re: Is addiction a choice or not?

As a doctor and family member of an alcoholic..I concur with Cockapotamus

quote:

---

A physical addiction is not a choice. Detox will fix a physical addiction. As for the mental part well you have to live it to understand it and there are not enough words in the world for me to be able to have you understand it.

---

Absolutely this. Ag you already know the struggle I went thru with addiction but I think I'll share a little about what led me onto the hellish path that is addiction.

Long story short, I was the primary Trauma nurse on 9/1/93 and the paramedics brought an infant in, CPR in progress. I had no clue who the patient was until the medics arrived and placed him on our stretcher. It was my 7 month old and he was pronounced DOA...cause of death SIDS.

I was pregnant at the time that this happened and I lost both..it was twins. They gave me a Rx pain med and I discovered that when I took the meds, not only did my physical discomfort subside, but it also numbed me from a reality that I just couldn't face. It took a long time to get the addiction in check...besides having to bury my baby, overcoming addiction was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. It meant facing what I'd been running from for so long..allowing myself to feel the pain full force with nothing acting as a barrier to lessen the pain.

I wish more people realized that addicts/alcoholics do not fit into any preconceived stereotype. Addiction doesn't discriminate...it can happen to anybody at any given time.

Yeah, the willpower contingency pisses me off the most.

If it were that damn easy there would be a hell of a lot of recovering addicts and very few active addicts. Trying to educate them about addiction from the most qualified population-those who have experienced it-is like banging your head against a brick wall.


And ygm by the way.

I can't imagine burying a child. Utmost respect for you.

quote:

---

Hundreds of thousands non-violent drug offenders are in jail for years for selling products that are objectively less harmful than oxycontin, yet our government sees fit to ok mass distribution to children. If there is any proof that the War on Drugs is a sham, it's this.

---

I agree. If children are in need of pain control as to warrant prescribing Oxycontin to them, a much safer alternative is to keep them in the hospital while providing professional monitoring of these meds. Another valid option would be to implant a pain control pump that administers a preset amount of medication around the clock.

I agree with you. And as someone who has dealt with addiction firsthand, let me say that your message is far more powerful than simple-minded phrases like "Just Say No."

Because we have been conditioned to believe we're at war with drugs, those who admit to using drugs become the enemy, which in turn dehumanizes them. Thank you for showing that addiction neither judges nor discriminates.

100% without a doubt it is a choice.

Nothing is forcing you to do whatever you are addicted to therefore it is a choice. Now is it difficult to overcome addiction? Very. But it's not even an argument whether it's a choice or not.

My body may be giving me pain signals to get what it wants but you still have to think about do it or not do it.

Addiction is a choice. I made that choice for years. People always have dumb excuses to get high.
I GOT HIGH BECAUSE IT WAS FUN TO GET HIGH.
No excuses

I am fortunate, I never have had an addiction problem. I realize others do.
When the price of cigarettes went up to $1.45 a pack and at least half of the pack I bought went to friends bumming off me, I said 'frick it' and just put them down.
I used to enjoy a form of, er, natural smoke quite often but when the price tripled ($15 per unit to $45), I got pissed and pretty much laid that down as well.
I enjoyed quite a bit of alcohol in my younger days, a 12 pack was a normal purchase for a Friday night. Now, a couple of cold ones with barbeque or pizza when eating out are about it. I might buy a six pack for home on a occasional weekend, drink two or three and the remainder stay in my refrigerator until they get old and I throw them out.
Yes, you can tell by my 'price quotes' that this was many years ago.
Just saying all that to say that I understand that I am fortunate in being able to control my recreational chemicals, and I understand that some are not.
I wish everyone were able to.

I used to think it was strictly a choice but then I studied it. I discovered that the human condition can be so painful that the appeal of relief from any quarter can lead people to try just about anything.

I don't think addiction is necessarily a choice. I think asking for help is.