year member]

^^

ya same.

have you ever been checked for ADD by any chance? I went to several doctors and after hours and hours of testing they found out I had ADD about a year ago. Being put on the proper medication has made a BIG difference in my life as far as craving drugs, and I feel it's what has contributed the most to keeping me away. A lot of undiagnosed ADD people self-medicate in order to try and balance out the chemical imbalances in their brain. I have 3 alcoholics in my family, and it makes me wonder if any of them have this disorder as well.

 

[jtomsic 5,000+ posts]

^^ya same.

have you ever been checked for ADD by any chance? I went to several doctors and after hours and hours of testing they found out I had ADD about a year ago. Being put on the proper medication has made a BIG difference in my life as far as craving drugs, and I feel it's what has contributed the most to keeping me away. A lot of undiagnosed ADD people self-medicate in order to try and balance out the chemical imbalances in their brain. I have 3 alcoholics in my family, and it makes me wonder if any of them have this disorder as well.

yeah im not ADD I just tend to get obsessed with stuff when I like it... that being car audio, drugs, whatever... i go all out or not at all lol.