Anyone watch Oprah?
 

Wish I DVR'd it. Wonder if it will be on again?

I missed all but the end also. They show Oprah twice here at like 12:30 am also, maybe check and see if they do where you are?

I saw some of it while I was cooking dinner...what I caught was the Drs. talking about addiction being a disease of the brain and Oprah kept asking the the addicts WHY can't you just quit if you know it is harming your children, your marriage, and everything else in your life. From what I heard it made sense, but still gave me the feeling that the Drs. were giving the addicts a path to a cop-out...'I have a disease, give me a break'..I don't know..maybe I'm just jaded at this point, but it really does come down to if the addict wants to recover from their disease or just give into it...not quite the same as having incurable cancer, as they were making it out to be....maybe I didn't watch it closely enough...

Yup and it made me cry to realize how much addicts hurt themselves. The black woman was really articulate. I could listen to her talk for hours. Marle

That show and others such as Addiction makes me realize how important it is to have strong boundaries with my AD but still making it clear that I love her at the same time. Marle

I watched it, but I missed the few minutes where they discussed some magic pill that instantly stopped the craving for alcohol in one of the guests. I wonder if it is the same or similar to Prometa that Jewelz mentioned in another post. I'll try to catch the late-night repeat to see what I missed.

I don't have HBO, so I haven't seen the Addiction series. Oprah showed some clips. It was hard to watch, but I really do want to try to see what it is like from the addict's point of view.

I thought Dr. Anna Rose Childress had some interesting things to say about the brain of an addict. I'd like to try to find out more about her research.

It bothered me... and I have no doubt that my cruddy mood contributed to this opinion... that they seemed to focus a lot of attention on the women who had been horribly abused as a child. Her story was tragic, but I don't think the circumstances that led to her addiction are very typical. It was certainly not the case for my addict... she had a great life, incredible parents, loving and supportive people around her, etc. I know that is not true for every addict, but I've seen a lot more stories about addicts who had been raised in an environment of love, than of abuse. Anyway, it sort of left me with the impression that they were saying addiction is justified by some terrifying experience of the past. Just my opinion... anyone please correct me if I'm off base here.

I really wanted to hear more from the young woman who shot up in her neck. This girl worked a regular job during the week, then got high on the weekends in this extreme manner. I have a real hard time comprehending the functional speed addict, but I want to learn more.

I watch the show as well, I was going to post and ask the same question regarding this women's story...She said that there is always an underling problem with addicts, hers was she had been molested....

It left me feeling like if we could only find out what my AH underling problem is we might be able to get a handle on this....

I don't know what is your thoughts on this?

Rose

The show upset me made feel like it's hopless to think my AD will ever get better. Seemed like they were giving an excuse for them to start using again. Called my sister after watching it an said well I guess my 'real daughter' is dead an never coming back so I might as well get use to it. I HATE DRUGS!!!!

Mertzie, The young woman who shot up in her neck was featured in the HBO program called Montana Meth. I don't know if you can still catch that show. I think it was part of the Addiction series. Marle

Ahhh don't think that.... This girl got better....
I never thought I could leave meth behind.
Just a year and a 1/2 it was EVERYTHING to me....
I really thought it would be suicide before I could
give it up.. I came here as one last try..
I quit just like that....
No rehab, no meetings, I went to couseling (was already in it)
and this board... It was hard and a lot of work, don't get me
wrong, but it's very possible. People recover every day...
Don't ever give up hope...

As to the underlying issues, I personally don't think they gave them that as an excuse, drugs were just the choice they use as there coping mechanism.
We all have different ones, the choice of drugs just makes you crazy.
At one point I used anorexia, another cutting, another bulimia, etc...
eventually you just have to find a healthy way to find a way to cope....
I personally needed a therapist to help me get there..
I think once you start using an unhealthy way to cope with pain, it becomes habit. I personally just didn't know any other way how to deal with it.
So I jumped to anything to make me numb anytime I started to feel or remember something that made me uncomfortable. You forget or don't believe that you can deal with pain or uncomfortable feelings..

I still read it the same Done...coping with underlying issues? Yes many different ways of coping...but what she said was in a sense was there was a problem before the drugs that never got attended to that lead her onto this path of destruction.

Rose

Yea, I agree with you. I meant that some people say users use their past as a cop out and as excuse to use. Or if two people had the same thing happen to them, one person will say well the same thing happened to me but you don't see me out there doing cocaine do ya?
(I'm not referring to anyone here saying that) Just things I've heard and who knows I may have thought that at one time, I dunno, at one time I didn't understant drug addiction.

For me there "WAS" an underlying problem with my eating disorder, I relapsed and was in different hospitals until my last treatment center, where they Really knew what they were doing. They "figured" out what my issue was and they nailed me on it..... I never worked so hard in my entire life then when I was in that treatment center, lol, there were times I thought I was going to die, I ran away, they found me and brought me back..........
They treated me like I had an e.d. they didn't let me go, they didn't give up on me, they fought me tooth and nail..... I did want to get better so bad, but it was hard, soooo hard... I was there for a few months....
The things they had to do to make sure we ate, etc. were crazy, , but it worked..........
I wish drug treatment centers worked more like them. They have one of the highest success rates in the country, and that's even 5 & 10 years later...

I watched a documentary recently that focused on a few girls where they ran the treatment center much more lenient, but when the girls messed up, many times they would kick them out....... They said they were manipulative or not ready??? ED's ARE manipulative..... All of the girls relapsed, and are still doing bad. They never really focused on the girls issues it was just about their behavior...

I know ed's aren't the same as drugs, but I do think for a lot of people there are underlying issues that need to be dealt with..... Otherwise those issues cause you to act out or self destruct.. JMO...

I watched this and I felt a lot was left out. There are a ton of ways to get sober and people do it when they're ready. I know some addicts who had pretty good lives and I know some who had horrible lives and are doing fine.

There is always hope. I knew a man once who was in treatment with the children of his drug buddies. He was about 65. He got clean and went on to become an awesome counselor. Kind of a father figure who got his wings.

Someone told me once that no matter how afraid I am for my son, there is more going on here. His soul has a bigger and an unknown purpose. I really liked that and I hold on to it as I watch him stumble.
My warm thoughts are with all parents who go through this. Don't loose hope.
Leslie

Mertzie...I loved Lucy & Ethyl too.
"Functional" meth user for about 25 years before getting sober & clean in 8/01.
Speed was my solution to coping with life...
Have some PTSD issues from childhood, it was my main coping skill...it saved my life...
I don't think that I was intentionally doing damage to self...
I always liked/loved me...and I was a "child of God"...with a manic depressive mom and an active drunk as a dad for the first 12 years of my life...

Ummm, I do have a disease, its my addiction to drugs. I am powerless over it and its only with help and support of others that I can leave drugs alone. If I do not do this my disesase will tell me its ok to have one and eventually I will belive it and pick up. Problem is after one, the obsession and compulsion kick in and I can't stop.

So I do have an incurable disease and I get a daily reprieve working my program. Thyere is no cure for me, its so good to know this as I relapsed after 20 years clean but with no program and could not understand it, now I do.

I hope this is clear enough and helps explain the disease concept Hurtbad? If not read the NA Basic Text and/or the AA Big Book.

Kevin

I've been to enough meetings, and listened to enough different speakers to know that our paths to addiction are NOT the same.

But I also believe with all my heart that addiction has a physical, genetic basis to it. That we are different... physically, emotionally, and mentally from those who did not inherit the tendency toward addiction.

That cravings and Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome play into relapse. That recovery is possible, and more likely the earlier in the progression of ... whatever you want to call it - disease, condition, state - of addiction.

I also believe you can "make" an addict. Any codie here can be addicted if someone sticks a needle into his or her arm enough times. With heroin, meth and some others, once may be enough.

I heard a speaker once who had a HAPPY childhood! She was adopted and loved and cared for and an only child... and still she became alcoholic. Environment can't be totally discounted, but I think the feeling of trying to fill the "hole in the middle" comes with the "ism"... before the addiction. Part and parcel of the genetic code we inherit.

I am heartened by the idea of a pill to alleviate the symptoms... just as Prozac changed forever how we deal with clinical depression, I know... KNOW that we are not so far away from a pill to that can make a real difference in addiction. I have a grandson who is the son of two addicts, with addiction on both sides as far back as we can see... For him, I pray there is something soon.

(((Hugs)))


Thanks for bring this here, Done. Always good to stimulate discussion... it makes my mind open up a little. :)

Your welcome and thanks for your post, you said many things I was thinking but wasn't sure how to put on paper, lol....

Great post BigSis but I disagree about being able to make an "addict". Sure you can get someone addict to a drug or drugs but if they do not have the disease then it will be a temporary addiction.

Many of the people I used with simply stopped at a certain point, they do not have this disease.

Just my tuppence worth from having been around addicts and seen/experienced many things over the last 40+ years.

Kevin

PS Hard to disagree, but in terms of the "disease concept" I think its important.

I watched it too. It was pretty good. Very informative. If you ever miss oprah you should check the guide, they do reair the episodes later in the night. On the northeast coast they reair them at 1:00am.