dopetalk
Core Topics => Treatment, Recovery and Rehabilitation => Topic started by: Chip on October 26, 2015, 04:21:55 AM
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for source and more graphics, go to: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-10-23/wa-ice-addicts-tell-of-devastation-drug-has-wrought-on-lives/6879202
Ice addicts tell of motivation to get off drugs
(https://forum.drugs-and-users.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abc.net.au%2Fnews%2Fimage%2F6879930-3x2-340x227.jpg&hash=91e5fc592ef86d33c56adcf3eafa6f39e07e17db)
Former ice addict Baymis wants to be a good role model for his children.
Baymis used ice as a way to deal with his emotions, and even a stint in jail did nothing to curb his addiction.
As Western Australia grapples with the highest incidence of ice usage in the nation, the demand for ice or crystal meth is rising, according to Police Commissioner Karl O'Callaghan.
Like many addicts, Baymis switched from smoking the drug to injecting it following a ban on smoking implements.
Baymis is now living at the rehabilitation centre Palmerston Farm, south of Perth, where ice addicts have outnumbered alcoholics for the first time.
He had been using crystal meth nearly every day for up to eight years, after first being introduced to it by a workmate, and described it as the worst decision of his life.
"When you're on it, you don't really have a choice with what you think," he said.
"Everything else comes second.
"Whenever I was upset, I'd always try and make myself feel better because I didn't understand my emotions, so I just used it to regulate my emotions I think and take away all responsibility that I have, like, on anything."
Baymis committed a crime which sent him to prison for nine months and he continued to use while inside.
"[I was] constantly thinking about it, constantly having it in your thoughts," he said.
"All the time and effort it takes up, just to actually hold on until you get it - it's unbearable."
My kids made me stop: addict
Addiction caused him to lose his job and led to the demise of two relationships.
Both girlfriends and other friends and family members told him to stop, but he ignored all of them.
It was only when Baymis was warned he was going to lose access to his kids, that he decided he had to.
"My four children, they look up to me, they need a good positive role model in their life and I never had that as a child, growing up, so I thought 'perfect timing - give my kids what I never had'," he said.
Now he wants to stay clean, and Palmerston Farm has shown him the way to do it.
"My aim is to actually get a job during my time here so I'll have something to go back to, because if you go straight back into old environments, old lifestyles, you find it hard no matter how much you've learnt," he said.
"You've got to change your social network so you can't be with friends who you used to use with because they just drag you back down."
His mother died recently, and Baymis said being resident at Palmerston enabled him to deal with it without resorting to drugs.
"If I hadn't been here for two months prior to it, I probably would've just went out and used it as an excuse like I've done before," he said.
"Actually her last words to me were that she was proud of me."
Synthetic cannabis was gateway to meth
Levi, 23, lost his job after erratic behaviour at work led to a drug test, exposing his meth addiction.
"I lost every single relationship, my job and everything I'd built and had worth on," he said.
"It's time to change now because I can't afford to live that way anymore."
Police Commissioner Karl O'Callaghan said ice impacted every aspect of people's lives.
"I think it can be described as an epidemic," he said.
"There's never been such a big focus on one single drug, certainly in the time I've been a police officer and the time I've been Police Commissioner."
For Levi, synthetic cannabis acted as a gateway drug.
"I started on synthetic cannabis around 17, and it got gradually and gradually worse and methamphetamine was introduced to me start of this year," he said.
"And the first time I had that I thought 'wow, I could go a lot more crazier than I did on that previous stuff'.
"Isolation, depression and anxiety were kicking in, and there was no longer that I could afford to feed the habit and my moral compass was compromised."
Baymis and Levi think the Palmerston centre is the best model for helping people get over addictions.
CEO Shelia McHale said residents ran the facility.
"They plan the menus, they do the cooking they understand nutrition, they start to understand the importance of healthy eating," she sad.
"They're the sorts of building blocks we try and focus on to help them start to feel better, to get better and to be able to live a normal life again."
Meth overtaking alcohol at rehab centre
Palmerston recently passed a grim milestone, as the number of alcoholics being treated was overtaken by drug addicts for the first time in its 35 year history.
"Looking at the data only for the last month, we are seeing now methamphetamine overtaking alcohol," she said.
"I wouldn't say that's going to be the trend necessarily, but certainly over the last two years, we've seen meth creeping up there and it is certainly on a par with alcohol."
Ms McHale said full rehabilitation can be a long haul.
"Something like a residential program is a very good response to somebody with significant meth issues," he said.
She said meth addiction had cut across society.
"Men, women, young, 30s, 40s, from all walks of life so we may have professional people here, we may have tradespeople, we may have fly in, fly out people.
"It typically doesn't discriminate."
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You can always tell when an article is written by someone who has loittle or no first hand or is even close to an "addict." the articles are almsot boilerplate.
With the world in a so-called "epidemic" of drug use you'd think they could find a reporter who actually knew a little bit about what they are covering. That article offered no real insights to the "addict's" mind or WHY he made the choice to continue using and the obvious truth we sll know; you don't really stop using until you are ready to stop using.
Thanks for sharing. I just find it a little depressing that a subject everyone seems to agree is so important gets an article writtne like a high school English paper about the First World War. Meaning, the writer wasn't bringing anything new to the reader, just rehashing the aaccepted truisms about drugs and addiction.
And no, synthetic marijuana is not a "gateway drug" to ice any more than milk is to vodka.
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i wonder if the percentile of the population that uses crsytal meth has changed much ?
it's going deeper underground as the laws tighten up. I know they think that they are helping but not in the right way.
it's clear that this drug will addict certain personality types and usually, an addiction is the last thing that they need.
but i live in hope that people can have a safer choice: use and do it legally and safely or abstain altogether.
it's also easy to eventually get sick of a drug that makes you feel worse upon cessation.
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When I read these articles from Oz that you post, Chipper, I always read them with an Ozzie accent in my head,
"oice eddicts outnumbah ailka-hole-icks for the furst toim evah."
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When I read these articles from Oz that you post, Chipper, I always read them with an Ozzie accent in my head,
"oice eddicts outnumbah ailka-hole-icks for the furst toim evah."
that's funny and odd considering that i do not hear an american accent when reading yours though i do love a slow southern drawl (either coast).
IYWW (If You Were Wondering), i personally have a Oz+NZ fusion accent thing going on, bro'/mate.
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Anyone from south of VA would say I sound like a yankee, but someone from NY or NJ would say I sound like a southern redneck.
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I am pure "D" southern gal. Think any woman on Hee Haw or Reese Witherspoon in "Sweet Home Alabama"( is that the right movie name?). Folks probably assume I'm slow or stupid when they hear me, however, I graduated high school when I was 15.
And to not derail too far, my daughter is all caught up in the ice/needle epidemic. She can stop for four or five days then right back to it like a magnet too strong to resist. I've done the drug, but it is the opposite of what I wanted even when I was using recreationally. So I think it is definitely a personality that is suited to this particular drug. I didn't like it when I was high. But I had a decade long love affair with crack, very different imo.
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i wonder if the percentile of the population that uses crsytal meth has changed much ?
it's going deeper underground as the laws tighten up. I know they think that they are helping but not in the right way.
it's clear that this drug will addict certain personality types and usually, an addiction is the last thing that they need.
but i live in hope that people can have a safer choice: use and do it legally and safely or abstain altogether.
it's also easy to eventually get sick of a drug that makes you feel worse upon cessation.
Agree Chipper
Give them enough rope to hang thereselfs so to say
but if they could focus on other parts of there life
then just maybe some progress
Scoring can be a full time job with plenty of overtime
We have tryed the people who have never done drugs ways
For 50 odd years
STILL NOT GETTING THAT SQUARE PEG INTO THE ROUND HOLE.
You are from the future tell me whats tommrow like
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I am pure "D" southern gal. Think any woman on Hee Haw or Reese Witherspoon in "Sweet Home Alabama"( is that the right movie name?). Folks probably assume I'm slow or stupid when they hear me, however, I graduated high school when I was 15.
And to not derail too far, my daughter is all caught up in the ice/needle epidemic. She can stop for four or five days then right back to it like a magnet too strong to resist. I've done the drug, but it is the opposite of what I wanted even when I was using recreationally. So I think it is definitely a personality that is suited to this particular drug. I didn't like it when I was high. But I had a decade long love affair with crack, very different imo.
Really two differnt drugs
crack take a xanax go to sleep
Ice do some awake for days the rushes are
even differnt.
Just cause you are from the south
(yes correct movie name)
HeAd graduated right after her 17th birthday
and was in Tulane shortly after
No roaming around europe for a year
she was/is an extramly driven girl.
and does not fit your typical girl type
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it's clear that this drug will addict certain personality types and usually, an addiction is the last thing that they need.
What kind of "personality types?" Just curious of your opinion.
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those that want to feel energised and almost instant gratification.
the addiction doesn't discriminate, poor and rich.
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I know it doesn't discriminate. I was just curious if you had your own theory of the "clear personality types" that typically get involved with tweak.
I noticed bamapaingurl mentioned the same thing about certain personality types.
The statement just peaked my curiosity.
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apologies on the discrimation.
lots of unsavoury types too.
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I found myself getting gripped by it pre Katrina.
Had it not been for the storm.
Who knows
Was getting the eight balls
That looked like rock candy.
Not a thing to stay up
four for (4)days.
This not a drug for any one with
Ocd
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apologies on the discrimation.
lots of unsavoury types too.
No discrimination was noted, I'm not upset by any statements haha...but I do notice the trend of unsavory types within that community.
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apologies on the discrimation.
lots of unsavoury types too.
No discrimination was noted, I'm not upset by any statements haha...but I do notice the trend of unsavory types within that community.
Four some reason I haven had much luck with twekers
We really with any drug use
It just seems more so with tweekers
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Hero,
What you said about crack, exactly. For me crack is almost a downer (almost). But meth? Oh no! And I have noticed many people on the spectrum, autism...aspergers...severe adhd are far more likely to catch a bad habit. Almost like it soothes something in their brains. Not sure what, but I am sure it would warrant further research in a medical setting and they could probably pin it down and use the info to effectively treat these personality types. Jmo, though.
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I don't mix with meth. users except a couple in my inner circle.
tweakers are far too problematic and that's why I am much of a recluse and prefer those that use opiates - the camerarderie is so much more real.
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Hero,
What you said about crack, exactly. For me crack is almost a downer (almost). But meth? Oh no! And I have noticed many people on the spectrum, autism...aspergers...severe adhd are far more likely to catch a bad habit. Almost like it soothes something in their brains. Not sure what, but I am sure it would warrant further research in a medical setting and they could probably pin it down and use the info to effectively treat these personality types. Jmo, though.
This is something I've often wondered about. Autistic people getting into drugs. My son is about in the middle of the spectrum, with some significant social difficulties. They had him on Ritalin at one point, but I took about half of his prescription (did this to the ex-wife too, 'cos she was on it). I think giving Ritalin to susceptible individuals early in life primes their brains for addiction to cocaine and amphetamines.
I don't think he'd ever have the ability to go out and interact with a drug dealer but you never know...He's twelve now, so starting to get to the age where I began using drugs. His mother was a raging alcoholic at one point in her life too. So he has a double-dose of "addict" genes.
I used to get totally geeked out for like 12 hours after smoking crack (back in the early-mid 90's) but nowadays, I can fall asleep a couple hours after my last hit. No heroin, benzos, or alcohol necessary. Maybe the shit I was getting in DC and Richmond back then was cut with speed or something? Or maybe my nervous system has been damaged to the point that cocaine doesn't do what it used to do to me.
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I hate ice but man do I love me some Addies. I probably wouldn't want to over-medicate my kid, I would have to take some of their script to keep them safe, you know.
(Obviously I am kidding I would never take half my child's meds)
(I would take them all)
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This is something I've often wondered about. Autistic people getting into drugs. My son is about in the middle of the spectrum, with some significant social difficulties. They had him on Ritalin at one point, but I took about half of his prescription (did this to the ex-wife too, 'cos she was on it). I think giving Ritalin to susceptible individuals early in life primes their brains for addiction to cocaine and amphetamines.
I don't think he'd ever have the ability to go out and interact with a drug dealer but you never know...He's twelve now, so starting to get to the age where I began using drugs. His mother was a raging alcoholic at one point in her life too. So he has a double-dose of "addict" genes.
I used to get totally geeked out for like 12 hours after smoking crack (back in the early-mid 90's) but nowadays, I can fall asleep a couple hours after my last hit. No heroin, benzos, or alcohol necessary. Maybe the shit I was getting in DC and Richmond back then was cut with speed or something? Or maybe my nervous system has been damaged to the point that cocaine doesn't do what it used to do to me.
I hope your son never even thinks about drugs, but the reality is I've seen roughly 75+% of the people on the spectrum in my life, self medicate. More and more with meth-amphetamines. It causes some very scary personality changes especially when they are still taking their mood altering meds. Like any other situation with our kids,all we can do is watch their behaviors, talk to them and hope and pray! I've seen quite a few socially blocked people break that just for drugs. Not trying to sound all doom and gloom here,sorry, just sharing my experiences.