The Drugs Do Work - It's just how we react to them that doesn't

This is a very long article but I found it fascinating and it resonates with how I feel about this futile, shameful destructive War On Drugs. The drugs will win the war on drugs by the way.

http://www.samharris.org/blog/item/a-war-well-lost

It also resonated with me in terms of popular perceptions and real world solutions; a topic that we as low carb diabetics have to deal with all the time. It also adds to my unease that the world we live in has so many problems that are being actively created by us rather than being solved by us. Whether wealth inequality, 'drug wars', health outcomes being trampled by the profit motive or countless other issues.

The positive thing is that as with diabetes the solution will not be handed down on tablets (sorry!) the solution comes from us; the individuals, it comes from the wisdom of crowds. All government is essentially conservative it is people who drive change.

Best

Dillinger

Hmmm, I'm finding this a bit of an emotional read. I'll need to read it in a few parts. I need a break from it now. Easy to read, but hard to stomach.

Thanks for the link.

Dillinger wrote:This is a very long article but I found it fascinating and it resonates with how I feel about this futile, shameful destructive War On Drugs. The drugs will win the war on drugs by the way.

http://www.samharris.org/blog/item/a-war-well-lost

It also resonated with me in terms of popular perceptions and real world solutions; a topic that we as low carb diabetics have to deal with all the time. It also adds to my unease that the world we live in has so many problems that are being actively created by us rather than being solved by us. Whether wealth inequality, 'drug wars', health outcomes being trampled by the profit motive or countless other issues.

The positive thing is that as with diabetes the solution will not be handed down on tablets (sorry!) the solution comes from us; the individuals, it comes from the wisdom of crowds. All government is essentially conservative it is people who drive change.

Best

Dillinger

Thanks for posting this .... and to quote you "fascinating" read. It does immerse the reader in quite a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions.

It does perhaps, certainly deserve more than my few words here ...... but for the moment, my mind is still reflecting on the article. I'm sure other readers may feel the same.

Thanks

All the best Jan

"Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former."
Albert Einstein

After reading and writing on forums and blogs for the thick end of seven years, I have come to the conclusion Einstein was right. Looking back, I realise I lived a very sheltered and narrowly focused life before diabetes.

The most striking and depressing thing I have learned, is the total apathy and laziness of the average diabetic, the almost total lack of passion for the cause, probably a lack of passion for any cause. In short we get what we deserve, we reap what we sow.

I used to wonder why a man like Fergus Craig walked away from the diabetes scene, now I know, I wish I had his will power to do the same, but I'm working on it. But for Jan's fantastic enthusiasm for a cause and lifestyle she did not need to follow, I would have walked a while ago.

lol I've got as far as the bit about Constantine. I would argue that he didn't really convert to Christianity, he changed Christianity to suit Rome. The Romans couldn't beat it so they corrupted it. Hence the Sabbath was changed to Sunday in reverence to the Roman Sun God.

Still I digress, I'll read on......

Hmmmm. Now this is how I have felt when doctors didn't listen to me, and when I found LCHF was the answer

“Oh, maybe we’re not pieces of s**t. Maybe we can do something.”

Yep I'm a slow reader! I'll finish it later. lol I have work to do now.

Thanks Dillinger. I finally got to the end. I have picked out 3 sentences that I wholeheartedly agree with:-

" Isolation and distress and pain drive people toward addiction and also play a crucial role in driving them toward religious belief. "

"Most of addiction is about not wanting to be present in your life. "

"The evidence suggests that we’ve seen a big rise in prescription painkiller addiction because we have a big rise in psychological distress."

Hmmm so we do need society after all. Show me the way to Rat Park!

zand wrote:Thanks Dillinger.  I finally got to the end.  I have picked out 3 sentences that I wholeheartedly agree with:-

" Isolation and distress and pain drive people toward addiction and also play a crucial role in driving them toward religious belief. "

"Most of addiction is about not wanting to be present in your life. "

"The evidence suggests that we’ve seen a big rise in prescription painkiller addiction because we have a big rise in psychological distress."

Hmmm so we do need society after all.  Show me the way to Rat Park!

It seems to me we are all born with a blank hard drive. Over the years it can get polluted. Sometimes we need to format and start again, easier said than done for many, but it can be done. The first rule, you have to want change, so many do not want this. It takes a leap of faith.

20 years ago this happened to me, a moment of complete epiphany, I had gone a low as it was possible to go. In a second a glow came over me, things could not possibly get worse, other than death. I had got to the end of the line and wanted to live. I cannot describe the strength this gave me, other than to say, I would never live with any fear again. I had reached the bottom of the abyss. I decided to play the game of life, without fear of outcome. I have never looked back. Life is for today and the future, the past is the past and cannot be changed, live with it, learn from it, but never let it over influence what is left of your life.

"Most of addiction is about not wanting to be present in your life. "

So true. I could so easily be an addict as I find it difficult to do anything in moderation. I know and have known many addicts and ultimately, I think it's escape.

Loose Cannon wrote:

zand wrote:Thanks Dillinger.  I finally got to the end.  I have picked out 3 sentences that I wholeheartedly agree with:-

" Isolation and distress and pain drive people toward addiction and also play a crucial role in driving them toward religious belief. "

"Most of addiction is about not wanting to be present in your life. "

"The evidence suggests that we’ve seen a big rise in prescription painkiller addiction because we have a big rise in psychological distress."

Hmmm so we do need society after all.  Show me the way to Rat Park!

It seems to me we are all born with a blank hard drive. Over the years it can get polluted. Sometimes we need to format and start again, easier said than done for many, but it can be done. The first rule, you have to want change, so many do not want this. It takes a leap of faith.

20 years ago this happened to me, a moment of complete epiphany, I had gone a low as it was possible to go. In a second a glow came over me, things could not possibly get worse, other than death. I had got to the end of the line and wanted to live. I cannot describe the strength this gave me, other than to say, I would never live with any fear again. I had reached the bottom of the abyss. I decided to play the game of life, without fear of outcome. I have never looked back. Life is for today and the future, the past is the past and cannot be changed, live with it, learn from it, but never let it over influence what is left of your life.

Yes Eddie I agree with you 100% ( lol, I bet you didn't expect that.) I would like to add though that society also has a part to play in this, if the damaged person is not accepted into society then they will still get kicked when they are down and won't be able to find the will to get out of bed in the morning.  So it's hard for them to want " to be present in their life" if everyone keeps telling them they are s*** and treating them like it.  You and I are lucky that we have loving families, others aren't that fortunate.

That was a brilliant article Dillinger.  Loved it.

Thanks for this. I'm shocked at the brutality they talked about and how it was escalated.
Rat park - this makes a huge amount of sense. Not wanting to be present in your own life - how tragic must it be to feel like that?
This is the type of read that is going to stay with me now.
I'm going to download this on my kindle now.

Mrs Vimes wrote:Thanks for this. I'm shocked at the brutality they talked about and how it was escalated.
Rat park - this makes a huge amount of sense. Not wanting to be present in your own life - how tragic must it be to feel like that?
This is the type of read that is going to stay with me now.
I'm going to download this on my kindle now.

I too was shocked at the brutality. I have had just a little of it in my life. The victim always gets the blame one way or another. We've seen this with t2's being blamed for being fat and becoming diabetic. Once you've been treated like s*** there seems to a label on your forehead for everyone else to do the same. It gets hard to believe you don't deserve the label after a while. When you are in that place, it doesn't seem tragic not wanting to be present in your own life. It seems best all round if you are not. This is definitely down to society, not the individual concerned.