Slide 1: ==== ==== For free video and more information about substance abuse, please visit our website http://blogs4u.biz/substance-abuse/ ==== ====
Waiver This information is offered for educational purposes only and is not intended to serve as medical advice. The information provided should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease. It is not a substitute for professional care. If your child, teen, or you have any health concerns, please consult your health care provider. *********************************** Q: Do you deny certain substances are "addictive" and can control an addicts life? A: Substances do not actually control human beings. The fact that we make our most destructive choices subconsciously can make it sometimes seem like that is true. On top, a person may be striving hard to stop a destructive or self-destructive behavior, but no matter how hard he or she tries to stop or change, the person keeps relapsing into old ways. The truth is that our subconscious rules over our conscious and unless a person decides to change on a subconscious level, a subconscious intention will ultimately override a conscious intention. We are always in control of our behavior and that is equally true of our negative behavior. A close look at the patterns of substance abusers reveal the amount of personal control being exercised. Some substance abusers indulge in excessive quantities every day, others save abusive behavior for weekends when there are no pressing career or job responsibilities, yet others stay clean and sober for long periods, and then go on extended heavy binges. It does not take a rocket scientist to see these behavior patterns are psychologically driven. They are not driven by the substance, or by some biological factor, nor are they outside the control of the person. Q: What is your view of the successes of the Twelve Step Programs that began primarily for alcoholics and now have spread and grown into our nation's leading treatment program for a myriad of behavior disorders? A: The statistics are controversial, but the so-called success rates appear to be somewhere around 10% or less. Think about it, our premier treatment method for recovery from substance abuse, dependency, and other behavioral problems get a grade usually no higher than 10%.
Slide 2: What would a parent say about a child's report card like that? I believe the reason for poor performance lies in core level misconceptions and basic ideological flaws in the programs guiding principles. The very first step in the Twelve Step program is an irresponsible lie asserting that the person was "powerless" over his or her substance of choice, this, "even though the word "responsibility" appears to ooze throughout the program. The other irresponsible lie is that the power to heal rests not with the person, rather with a Higher Power and restoration is hinged to belief in that Power. Other Twelve Step principles and procedures such as examining past errors with a sponsors help, making amends for those errors, learning to live a new life with a new code of behavior, helping others that suffer from the same addictions or compulsions, can all be helpful if done honestly and sincerely, but they do not require the structure, organization, or support system that defines Twelve Steps. I have found the "Two Step Program" much more effective, as well as easier to remember. Step 1. Stop Doing What You Know is Wrong." Step 2. Start and Keep Doing What You Know is Right." These steps are guaranteed to help a person choose him or her self out of any negative behavior or situation. However, they put a person face to face with his or her willfulness and selfish control and demand unselfish choices and positive change. Q: Do you think painkillers are dangerous? A: The FDA does. About four million Americans are said to be addicted to painkillers. The FDA has proposed a ban of the painkillers Vicodin and Percocet. Even more than concerns about addiction, experts are questioning the effect of opiod and acetaminophen painkillers on a person's liver. A university study in 2008 indicates that acetaminophen (Tylenol) overdosing is a leading cause of liver failure, as is overdosing certain cold medicines and sleep aids. Even too much vitamin C is thought to be toxic. Q: What is your take on "Gateway drugs" like alcohol or marijuana? A: The use of a Gateway drug is thought to lead to the use of and dependence on a harder drug such as cocaine or heroin. This idea that claims one substance precedes another, and, further, that the use of a secondary drug was actually caused by the ingestion of the first drug, is gaining acceptance. Critics of the Gateway theory claim that environmental factors such as the person's upbringing, peer relations, financial condition have more compelling effects on the outcome of what type of drugs are used. These critics often cite identical twin studies to prove that environment trumps substance for causation of subsequent substance use. My opinion is that human intention and choice trump any environmental or natural influences when it comes to behavior. Q: Do you support drug prohibition? A: Drug prohibition is an obvious failure whose motivation and perpetuation can only be explained
Slide 3: by a drive for control and money. Almost 2 million drug arrests occurred in the U.S. last year. Over 500,000 Americans are being held in prisons and jails for nonviolent drug-law violations. Ironically, the average sentence for a drug offense is 75 months, while the average sentence for a violent offense is 63 months. The cost for the questionable attempt to curb illegal substances is astronomical. In excess of $75 billion taxpayer dollars fund a drug war that consumes 50% of the trial time of our judiciary and takes the time of 400,000 policemen. 76% of polled Americans believe our drug war is a lost cause. Millions of convicted Americans are permanently marked as former drug felons. []
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