OT – Alcoholism and Addiction

[eavesdropper]

[quote=svelte] I suspect the public at large thinks lung cancer is often caused by actions of the person, but the public doesn’t think the same thing about breast cancer.

I say this because lung cancer is actually more common than breast cancer, yet breast cancer gets all the attention via walkathons, pink ribbons, etc.

My wife worries much more about breast cancer than lung cancer, but I attribute that to her being a 38DD.[/quote]

Very astute observation, svelte. Thanks largely to highly successful public service advertising, lung cancer has become synonymous with smoking. Not only are the commercials omnipresent, but the content of many have had a shock effect on viewers. And the fact is that the epidemiological evidence is overwhelming in the indictment of smoking as a causal agent in most lung cancer cases. Unfortunately, it’s human nature for people to have less sympathy for those who they believe to be culpable in causing their own illnesses.

As for breast cancer, if there was as strong a link for some causal agent with breast ca as there is for smoking and lung cancer, you’d better believe it’d be all over the media. But the fact is there is none. Certain things have shown up in epi studies, but not in the right numbers to implicate them. Because there isn’t anything to “blame”, breast cancer advertising takes a different tack and goes for the sympathy vote. It gets people to bug their friends and mothers and sisters to get mammograms, and it also gets them to contribute.

In reality, the numbers of breast cancer cases is virtually equal to those of lung cancer (about 200K per year). However, the lung ca mortality rate is much higher. The reasons for this are complex; lung cancer is an entirely different disease on a molecular level from cancer of the breast. But would it improve if there were tons of walkathons, colored ribbons, etc.? Who knows? But there’s no question that many of the funds being raised for breast cancer are diverted to lobbying efforts, and far more taxpayer money is being spent on breast ca research than on other cancers and public health risks.

A lot of the “pinkwash” started with the Komen Foundation. At the time of it’s inception, there was almost no publicity about the disease, and relatively few research dollars were dedicated to it. Komen changed all that, and demonstrated real brilliance in their early marketing. The timing was also right, as the women of baby boomer generation were reaching an age when breast cancer was a concern, first for their mothers and later for themselves. Several copycat groups sprang up: some were wonderful, others not so much. Recently, Komen has been criticized on their use of funds and also on their seemingly indiscriminate agreements with marketing partners.

Unfortunately, other cancers and diseases, for whatever reason, didn’t get the message, and sat by idly while Komen achieved unparalleled success in fundraising. Some of them have picked up on it in the past 5 or 6 years, but I think that the public may have reached the point where they have “ribbon fatigue”.

[eavesdropper]

[quote=briansd1] Good test of will-power.

As I said before, my dad used to smoke opium when he was in Laos in his youth. He quit just fine and never looked back.

What about coffee addiction?

I find that those who can’t do without coffee are addicted to the stimulant.

In my opinion, any kind of addiction is bad. As a test of will-power, I’ve told some friends to do without coffee… but they can’t even do that.

It seems like human/animal nature is very prone to addiction.[/quote]

Brian, everyone who tries opiates does not become addicted to them. In fact, the great majority of patients who are prescribed opiates, including morphine, for medical conditions have no problems stopping the medication when the condition resolves. There have been an exhaustive number of studies performed that bear this out.

This doesn’t mean that your dad did not enjoy smoking opium. I’m sure the reason he went back several times was because it’s enjoyable. However, like many humans, he did not become addicted to it.

Addiction is an incredibly complex phenomenon, with both physical and psychological components inextricably bound. Like any disease or disorder, it won’t necessarily affect afflicted patients in the same way.

As for coffee, your friends (at least some of them) may experience some fairly significant headaches or other unpleasant physical symptoms when they don’t mainline coffee every day. Because they have to go to work or school or have other obligations, they do what gets them through the day. Coffee is a readily available, legal commodity, and it is socially endorsed. So where’s the incentive to give it up?

You know when willpower kicks in? When someone knows, without a doubt, that what they’re drinking/eating/ shooting up is going to kill them. Not much of a chance of that happening with coffee. So I’m recommending that you lay off them with regard to your “willpower” experiments, or they might kill you for getting between them and their Starbucks.

[eavesdropper]

[quote=briansd1] Good test of will-power.

As I said before, my dad used to smoke opium when he was in Laos in his youth. He quit just fine and never looked back.

What about coffee addiction?

I find that those who can’t do without coffee are addicted to the stimulant.

In my opinion, any kind of addiction is bad. As a test of will-power, I’ve told some friends to do without coffee… but they can’t even do that.

It seems like human/animal nature is very prone to addiction.[/quote]

Brian, everyone who tries opiates does not become addicted to them. In fact, the great majority of patients who are prescribed opiates, including morphine, for medical conditions have no problems stopping the medication when the condition resolves. There have been an exhaustive number of studies performed that bear this out.

This doesn’t mean that your dad did not enjoy smoking opium. I’m sure the reason he went back several times was because it’s enjoyable. However, like many humans, he did not become addicted to it.

Addiction is an incredibly complex phenomenon, with both physical and psychological components inextricably bound. Like any disease or disorder, it won’t necessarily affect afflicted patients in the same way.

As for coffee, your friends (at least some of them) may experience some fairly significant headaches or other unpleasant physical symptoms when they don’t mainline coffee every day. Because they have to go to work or school or have other obligations, they do what gets them through the day. Coffee is a readily available, legal commodity, and it is socially endorsed. So where’s the incentive to give it up?

You know when willpower kicks in? When someone knows, without a doubt, that what they’re drinking/eating/ shooting up is going to kill them. Not much of a chance of that happening with coffee. So I’m recommending that you lay off them with regard to your “willpower” experiments, or they might kill you for getting between them and their Starbucks.

[eavesdropper]

[quote=briansd1] Good test of will-power.

As I said before, my dad used to smoke opium when he was in Laos in his youth. He quit just fine and never looked back.

What about coffee addiction?

I find that those who can’t do without coffee are addicted to the stimulant.

In my opinion, any kind of addiction is bad. As a test of will-power, I’ve told some friends to do without coffee… but they can’t even do that.

It seems like human/animal nature is very prone to addiction.[/quote]

Brian, everyone who tries opiates does not become addicted to them. In fact, the great majority of patients who are prescribed opiates, including morphine, for medical conditions have no problems stopping the medication when the condition resolves. There have been an exhaustive number of studies performed that bear this out.

This doesn’t mean that your dad did not enjoy smoking opium. I’m sure the reason he went back several times was because it’s enjoyable. However, like many humans, he did not become addicted to it.

Addiction is an incredibly complex phenomenon, with both physical and psychological components inextricably bound. Like any disease or disorder, it won’t necessarily affect afflicted patients in the same way.

As for coffee, your friends (at least some of them) may experience some fairly significant headaches or other unpleasant physical symptoms when they don’t mainline coffee every day. Because they have to go to work or school or have other obligations, they do what gets them through the day. Coffee is a readily available, legal commodity, and it is socially endorsed. So where’s the incentive to give it up?

You know when willpower kicks in? When someone knows, without a doubt, that what they’re drinking/eating/ shooting up is going to kill them. Not much of a chance of that happening with coffee. So I’m recommending that you lay off them with regard to your “willpower” experiments, or they might kill you for getting between them and their Starbucks.

[eavesdropper]

[quote=briansd1] Good test of will-power.

As I said before, my dad used to smoke opium when he was in Laos in his youth. He quit just fine and never looked back.

What about coffee addiction?

I find that those who can’t do without coffee are addicted to the stimulant.

In my opinion, any kind of addiction is bad. As a test of will-power, I’ve told some friends to do without coffee… but they can’t even do that.

It seems like human/animal nature is very prone to addiction.[/quote]

Brian, everyone who tries opiates does not become addicted to them. In fact, the great majority of patients who are prescribed opiates, including morphine, for medical conditions have no problems stopping the medication when the condition resolves. There have been an exhaustive number of studies performed that bear this out.

This doesn’t mean that your dad did not enjoy smoking opium. I’m sure the reason he went back several times was because it’s enjoyable. However, like many humans, he did not become addicted to it.

Addiction is an incredibly complex phenomenon, with both physical and psychological components inextricably bound. Like any disease or disorder, it won’t necessarily affect afflicted patients in the same way.

As for coffee, your friends (at least some of them) may experience some fairly significant headaches or other unpleasant physical symptoms when they don’t mainline coffee every day. Because they have to go to work or school or have other obligations, they do what gets them through the day. Coffee is a readily available, legal commodity, and it is socially endorsed. So where’s the incentive to give it up?

You know when willpower kicks in? When someone knows, without a doubt, that what they’re drinking/eating/ shooting up is going to kill them. Not much of a chance of that happening with coffee. So I’m recommending that you lay off them with regard to your “willpower” experiments, or they might kill you for getting between them and their Starbucks.

[eavesdropper]

[quote=briansd1] Good test of will-power.

As I said before, my dad used to smoke opium when he was in Laos in his youth. He quit just fine and never looked back.

What about coffee addiction?

I find that those who can’t do without coffee are addicted to the stimulant.

In my opinion, any kind of addiction is bad. As a test of will-power, I’ve told some friends to do without coffee… but they can’t even do that.

It seems like human/animal nature is very prone to addiction.[/quote]

Brian, everyone who tries opiates does not become addicted to them. In fact, the great majority of patients who are prescribed opiates, including morphine, for medical conditions have no problems stopping the medication when the condition resolves. There have been an exhaustive number of studies performed that bear this out.

This doesn’t mean that your dad did not enjoy smoking opium. I’m sure the reason he went back several times was because it’s enjoyable. However, like many humans, he did not become addicted to it.

Addiction is an incredibly complex phenomenon, with both physical and psychological components inextricably bound. Like any disease or disorder, it won’t necessarily affect afflicted patients in the same way.

As for coffee, your friends (at least some of them) may experience some fairly significant headaches or other unpleasant physical symptoms when they don’t mainline coffee every day. Because they have to go to work or school or have other obligations, they do what gets them through the day. Coffee is a readily available, legal commodity, and it is socially endorsed. So where’s the incentive to give it up?

You know when willpower kicks in? When someone knows, without a doubt, that what they’re drinking/eating/ shooting up is going to kill them. Not much of a chance of that happening with coffee. So I’m recommending that you lay off them with regard to your “willpower” experiments, or they might kill you for getting between them and their Starbucks.

[jpinpb]

[quote=briansd1]What about coffee addiction?

I find that those who can’t do without coffee are addicted to the stimulant.

In my opinion, any kind of addiction is bad. As a test of will-power, I’ve told some friends to do without coffee… but they can’t even do that.

It seems like human/animal nature is very prone to addiction.[/quote]

I can say that in the past I was definitely addicted to caffeine. I had some physical problems and my doctor told me I had to stop the caffeine, so I did cold turkey. I had caffeine withdrawal headaches for 2 weeks. Very painful. That’s why I still say it’s more than just willpower. I’m pretty sure I have strong willpower as I’ve given up many different foods/drinks. But your body does have its way of protesting and physically letting you know its objection to the deprivation of what it is accustomed to enjoying.

In the past I was so addicted to caffeine, I could have some in the evening and have no trouble sleeping. If I have any now, I am wired. There will be no sleeping until it is out of my system. I can really feel the effects on my nerves. It does not feel good.

[jpinpb]

[quote=briansd1]What about coffee addiction?

I find that those who can’t do without coffee are addicted to the stimulant.

In my opinion, any kind of addiction is bad. As a test of will-power, I’ve told some friends to do without coffee… but they can’t even do that.

It seems like human/animal nature is very prone to addiction.[/quote]

I can say that in the past I was definitely addicted to caffeine. I had some physical problems and my doctor told me I had to stop the caffeine, so I did cold turkey. I had caffeine withdrawal headaches for 2 weeks. Very painful. That’s why I still say it’s more than just willpower. I’m pretty sure I have strong willpower as I’ve given up many different foods/drinks. But your body does have its way of protesting and physically letting you know its objection to the deprivation of what it is accustomed to enjoying.

In the past I was so addicted to caffeine, I could have some in the evening and have no trouble sleeping. If I have any now, I am wired. There will be no sleeping until it is out of my system. I can really feel the effects on my nerves. It does not feel good.

[jpinpb]

[quote=briansd1]What about coffee addiction?

I find that those who can’t do without coffee are addicted to the stimulant.

In my opinion, any kind of addiction is bad. As a test of will-power, I’ve told some friends to do without coffee… but they can’t even do that.

It seems like human/animal nature is very prone to addiction.[/quote]

I can say that in the past I was definitely addicted to caffeine. I had some physical problems and my doctor told me I had to stop the caffeine, so I did cold turkey. I had caffeine withdrawal headaches for 2 weeks. Very painful. That’s why I still say it’s more than just willpower. I’m pretty sure I have strong willpower as I’ve given up many different foods/drinks. But your body does have its way of protesting and physically letting you know its objection to the deprivation of what it is accustomed to enjoying.

In the past I was so addicted to caffeine, I could have some in the evening and have no trouble sleeping. If I have any now, I am wired. There will be no sleeping until it is out of my system. I can really feel the effects on my nerves. It does not feel good.

[jpinpb]

[quote=briansd1]What about coffee addiction?

I find that those who can’t do without coffee are addicted to the stimulant.

In my opinion, any kind of addiction is bad. As a test of will-power, I’ve told some friends to do without coffee… but they can’t even do that.

It seems like human/animal nature is very prone to addiction.[/quote]

I can say that in the past I was definitely addicted to caffeine. I had some physical problems and my doctor told me I had to stop the caffeine, so I did cold turkey. I had caffeine withdrawal headaches for 2 weeks. Very painful. That’s why I still say it’s more than just willpower. I’m pretty sure I have strong willpower as I’ve given up many different foods/drinks. But your body does have its way of protesting and physically letting you know its objection to the deprivation of what it is accustomed to enjoying.

In the past I was so addicted to caffeine, I could have some in the evening and have no trouble sleeping. If I have any now, I am wired. There will be no sleeping until it is out of my system. I can really feel the effects on my nerves. It does not feel good.

[jpinpb]

[quote=briansd1]What about coffee addiction?

I find that those who can’t do without coffee are addicted to the stimulant.

In my opinion, any kind of addiction is bad. As a test of will-power, I’ve told some friends to do without coffee… but they can’t even do that.

It seems like human/animal nature is very prone to addiction.[/quote]

I can say that in the past I was definitely addicted to caffeine. I had some physical problems and my doctor told me I had to stop the caffeine, so I did cold turkey. I had caffeine withdrawal headaches for 2 weeks. Very painful. That’s why I still say it’s more than just willpower. I’m pretty sure I have strong willpower as I’ve given up many different foods/drinks. But your body does have its way of protesting and physically letting you know its objection to the deprivation of what it is accustomed to enjoying.

In the past I was so addicted to caffeine, I could have some in the evening and have no trouble sleeping. If I have any now, I am wired. There will be no sleeping until it is out of my system. I can really feel the effects on my nerves. It does not feel good.

[briansd1]

[quote=eavesdropper]
Brian, everyone who tries opiates does not become addicted to them. In fact, the great majority of patients who are prescribed opiates, including morphine, for medical conditions have no problems stopping the medication when the condition resolves. There have been an exhaustive number of studies performed that bear this out.

This doesn’t mean that your dad did not enjoy smoking opium. I’m sure the reason he went back several times was because it’s enjoyable. However, like many humans, he did not become addicted to it.
[/quote]

My dad says that it’s all about will-power and strength of character. He says that we kids are weak because we were cuddled too much and have too many emotions messing with our heads. Given that he’s 80 and in excellent health, I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt.

Back during Vietnam, my dad spent several years in Laos. He and his buddies used to smoke opium regularly (not just several times). Of course, they’d drink like fish too. And constant cigarette smoking was perfectly normal.

During that time, Americans, some prominent people as Paul Getty, traveled to Laos to enjoy the pure opium from the Golden Triangle. It it said that Getty moved to England because, thanks of his money, the Brits turned a blind eye and let him import all the opium he needed.

According to my dad, the majority of opium smokers did fine and were able to quit. Some others became hopelessly addicted and substituted some additions for others, as they became available.

Despite my dad’s “addictions” he was always a fully functional, professional person. He was always well-dressed and clean-shaven and never descended to living in a mess.

[quote=eavesdropper]
You know when willpower kicks in? When someone knows, without a doubt, that what they’re drinking/eating/ shooting up is going to kill them.
[/quote]

My dad quit smoking and drinking pretty cold turkey without any professional help because, over the years, he watched his friends get diseased and die.

His health checks out perfectly. He still drinks a cup of coffee in the morning and his only vice now is good steaks.

My dad says that drugs and prostitution should be made legal. People do it anyway, so why fight it?

[briansd1]

[quote=eavesdropper]
Brian, everyone who tries opiates does not become addicted to them. In fact, the great majority of patients who are prescribed opiates, including morphine, for medical conditions have no problems stopping the medication when the condition resolves. There have been an exhaustive number of studies performed that bear this out.

This doesn’t mean that your dad did not enjoy smoking opium. I’m sure the reason he went back several times was because it’s enjoyable. However, like many humans, he did not become addicted to it.
[/quote]

My dad says that it’s all about will-power and strength of character. He says that we kids are weak because we were cuddled too much and have too many emotions messing with our heads. Given that he’s 80 and in excellent health, I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt.

Back during Vietnam, my dad spent several years in Laos. He and his buddies used to smoke opium regularly (not just several times). Of course, they’d drink like fish too. And constant cigarette smoking was perfectly normal.

During that time, Americans, some prominent people as Paul Getty, traveled to Laos to enjoy the pure opium from the Golden Triangle. It it said that Getty moved to England because, thanks of his money, the Brits turned a blind eye and let him import all the opium he needed.

According to my dad, the majority of opium smokers did fine and were able to quit. Some others became hopelessly addicted and substituted some additions for others, as they became available.

Despite my dad’s “addictions” he was always a fully functional, professional person. He was always well-dressed and clean-shaven and never descended to living in a mess.

[quote=eavesdropper]
You know when willpower kicks in? When someone knows, without a doubt, that what they’re drinking/eating/ shooting up is going to kill them.
[/quote]

My dad quit smoking and drinking pretty cold turkey without any professional help because, over the years, he watched his friends get diseased and die.

His health checks out perfectly. He still drinks a cup of coffee in the morning and his only vice now is good steaks.

My dad says that drugs and prostitution should be made legal. People do it anyway, so why fight it?

[briansd1]

[quote=eavesdropper]
Brian, everyone who tries opiates does not become addicted to them. In fact, the great majority of patients who are prescribed opiates, including morphine, for medical conditions have no problems stopping the medication when the condition resolves. There have been an exhaustive number of studies performed that bear this out.

This doesn’t mean that your dad did not enjoy smoking opium. I’m sure the reason he went back several times was because it’s enjoyable. However, like many humans, he did not become addicted to it.
[/quote]

My dad says that it’s all about will-power and strength of character. He says that we kids are weak because we were cuddled too much and have too many emotions messing with our heads. Given that he’s 80 and in excellent health, I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt.

Back during Vietnam, my dad spent several years in Laos. He and his buddies used to smoke opium regularly (not just several times). Of course, they’d drink like fish too. And constant cigarette smoking was perfectly normal.

During that time, Americans, some prominent people as Paul Getty, traveled to Laos to enjoy the pure opium from the Golden Triangle. It it said that Getty moved to England because, thanks of his money, the Brits turned a blind eye and let him import all the opium he needed.

According to my dad, the majority of opium smokers did fine and were able to quit. Some others became hopelessly addicted and substituted some additions for others, as they became available.

Despite my dad’s “addictions” he was always a fully functional, professional person. He was always well-dressed and clean-shaven and never descended to living in a mess.

[quote=eavesdropper]
You know when willpower kicks in? When someone knows, without a doubt, that what they’re drinking/eating/ shooting up is going to kill them.
[/quote]

My dad quit smoking and drinking pretty cold turkey without any professional help because, over the years, he watched his friends get diseased and die.

His health checks out perfectly. He still drinks a cup of coffee in the morning and his only vice now is good steaks.

My dad says that drugs and prostitution should be made legal. People do it anyway, so why fight it?

[briansd1]

[quote=eavesdropper]
Brian, everyone who tries opiates does not become addicted to them. In fact, the great majority of patients who are prescribed opiates, including morphine, for medical conditions have no problems stopping the medication when the condition resolves. There have been an exhaustive number of studies performed that bear this out.

This doesn’t mean that your dad did not enjoy smoking opium. I’m sure the reason he went back several times was because it’s enjoyable. However, like many humans, he did not become addicted to it.
[/quote]

My dad says that it’s all about will-power and strength of character. He says that we kids are weak because we were cuddled too much and have too many emotions messing with our heads. Given that he’s 80 and in excellent health, I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt.

Back during Vietnam, my dad spent several years in Laos. He and his buddies used to smoke opium regularly (not just several times). Of course, they’d drink like fish too. And constant cigarette smoking was perfectly normal.

During that time, Americans, some prominent people as Paul Getty, traveled to Laos to enjoy the pure opium from the Golden Triangle. It it said that Getty moved to England because, thanks of his money, the Brits turned a blind eye and let him import all the opium he needed.

According to my dad, the majority of opium smokers did fine and were able to quit. Some others became hopelessly addicted and substituted some additions for others, as they became available.

Despite my dad’s “addictions” he was always a fully functional, professional person. He was always well-dressed and clean-shaven and never descended to living in a mess.

[quote=eavesdropper]
You know when willpower kicks in? When someone knows, without a doubt, that what they’re drinking/eating/ shooting up is going to kill them.
[/quote]

My dad quit smoking and drinking pretty cold turkey without any professional help because, over the years, he watched his friends get diseased and die.

His health checks out perfectly. He still drinks a cup of coffee in the morning and his only vice now is good steaks.

My dad says that drugs and prostitution should be made legal. People do it anyway, so why fight it?

[Author]

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