I know a lot of you stumbled on this site and hate it. You get infuriated when you read it. You think that I’m killing people with my words. You think I’m just ignoring scientific truths. You think I just enjoy putting down AA. You think I’m in this for the money (Lol!).
Well, whatever. It’s not ideal, but I’m ok with being hated. I’ve come to peace with the stream of hate mail. I’m ok with you clicking away from this site. But why don’t you give someone else a chance.
Carl Hart Phd is a neuroscientist, drug researcher, and Columbia University professor with 25 years of research under his belt. He wrote a book a few years ago that was fantastic. He discusses some of his research in it. He doesn’t really get into discussing treatment or support groups. He seems most concerned with spreading truth about the effects of drugs. He wants to undo the misinformation.
For example, remember the crack movies of the 80’s & 90’s? Chris Rock as Pookie, the “crackhead” in New Jack City was a well known stereotype back then. People believed that if you took one hit of crack, you would instantly become addicted, and turn into a character like Pookie. Well, it wasn’t true. Carl discusses that in the article I’m going to link to. He discusses a lot more too. I hope you’ll give him a fair hearing.
Here’s a taste:
I was trying to understand how crack cocaine users would respond when presented with a choice between the drug and an “alternative reinforcer”—or another type of reward, in this case, cash money. Would anything else seem valuable to them? In a calm, laboratory setting, where the participants lived in a locked ward and had a chance to earn more than they usually could on the street, would they take every dose of crack, even small ones, or would they be selective about getting high? Would merchandise vouchers be as effective as cash in altering their behavior? What would affect their choices?
Before I’d become a researcher, these weren’t even questions that I would think to ask. These were drug addicts, I would have said. No matter what, they’d do anything to get to take as much drugs as often as possible.
…..Not one of them crawled on the floor, picking up random white particles and trying to smoke them. Not one was ranting or raving. No one was begging for more, either—and absolutely none of the cocaine users I studied ever became violent.
Follow this link to a bigger, more informative excerpt from High Price by Dr Carl Hart! Do it! Go now! Truth is empowering!
Science is defined as “knowledge.” I’ve always assumed scientists are smarter than I am, because they have university degrees and a bunch of letters after their names. I acknowledge that they must have higher intelligence quotients (IQs) than I do, but does that make them right about everything? What can uneducated people do if they don’t agree with so-called scientific conclusions about a given topic? Research!
Scientific study is research. I’m not a scientist, but I’m going to attempt to “scientifically analyze” my drinking problem using the basic proce-dure high-school science students are taught: O.P.E.C. (not the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Companies!).
The O.P.E.C. procedure is:
1. Observe – check out the question or problem
2. Predict – hypothesize (make a good guess)
3. Experiment – is my guess correct?
4. Conclude – put the pieces together to figure out what’s really going on
By using the OPEC method, I can look back and record my experience objectively (treating or dealing with facts without distortion by my personal feelings or prejudices). I’ve realized that for most of my life I have made decisions based on how I feel. Because feelings change, I decided I needed to analyze my life — and my “alcoholism”—objectively. And because I don’t agree with the experts about alcoholism being a disease, I decided to be as scientific as possible.
O.P.E.C. ANALYSIS NO. 1 — RECOVERY/REHABILITATION
THE PROBLEM: When I finally reached the point of being sick and tired of being sick and tired of hangovers, violent fights with my husband, loss of self-respect, and the lack of willpower to change my life, there was only one possible solution for me at the time — in-patient rehab.
OBSERVATION:
I’m addicted to alcohol.
I’m a victim of my disease.
The medical doctor’s diagnosis was “acute brain disorder.” The diagnosis was necessary for insurance coverage for in-house treatment.
PREDICTION:
I’m going to die an alcoholic if I don’t change my thinking and behavior — I must ABSTAIN from drinking!
EXPERIMENT:
: : Stopped drinking after first AA meeting.
: : Craved alcohol; couldn’t go without it; too painful — started drinking again.
: : Volunteered for in-patient treatment: dried-out, ingested mega doses of vitamin B-complex and orange juice.
: : Indoctrination and written exercises in 12-step “therapy” for my disease; and physical/recreational therapy (walked the hospital hallways and painted Christmas ornaments).
: : Participated in daily group therapy sessions with psychologist and other disease victims to explore events of the past to determine the cause of my disease — talked, talked, talked about my feelings because someone was willing to listen.
: : Voluntarily used prescription drug Antabuse (disulfiram) as insurance for not drinking.
: : Attended AA weekly meetings regularly to receive peer support for sobriety (30 meetings in 30 days upon release) — conformed to the program.
: : Followed 12-steps to change my thinking (spiritual awakening) and worked to remove my character defects.
: : Turned my life over to a higher power of my choice to obtain necessary strength to stay on path of recovery for the rest of my natural life.
: : Was willing to engage in cognitive (thinking) psychotherapy (if necessary) to prevent relapse.
CONCLUSION:
: : I am an alcoholic.
: : Alcoholism is a disease with no cure.
: : I must abstain from alcohol to avoid instant relapse — reactivation of my addiction. My brain remembers when I had my last drink, and it’s waiting to be triggered.
: : Abstinence is only possible by attending AA meetings, and having a sponsor to guide and support my recovery by working the 12-steps.
: : There is power in sobriety — I am master of my fate as long as I follow the AA way of sobriety.
: : Morality is judged by sobriety; the longer I am sober the more morally superior I am — my self-esteem and self-respect levels increase.
: : My recovery and sobriety must be at the center of all decisions I make for changes in my lifestyle. No major lifestyle changes should be made for the first year — I must first adjust to sobriety and train myself to live sober.
: : If I slip or relapse, I must begin recovery again at square one.
: : I will swallow Antabuse daily as insurance – I fear the severe physical side effects resulting from mixing alcohol with the drug.
: : I miss my Myer’s Rum — I crave the taste.
: : Life is boring.
: : I “recovered” my sobriety and acquired a new fear — fear that I would relapse.
: : I will ultimately die an alcoholic — I have an incurable disease!
O.P.E.C. ANALYSIS NO. 2 – HEALED BY FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST
THE PROBLEM: I’m sober, but I’m angry all the time. My marriage is still on the rocks. I fear relapse. My family is obsessed with Jesus! Life is dull and colorless. No pleasure! No fun! Is this all there is? I want more! I want peace! I … I … I!
OBSERVATION:
O.P.E.C. ANALYSIS NO. 2
HEALED BY FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST
THE PROBLEM: I’m sober, but I’m angry all the time. My marriage is still on the rocks. I fear relapse. My family is obsessed with Jesus! Life is dull and colorless. No pleasure! No fun! Is this all there is? I want more! I want peace! I … I … I!
OBSERVATION:
: : God says I am a sinner, spiritually dead and eternally separated from Him.
: : My addiction is a symptom of my sin nature.
: : He has a plan for redeeming my life for His purpose.
: : He promises more than “sobriety” — He promises new life!
PREDICTION:
: : If I believe in His Son, Jesus Christ, as the complete payment for my sinful state, my life will change for forever …
: : My disease of sin will be healed if I surrender my life to Jesus.
EXPERIMENT:
: : God called me by name and simply said: “Accept My Son.”
: : I responded reluctantly, obediently: “Okay, I accept Your Son!”
: : Agreed to go to church with my husband two weeks later — somehow I knew I must “surrender” to the “urge.”
: : Heard and understood the pastor’s message of God’s love for me, and His plan of salvation, as though he was speaking directly and only to me.
: : Became emotionally overwhelmed by God’s message of love, forgiveness and acceptance.
: : Left the building with profound hope and strong, irresistible desire for more of God’s Word; went directly to tape library to sign-up.
: : Stopped ingesting Antabuse the next day — no craving or desire for rum.
: : Attended Sunday morning, Sunday and Thursday night services every week thereafter.
: : Recorded/transcribed Bible lessons.
: : Listened to my pastor on the radio every day.
: : Irresistible urge to tell everyone about salvation by faith in Jesus.
CONCLUSION:
: : God was right!
: : God IS right! I am a sinner saved by His mercy and grace.
: : I am forever a new, spiritual creation in Christ! The old is gone, the new has come! (And it still keeps coming!)
: : Perfect love casts out fear!
: : God is Love!
There you have the OPEC analysis …
“For I know the Plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, And I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me
when you seek Me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity.”
Using the “scientific” OPEC method helped me to clarify the differences between man’s “recovery” and God’s sanctification.
Recovery (as it relates to addiction) is a medical term and is limited to the physical/material body (the flesh). Recovery is what we do for ourselves — working hard to abstain from addictive behavior.
Sanctification is what God (the Father, Son and Holy Spirit) does for us — helping us to abstain from sin. God is preparing our immortal souls for eternity with Him.
Are you in recovery or in Jesus?
Are you following the crowd or are you following Jesus?
Are you being conformed into the image and likeness of Jesus?
“Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
But we all … are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”
2 CORINTHIANS 3:17-18 NKJV
Okay, so let’stand offer an alternative OPEC.
THE PROBLEM: I am drunk so often and so deeply that I alienate and frighten my family, I cause myself health problems, and I end up ultimately committing an act I find so vile I contemplate suicide.
OBSERVATION: the act of engaging in overuse of alcohol is destroying everything I have hoped to gain in life.
I need to act to change this problem.
PREDICTION: if I make the decision to take responsibility not only for my excessive drinking, but also for healing the deficits in my life that I was attempting to compensate for using alcohol, I will be able to make appropriate choices about alcohol use that will not harm me or the life I build for myself.
EXPERIMENT: I attended cognitive therapy to learn how people make decisions and how to properly reinforce the decisions I make behaviorally. I also began to widen my social contact with reliable, compassionate people. I began to take over more household duties and I gained employment to boost my self esteem and help me feel like a contributor. I decided to pursue higher education in order to stimulate my mind and be rewarded by my accomplishments. I also decided on a hobby subject for personal enjoyment (History of the English Monarchy). I got a dog to provide me companionship and exercise. I became active in trauma victim/survivor advocacy.
CONCLUSION: I really don’t want to drink. I don’t have cravings. I am currently at a place where I am frightened to do so because I know that drinking to excess would destroy everything I have carefully, laboriously built and cultivated. My decision is to not get drunk for a year and a half. I am not sure that it will ever be worth it to me to revisit inebriation. I have built a life that is infinitely more rewarding than the one I had before, and I cannot conceive of how drinking could make it better. I do know it could tear it all down.
Another effect of this decision is that if I ever question myself, my first reaction is to ask what I feel is missing in my life, not to reach for a bottle.
I don’t know Jesus. He certainly didn’t do all this work for me. I did, and that is why it was valuable to me. I am not recovering from “alcoholism.” I am recovering from serious deficits in decision making and life building. You don’t need to have abused a substance to have that problem.
I do think it’s important to note the even severe drug addicts have not lost complete control of their ability to make choices. The addicts in the study were able to take the money instead of the drug. They were not compelled to use the drug.
But this is not the same as saying their substance use doesn’t affect their ability to make rational decisions at all. Those are two different things.
If Dr. Hart had performed the same experiment with non users, gave them the choice of $ or the drug, outside of those that thought they would like to try the drug he’d have an almost 100% result of taking the $. The control group of non users vs user would show dramatically different results. And wouldn’t that then prove that the users decision making ability was impaired compared to the “normal” control group? Impaired but not controlled.
Hmm, I’m not exactly sure what you mean. Are you talking about people who have never even tried the drug?