oxyious

A councelor at rehab told me this and I read it somewhere. I don't know how much truth there is to it, but it applies to me and several addicts I know.

Addicts are by far, more creative people, like thunderstorms and a disporportionate amount are "night people".... we think "creatively" and excel in English/Literature/Arts more so than "factual thinking" like Mathematics/Quantum Physics, ect.

(and this isn't because they are high, these are ALLEGEDLY characterists that addicts tend to have more than non-addicts because our brains are wired differently). Nobody will ever fully understand the brain, I "get" that.... but....

I thought it was interesting. I fall in to every stereo-type above. What about you?

Soberpotamus

I naturally felt into the English/Lit/Arts category... but once I was in college and had to take some statistics classes to graduate, I really surprised myself. I actually had to crack the book and study it... but I aced the classes... disproving to myself once and for all that I was bad with numbers

Oh... have you read or heard of Eric Maisel's book, Creative Recovery?

oxyious

No, I haven't heard of most books. lol You can PM me the info on it. I go through "phases" where I read nothing but crap (like the Twilight books), read nothing at all, or read fact-based books and self-help books. My most recent indulgence were books on Polygamy... after I got hooked on that TLC show and the raid in Texas, I read up on the old-school polygamists that lived on compounds with kids getting married off at age 11, children with 20-30 brothers and sisters.... It's a very interesting read coming from the eyes of the girls that grew up in that lifestyle. (I recommend "Predators, Prey and Other Kinfolk" if you want a good non-fiction book to help pass your time when the anxiety hits). It sucks you in like a vortex.)

I took few "fact based" math classes in college and I did okay (with a of studying and "memorizing vs. learning", but still (for me... Mathematics will never come natural like "Creative Arts".) Yes, I can do them, but I don't enjoy them, don't retain the information for life and given a choice, I'd rather have to write a 1,000,000 word essay.

Ggeo

Oxyious, I read one of those too! "Shattered Dreams". Too funny...

oxyious

Great (and tortured) Minds think alike. If you really liked that book, I can recommend a list. When I get an interest, I go nutz ordering books on the subject. I prefer to read about "outlandish real life" stories vs. blatant fiction.

BeenDown2Times

I agree with you that addicts tend to fall into the creative classes. I work in the entertainment industry and will say that a SIZEABLE chunk of my colleagues are addicts in one form or another.

One profession that kind of bucks the trend though is Wall Street. There are cokeheads and oxyheads galore on any trading desk.

Not sure if I'm crossing the line into stereotyping but oh well.

Aysha

I was very artisitc and poetic and wrote alot before I was a hardcore addict. Ever since a very small chile all I did was draw all the time, then as I got older I started to write too. Now..Not so much. I try and it just eludes me.

tuffenuff

Fits me to a "T".

LOVE storms.

Am a voracious reader, math...eh...not so happy about it.

I am a whiz at spelling. I am fluent in two languages.

I DO like science, but more the anatomy/physiology and life sciences....zoology, microbiology, not the chemistry and physics crap.

I can't really say I'm artistic, cant draw worth a beans, but i DO love the theater and appreciate art...well sure.

I did try my hand at violin, saxophone and clarinet as a child.

Definately was always a night owl....but that has changed a little since I hit my fourth decade ~LOL~ !!!!!

Englishrose70

Fits me! I have a Bachelor Arts degree in French, I love creative writing which is why I write a blog, I won a writing competitions as a child and I have had a poem published, I love reading, theatre and reading and writing poetry.

I am also a pisces, apparently the most addictive star sign? What do you think?

trappeshot

I am one of the most innovative people you will ever meet.

i was a good student all around, i wasn't horrible in any subject, but i love history/books even to this day.

tuffenuff

Left handed and a saggitarius to boot . I thought sags' were the most prone to addictions...?

doggonecarl

Sounds elitist to me. I agree that we addicts are wired differently...to be addicts. That's what we share, not a degree in the arts.

oxyious

I don't know how it sounds elitist. Because we like thunderstorms and night vs day doesn't make us better, and in a round about way, over half of us have admitted we are mathematically challenged.

WE are ALL entitled to our own opinion though. I don't think I'm better than anybody. I do have a knack for creative anything.... (Sculpting, Painting, Writing Short Stories (with spell-check)... However, I am downright stupid when it comes to math and science (unless it's Anatomy or anything that does NOT involve equasions). I do believe we are wired differently and I believe part of that is that one side of our brain functions better than the other. (Giving us an advantage and a MAJOR disadvantage) I also believe just because we are pre-wired, doesn't mean we have to act on it. My opinion is that the "flaw/disposition" is there and whether it turns in to full blown addiction has to do with our upbringing--and that doesn't mean bad parents, it could be falling in with the wrong crowd, it could be so many outside factors). There are some amazing studies out there about twins that grew up not knowing about the other, both predisposed to addiction and one went down the addiction path and the other just the opposite.

Anything involving the human brain fascinates me.... and we will NEVER fully understand it. (That is half the fascination to me, the mystery).

Keep up the good work, stay sober, love to see you post more! I lived in Norfolk/Va Beach for 7 years, I miss Virginia.

JustAYak

Hmm... I'm big into photography but everything else art-related I seriously suck at. I'm good at math and certain sciences (biology) but I hate history. Not sure how true this rings for me. Interesting though. And I'm also a lefty, tuffenuff! We should be considered a minority, only 11% of the world is left-handed! I still feel ******** when I try and cut paper...

oxyious

haha... They make lefty scissors. I know because I bought a pair and wondered why the hell I couldn't cut on a straight line to save my life. I do weird things though. I'm a righty but I pull the arrow back (archery--bow and arrow), eat and pick up glasses, silverware, etc with my left hand. I write, open doors and use a calculator, etc with my right hand. Go Figure.

eaglette

Addicts do invariably demonstrate their creativity when it comes to obtaining their DOC. I have witnessed some pretty mountain-moving feats for the sake of getting percocet...Obstacles to this may as well not exist because they WILL be removed.

JustAYak

Haha, I know they do, it's just whenever I actually need scissors I never have lefty ones. I don't think it's weird you do some things lefty and some things righty. I'm the same way. I kick and throw things with my right hand and leg, but everything else I do lefty, I think.

This is so true.

tuffenuff

Aaahh. The lefty scissors never seemed to work for me. I remember in grade school, I had already developed a very unique way to hold my scissors and everytime the art teacher saw me, she would take them out of my hands and reposition them in my hand the "correct" way. That lasted all of two seconds until she turned her back and walked away. LOL~!

To be fair though, even though my mother is also a lefty, even she said "how in the heck are you holding those scissors?!!" Worked for me, still does!

I use my thumb and my index finger? Ah well....I have no desire to change that.


OK .....this is a pretty interesting thread. So ...just curious, i wonder how addicts stack up according to blood types?

Anyone who knows theirs and is willing to share? I definately have an "elitist" (LOL)'
blood type. I am AB negative, the rarest of the rare. (no....no, NOT thinking I'm unique...LOL)

Anyone else a negative?

oxyious

I remember before the injury to my shoulder/neck/back I would obtain vics or percs to use recreationally. I'd get an rx for 20 and they would last a couple months (this was before I was sucked in to the vortex), but I had ONE wisdom tooth left (I refused to get pulled) that was half exposed and due to the way it was poking out, all I would do is take a tooth brush, irritate my gums, walk in to the dentist and walk out with a RX. (and they can't offer to take it out if it's infected so they only thing they can do is give you antibiotics and ahem...... pain killers. This was over 15 yrs ago... I've have since removed the "drug seeking tooth"