5 myths of addiction
Member
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Los Angeles, CA.
Posts: 235
I just think the article leaves a lot open to interpretation and wasn't fully realized by Mr. Jaffe. It's like saying the Earth is round with dirt and water. Yes, but it's a little more complex than that.
box of chocolates
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Texas
Posts: 1,013
Originally Posted by vinyl 
Well now, that article is far more complete than what you posted above. You shouldn't truncate an article like that, it really hurts the author's credibility and can cause more harm than you may think.
Member
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Los Angeles, CA.
Posts: 235
Originally Posted by thislonelygirl
i did no such thing. i simply posted the backbone of what his article is about minus his introductory. 5 myths about addiction therefore i posted the 5 myths
Member
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: right here, right now
Posts: 6,516
Those five things are actually the exact five things I would claim if I wanted to make sure my livelihood as an addiction counselor was never threatened.
Sort of like a dentist promoting lots of candy and soda all the time.
I don't just think it's wrong, I think it's irresponsible and harmful.
Sort of like a dentist promoting lots of candy and soda all the time.
I don't just think it's wrong, I think it's irresponsible and harmful.
Belgian Sheepdog Adictee
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: In Today
Posts: 6,101
Gee, I think I will have my neurologist send him my brain scans for the last almost 30 years so he can see how my brain had to create NEW pathways to overcome the destruction of the original pathways.
I personally think this is total BS and if I show the whole article to my neurologist he will also. By the way, my neurologist is very well known throughout the country and has written many papers on MS and on the damage that Addiction does to the individual's brain.
Thanks for posting this I think.
Love and hugs,
I personally think this is total BS and if I show the whole article to my neurologist he will also. By the way, my neurologist is very well known throughout the country and has written many papers on MS and on the damage that Addiction does to the individual's brain.
Thanks for posting this I think.
Love and hugs,
Member
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: atlanta, ga
Posts: 3,581
I read the article via the link. More interesting to read the user comments.
I think there are exceptions to every rule but exceptions are rare.
After reading the complete article I agree that the reason that some people do not seek treatment is because to the social stigma. Clearly the author, a former addict has dealt with that himself. I believe i read that even though he has been sober for many years he is still required to be drug tested for 3 more years before receiving his PhD.
Sounds like more than anything he wants to encourage addicts/alcoholics that they can reach achievement and can be contributing members to society.
I don't agree in totality to all his myths but I do agree with a little of it.
I think there are exceptions to every rule but exceptions are rare.
After reading the complete article I agree that the reason that some people do not seek treatment is because to the social stigma. Clearly the author, a former addict has dealt with that himself. I believe i read that even though he has been sober for many years he is still required to be drug tested for 3 more years before receiving his PhD.
Sounds like more than anything he wants to encourage addicts/alcoholics that they can reach achievement and can be contributing members to society.
I don't agree in totality to all his myths but I do agree with a little of it.
lillamy, we still have the flag!Member
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: SAN FRANCISCO
Posts: 1,176
Hmmm
Personally I do not think marijuana is a gateway drug, any more than alcohol is (and some would argue the former is a lot less addictive than the latter).
I do think some drugs can cause brain damage, I live in San Francisco and I have seen many users that look like they are meth heads that seem quite damaged, then again what would happen to them if their supply was taken away, I am not sure
Personally I do not think marijuana is a gateway drug, any more than alcohol is (and some would argue the former is a lot less addictive than the latter).
I do think some drugs can cause brain damage, I live in San Francisco and I have seen many users that look like they are meth heads that seem quite damaged, then again what would happen to them if their supply was taken away, I am not sure
Member
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 1,572
Member
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 1,754
Seems that was his personal story, it serves him well.
Doesn't seem to speak to the complicated subject of addiction in a broad way, just a personal account.
My father was an alcoholic, he just stopped, changed his life, no program, no explanation, just quit. My guess is his bottom was personal, not obvious, and his alone.
I don't believe he was the norm, take a look in the rooms, this forum, the addicted population as a whole, addiction is far more intricate.
These are sweeping statements that appear to apply to the author.
Doesn't seem to speak to the complicated subject of addiction in a broad way, just a personal account.
My father was an alcoholic, he just stopped, changed his life, no program, no explanation, just quit. My guess is his bottom was personal, not obvious, and his alone.
I don't believe he was the norm, take a look in the rooms, this forum, the addicted population as a whole, addiction is far more intricate.
These are sweeping statements that appear to apply to the author.
Guest
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,826
This is absolute garbage and a dreamland.
Originally Posted by thislonelygirl
curious and found this article
do you agree?
Myth No. 1: There is an addiction gene
There is no single gene, or set of genes, that determines whether or not a person will become an addict. And even if a person's parents are addicts, it doesn't mean they will be too. Current addiction research shows that roughly 50% of addiction tendencies are attributable to genes.
Myth No. 2: Marijuana is a 'gateway drug'
The addiction rate for marijuana is lower than that of alcohol, and there is little scientific evidence that it acts as a trigger for harder drugs.
While teen marijuana use is not to be encouraged, the real "gateway drug" risk might be from abusing prescription opioids and stimulants, like OxyContin, Vicodin and Adderall, or with inhalant drug use. These have strong addictive properties and more accessible to teens.
A 2010 study by the National Institute on Drug Abuse found that among 12th graders, 8% abused Vicodin and 5.1% abused OxyContin. Inhalant use peaks in the 8th grade at around 17%, far earlier than all other drugs.
Myth No. 3: Addiction is for life
This simply isn't true, and it places a huge emotional and psychological burden on recovered addicts. Addiction is a spectrum disorder, like depression, and every person is different.
While there are plenty of cases where addicts struggle for years to overcome a drug addiction, many more cases reveal the opposite -- short-term users who manage to put the past behind them and lead normal and productive lives. According to the National Institute on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse, 75% of alcoholics recover without treatment.
myth no 4:drugs fry your brain
Remember the 1987 anti-drug commercial that used a frying egg to show "your brain on drugs?" While drug abuse can be bad for the brain, it is a gross oversimplification to say that drug use generally causes permanent and severe brain damage.
This myth gives the impression that recovered addicts are "damaged goods" and sets the stage for discrimination by employers, health care providers and the legal system. That said, certain drugs are neurotoxic: methamphetamine, MDMA, cocaine and inhalants are a few examples. However, even with these types of drugs, the side effects, while undesirable, by no means produce a "damaged" person.
Myth No. 5: You have to hit 'rock bottom'
Here's why this is dangerous: If we wait until a person "bottoms out," it could be too late to help them.
Every person has a different "bottom." For some, it could be getting arrested or becoming homeless. For many, it's much less dramatic -- losing an important personal relationship, being confronted by family or doing poorly at work or school.
There is little evidence that the level of consequences a person accumulates before seeking help is related to their chances of succeeding in recovery. It's better to get help early than to hold out for the perfect desperate moment.
do you agree?
Myth No. 1: There is an addiction gene
There is no single gene, or set of genes, that determines whether or not a person will become an addict. And even if a person's parents are addicts, it doesn't mean they will be too. Current addiction research shows that roughly 50% of addiction tendencies are attributable to genes.
Myth No. 2: Marijuana is a 'gateway drug'
The addiction rate for marijuana is lower than that of alcohol, and there is little scientific evidence that it acts as a trigger for harder drugs.
While teen marijuana use is not to be encouraged, the real "gateway drug" risk might be from abusing prescription opioids and stimulants, like OxyContin, Vicodin and Adderall, or with inhalant drug use. These have strong addictive properties and more accessible to teens.
A 2010 study by the National Institute on Drug Abuse found that among 12th graders, 8% abused Vicodin and 5.1% abused OxyContin. Inhalant use peaks in the 8th grade at around 17%, far earlier than all other drugs.
Myth No. 3: Addiction is for life
This simply isn't true, and it places a huge emotional and psychological burden on recovered addicts. Addiction is a spectrum disorder, like depression, and every person is different.
While there are plenty of cases where addicts struggle for years to overcome a drug addiction, many more cases reveal the opposite -- short-term users who manage to put the past behind them and lead normal and productive lives. According to the National Institute on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse, 75% of alcoholics recover without treatment.
myth no 4:drugs fry your brain
Remember the 1987 anti-drug commercial that used a frying egg to show "your brain on drugs?" While drug abuse can be bad for the brain, it is a gross oversimplification to say that drug use generally causes permanent and severe brain damage.
This myth gives the impression that recovered addicts are "damaged goods" and sets the stage for discrimination by employers, health care providers and the legal system. That said, certain drugs are neurotoxic: methamphetamine, MDMA, cocaine and inhalants are a few examples. However, even with these types of drugs, the side effects, while undesirable, by no means produce a "damaged" person.
Myth No. 5: You have to hit 'rock bottom'
Here's why this is dangerous: If we wait until a person "bottoms out," it could be too late to help them.
Every person has a different "bottom." For some, it could be getting arrested or becoming homeless. For many, it's much less dramatic -- losing an important personal relationship, being confronted by family or doing poorly at work or school.
There is little evidence that the level of consequences a person accumulates before seeking help is related to their chances of succeeding in recovery. It's better to get help early than to hold out for the perfect desperate moment.
Member
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Uk
Posts: 764
Originally Posted by vinyl
Well now, that article is far more complete than what you posted above. You shouldn't truncate an article like that, it really hurts the author's credibility and can cause more harm than you may think.
It's nice to see ppl challenging things as oposed to just accepting everything. There are quite a lot of sites listing 'myths of addiction' just simply type 'myths of addiction' n see them pop up. So before we accept / disregard info we must check it out.
I find this site interesting n i have a few views but thats for another time.
Take Care,
Evey xxx
Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 267
The information on marijuana bugs me. I dislike talk about "gateway" drugs because it means different things to different people. It is a gateway drug in the sense that it is a drug tends to help people rationalize other drug use. If you don't use marijuana, you are less likely to be someone who ever dabbles in cocaine, meth, etc. It is not a gateway drug if you are trying to say that the majority of people who use marijuana move on to other drugs. That is just not true. The author has a very good point in calling prescription abuse a gateway since those drugs have a high capacity to be physically addictive and people who become physically addicted to these relatively expensive drugs have been shown to move to herion use which provides the same high for a much lower cost.
The addiction rate for marijuana does appear to be lower than for alcohol if you wait until your are an adult when you first use it. If you start using as a teenager, addiction rates are similar to that of alcohol. I don't remember exactly where I read that but I accessed the article from JoinTogether online.
The addiction rate for marijuana does appear to be lower than for alcohol if you wait until your are an adult when you first use it. If you start using as a teenager, addiction rates are similar to that of alcohol. I don't remember exactly where I read that but I accessed the article from JoinTogether online.
Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Midwest, USA
Posts: 2,899
Adi Jaffe is a Los Angeles-based addiction psychologist and researcher. A former drug addict and convicted drug dealer, Jaffe is a UCLA-affiliated researcher and expert on substance abuse, especially on the neuroscience and policy issues involved, and founder of AllAboutAddiction.com.
I can't think of anything more dangerous to be peddling as a so-called addiction expert. I also can't figure out what his definition of "addiction" is, according to these principles.
Jaffe is also trying to get licensed to practice in the mental health field -- NOTE HE IS NOT A PRACTITIONER -- and is grumbling all over the place about how he has to pass X number of drug tests which means he can't drink for six months.
I agree that addiction exists on a spectrum and that every person is different, BUT we can make easy, provable generalizations about addiction and addicts based on peer-reviewed science. Abstinence is universally encouraged for a reason. But Jaffe makes a habit of generalizing his personal experience to all addicts -- and it sounds like he wasn't a hardcore addict, maybe a historic problem user, or maybe a rich kid who peddled drugs to his high school friends and wants to claim he was a gangster, or is just in deep denial about the importance of mind-altering substances in his life. That's bad news either way.
Currently Active Users Viewing this Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
