Ah yes......drugs! What can I say about drugs?? What can't I say about drugs?? Which drugs are "ok" to talk about and which drugs are meant to be kept for closed door discussions ONLY?? Here is what I have recently discovered about drugs:
Let me start by saying that I believe drugs are impossible to avoid and I don't just mean the illegal ones. Pharmaceutical companies have made their livelihood off of prescription drugs, many of which I personally find, to be more harmful than the illegal ones on the black market. And all you alcohol consumers, cigarette smokers, and coffee drinkers, don't forget...YOU are also among the drug users on this planet! First off let me just give you my brief opinion about why we do drugs. It fits into the same cliche reasons you have probably already heard, but nonetheless, it must be stated. Drugs are an escape. Period the end. Depending up on the state of your mind and what you are looking to escape from, they can take on a variety of different forms and emotions. When you wake up in the morning, and can't shake the "sleepiness", you go for the caffeine. When you have had a long day and you want to "unwind", which is merely secret code for, escape, you reach for the bottle or perhaps something to smoke. When you have surgery and your body aches, you reach for the painkillers. When you have a headache, Tylenol. When you need to sleep, ambien perhaps. When you are having trouble with your partner, viagra. When you suffer from depression, pop a paxil......getting the point??
At this point I would like to make it known that while I think some drugs do serve a useful purpose, I also believe that unless the drugs are used to ease something which is of the greatest pain, like surgery or childbirth, OR to prevent something fatal, then they inevitably cause significant brain damage, body damage, and character decomposition. I have seen it in my life and in the lives of others around me...when the drugs become a crutch, when you can't sort out the hardships of your life and you continue to rely on substances rather than your own self, the results are painful to observe.
I only speak from my own experiences here and those of the people who i have discussed and/or shared this discussion with, so I am not preaching to stop taking drugs altogether. However, the purpose in me writing this, other than the obvious catharsis, is to allow you to take a look at yourself and decide where you stand with relation to drugs. Do they own you, or do you own them? And I mean that both literally and figuratively speaking. If they own you, then I invite you to explore the world of sobriety. Talk to people you trust about it, your friends and family are a good starting point. If you own them, I invite you to investigate just why you own them? What are your reasons and motivations for having them? How do they affect your body, your character, and your overall quality of life? Do you NEED them to make it through a day or a week? Again, if you are taking drugs to prevent fatality, clearly you are the exception and not the rule!
When talking about drugs, you obviously have to recognize that there are certain drugs that are more harmful than others. Someone who has a caffeine addiction is clearly in a better position than someone who habitually uses cocaine. However, there is one misconception floating around that I would like to address before I exit this blog and that is the one asscociated with pharmaceutical drugs. People seem to think that if the big companies and the FDA say its ok, then that makes it just swell! This couldn't be farther from the truth. In fact, many of these drugs: ritalin, aderoll, klonopin, vicodin, and others can have tremendous effects on the body and mind..some effects which are far worse than the illegal street drugs which everyone always assumes are the worst of the bunch. This being said, just make sure you do the research the next time you are about to take a prescription drug from anyone, including your doctor. Ask questions, read the literature, and do the footwork, because after all, it's you life!
As I stated in the beginning of this rant, drugs are an escape. The world is a cruel and cold place and doesn't appear to be getting any more compassionate, so naturally, we are always trying to escape, myself included. However, what we need is an open discussion about drugs among parents, friends, children, congressmen, doctors, pharmaceutical companies, and others if we wish to truly understand what drugs are doing to us as people and as a species. Unfortunately there is too much negativity in the world and too much money at stake, and the selfish desires of humans usually take precedence over any issues of character of moral righteousness. So I leave this blog with a quote from Tolkien for all to ponder:
"So do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us."
