Pharmacological Slavery: The Road from Chemical Bondage to Freedom and Recovery from Active Addiction

Por Vance Hodge

Drug abuse and addiction are pervasive problems that have plagued humankind throughout the millenniacurrent times being no exception. Many personalized accounts of such activities fill the literature; while the biomedical community continually generates copious amounts of information on the subject. Yet, few authors have provided us with a philosophical examination of this dilemma. This book seeks to help fill this voidas it was written to examine the psychosocial forces at work underlying this problem. Coupled to a cursory coverage of some of the biological aspects of addiction, this text looks at the human condition and focuses upon the day-to-day challenges facing substance abusers, and their effects upon society. Calling upon the collective wisdom of our forefathers and foremothers, combined with our own introspection; solutions for breaking the chains of chemical bondage, and suggestions for living and staying clean are provided. Between our own common sense and that of those who came before us, and a careful [and honest] reflection on the subject, this book optimistically supplies us with the tools necessary for achieving this goalthat we might become the persons we were meant to be. Further, this text helps those affected by the actions of substance abusers, and society at large, form a more realistic understanding of this devastating problem.

• Idioma: Español
• Editorial: AuthorHouse
• Fecha de lanzamiento: 9 jul 2009
• ISBN: 9781467843850

Vista previa del libro

AuthorHouse™

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Bloomington, IN 47403

www.authorhouse.com

Phone: [phone]

© 2009 Vance Hodge. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

First published by AuthorHouse 7/3/2009

ISBN: 978-1-4389-9389-8 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4678-4385-0 (e)

Printed in the United States of America

Bloomington, Indiana

This book is printed on acid-free paper.

Dedication

This book is dedicated to all who are struggling with the disease of drug addiction; those affected as a consequence; and the countless victims who lost the struggle along the way.

Acknowledgements

First and foremost, I would like to express my infinite gratitude and love to my charming wife, Carolina. She has stood by my side through thick and thin: through desperation and exaltation: through hopelessness and hopefulness. Her unwavering support, love and understanding help give my life purpose. Moreover, her design of the cover of this book has far exceeded my every expectation!

I would also like to express my immeasurable love and gratefulness to my father [Clayton]; without whom my conscience may never have awakened. His unquestioning faith in humankind has had a lifetime effect on my own sense of morality. My mother [Lucille] too has always been supportive [of me] and encouraging [towards me]; despite the myriad of reasons and opportunities I have given her to be otherwise. I love you Mom!

My dearest friend, Abdul, too has always been in my corner; with a resolute optimism that rivals anyone’s—his much-cherished input has been instrumental in bolstering my confidence to complete this project. Abdul’s parents, Ray and Agnes, and his wife, Colleen, all have provided me with the additional incentive to [try and] live by my own words and philosophies [as they have been delineated throughout this text].

I wish also to thank Debbie O. for the patience to edit this text; as well as the resulting suggestions and discourse which occurred as a consequence. Her support and friendship mean a lot to me.

I further would like to give a ‘shoutout’ to my good buddy Avner for his camaraderie and technical assistance in the composition of this book; as well as for simply being a good friend.

Lastly, I want to send a ‘smile of contentment’ out to Norrak of Juneau; who, despite being a four-legged philosopher, taught me more about freedom and friendship than a library full of the works of two-legged philosophers ever could. Juneau’s role has now been assumed by Rambo! Yes, these are big paws to fill, but ‘my little Warrior’ welcomes the challenge!

Preamble

Many of the concepts and ideas presented in this book have been incubating and evolving in the mind of this author for decades. However, writing them all under the penumbra of one text on the recovery from active addiction has brought many unanticipated difficulties. Furthermore, the closer I came to my desired endpoint, the farther away it seemed to move.

Initially, when I first set out to officially pen this text, I had included a chapter entitled Historical Aspects of Drug (Ab)Use. However, this quickly morphed into an extremely long and detailed chapter. This was not my original intent. However, I firmly believe that such an elaborate account is essential (for obtaining a thorough and comprehensive understanding of the subject matter being examined). Yet it is not necessarily essential for a book concerned with the recovery from active addiction.

Thus, during the course of writing this treatise, I elected to divide the work into two different books. Book One: Pharmacological Slavery: The Road from Chemical Bondage to Freedom and Recovery from Active Addiction is obviously concerned with one’s recovery from active addiction. Additionally, long-term strategies for sustaining one’s recovery from [active] addiction are explored, as is an analysis of the pros and cons of legalizing drugs. This latter examination will be attempted with the greatest degree of impartiality my ‘Persona’ will permit! (I urge my readers to do likewise for themselves!)

Book Two: Historical Aspects of Drug (Ab)Use is self-explanatory as to what it pertains. This latter book may be skipped by those interested only in the recovery process proper (or read at a later time), or it may be read in and of itself by those interested [only] in the historical aspects of drug (ab)use. I do feel however, that reading Book Two can be quite valuable for putting one’s current philosophy on the subject into perspective. Also, while my analysis in Book Two may appear to be quite detailed (e.g., on tobacco), it is by no means the entire story. Rather, Book Two contains only some of the major highlights of the topic.

Deviating into the territories of medicine and biology, although more than relevant to this field of study, has [deliberately] been kept to a minimum. A detailed [in-depth] analysis of the pharmacology of mood-altering drugs; their etiologies and applications [legitimate or otherwise], is beyond the scope and aim of this text and has therefore been calculatingly avoided: ‘Voyaging’ too deeply into these topics would only serve to take the reader on a tangential journey, diluting the information being portrayed, thereby detracting from the goals and focus of this work. Specifically chosen information of this nature was only included when so doing proved instructive. Sufficient to say, an enormous body of literature on these topics [already] exists [as is mentioned in the Author’s Note].

Moreover, I have intentionally and persistently quoted and, alluded to the works and deeds of others for several reasons: For one, I believe such an overture assists us in uniting the whole of humankind into one big family—it accentuates our common concerns and feelings as a people: For two, it is humbling to acknowledge that legions of others (much wiser than I) have regularly encountered and surmounted many of the same dilemmas and troubles that any of us might face: The passion expressed by a selected few from this umpteen list profoundly, eloquently and succinctly proposes remedies for soothing our Spirit—the patent ‘linguistical charm’ of our forefathers, foremothers and contemporaries, and, their intellectual and spiritual ‘tutelage of our Chi’ can be most ‘accommodating’ in our pursuance to know ourselves. Therefore, I have elected to defer to their wisdom, experience and expertise—when their advice seems applicable to our current circumstances: Certainly the innumerable difficulties encountered within the ‘Kingdom of Psychotropia’ encompass and enmesh into all branches of the ‘human experience’. Thus, the suggestions and solutions proposed (for the trials and tribulations of everyday life), by this above-referenced talented and diverse group of people, seem [to me] put to good use when applied to problems of substance abuse. As such [as the following old metaphor states], there appeared to be no compelling reason [for me] to

‘reinvent the wheel’.

In the witty words of Sam Levenson:

You must learn from the mistakes [and successes] of others. You can’t possibly live long enough to make [or discover] them all yourself.

Or as "Confucius Say":

‘If I am walking with two other men, each of them will serve as my teacher. I will pick out the good points of the one and imitate them, and the bad points of the other and correct them in myself.’

I have also provided a ‘smidgen’ of information about the (potentially unknown) individuals quoted (or whose work or deeds were referenced)—to facilitate my viewers’ ability to (more readily) gain further access to the cited and referenced individuals and materials—should anyone’s curiosity be piqued! These citations and references [hopefully] are useful insofar as one may immediately determine the source of the information provided. Quotes and other ‘Spiritual Profundities’ [Including some of my own! :)] have also been indented and italicized for easy identification. Further, clarifying information concerning those quoted and referenced has been placed at the book’s end (and entitled: Quoted and Referenced Individuals). For convenience sake, the names of such individuals have been alphabetized and a short description of each has been parenthetically-demarcated. Taken in total, such quotes and references are intended to be an addition to, verses an instead of, contribution to this text.

Please do not take offense if you ascertain this information to be obvious, superfluous or redundant. I am merely trying to allow all who read this text the same opportunity for ‘intellectual enlightenment’. I thus hope my chosen organizational format for the material presented herein will not be lost on the viewer. Should any among you still find this schema annoying, I would encourage you to glance over these [indented] citations and ‘envelop’ yourselves in my words! Or in the modern vernacular—much like playing a CD and only listening to the songs that one enjoys; or like fast-forwarding through commercials when watching television using TiVo; one may simply skip the portions of the book with which one holds little interest!

CHAPTERS

1. Introduction 

Goals of this Text

With Luck!

Optimistically Realistic

2. Drugs 

Drugs in General

Illegal Drugs in Particular

Alcohol in Particular

Nicotine in Particular [from Tobacco]

3. Opioids 

Introduction

The Impossible Dream

Pledge of Allegiance

Overview

Pain Management

Options

Support System

Prognosis

Preventative Strategies

‘Aging’ and the Recovering Opioid Addict

4. Players And Victims 

Drug Abusers

Local Players in the Drug Trade

Players in the Pharmaceutical Drug Trade

Computer Cartels

Producers of Illegal Drugs

Cultivators of Illegal Drugs

Synthetically-Produced Illegal Drugs

Smugglers

Kingpins in the Drug Trade

Governmental Agencies

Governments

Governments and Corporations

Corporations

Conclusion

5. Who Uses Drugs Anyway? 

Profiling the Abuser

Why Some People Begin to Use Drugs

Why Some People Discontinue Using Drugs

Recreational Drug Users

Why Some People Continue to Use and/or Abuse Drugs

6. Addiction: Hedonic Homeostatic Dysregulation 

Is Addiction ‘Truly’ a Disease?

Who is an Addict?

Distinguishing Between Addicts and Non-Addicts

Physical Dependence versus Addiction

Active Addiction

Severity of Addiction

Withdrawal Symptoms

Psychological Dependence

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders

Inconsistent [Confusing] Terminology

Food Addiction and ‘Eating Disorders’

Misconceptions of ‘Eating Disorders’ Revealed

Pleasure-Seeking Behavior

Survival

Neuronal Pleasure Centers and Mood-Altering Molecules

The Paradox of Biology versus Philosophy

Concrete Jungle

Addiction as a Terminal Illness

7. Born With The Disease Of Addiction? 

Introduction

Born with the Disease of Addiction?

Animal Studies

Allergies

Addictive Personalities?

Onset of Heterogeneous Populations

Survival of the Fittest

Everyone is an Addict

‘Desirable’ Behavior

‘Undesirable’ Behavior

Conclusion

8. Admitting We Have A Disease: Liberating And Constraining 

Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance

(Denial)

(Anger)

(Bargaining)

(Depression)

(Acceptance)

Coming Out of the Closet

The Double-Edged Sword

Taking Charge

Warning

Prejudice and Human Nature

Missed Opportunities

Happy Medium

Think Globally; Act Locally

9. Dwelling on Past Indiscretions: If I Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda 

Transcending Our Past Indiscretions

Confronting Our Past

Walking Through Life Backward

Living in the Moment

Spiritual Equality

The Serenity Prayer and The Golden Rule

10. Seeking Perfection 

Recipe for Failure

Recipe for Success

Lifetime Plan

Knowledge, Wisdom and Intelligence

Lowering Our Expectations

Less Than Perfect: True Perfection!

Embracing Our Mistakes

Goals

11. Recovery Strategies 

Practice Makes Perfect

The Battle

Hurdles

The Joys of Generosity

Selfless Acts

Contract with Addiction

Retirement from Active Duty

Confronting Our Fears

Forgiveness

Trust

Caring for Others

Healthy Risks

12. Relationships And Recovery 

New Relationships Early in Recovery

Old Relationships Early in Recovery

Plants

Pets

13. Honesty 

The Truth: The Whole Truth: And Nothing But The Truth?

Little White Lies

White Lies

Dark Lies

Lying to Others in Our Active Addiction

Lying to Ourselves in Our Active Addiction

Lying and Addiction

Seeking Honesty

Self-Respect

Benefits of Being Honest

Do Not Sweat the Small Stuff

Seeking Humility

14. Increasing Our Chances For Recovery 

Medical Intervention

Therapy and Treatment Facilities

Three-Quarter-Way [Sober Living] Houses

Medication

Support Groups

Give Yourself Time

Avoiding Your Triggers

From Despair; To Bliss; To Reality

Uniqueness versus Conformity

15. Relapses: Starting Over 

Starting Over

Inside Job

It Never Gets Easier

Statistics of Prolonged Drug Abuse

Spiritual Obstacles

Preventative Strategy

Spiritual Solutions

No Matter What, Do Not ‘Pick Up’

Do Not Give Up

Relentless Perseverance

16. Others’ Recovery From Our Addiction 

Hope

Confusion

Bewilderment

Abandonment

Time Sits Still for Others

Hesitation

17. Enabling The Addict: Codependency 

Enabling the Addict

Codependency

Blaming the Addict for Our Own Faults: Projection

Blaming Third Parties: Displacement

Blaming the Addict After the Fact

Dependability versus Reliability

Taking Action: Breaking the Cycle of Codependency

Practicing Tough Love

Long-Term Survival Strategies

Conclusion

18. Society And The Disease Of Addiction: Introjection 

Cultural Independence

The Sensationalistic Effect

Power to the People?!

Causes of Social Hypocrisy

Know Your Enemy: Know Yourself

Essential Steps

Education and Honesty

Understanding

19. Should Drugs Be Legal? 

Diversity of Beliefs

Available Options

Hypocrisies in the Current Drug Laws

Proponent’s View for the Legalization of Drugs

Unequal Protection Under the Law

Revenues

Pain Treatment [Management] Clinics

Prohibition of Marijuana

Opponents’ View for the Legalization of Drugs

Prerequisites for the Continued Prohibition of Drugs

Addiction and Punishment: The ‘Illegal’ Disease

Drug Courts

Concerns

Future Directions

Conclusion

Quoted and Referenced Individuals

Author’s Note

CHAPTER ONE 

INTRODUCTION

Goals of this Text

The philosophy behind this text is to provide the reader with some degree of understanding regarding the nature of drug addiction; via the experiences and consequences suffered by the victims of drug abuse—both the active participants and their ‘audiences’. If successful, this treatise will furnish the reader with some insight into the disease of addiction. Hopefully, our ‘newfound’ magnified perceptivity will thus render us capable (on a more personal level) of increased discernment regarding substance abuse.

I also hope this work will discourage nonusers, novice users and abusers alike from embarking upon (or staying on) a path which exacerbates woe and grief in their daily lives. Being even more optimistic about this goal; knowledge contained within the pages herein may even invoke sympathy, empathy and compassion from the readers. Thus, in my highest hope [no pun intended!], this book will promote earnest dialog among the concerned and the affected—the greater our opportunities for healing the ‘wounds of addiction’, the better are our odds of so doing.

I would also like to stress that this book is not meant to instill division amongst my readers. Instead, it was written in order to provide a sense of cohesiveness whereby we can come together as rational beings and discuss the merits and significance of the issues raised. Hopefully, this will occur in a civilized and respectful manner—with our interpretations being based on the facts and theories provided, and not on our emotions or opinions.

‘The greatest deception men suffer is from their own opinions.’

(Leonardo da Vinci)

‘Opinion has caused more trouble on this little earth than plagues or earthquakes.’

(Voltaire)

Given that substance abuse and the problems associated with it are unlikely to ever [completely] go away, it is important that we have a more accurate and genuine interpretation of the psychodynamic landscape surrounding the issue. Thus, I have made every attempt to examine how the interplay between our global society and human nature sets the tone for our present drug (ab)use predicament. I also feel that it is essential that we examine certain aspects of commerce, politics, religion and ideology—in order to better understand how our customs and social norms influence the drug trade and our philosophy toward drug (ab)use. Therefore, to gain greater understanding, reading the complementary Book Two: Historical Aspects of Drug (Ab)Use is strongly recommended.

Psychotropic substance (ab)use does not occur in a vacuum: It is a part of the collage of human behavior to which we all contribute. However, I have assiduously attempted to restrict my digression into peripherally-applicable material to specific chapters. Hopefully, my readers will gain some insight into the psychology and sociology of drug (ab)use from the issues I have [subjectively] deemed relevant. Bear in mind, what I might consider pertinent to our understanding of the topic may not [always] resonate as ‘objectively’ helpful to the reader. Unmistakably, my personal philosophies permeate throughout this text. I have however, strived to be completely honest in my presentation. Therefore, I would instruct my audience to read this book

‘... with a grain of salt’.

(Pliny the Elder)

With Luck!

I would further like to add that with luck, I have not offended anyone in the course of writing this book. If I have done so, I pray that the reader will have the sense to know (as Bob Marley so melodically once sang):

The truth is an offense, but not a sin.

Yes, the truth can be painful, but a lie can be devastating! It thus may be utile to remember what a wise man once said:

‘The truth will set you free.’

(Harmony of the Gospels Series-28; John 8:31-32)

Moreover, the truth is not so much what we think—rather, it is what we do. Hermann Hesse expressively drew a comparable conclusion.

‘The truth is lived, not taught.’

Optimistically Realistic

I would like to believe (perhaps naively) that much of the acumen hereto contained has broader application—something for everyone! Yes, I would be naïf to expect anyone to agree with everything I have projected. Nonetheless, the beauty of dispute is the opportunity it provides [us] for dialogue. I thus openly welcome discourse on the ideas proposed herein as an exquisite chance for increasing my own [personal] awareness of life’s mysteries and for providing the opportunity to generate new solutions for the difficulties they bring [with the emphasis and focus being upon problems associated with substance abuse]. Metaphysically-speaking, it would be sublime if such an elusive concordance could be brought to fruition—resulting in a state of ‘Spiritual Symbiosis’ between author and audience. Even if one iota of insight or self-reflection is generated within my viewers (and with a bit of luck, within me as well), this will be cause for celebration.

CHAPTER TWO 

DRUGS

Drugs