Many years ago, I was in my office talking with a patient about her smoking habit. As with most such encounters, I was basically checking on the fact that she was still smoking and offering the usual advice to quit. I think she said something about not being able to start her day without a ciggy, which is one of the signs of being in withdrawal after abstaining overnight, so I said something, more to myself than to her, to the effect of “ok, so you’re an addict”. At her next visit, she told me that she hadn’t smoked since she left my office that day. My offhand comment made her realize that she had an addiction, something she didn’t want to have, and that was enough to make her quit cold turkey! So (a) sometimes stigma is a motivating force, much as we are told NOT to stigmatize addicts (b) addicts can and do quit when they decide to, and it happens for all forms of addictions, often without (or in spite of) medical help.
I’m totally with you on abstinence based therapies and the need for social supports. If opiates damage the brain, then why is the “best” treatment the one that involves more poison? We learned not to replace alcohol with benzos. Quitting ciggies is the best approach for smoking. But with opiates, we “replace” one with another. I’m with you in thinking it’s motivated by profit for Big Pharma, coupled with the fact that prescribing creates the illusion of “doing something”, while the alternatives are hard work and not so well paid.
I very much agree with your assessment, especially that if there is a motivation to quit, they will find a way to quit. Governments should help provide a motivation, not take it away.
Teach a man to fish, don't just give him fish. Same idea.
I like your assessment of that often the wrong things are counted and touted as successes, like the number of needles given out - instead of saying what matteres. I studied statistics for several semesters in depth, and I can honestly said that I do not trust any statistic that I didn't falsify myself.
Where is people's common sense? The corrupt media and school system are systematically ruining societies ability to think critically for themselves.
What is the solution? Is there a solution that has a chance to work? I am no longer so sure for this coming up generation. If there is, us "elders" need to speak out in a way that can be still understood, in my opinion, this needs to be with an attitude of faith, hope and love (aka biblical) and not "mindless understanding and laissez-faire". Age-old values have been eroded for evil purposes. I personally am trying several things in my small way to help people understand that they are not powerless, that it matters for parents how they speak with their children, that seniors (like me) are not condemned to a life of sitting around watching TV and watching dementia set in... We can and have the responsibility as elders who still can think to impart this on as many others as we can. This is my mission. Thanks so much for your thoughtful articles. Love them!
the Bonnie Henry quote is amazing....there are many of us who support abstinence but the interesting issue is how our views have been so completely sidelined with results as expected. In NS we are now told there is an initiative to involve docs in service changes ...of course it will be window dressing....but even if genuine it is difficult to see how this could work when most if not all of these malign enthusiasms, with disastrous results, are top driven by politicians and woke authoritarians and opposition is censored.
I returned to San Francisco last year, marking my second visit after an initial trip over two decades ago. This recent experience was profoundly unsettling; I was taken aback by the pervasive presence of homeless individuals grappling with addiction, a stark contrast to my memories of the city. The transformation of San Francisco since my last visit was disconcerting. The insights provided by investigative journalist Erica Sandberg in the cited article offered valuable perspective on the current situation in San Francisco. It is deeply troubling to witness the detrimental impact of misguided policies on individuals' lives and the broader community fabric.
Big bad Pharma and doctors definitely have a hand in this addiction explosion. It has gotten out of hand by a big stretch. It has become acceptable and rather than actually helping people get clean from their addiction, they propel it and make it 'easier' for them to stay addicted. For some folks, addiction happens easy and they think they can shake it. They fool themselves and keep fooling themselves. Often they are trying to fill a void in their heart/soul and alcohol or drugs seem the route they choose because their inner pain and/or their physical pain is alleviated for awhile. Instead of helping people find meaning in their lives, we throw the means to keep them down and struggling. So many things these days are topsy turvy and lack common sense.
Very informative. We don't read articles like this one elseware. A man I know worked at a local pharmacy. He said that with methadone, they make $30,000 a year per addict.
Many years ago, I was in my office talking with a patient about her smoking habit. As with most such encounters, I was basically checking on the fact that she was still smoking and offering the usual advice to quit. I think she said something about not being able to start her day without a ciggy, which is one of the signs of being in withdrawal after abstaining overnight, so I said something, more to myself than to her, to the effect of “ok, so you’re an addict”. At her next visit, she told me that she hadn’t smoked since she left my office that day. My offhand comment made her realize that she had an addiction, something she didn’t want to have, and that was enough to make her quit cold turkey! So (a) sometimes stigma is a motivating force, much as we are told NOT to stigmatize addicts (b) addicts can and do quit when they decide to, and it happens for all forms of addictions, often without (or in spite of) medical help.
I’m totally with you on abstinence based therapies and the need for social supports. If opiates damage the brain, then why is the “best” treatment the one that involves more poison? We learned not to replace alcohol with benzos. Quitting ciggies is the best approach for smoking. But with opiates, we “replace” one with another. I’m with you in thinking it’s motivated by profit for Big Pharma, coupled with the fact that prescribing creates the illusion of “doing something”, while the alternatives are hard work and not so well paid.
I very much agree with your assessment, especially that if there is a motivation to quit, they will find a way to quit. Governments should help provide a motivation, not take it away.
Teach a man to fish, don't just give him fish. Same idea.
I like your assessment of that often the wrong things are counted and touted as successes, like the number of needles given out - instead of saying what matteres. I studied statistics for several semesters in depth, and I can honestly said that I do not trust any statistic that I didn't falsify myself.
Where is people's common sense? The corrupt media and school system are systematically ruining societies ability to think critically for themselves.
What is the solution? Is there a solution that has a chance to work? I am no longer so sure for this coming up generation. If there is, us "elders" need to speak out in a way that can be still understood, in my opinion, this needs to be with an attitude of faith, hope and love (aka biblical) and not "mindless understanding and laissez-faire". Age-old values have been eroded for evil purposes. I personally am trying several things in my small way to help people understand that they are not powerless, that it matters for parents how they speak with their children, that seniors (like me) are not condemned to a life of sitting around watching TV and watching dementia set in... We can and have the responsibility as elders who still can think to impart this on as many others as we can. This is my mission. Thanks so much for your thoughtful articles. Love them!
The Gvt, NGOs and big pharma have a successful business going and they will lie, cheat and steal to keep it going.
the Bonnie Henry quote is amazing....there are many of us who support abstinence but the interesting issue is how our views have been so completely sidelined with results as expected. In NS we are now told there is an initiative to involve docs in service changes ...of course it will be window dressing....but even if genuine it is difficult to see how this could work when most if not all of these malign enthusiasms, with disastrous results, are top driven by politicians and woke authoritarians and opposition is censored.
I returned to San Francisco last year, marking my second visit after an initial trip over two decades ago. This recent experience was profoundly unsettling; I was taken aback by the pervasive presence of homeless individuals grappling with addiction, a stark contrast to my memories of the city. The transformation of San Francisco since my last visit was disconcerting. The insights provided by investigative journalist Erica Sandberg in the cited article offered valuable perspective on the current situation in San Francisco. It is deeply troubling to witness the detrimental impact of misguided policies on individuals' lives and the broader community fabric.
Big bad Pharma and doctors definitely have a hand in this addiction explosion. It has gotten out of hand by a big stretch. It has become acceptable and rather than actually helping people get clean from their addiction, they propel it and make it 'easier' for them to stay addicted. For some folks, addiction happens easy and they think they can shake it. They fool themselves and keep fooling themselves. Often they are trying to fill a void in their heart/soul and alcohol or drugs seem the route they choose because their inner pain and/or their physical pain is alleviated for awhile. Instead of helping people find meaning in their lives, we throw the means to keep them down and struggling. So many things these days are topsy turvy and lack common sense.
Very informative. We don't read articles like this one elseware. A man I know worked at a local pharmacy. He said that with methadone, they make $30,000 a year per addict.
Awesome read!