There is a pretty good book about this called Methland that I read and really enjoyed some time ago.

The two big factors from the authors research was the terrible economy, and the fact that meth is crazy easy to make and gets you insanely high for days.

I FEEL THE NEED TO HIJACK THIS TO PLUG HIS GREAT BOOK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Drugs-Without-Minimising-Harms-Illegal/dp/1906860165

I don't know how many of you guys have read the book Methland but it's about Oelwein, Iowa, one of the Midwest's meth capitals for the last 35 or so years. I lived about 10 miles from Oelwein until I moved to college this year. I read the book a couple years ago, and the story that stuck with me was about a meth cook. A guy named Roland Jarvis. He was high as hell, and got paranoid, started seeing snipers in the trees (decapitated heads, no bodies mind you), and helicopters in the sky. He got scared he'd get caught with a meth lab. So he blew it up. When the shit involved in a good sized meth lab goes up in flames, it's pretty goddamned hot.

So this crazed bastard runs outside screaming. He feels strange, and starts pulling at the skin of his arms. It's melting off of him. No shit, he was burning alive so goddamned hot that his nerves instantly melted and he didn't even know he was on fire. He starts screaming "Kill me! Somebody fucking kill me!" and pulling at his melting flesh. Cops can't shoot him, no one can really help him. He gets himself put out, still begging to die, and the EMTs show up and get him to the hospital. He's horribly disfigured, but lives through this and tells the author about it.
Last summer, I'm working in a hog confinement with a former local cop who lost his job(s) for DUIs. Turns out, he was not only on duty that day in Oelwein but was first on the scene. The cop turned swine manager told us it was the funniest fucking thing he ever saw.

TL;DR: I worked with a sadistic former cop who watched a man burn alive after blowing up his meth house.

Hit trees and nothing else. You can do it man!

Also, this is a good book to read - makes you not want to smoke cigarettes. Ever.
Easy way to stop smoking

In case anyone is wondering, (and if I recall correctly) that second link was assessed and compiled by experts, in part by David Nutt. He brings it up in his book Drugs Without the Hot Air.

His stance is that we should reclassify drugs on rationally and not knee-jerk "tough on crime/drugs" ideologies, that we should approach in a harm-reduction type manner (even going so far as imagining substituting less-harmful drugs for alcohol). I had the same point of view before reading the book, but he really does a good job at explaining and rationalising it, and brings a lot of expertise to the discussion.

Yes, lets. Because I hadn't noticed the Greek austerity defense piece (until you pointed it out) but I certainly did notice that the overall slant of the SSDI piece was to portray SSDI as welfare.

Here's something else I noticed. The week after Planet Money's SSDI piece, the NYT did their own SSDI piece, also going to a town with a disproportionate number of people on SSDI. And found something entirely different. They didn't find under-educated people using SSDI as a way to make up for the loss of manufacturing jobs in America, they found a non-union workplace thumbing its nose at OSHA and ignoring its suppliers' own MSDS warnings, and resultingly crippling every single assembly line worker in as little as a year on the line.

This didn't surprise me, because I also read Nick Reding's Methland, and one of its primary findings was that every major meth epidemic in America can be traced back to a non-union workforce with poor ergonomics or other safety risks, no paid sick leave, and little or no health care; that the first people to bring huge amounts of meth to a town are injured workers who have to find some way to work through the pain if they want to keep their jobs. Earlier reporting found the same thing about opiate pill mills.

I see no evidence that Alternet's columnist is right in suggesting that Planet Money gets this wrong on purpose, no evidence that this is some kind of conspiracy to suck up to rich potential sponsors. Given Planet Money's willingness to go after various sacred cows (I should say, by the way, that I am a huge fan of the show) I assume that it's not. But it does say something about the biases of the show that, to Planet Money, given a choice between looking for evidence that American employers are crippling unusually high percentages of their workers through neglected safety measures combined with over-work or looking for evidence that somebody, however well meaning, is organizing mass welfare fraud, Planet Money's reporters went looking for the latter.

Listen I am the partner of 22 years to a porn addict. I wouldn't wish this Hellish life on my worst enemy.

There is a hugo huge difference between a casual user and a on-line digital sexaholic. It's the difference between going to the bar and having a glass of wine, and a dead drunk black-out alcoholic. You have gotten yourself involved with a straight up hard core addict. He is just as addicted as if he were shooting meth several times a day, that's how hard it is to quit and become sober.

​His mating instinct is so fucked up, his ability to maintain emotional monogamy is non-existent. He is addicted to the constant novelty of new lust-able images at the click of a mouse, so much so that a live face to face willing partner can never ever compete. The ability of being able to hold his erection in a state of constant readiness is nothing a normal sexual encounter can mimic. The ejaculation happening at the exact moment his brain is flooded with dopamine is unmatched in his pleasure centers. For the addict, there is nothing in this world like it.

I have no doubt he is a wonderful person. Loving, kind, attentive, fun to be around..just about all sexaholics I know are. I should know, I fell in love with one myself. I ignored all the signs, I had no clue porn addiction even existed all those years ago. Had I known then what I know now, I would have run like Mother Fucking Hell in the opposite direction. I wasted my youth, beauty ...the prime sexual years of my life on a man who couldn't even see me as anything more then an object. Shit sexaholics don't see any female as anything more then objects, it's the nature of the disease.

Sexaholism is best described as a progressive intimacy disorder characterized by compulsive sexual thoughts and acts. Like all addictions, its negative impact on the addict and on family members increases as the disorder progresses. Over time, one usually has to intensify the addictive behavior to achieve the same results

Often, people with sex addiction aren’t very good about providing emotional and intimacy investment in their partners. They try and normalize their lack of physical and emotional availability in order to avoid the blatant reality that their addiction is driven by a chronic inability to cultivate authentic attachment to others. Living through the trauma of repeated infidelity poses risks to your emotional and physical health, and being gaslit by someone with sex addiction can result in a PTSD-like trauma.

Until my psychologist asked me how I was dealing with the reverberations of trauma. I retorted, “what trauma… that was his problem…” but just as those words escaped my mouth I began to realize the ways in which I’d been impacted by my ex-husband’s addiction. It took nearly five years of personal therapeutic work for me to learn new scripts of intimacy in partnership, scripts that were centered on mutual love, unconditional positive regard, and authentic community:

He will not ever be able to get sober until he hits his personal rock bottom. Usually that about the time his dick hits erectile dysfunction and he can't get it up any more. You see, they masturbate so much, they expand the blood vessels and the blood pools rather then inflates. You stick around long enough, you'll get to enjoy that perk.

People here who are warning you of the ups and downs are not just saying that. Right now he is all good intentions, but he is white knuckling it. The withdrawals are massive and his willpower is not going to last. He is powerless over lust. There is not one damn thing you can do in this whole wide world to help him. There is almost a 110 percent chance he is going to relapse and relapse hard. You may or may not know. It won't matter how understanding and supportive you are, or are not. This addiction is totally not about you.

We say it is cancer of the brain. As such, you need to attack it as if it is life threatening. With all the help you can get. I am going to give you links towards that end. Maybe he will look at them and choose to use them. Know that you cannot make him, this has to be his journey, using his gas.

There is a link to S-anon for you. Check it out and find a meeting. Without that 12 step group I wouldn't be in my relationship and sane.

If you want to explore a real life situation from a man's point of view, check out these You Tube video's from Terry Crews, there are several of them, They helped me decide to stay with my partner and work thru our problems. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4krRkO4sHc

​

If you decide to stay and work on your relationship, I have several suggestions.

​

First try to see a CSAT counsler, a specialist in addiction therapy, for both the addict and the partner of the addict. Having someone explain the intricacies of the disease, how it effects the brain, and what it takes to beat it is they only way to understand what you both are faced with. https://www.sexhelp.com/am-i-a-sex-addict/

​

A recovery treatment center: http://www.lifestarnetwork.com/

​

There are SAA meetings for your partner if they wants to quit or control their habit https://saa-recovery.org/Meetings/UnitedStates/

​

On-line here is a recovery worksheet for your partner: https://www.smartrecovery.org/smart-recovery-toolbox/ On-line program for the SA: https://www.drglover.com/tpi-university/sons-of-ulysses.html

​

Here is a good article about 12 step programs, it talks about AA and drug programs, but sexaholism is right there with them: http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2018/08/24/to-ben-affleck-and-other-addicts-heres-my-message-to-from-one-alcoholic-to-another.html

​

There are S-Anon meetings for the partners or family members of addicts, very helpful in getting you over your self doubt. http://www.sanon.org/find-a-meeting/s-anon-meeting-locations-united-states/ OR SLAA https://slaafws.org/

​

Also do a little reading, get the book Out of the Shadows, by Patrick Carnes. It will give you a real life view of what a sexaholic faces on the road to recovery. Another good book: https://www.amazon.com/What-Can-Do-About-Me-ebook/dp/B00AVBERGG

​

If you want to block XXX sites from your computer Here is a simple way to do so: https://cleanbrowsing.org/for-adults Or this is considered the best: K9 Web Protection: http://www1.k9webprotection.com

Blocking porn on your computer:

https://www.reddit.com/r/pornfree/comments/9ueez4/a_comprehensive_guide_to_blocking_porn_on_your/

​

Here is an app for your partners phone: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.androidapp.watchme

​

Here is a good resource for learning about stopping this in in your life. https://www.reddit.com/r/pornfree/comments/2mfxyi/concrete_tips_for_staying_away_from_porn/

​

Here is a reddit sub for addicts r/pornfree Podcasts: https://recoveredman.com/category/pfr/ Magazine for addicts: The Fix https://www.thefix.com/search/site/porn?page=11 Porn Reboot: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbqaPKeiNW6R6LECHwQkRug Hypnosis for porn: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmpwZf5Rono

​

​

Good luck, Andrew. If you haven't read it, I recommend Allen Carr's Easy Way to Stop Smoking.

>Kevin Sabet, president of Smart Approaches to Marijuana

Hrm, who is Kevin Sabet exactly?

He wrote this book: Reefer Sanity: Seven Great Myths About Marijuana What is it about?

>In this book, Kevin A. Sabet argues that the United States should not legalize pot with all of its attendant social costs, nor damage the future prospects of pot smokers by prosecuting and jailing them.

Oh.

Well, at least the Smart Approaches to Marijuana organization isn't so bad, right?

Who are it's notable members and founders?

>David Frum, Patrick J. Kennedy, Kevin Sabet

Oh.

A bunch of conservative assholes who shill for big prison and other despicable shit.

https://www.amazon.com/Novel-Short-Story-Writers-Market/dp/1440347751

This may be what you need.

Oh good god, this subject annoys the shit out of me.

1. Medicinal benefits of many currently illegal drugs for both physical and mental illnesses - many of which our range of currently available treatments is SEVERELY lacking. We're not allowed to use stuff we know works.
   
   
2. Agency, if you choose to smoke, knowing the risks - you should be able to, it's your body (obviously caveats here about reasonable things like banning it in cars with kids etc - at that point you're harming someone else)
   
   
3. Counterproductive creations of black markets. Make drugs illegal - a drug dealer will step in to fill that supply-demand gap in the market. People are always gonna do drugs, which means they're going to:
   
   

• A) find themselves dealing with organised criminals or similar, sometimes at great risk to themselves and
  
• B) The black market means that there's no regulation - and of course illegal drug producers will cut drugs with really nasty shit if it means extra profit.
  
  

4. Criminalisation and the justice system. We are creating hardened criminals out of people who have committed relatively pathetic acts of "crime" with drugs. We take someone who is a normal person, we throw them in prison - and... do you think that's gonna help? Which leads me onto....
   
   
5. Addiction and Mental Health. Our approach to drugs in the justice system is punitive rather than rehabilitating. In instances were addiction has developed - and in mental health where "self-medicating with drugs" has become a chicken & egg situation... we simply don't offer the support we should. If we have someone with addiction problems to a particular drug or drugs, we should help them - not throw them in jail. The evidence ALWAYS bears out that throwing them in jail makes things worse.
   
   We absolutely need to look to other countries who are way ahead of us on this (I mean christ, even the US has medicinal cannabis in many states) - and we need a scientific, evidence-based approach to drug policy. To be honest, that's how we should decide a TONNE of policy, not just limited to drugs or things of a scientific nature.
   
   Problem is:
   
   The Government SAYS that it is taking evidence-based scientific advice, but they are then lying to you when they say that they actually listen to it.
   
   The Government does have or at least did have an Independent Scientific Advisory Panel. Infamously - after Prof David Nutt, who was the head at the time, called for the legalisation and regulation of drugs based on the available scientific evidence.
   
   The Government didn't like his independent, scientific advice and so they immediately fired him.
   
   If anyone wants to learn more about the objective risks and benefits of drugs and reform ideas for the way we systemically approach drugs - I'd definitely recommend checking out his book "Drugs - Without The Hot Air".
   
   It's evidence-based science informing policy decisions. There is no opinion in that book, just science. Any suggestions are backed up by hard science.

Let me preface this by saying that people should be held accountable for their actions.

I can't help but have a little bit of sympathy for people who are caught up by meth. Something that causes so many people to do such crazy shit, like spending every penny they have, prostitute themselves or even their children, utterly destroy their appearance and ultimately lose the ability to feel pleasure/happiness. It's one hell of a gripping, messed up drug.

I read a book a few years ago called Methland (http://www.amazon.com/Methland-Death-Life-American-Small/dp/B00BV2N28S) about the drug and it's chilling how prevalent it is in rural America. There are even stories about the majority of a population in some small towns being addicted.

Read this
and
don't do it alone

I quit 2 months ago now - completely cold turkey. It wasn't easy, but it wasn't difficult. You have an addiction, and now it's time to stop that addiction.
Read Allen Carr's book - listen to the advice he gives in there - some will apply to you, some won't.

If you want to give up, if you want to break that addiction to the evil weed, you will!

Try this book, it really helped me a lot!
And it makes it soooooo easy!

https://www.amazon.de/Allen-Smoking-Penguin-Health-Fitness/dp/0140277633

I'm free for 1 1/2 months

You're welcome.

I also thought of something else which might help you and your girlfriend understand each other better.

There is a very common misunderstanding between non-smokers and smokers, where non-smokers can't stand the smell of cigarettes and smokers don't believe them and see them as judgmental.

The answer to this is that in fact smokers' sense of smell is greatly diminished, they are used to the smell of cigarettes and also associate it with the pleasure they get from smoking (which is actually because they enter nicotine withdrawal).

Around two-three days after I crossed to e-cigs I started getting my sense of smell back. Food tasted much better, coffee was exceptional and also I could sense a smoker from a few meters away.
Because of that and because I get my nicotine from e-cigs I can't stand the smell of cigarettes and I can tell that somebody's been smoking even a few hours after they did.

Also, I read this book (well, the illustrated variant, since I was being lazy), and while I did not quit nicotine entirely, it did help me to stop seeing smoking as pleasure and rather as addiction.

Why has nobody mention Allan Carr's Easy Way to Stop Smoking? OP THIS IS THE BEST POSSIBLE THING YOU CAN DO FOR YOURSELF I smoked for 12 years, over a pack a day and tried everything, until I read this book. It was the only way I could free myself. It works, you'll quit and you will find it a PLEASURE to stop the moment you smoke your last one.

Please, do yourself the greatest favor you can and seek out this book. It's small, it's short (can be done in a day) and you will quit. Read the reviews to get some idea as to what it can do.

Good luck and all the best with the wedding and your marriage.

Hey Pedes I've said it before, I'll say it again.

Just for those who may be caught up in the smoking and/or drinking trap, and thinking you're fucked cause you've tried to stop but can't. So you resigned yourself do doing your best to limit the damage --- BASED Alan Carr's books got me off both. GOT ME OFF BRAHS

First the smoking. It took me a month or so to really believe I was done smoking. I could get as drunk as I wanted and WOULD NOT SMOKE.

But then the side effect of that is is started drinking more. I would limit my drinking because I knew I would smoke. But once I was done smoking --- holy crap. And I live in walking distance to the bars. So yeah. I was getting bloated, and my body just was not happy.

So alcohol --- seemed impossible to quit. And a lot of people look at you weird when you quit or feel a need to use labels. Whatevs... I didn't need AA or meetings. I just needed to be convinced that alcohol is bottled misery. And it is. Now I go to parties and don't even think about drinking booze. There isn't even a temptation. Or to put it another way the temptation I have to drink is the same level of temptation I have to go to the bathroom and lick urinal cakes. Yet I still have a good time. It is so fucking wild.

You have so much to gain if you quit. Unfortunately with either, it doesn't feel that way and you can't imagine it. But trust a little. And you will be bigly rewarded.

Why the fuck would I lie? These aren't affiliate links below. I seriously want everyone to know what I know. Booze and smokes are just shitty traps, like an abusive spouse, they make you think you can't live without them. But that's bullshit. You can have your freedom and leave their sorry asses in the dust. Your freedom is your God damned natural born right. You can have it. Again, just trust a little. And keep an open mind.

Alan Carr should be a made a Saint. He's saved millions of lives. He's made my life better, my wife's and my boys. And I am sort of the fun uncle who found a little success, so my nieces and nephews are hoping seeing the point: Successful dudes don't drink. And maybe you are struggling. maybe you don't like that you're not giving the best example. But that's only because you been brainwashed into believe the big lies. You just need to be un-brainwashed. Once you are they have absolutely no power over you and when you see someone drinking or smoking, all you wish is that they knew what you knew. You really won't mind being around being with those who drink or smoke. You just know they want to stop but they haven't seen reality yet. And you won't lecture, as lectures didn't work with you, right? You already wanted to stop, you just didn't think you could.

Here's links:
Easy Way to Quit Smoking:
https://www.amazon.com/Allen-Carrs-Easy-Stop-Smoking/dp/0615482155

Easy Way to Control Alcohol (which will convince you you actually don't want to drink)
https://www.amazon.com/Allen-Carrs-Easy-Control-Alcohol/dp/0572028504

MAGA starts with you!

It was only after I was sober for a while that I even came close to realizing how fucked up my thinking was about how I was living. Give Allen Carrs book a shot http://www.amazon.com/Allen-Carrs-Easy-Control-Alcohol/dp/0572028504 --- That and this sub was what I needed to get to 141 days so far (cold turkey), and I won't drink today. Now, i know i was kidding myself about the health effects, the effects on my life and my work. I don't want early dementia, or to fog through life. And I had false beliefs about how many others actually drink. Like being a musician, being a writer comes with the thinking that drinking is just a part of the package. We tie it so tightly into who we are that we cant see life/work without it. All I can say, is a few weeks in, the fog began to lift, and continues to lift each day and that alcohol is a lying shitbag.

Long term sobriety does seem scary to a drinker. Like a big mountain. Fortunately, you can't do long-term sobriety all in a day. You can only do short-term not drinking: today.

Find a way to not drink today. Tomorrow you can repeat. The only drink you need to worry about right now is the next one, today.

Hey--there are some great resources linked in the sidebar--explore a bit if you haven't already. Many people like this book (linked in sidebar as well) as a good place to start.

Check in here and let everyone know how you're doing and what you're learning.

I'm still in school and one of my professors really changed my mind about legalization. I am 100% for decriminalization but I lack the ability to fully articulate what that policy without legalization would look like.


http://www.tiedc2014.com/
While far from perfect, this campaign brought up some really good points especially around increased emergency room visits, strains that have excessively high thc content, and possible social justice issues such as flooding lower income areas with marijuana dispensaries in the same way liquor stores are.

I know this may be an unpopular opinion but with the potential for marijuana use to be harmful on a developing brain or exacerbate existing but not expressed mental weaknesses, nationwide legalization may cause excessive damage.

I do not think marijuana is technically worse than alcohol or tobacco, but remember legalization entails not just marijuana being available but being actively marketed for commercial gain.


https://www.amazon.com/Reefer-Sanity-Seven-Great-Marijuana/dp/0825306981

Is a good book.


http://www.dailyrecord.com/story/opinion/2017/03/05/murphy-guadagno-marijuana-pot-legalization/98702300/?cookies=&from=global

A great article that addresses many parts of the issue in NJ.

You should read this book. Animals and Psychedelics. It's a look into the evolutionary instinct for altered consciousness. And has some incredibly silly stories about animals drugging themselves.

There's a book written about the entire industry of teen boot camps, and it's well-written, well-researched, and extremely eye-opening. It's called 'Help at Any Cost: How the Troubled Teen Industry Cons Parents and Hurts Kids' by Maia Szalavitz. (Obligatory Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Help-Any-Cost-Troubled-Teen-Industry/dp/1594489106/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1346358315&sr=1-2&keywords=Maia+boot+camp ) It's worth the read.

• Dreamland: The True Tale of America's Opiate Epidemic
  
• Methland: The Death and Life of an American Small Town
  

Make sure you utilise your family and friends, and don't forget the other support systems that are free for all to use. I presume you have used them before.

Resources and Groups

Other subreddits

• Here is a listing of subreddits related to addiction, addiction support, and the problems that often come along with addiction.
  
  Many people find real-life support groups or certain books helpful in achieving and maintaining their sobriety. Here are links to a few of the more popular resources.
  
  
• Alcoholics Anonymous (Agnostic AA)
  
• Allen Carr books - Easy Way to Control Alcohol / Easy Way to Stop Drinking. These two books are substantially similar. A free preview is available on Google Books.
  
• LifeRing
  
• Rational Recovery
  
• SMART Recovery
  
• Women for Sobriety
  
  

> I'm going to go home, and be alone with my scary thoughts and just let the pain in. And I'll probably cry but that's okay, feelings are okay. I'm not going to be afraid of my feelings or think they're wrong or stupid and try to cover them up and drown them anymore.

I love this. From a distance its so easy to rationalize that external factors are not us - e.g. a dickhead customer's behavior does not have to be internalized - and that our own emotions are not reality - e.g. fear and stress are messages from our body. Sometimes we should listen to our emotions, sometimes we shouldn't. Either way they're not reality outside our own heads. But when you're in it, it's so hard to keep that perspective.

I really liked Allen Carr's discussion of self-soothing with slippers, cozy pajamas, a cup of cocoa, a good book or favorite TV show and a comfortable chair after work instead of a six pack.

And that's why I quit smoking nearly 4 years ago, after 17 years going nuts. I read this book, btw. Took a few more years to finally sink in though.

This was the comment made by professor David Nutt, chief of the Advisory Council for the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD). He was later sacked from this position by the, then home secretary, Alan Johnson. Seven other members of the ACMD left their respective positions in protest and then went on to form the Independent Scientific Committee on Drugs (ISCD).
 
Professor Nutt gave a talk at this month's Merseyside Sceptics Society meeting in Liverpool, where he talked about the benefits of having an evidence-based drug policy and why the government should implement it. He also showed evidence and data that showed alcohol and tobacco to be far more dangerous than the illegal ones mentioned in the title. All in all it was a good lecture he gave.
 
He also has a book out that it worth a read, only £12

Hey, OP. Not sure if top level comments are aloud to be comments and not arguments but I have a book you would love.

“Drugs Without The Hot Air” by: David Nutt.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1906860165?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf

The author is an ex-“drug advisor” for the UK. His life long goal and drive for this job was the hope that doing this expensive research could actually help and aid the government into adjusting decisions based on modern research and facts rather than mere nothing. He would continuously present massive years long extensive research papers, from him and his team. Finding the true harm levels of modern illicitly used substances, what truly should be scheduled and at what levels etc. He was always shot down. The government was not interested in facts. They axed him for doing his literal job. He and many others felt useless, why work to do drug research if the government didn’t want to use it. So many resigned and joined a privately funded group along side him. And the research continues for the better.

It brings up arguments and ideas for exactly what you are discussing, what is the best way to think about drug harm, what level of legalization is best for society, etc.

Let me bring up something extremely mentally opening. So if harm was the reason something should be deemed illegal, then take this: comparing the safety profile of horse back riding to MDMA use. Horse back riding is far more harmful. MDMA is even safer than getting in a car.

Then the paradoxical arguments: it’s illegal because it’s bad. Okay why is it bad? Because it’s illegal. Okay, so make it legal, then it won’t be bad.

There are even sections on how to correctly teach young kids to approach drugs. Abstinence has actually been proved to increase everything it goes against. Same can be seen with sex. Another ironic attempt to “help the public”.

The list goes on. It’s a really good read. He produced hundreds if not thousands of sources for all information given.

Highly recommend his new book "Drugs Without the hot Air"

Amazon link http://www.amazon.co.uk/Drugs-Without-Minimising-Harms-Illegal/dp/1906860165/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1347114886&sr=1-1

There's a book you might want to check out called METHLAND. The entire book is about how meth destroys a small town. In it is a story about a guy who cooked meth. The lab exploded and he ran outside while on fire. The police arrived and couldn't do anything. He was begging them to shoot him as his skin was just falling off.

The sad thing? He survived. He's permanently disfigured over almost his entire body, and the ends of his arms are nothing but stubs now.

The horrifying thing? He still uses meth. The author wrote about how when they interviewed he intravenously inject meth somehow while using his two burned stub limbs.

It seemed like literal Hell.

edit: Here's what the guy looks like after the accident.

This might be of interest: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0190263474/ref=tmm_hrd_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Plans for the future? A few people have asked me that and I don't know the answer. I'm about to buy Allen Carr's "Quit Drinking" book, which I expect to help me out when it arrives in a few days.

Other than that I'm not sure.

I found Allen Carr's Easyway to Control Alcohol was a great place for me to start. By reading it I was able to reframe my thoughts around alcohol.

Recently, the CEO of the company did an AMA here on Reddit and said some stupid and flat out dangerous things, but that being said, in my opinion at least, there is a lot of value in the book.

Just in case you weren't aware: "Ritalin and cocaine are pharmacologically identical substances."
"DeGrandpre, whose doctorate is in psychopharmacology, is most successful at demonstrating the flawed logic of what he terms "the cult of pharmacology" in the book's first three chapters. Here, case studies of Ritalin, cocaine, SSRIs, and tobacco enable him to demonstrate the myriad effects of such cultish thinking in American culture. Few may realize that Ritalin and cocaine are pharmacologically identical substances. The "cult" makes it difficult to address such an issue, DeGrandpre argues, given that Ritalin is classified as a "good" drug for enhancing kids' academic performance while cocaine is a "bad" drug that encourages youth addiction and deviance. His coverage of SSRIs allows DeGrandpre to suggest where the cult's power comes from: pharmaceutical companies (Big Pharma as he calls them) have actively covered up stories of horrific reactions (including suicide and murder) among "good drug users," while benefiting from media coverage of [End Page 668] "bad drug users" as those using illegal substances. The effect is to dissuade physicians and psychiatrists from closely monitoring prescription drug users for positive and negative effects."
THE CULT OF PHARMACOLOGY
https://www.amazon.com/Cult-Pharmacology-America-Troubled-Culture/dp/0822349078

I know it's not 100% related to the topic, but there's a book called Animals & Psychedelics, short & interesting, which I recommend you to read.

Here's an Amazon link.

Here's some documentation on the therapeutic boarding school industry:

Island View
https://testkitchen.huffingtonpost.com/island-view/#

Teens Are Being Trapped in Abusive 'Drug Rehab Centers'
https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/kwndjx/thousands-of-american-teens-are-trapped-in-abusive-cult-like-treatment-centres

The Cult That Spawned the Tough-Love Teen Industry
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2007/08/cult-spawned-tough-love-teen-industry/

The Trouble with Troubled Teen Programs
https://reason.com/archives/2006/12/28/the-trouble-with-troubled-teen

“Treatment Centers” for Troubled Teens Are Gothic Nightmares
http://www.slate.com/blogs/xx_factor/2016/08/24/the_huffington_post_publishes_a_horrifying_piece_about_troubled_teen_residential.html

The Trouble With Tough Love
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/28/AR2006012800062.html

The Legal Industry for Kidnapping Teens
https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/jm5ng4/the-legal-industry-for-kidnapping-teens

The Troubled Teen Industry: The Politics of Abuse Within Therapeutic Boarding Schools
https://medium.com/@sneii748/the-troubled-teen-industry-the-politics-of-abuse-withintherapeutic-boarding-schools-d343435e5d36

Teen Boot Camps: America’s Legacy of Torturing Children
https://www.practicalrecovery.com/prblog/teen-boot-camps-treatment-torture/

Tough-love drug rehabs in Mexico have ‘kidnapping teams’ to help addicts recover
http://www.foxnews.com/health/2016/10/21/tough-love-drug-rehabs-in-mexico-have-kidnapping-teams-to-help-addicts-recover.html

When Wilderness Boot Camps Take Tough Love Too Far
https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/08/when-wilderness-boot-camps-take-toughlove-too-far/375582/

Kidnapped for Christ Documentary | 2014
https://www.vudu.com/content/movies/details/Kidnapped-for-Christ/601437

Help at Any Cost: How the Troubled-Teen Industry Cons Parents and Hurts Kids (2006)
https://www.amazon.com/Help-Any-Cost-Troubled-Teen-Industry/dp/1594489106/

Hope this helps.

hey this is long, so feel free to take your time reading this, just don't ignore it cause i'm about to suggest something to you that might help your addiction.

first off, i hope you're doing well friend. i may not know you, but i do care. if you're feeling suicidal, i urge you to talk to someone. this is from the reddit suicidewatch faq.

secondly, good on you for throwing away the cigs. if you're having trouble quitting smoking nicotine, i suggest reading the book "Stop Smoking Now" by Allen Carr. if you don't mind reading a pdf version, you can use this, otherwise you can get a copy on amazon for cheap here. the great thing about the book is that it's short, only 100 or so pages.

if you have doubts about quitting through reading a book, trust me, i had the same doubts. you don't even have to quit right away, the book tells you you can smoke as you're reading it. it was incredibly hard for me to go cold turkey, until i came across this book. i tried lots of different things (substitutes like gum, vapes, even more weed) to help me quit, all to no avail. then i picked up allen carr's book, and by the last page i was done smoking. i had no need for another one.

the other great thing about the book is that i believed it helped put me in the right mindset to quit smoking weed. it might not work the same for you, but i highly suggest reading this if you're having trouble with nicotine addiction. if this book doesn't help, then read his other book which is also very helpful, link is here. it's a bit longer, but it goes even more into depth and solidifies the points in his first book.

NOTE: make sure to pay attention to all the points that he makes in his first book, otherwise you might find yourself smoking again, meaning you'll have to pick up the second book. that's what happened to me, but the second book still helped me quit. i thought that i could smoke a cigarette during a night out drinking cause it had been months past since my last one...

everything one step at a time

>But for the last few weeks i've really turned up on the amount i drink and also i'e noticed my tolerance going up.

This happens and it's one of the reasons alcohol is so dangerous. You have to put away more and more to get the same effect. And since alcohol is literally a diluted poison, this causes all sorts of health problems down the line. Kudos for even noticing this at your age. It took me many years before I realized how much I was actually drinking.

> I do want to stop. I am just so afraid of panic, withdrawal, depression and anxiety.

(DISCLAIMER: I'm just some guy on the internet so take what I say with a grain of salt and do your own homework too. I'm just speaking from my experience.)

It can't hurt to check in with a doctor or therapist if you are worried. That said, severe withdrawal symptoms are rare, while health problems from long-term excessive drinking are essentially a given.

I had some anxiety, insomnia, and a couple other less than fun things when I quit. The symptoms only lasted a couple weeks and being sober has been more than worth it.

>Do you have any tips?

You might want to check out an AA meeting. I've never been, but I know a lot of people in this sub have had a lot of success with it. The book Easy Way to Control Drinking was very helpful to me. And definitely hang out around here! You won't find a more supportive group of people anywhere on the internet.

I stopped drinking entirely about 110 days ago. It is amazing really. No hangovers for 110 days. I used to have 4-5 a week. I have saved over $1000, lost 20 pounds, I sleep better, honestly there are too many benefits to list. It was one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life. If you are considering it, DO IT! You won't miss out on anything.

Allan Carr's book Easyway to Control Alcohol has changed my life. I don't even have the desire to drink. If I were quitting through pure willpower I would have failed long ago.

I've been reading the book that is linked to in the sidebar of this subreddit, Alan Carr's Easy Way to Control Alcohol http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0572028504
At first it sounds all sales-pitchy, but once he really gets into it, he takes you through a logical argument against drinking alcohol and it has helped me quite a bit in a short time. He is very anti-AA, so I definitely recommend giving it a look.

The SMART Recovery handbook is really good https://www.amazon.com/SMART-Recovery-Handbook-William-Abbott/dp/061585267X?crid=1YVIOE70ZZTQA&keywords=smart+recovery+handbook+3rd+edition&qid=1538064855&s=Books&sprefix=smart+rec%2Cstripbooks%2C176&sr=1-1&ref=sr_1_1

And for general stuff I like "Get Out of Your Mind and Into Your Life: (if you have AMazon Prime it's free on Kindle) https://www.amazon.com/Get-Your-Mind-Into-Life/dp/1572244259?crid=2L7XM4FSHJHX5&keywords=get+out+of+your+mind+and+into+your+life&qid=1538064922&s=Books&sprefix=get+out%2Cstripbooks%2C145&sr=1-1&ref=sr_1_1

sorry for the garbage looking links

It boils down to personal responsibility. Sadly, this is not something taught anymore in the home for whatever reason.

Cannabis is something I enjoy fairly regularly and it is no secret to anyone in my life. I make sure all of my responsibilities are done for the day before I sit down to relax (I love to write music, program, or play the uke when partaking) so I can be 100% in the moment. This provides me clarity about things that I may otherwise have had an extremely biased take on. I, however, do not put myself at the point of being a blabbering idiot if I am going out into social settings; it's not cool to do that to anyone who just wants to hang out. The point someone reaches where they appear unable to handle basic tasks is when they should be alone, lost in thought...not trying to function :) Introspection is such an important thing, shame more don't appreciate what you learn from it.

I had a friend, F, who used to be baked to the point of having the spins and passing out almost daily. He was great for playing video games with and that was about it. I hated his usage patterns but it was his choice and I made mine and broke off our friendship.

P.cubensis have helped me reach a state of understanding myself that I would never have reached on my own. Now I don't view either cannabis or psilocybin as a drug but rather a medicine. Both allow me personal insight that I hold very near and dear. Perhaps this is because of the age I was when they found me, I don't honestly know.

I view a weekly mushroom trip as my church. While some use religion as a means to better understand life and circumstance, I turn to my own mind and the insight into my own mind that nature provides through fungus. I will eat a small meal around 6am, meditate in the rising sun on the beach, and when I know things are aligned correctly, I will make myself some tea and return to meditating.

I understand why people think all drugs are bad and detrimental but it does sadden me that such indoctrination exists.

As kids we are taught that all drugs are bad. As an educated adult I fully appreciate how the FUD machine works and wish they would teach kids that "you will most likely put a substance into your body so the best weapon to have on your side is education, not abstinence.".

Wanting to be in an altered state is not a sin, it is not a malformed behavior...it is part of nature. Some animals wait for fermentation to occur and get drunk while others enjoy a psychedelic experience (http://www.amazon.com/Animals-Psychedelics-Natural-Instinct-Consciousness/dp/0892819863 - great read btw).

Be respectful, be responsible, be educated...then become enlightened.

There's a really interesting book about the Worldwide Association of Specialty Programs, wilderness programs, and other "behavior modification boarding schools." It does a great job of illustrating the manipulation carried out by the companies to convince parents to ship off their kids and how they're able to keep them there. It is very sad and disturbing, many children died in these places in horrific ways like starvation, suicide, physical abuse, untreated injuries, etc.

Man, Iowa has got some great corn.

Best thing I ever ate tbh, when I see family up there that is all I eat basically.

On a shittier note though, meth runs rampant despite having a extremely low crime rate. (35th overall in states)

In fact the town my dad grew up in has a book written about it called Methland

He swears to me that he knows well more than half of the people mentioned in the book by name (most of the names were changed) and that a lot of the people in the book were friends/classmates

But other than that, I love how peaceful and old fashioned Iowa is. I wouldn't mind moving and rooting for the mavs from afar.

Great book about Iowa's meth problem.

Lori Arnold is a major portion of the book Methland, which I recommend highly.

Edit - after reading the article, I recommend Methland over the first-person.

http://www.amazon.com/Methland-Death-Life-American-Small/dp/1608192075

Took 1.73 seconds to link, I'm more efficent than you are.

Saw this posted in /r/Drugs yesterday and it's well worth watching, even though he only refers to MDMA a couple of times.

For those who haven't heard of David Nutt before, he's a widely recognised expert on the effects of various drugs on the human brain, and was controversially fired from his role as government advisor after saying that taking MDMA was less dangerous than horseriding and that cannabis shouldn't be a Class B drug.

It's a fairly long video but well worth watching. I find it hard to disagree with pretty much everything he has to say.

edit: he also published a book that looks interesting.

Start with: How to Change Your Mind (start with this detailed annotated summary). The pop culture starting point these days. The summary is all you need to read to understand the entire book but the book is well worth the time.

After that you'll have more ideas where to do. Below is a lot of stuff. I've watched/read all of them, so happy to answer any questions/give more guidance.

​

Study the "classics" by taking a look at these (skim the long ones to start):

Seeking the Magic Mushroom (first western trip report on mushrooms)

My 12 Hours As A Madman (another historically important trip report)

The Psychedelic Experience: A Manual Based On The TIbetan Book of the Dead (classic book on guided trips)

LSD My Problem Child by Albert Hoffman

Al Hubbard: The Original Captian Trips

​

Docs to Watch:

The Sunshine Makers (documentary)

Orange Sunshine (documentary)

Aya: Awakenings (documentary)

Dirty Pictures (documentary)

A New Understanding: The Science of Psilocybin (documentary)

Hoffmans Potion (documentary): r/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFfblVjCwOU"

​

And a whole lot of others:

​

Books

The Psychedelic Explorer’s Guide – James Fadiman
In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction – Gabor Mate
Storming Heaven: LSD and the American Dream – Jay Stevens
Psychedelic Psychiatry: LSD from clinic to campus – Erika Dyck
The Natural Mind: A Revolutionary Approach to the Drug Problem – Andrew Weil
Acid Hype: American News Media and the Psychedelic Experience – Stephen Siff
Acid Dreams: The complete social history of LSD – Martin A. Lee and Bruce Shlain
Drugs: Without the Hot Air – David Nutt
A Really Good Day: How Microdosing Made a Mega Difference in My Mood, My Marriage, and My Life – Ayelet Waldman
Neuropsychedelia: The Revival of Hallucinogen Research Since the Decade of the Brain – Nicolas Langlitz
The Harvard Psychedelic Club: How Timothy Leary, Ram Dass, Huston Smith, and Andrew Weil Killed the Fifties and Ushered in a New Age for America – Don Lattin

Videos

Terence McKenna discusses the stoned ape theory

A Conversation on LSD – In a video from the late 1970s, Al Hubbard, Timothy Leary, Humphry Osmond, Sidney Cohen and others reflect on LSD’s heyday

Alison Gopnik and Robin Carhart-Harris at the 2016 Science of Consciousness Conference

The Future of Psychedelic Psychiatry – a discussion between Thomas Insel and Paul Summergrad

Documents, Articles & Artifacts

Al Hubbard’s FBI file

Remembrances of LSD Therapy Past – Betty Grover Eisner’s unpublished memoir about her role in developing psychedelic therapy

LSD, Insight or Insanity – Transcript of excerpts from hearings of the Subcommittee
on the Executive Reorganization of the Senate Committee on Government Operations [concerning federal research and regulation of LSD-25] May 24, 1966

The Brutal Mirror: What an ayahuasca retreat showed me about my life —A Vox writer’s first-person account

​

Forums

Ayahuasca.com: Includes experience reports, discussion of spirituality, ecology, healing, and recovery by means of the vine are collected here. A place to learn from members of ayahuasca churches, as well as a few foreign language channels.

Bluelight: A 20 year old online harm reduction forum that fosters open and factual discussion of drugs and provides support for those seeking recovery from addiction.

DMT Nexus: A hub for underground psychedelic research on botanical sources of tryptamines and other psychedelic compounds.

5Hive: A newer forum devoted specifically to 5-MeO-DMT — synthetic, botanical or toad-derived.

Mycotopia: All things mycological — discussions of edible, wild, and psychoactive fungi.

The Shroomery: A forum  devoted to cultivating psilocybin-containing mushrooms and sharing trip reports.

TRIPSIT: A 24/7 online harm reduction resource.  Users can chat instantly with someone about their drug experience, or questions they may have about about the safe(r) use of a wide variety of controlled substances.

All of these also apply to alcohol, not just the first point, except that alcohol is also physically addictive and causes social harms that cannabis does not - so aside from 'cultural' reasons, why is alcohol still legal? Are illegal drugs in general illegal because of the harm they do to our bodies and society, or for another reason?

Here are a list of titles that are not 'VICE' articles that I can recommend to you if you are genuinely interested in learning more about the topic of drug prohibition (they are all quite compelling in my view, you can check the credentials of the authors if you want):

Chasing the Scream: The First and Last Days of the War on Drugs by Johann Hari

Drugs - Without the Hot Air: Minimising the Harms of Legal and Illegal Drugs by David Nutt

The Legalization of Drugs (For and Against) by Douglas N. Husak.

The War on Drugs: A Failed Experiment by Paula Mallea

I can recommend more titles if you like, but I think these are the easiest to digest.

I recommend this book. You'll probably know most of the information in it, but it's a good excuse for knowing a lot about drugs. I correct my parents when they spout bullshit about drugs, and as far as they're concerned, I got it all from that book. Even if it makes them question whether I use drugs as well, at least they know I do my research.

So when I read that you wanted to fix this, the first thought was to recommend this book to you about betrayal trauma and the authors story. I think you will get al ot out of it. My wife read it and it really helped us. My heart goes out to you and I hope your husband can find the help he needs or wants. Good luck.

https://www.amazon.com/What-Can-Do-About-Me-ebook/dp/B00AVBERGG

He has a 2nd book for people who have read the first and still went back to smoking. He also suggests to reread the first if having cravings.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Smoking-Permanently-Penguin-Health-Fitness/dp/0140244751/ref=pd_sim_b_3/276-7832747-0908409

Read this book

The only way to quit smoking

I cant recommend it enough, I quit smoking almost 5 years ago

Allen Carr's book did it for me. Have tried on and off for years but this is the only thing that seems to have worked.

Been smoke free for about 3-4 months (don't really even remember the date I gave up) and don't crave them at all. The book is really good at getting in your mind that there is no such thing as "just one" cigarette.

See if you can get your hands on a copy on Allen Carr's Easy Way to Stop Smoking. This is by far the best and easiest way I have tried (and succeeded) for quitting the cancer sticks.

You could also head over to /r/stopsmoking.

Good luck champ!

Can't offer much advice on the dealing with stress, but I would suggest you have a read of Allen Carr's Easy Way To Stop Smoking - It will talk you through and make you realise that smoking actually doesnt help when stressed, it doesn't solve anything nor have magical powers to chill you out, that's just brainwashing and marketing. I stopped three days ago with that method, from smoking 20 Marlboro full strength a day right up until Sunday, haven't had one since nor any nicotine replacement and feel fine, don't miss them and am enjoying having quit.

This is actually an awesome book that traces the history of militaries employing drugs for warfare across history. Highly recommend it.


https://www.amazon.com/Shooting-Up-Short-History-Drugs/dp/0190263474

Check out this book. It completely changed my way of thinking and I have not had a single craving since I read it. I would recommend downloading the eBook so you can start reading it now. It has been the best four bucks I've ever spent.

Try Allen Carr's Easy Way to Control Alcohol.
http://www.amazon.com/Allen-Carrs-Easy-Control-Alcohol/dp/0572028504

His book 'Easy Way to Quit Drinking' is essentially the same. That's the one I bought and it transformed how I view alcohol. I'm not deprived by not drinking, I'm free!

I'd highly recommend this book:

http://www.amazon.com/Allen-Carrs-Easy-Control-Alcohol/dp/0572028504

I just quit drinking today, and I feel great about it. I actually feel like I don't want to drink anymore.

I read his book on quitting smoking, and I've now been free from tobacco for 23 days, and I feel great. No withdrawl, no cravings. I'm completely over it.

I really think his stop drinking book will help me as well. I feel really positive and excited about making these changes.

Allen Carr's Easy Way to Control Alcohol

It's on the sidebar as well.

The current version is Easy Way to Control Alcohol, but they are virtually identical.

For anyone interested, the kindle version is only $8... it's a quick read and has helped many SD'ers. Don't order the paper copy unless you're prepared to wait several weeks for it's arrival http://www.amazon.com/Allen-Carrs-Easy-Control-Alcohol/dp/0572028504

Ahh ok....cool. The good news is that in today's world, there are many alternatives to AA.

I'm not going to try to talk you into going to AA but just know, I've known plenty of people that had the same reservations as you and were able to get help in AA and even enjoy it.

On a different topic, I took a look at the sidebar and for some reason I didn't see the SMART Recovery link. Perhaps it would be more to your liking. I honestly can't speak to it because I've never used it. I've heard people mention it here and they also have online meetings you can attend for free.

I have read parts of Allen Carr's Book and I quite liked it but I've barely read much of it. If you can't afford it be sure to check your local library as they might have a copy you can check out for free.

Anyways - I hope you find something that works for you because life can be fun again and it's quite possible to live a sober and happy life.

http://www.amazon.com/Allen-Carrs-Easy-Control-Alcohol/dp/0572028504

Hi there! I found this link on their website SMART . There are international online meetings here . Hope this helps!

Also they sell the workbook on amazon

Nicotine and alcohol are both addictive drugs, if you can't quit then it's a dependency problem not a discipline problem. If you ever feel like you 'need' a drink, see a professional - just because you're not a full blown alcoholic doesn't mean you have a healthy relationship with alcohol.

As for smoking, not sure if you mean weed or cigarettes. If it's the former, mixing weed with tobacco means you're probably addicted to nicotine anyway. I personally quit smoking with this method, I'd recommend it, but whatever works is fine. Weed isn't chemically addictive, so if you quit tobacco and buy a bong you'll be able to keep using it in moderation. It will fuck up your ability to be productive though, so it's probably a bad idea until you're back on your feet.

As for sleeping, just set your alarm early and stay awake when it goes off. Move your alarm so you have to get out of bed and stand up to turn it off. I'm a heavy sleeper, so I have an app that means I have to answer math questions before the alarm stops too. Find something that works for you - do not stop looking until you find it. When you change your sleep pattern, you'll be exhausted for a week or two. That's just how it is, you can't change it, you just have to suffer. No naps, no days off.

Finally, if you've been unemployed for a year, you need to watch out for depression. Stay active every day, even if it's just walking around your neighborhood. Stay social every day too, face to face communication is hugely important to your mental wellbeing. Find a creative hobby to keep your mind active - writing is free if you already have a computer, everyone has a phone camera so there's photography too, drawing, guitar, whatever interests you. Just staring at a screen all day pushing buttons on a remote/gamepad is not healthy, make something new every day even if it's just an insragram photo or a doodle to start off with.

EDIT: Finally, don't beat youself up when you fail. Everybody who tries, fails. If you want to succeed, don't use failure as an excuse to stop trying.

His book has only 10 reviews: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0825306981

Surely an ama of this caliber can do better!

No secret, just self control and fail safes .See here

I did also lead a small group last school year and went through this book with 5 other guys. If anyone fell, they had to tell what happened and we would try to help think of ways to prevent it in the future.

Have you purchased a version of Writer's Market?
Here is a link to 2017: https://www.amazon.com/Novel-Short-Story-Writers-Market/dp/1440347751/ref=pd_sim_14_6?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1440347751&pd_rd_r=7HDBE3MGYF7WQJDPHT6R&pd_rd_w=jb23b&pd_rd_wg=Qtau7&psc=1&refRID=7HDBE3MGYF7WQJDPHT6R

2018 is not out yet, but it's linked within that if you want to wait for it.

Yea, I just got home. I'm bored, mini rants incoming.

When I first heard of The Four Agreements, I was in detox back in 09 or something. And this tweaker chick kept going manic. She'd be happy/sad/angry/empty... just over and over. She was throwing chairs, and freaking out, but she kept telling me to read that book. So I had to, because she had excellent chair throwing skills. It was a great read, ... very very interesting take on spirituality but it is pretty applicable. It's a feel good philosophy warrior book thing.

The Power of Now. I had what AA would call a "spiritual awakening" and it really wasn't much like a burning bush, but A LOT like this guy talks about in this book. When I was about to kill myself with a teener of dope, I had this very very strange experience where I couldn't identify with myself anymore. .. "Who is this person that wants to die so badly?... Who am I?" It really changed things. The power of now was the most powerful thing I've read.

The New Earth is pretty interesting. I have to disagree with some points, because traditionally, you can't really get rid of the ego. The ego is necessary to survive. But it's interesting. It's worth a read, especially someone stuck in a facility with only their remorse and addiction to keep them company.

I personally LOVE Gabor Mate. This guy deals with the most tragic cases of addiction in Vancouver, and he's a neurologist and he has some pretty good insights on addiction. In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts. It's partly where I came up with my flair.

Rational Recovery was another I would suggest. It's a lot like those Allen Carr Easy Way to Quit Smoking. But the basic idea is disassociation from the "Addictive Voice". That it's not ME that wants to get high, but my addiction. That shit rocked my world when I learned it, and I immediately integrated it into my first step in Narcotics Anonymous.
EDIT, Rational Recovery, and Jack Trimpey are VERY AGAINST 12 step ideology. He HATES IT, and he hates the God idea. I get that, but I cannot and will not deny the therapeautic value of one addict helping another. Nothing compares. Even Bill W. in AA wrote about it in his memoirs and grapevines and the Big Book. "When all other measures failed, work with another alcoholic saved the day."

Tao de Ching really helped me. Although it may be missattributed, the whole "Living in the Past is living in depression, living in the future is living in anger and fear, living in the now is living in peace."

So, as you can see, I really like the "now" concept, but it's helped me stay clean and be happy about it. Non-fiction would probably be great too. But these are very spiritual new agey ideas.

This reminds me, I need to read The Spirituality of Imperfection.

THE MOST IMPORTANT BOOKS THOUGH:

I highly recommend the NA Basic Text, and I love the Step Working Guide.

NA Step Guide

Buy the book and start working the steps privately. It might help you sort through some of the 'stuff' that keeps you struggling.

THEN maybe you can find a trusted person (even from another town) to share your work with.

At a minimum it might help you feel proactive and that you are doing SOMETHING!

Also - some professions have closed private groups to assist with privacy and anonymity concerns. Nurses are one of them. I have known several people in medical professions that needed greater anonymity to protect their jobs and public exposure.

Good luck and hugs!

Oh yeah these are definitely real. I think almost all of the WWASP schools have closed, but there are other organizations that are essentially the same.

>I now live on DEATH ROW in Texas and honest to God the conditions are WAY better here than they were at Casa.

Source. He doesn't, um, live on death row anymore.

They're not overly legal, but a lot are operated outside the US. There have been a lot of lawsuits and raids. Here's a pretty popular book about this. I haven't read it yet but it's on my "to read" list.

Methland by Nick Reding

It's brutal

http://www.amazon.com/Methland-Death-Life-American-Small/dp/1608192075/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1427633767&sr=8-1&keywords=Methland

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1842125524/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Addiction has been proven.

"Addiction is really about experiencing cravings and losing control over your actions, not just physical tolerance and withdrawal", pg 143

The issue with your answer relates to physical dependance, i.e. withdrawal symptoms. A study using rimonabant, has show that physical withdrawals do occur. Rimonabant blocks the psychoactive effects of cannabis.

So, one takes rimonabant and keeps smoking. Nonetheless, smokers feel withdrawal symptoms. Tolerance has established a new "normal" in your brains chemistry. As a result, being sober is felt as a deficiency (withdrawals), not normality.

However, the contention that more teens need professional help for cannabis addiction than all other illegal drugs combined is utter tripe.

In the US, the choice in minor possession cases is almost always court ordered treatment or detention. No prizes for guessing what people, especially kids choose.

Just remember, our best soldiers in this war are informed users. Our best weapon is science - incontrovertible evidence can only be ignored for so long.

These are some of my favorites:

[Living Sober] (http://www.amazon.com/Living-Sober-AA-Services/dp/B0048C7TFA/ref=pd_rhf_gw_s_cp_43_WD8V?ie=UTF8&refRID=1EFFBA3G6THH9QT9G6BG)

Unwasted: My Lush Sobriety

Drinking: A Love Story

Smashed: Story of a Drunken Girlhood

Try Oelwein in Fayette Co. They wrote a book about it called Methland. [Source http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00BV2N28S?pc_redir=1407356635&robot_redir=1#productDescription_secondary_view_pageState_1407640216000]

You NEED to read this book:
http://www.amazon.com/Smoking-Permanently-Penguin-Health-Fitness/dp/0140244751/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1318252675&sr=8-11

Helped me stop over 6 years ago -no cravings! Most important book I've ever read.

This worked for me

I smoked for 10 years and have been quit for a year now. Just read this book. You won't even miss smoking after you read it. http://www.amazon.com/Smoking-Permanently-Penguin-Health-Fitness/dp/0140244751/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1289210048&sr=8-1

I have been a smoker for around 10 years..... A couple of years ago I watched my Grandma die from the big C (probably a result of smoking all of her life) and even after seeing someone I love go through hell it still did not stop me from smoking.

I hate everything about smoking tobacco but carry on doing it regardless.

Do you have any vices yourself? Drink? Drugs?

I hear a lot of people have luck with the Alan Carr book 'Easy way to stop smoking'. It is written by a man who smoked 40+ a day for a long time and is not based around scare tactics.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Allen-Carrs-Easy-Stop-Smoking/dp/0140277633

You should be able to find a PDF somewhere.

At the end of the day though, its up to your mom and if she doesnt want to stop herself she is not going to be able to do it for you or anyone else.

giving up doesn't have to be this difficult. actually it doesn't have to be difficult at all, in fact , it's really easy to give up with the right mind frame.

what will give you the right mind frame to give up easily is reading this book.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Allen-Carrs-Easy-Stop-Smoking/dp/0140277633


let me tell you this, it's the best fucking book i have ever read , and without sounding preachy, i urge you to give it a try.

it just turns out the addiction from smoking is nothing more than a psychological one which is fear based. a fear of what life will be like without smoking. the rest is a insignificant physical addiction which passes out of your blood in 2 days.

what keeps people smoking is the belief that it's hard to give up, when in absolute fact , it isn't. it's really fucking easy with the right help.

read that book.

Hey, good luck with giving up. I gave up for about 8 years after reading this book, from being about a 40 a day man. Just for full disclosure, I did start again (as a rational choice, not because I felt I had to believe it or not- work related). But have stopped again, for a few weeks this time via the same method. It's really easy, and I found it almost impossible before reading that book. It goes into detail of the psychology of smoking and how the feeling of self denial is what triggers the 'cravings' for cigaretts. Really interesting to read, even if you weren't a smoker.

For me, I modify it slightly, I use a regime of nicotine replacements to work my way through the physical addiction part of it, mainly because I can't afford the downtime of having a day or two being grumpy and feeling off.

I start off on the 4mg niquitin CQ lozenges as you can tailor the nicotine dose easily by 'shaving' bits of the tablet off (makes sense if you use them), then go down to the 2mg one. Then I go to the 4mg micro tablets (as they are more discrete, but you can't control the dose so effectively), then the 1.5mg version of them, then the 1mg lozenges and, by then, it's easy just to wean yourself off. I'm sure I could go 'cold turkey' over it, but my view is if we have the technology to make it less unpleasant then why not use it.

Anyways, good luck with that, really, that book and a graduated nicotine replacement programe work well for me, to the point it's easy to give up this way (and, for me, I find it staggeringly hard any other way), so, should you have difficulties, bear it in mind. There is no real downtime, and, once you get used to the 4mg tablets you end up preferring them to smoking, as you get your sense of smell and, to some degree, health back even whilst on them. Good luck, and yeah, contrary to what many people say, you do get out of it and never look back. That always worried me when I was trying to quit first time.

TL;DR, good luck, but if you have problems look at that book I recommended above, and think of a nicotine replacement regime. I couldn't give up any other way, but if you've found one, awesome. It does get easier and within a few months you should have forgotten you were ever even a smoker ;) Then it's super easy :)

Wrong. It's not day one.
It's the LAST day. Of you being a smoker.
There is no day one. You are not "starting" anything, you're just back to normal. Counting days is dumb and it could only mean "how many days I went through before lighting another one."
Just say fuck it and that's it.
I'm pretty sure someone already mentioned this book, if not - give it a read. It's not long and I highly recommend it. Here's a link to pdf.

Good luck.

I would recommend Alan Carr; I found it a huge help.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Allen-Carrs-Easy-Stop-Smoking/dp/0140277633

People I know who have managed to quit recommend Allen Carr's book.

(Wow, that was a really clumsy sentence)

Found after about ten seconds on google. I've heard stories from family who served in vietnam about how they would get "daily supplements" that were rumored to be stimulants, however I have no way to confirm that. Took a peek on wikipedia and apparently amphetamines were used by pilots and special units on both sides of World War 2. American F-16 pilots in the Persian Gulf war used them too.

Sorry, thought I had stumbled into /r/stopdrinking somehow. They have a link in the sidebar to this book which many people claim helps cure them of alcoholism.

Also I don't think there's any medical evidence proving "Once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic.".

Get this book!
http://www.amazon.com/Allen-Carrs-Easy-Control-Alcohol/dp/0572028504
It is available on audible too.
I credit Allen with my initial success during the most difficult days.
It's really worth getting.

I completely understand. In my long DB marriage I also developed similar symptoms.

First to go was alcohol which I did with [this book] (http://www.amazon.com/Allen-Carrs-Easy-Control-Alcohol/dp/0572028504). Replaced overeating with walking and other forms of exercise. Picked out an educational goal and started pursuing the hell out of that goal, which helped with the depression, anxiety and other symptoms. Started dressing better.

I know how it feels like sex might be your most pressing problem right now, but trust me it's not. Getting yourself together is far more important and it's a great example for the babies. (Little pitchers have big ears and they have big eyes too). Also, your wife will notice and if this marriage means anything to her she will step up her game. If not, you'll be ready and prepared for a new stage in your life.

I was drinking to the point of blacking out about twice a week. For me that was around 12-20 drinks. I had zero preference (which goes to show that most people don't drink for the taste, they drink to numb themselves). Wine, beer, liquor, anything really. During the week I would have 4-8 beers most nights. Some nights only 2. But I didn't have control. I HAD to get at least a couple beers every night. Or else I thought I couldn't sleep. When I went out on weekends I would try to limit myself to 4-6 drinks. That almost never worked. When I stayed in and played video games (I played a lot of ps3 back when I was drinking) I would try to just have 2 or 3.. 3 always turned into 6 which turned into 8 and then usually 10.

I do not doubt that severe alcoholics suffer real physical withdrawal in the form or sweating, jittering, and more severe things too. I think the same happens for heroin and opiate addicts going through withdrawal.

But I think that we emphasize the minor side effects wayyyy too much. If I barely suffered anything I think that most people could have a similar recovery with zero to few withdrawals. It definitely stems from framing your recovery it a different way.

Allen Carr does a great job of detailing all of the above in his books:

http://www.amazon.com/Allen-Carrs-Easy-Control-Alcohol/dp/0572028504

Anyone interested in getting their drinking under control I would urge you to give this book a shot.

Best wishes 👍 look into smart recovery when you get out of rehab.

SMART Recovery 3rd Edition Handbook https://www.amazon.com/dp/061585267X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_cc9pDbRRG1M6M

Secular science based recovery + support group

And they don’t kick anyone out if they relapse or make you start over or any of that guilt shame crap.

You may also be interested in this (amazon).

Sorry to hear you’re struggling. I wasn’t able to do the Smart Recovery meetings either but I got the handbook and working through that was really helpful for me...

Smart Recovery Handbook

Here

Theres a Kindle version out there as well.

Read the book.

I went from 30 a day to none without any side effects, patches or vapours about eight years ago and haven't craved or relapsed since.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Allen-Carrs-Easy-Stop-Smoking/dp/0718194551

http://www.allencarr.com/

https://www.amazon.com/Cult-Pharmacology-America-Troubled-Culture/dp/0822349078

This is a fantastic resource: https://www.amazon.com/Dangerous-Men-4th-Lowell-Seashore/dp/0971995834

Novel & Short Story Writers Market 2017 400 pages of agents, magazines, publishers, contests, and conferences.

In the magazines and conferences sections they cover pay/prize amounts. There's a genre index. You look up your genre and it'll give a list.

I just got my copy and am using it to set up an assembly line of rejection letters. If I never get published I'm going to publish all the rejection letters in a book titled "This is how much I suck". I may do it anyway.

Interesting! I Googled the book that you mentioned and found this. https://www.amazon.ca/Narcotics-Step-Working-Guides/dp/1557763704

It looks really similar to the one that I have. Maybe it's time to pull it out again!

I came here to say this. Most meth isn't that domestic crap anymore. For a good read on the meth epidemic and why/how it affected small town America, check out Methland: The Death and Life of an American Small Town.

try showing them this TED talk graham hancock has some pretty far out ideas, but the idea that drugs helped us understand the world way was before the societal norms that ban them is a pretty solid one i think. there's also this book which really puts humanities relationship with drugs in perspective. if nothing else, it might show them that drugs are not the preserve of indolent hippies but are inimately bound to the human experience. hope it helps anyway, and enjoy your shrooms!!

Seems like a dodgy demographic to be messing with like this amazon.

Also, I tried to get the kindle version of these awesome pants, but it was just some book about drugs...

https://www.amazon.com/Drugs-Without-Hot-David-Nutt/dp/1906860165/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=drugs+without+the+hot+air&qid=1565123396&s=digital-text&sr=1-1-catcorr


Edit: Missing word re-assimilated.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Drugs-Without-Minimising-Harms-Illegal/dp/1906860165/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1372115157&sr=8-1&keywords=drugs+without+the+hot+air

I heartily recommend his book "Drugs Without the Hot Air". A very thorough examination of all the issues around drugs, from brain chemistry, through addiction, and some possible evidence-based solutions.

His book (which is decent) is called Drugs Without The Hot Air.

Obviously street ecstasy is dangerous. It could be cut with anything, and it could be anything. This is all the more reason why pill testing should be available, and furthermore, why MDMA should be legal. Pharmaceutical-grade MDMA would be far safer for users and far better for society at large than our current predicament, and MDMA has all sorts of therapeutic benefits. Scientists have been recommending this to politicians for some time now.

EDIT: Also no, if you have never taken substances such as MDMA, cannabis or LSD, you simply have no grounds to stand on when telling other people what you think they should or should not do with them. None.

There's a good book out there called "Drugs Without the Hot Air" by David Nutt. It's based out of the UK, but it was very informative, might be a good sister book to you own!

If someone wants to learn about the harms associated with drugs (legal and illegal), and/or how to minimize those harms - they could read this book by David Nutt, the scientist sacked from the UK Government's drugs advisory council for stating the best science we have on that issue.

If someone just wants to put you down, you will not change their minds. In that case, just smile and nod.

Je kunt jezelf beter niet informeren met "linkjes" naar "studies". De gemiddelde mens heeft niet de know how om te bepalen of die studies wel of niet iets waard zijn. De media weet dat ook niet, maar die bericht er wel en masse over omdat het vaak mooie aandachttrekkende koppen geeft. Ik zal je een goed begin geven: het boek Drugs Without The Hot Air van wetenschapper David Nutt uit 2012.

I suggest, before you purport to others to be on the side of truth to read this book.

No, alcohol is causing some very real harms to our society and we need some better controls put in place to stop this.

Professor Nutt is one of the most knowledgable and leading figures in the fight against the drugs war, his argument for good regulation is not "dumb and hostile" he does not advocate the banning of alcohol and neither does he advocate the legalisation of all drugs.

His book is essential reading for anyone who wishes to be informed about the issues facing the ending of prohibition (and also gives context to this alcohol segment)...

http://www.amazon.com/Drugs-Without-Hot-David-Nutt/dp/1906860165/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1347253728&sr=8-1&keywords=david+nutt+drugs+without+hot+air

Trigger warning: I tell a story about a friend who killed himself after the list. Nothing graphic, though.

Edit to add TL;DR and message to mods.

I support sushisection. I dealt with heavy depression last year. Eventually they called it "treatment resistant" and I went to various hospitals 6 different times. I got through it and here are some things that helped me. (Note, this is mostly copied from Facebook messages that I sent a friend of mine today when she said that she was suffering from depression and she asked me what I did that helped me get through it.) I will edit it for you and put a message just for you at the bottom.

I never liked being lonely, though I didn't mind being alone. Some things I started doing that have made a huge difference for me:

1. I journal. I used to write everyday and I need to get back to it, though it is harder now because I've lost the momentum. I use my journal to "dump" my thoughts. I only have so much space in my head, and journaling helps me get things out of it. Also, the simple act of writing things down forces me to organize and even confront my thoughts. Sometimes thoughts race through my head and sitting down and taking time to write things out helps slow things down to a speed I can handle. Journaling also take a snapshot of what state my mind is in at the time. I can go back to entries from last year and they seem like they're written by a different person or from a different lifetime. I know that's not true, because it's my journal and I'm the only person who's written in it. It is good for me to have a record of where I was so that I know how far I've come.
   
2. I work hard to maintain my support system. When I get depressed, I start to isolate and that only makes it worse. If it is not interrupted, it will be much harder to break out of that cycle. I talked about this a little bit in my comment on your post. To me, this is a daily maintenance task. Well, maybe not daily maintenance, but instead constant consideration. A friend told me a long time ago that you become like those you spend your time with. At Fort Drum, for a long time I had no Christian community. The people I spent my time with were other soldiers in the barracks, so guys who were younger than me, drank more than me, and were not Christians. I didn't have much in common with my peers, so I isolated myself. Isolation is a way to survive, but not a way to thrive. It was like a death by a million cuts. No one thing was unbearable, but I just felt so tired, and eventually I gave up. After I got out of the hospital, I got hooked up with a great Bible study filled with people I could actually be friends with and who would love me. This made all the difference. Now, I'm out of the Army and back in Pennsylvania. I am living with the a good friend's family and it is wonderful. I knew that it would be bad for me to be alone. I had plans to move in with another friend, but I realized that that might not be the best option. While I was home visiting, I came over to their house and heard them say that they could use a roommate. God was working that day. As a result of living in their house, I was introduced to a Christian men's breakfast that Joe attends weekly. These guys have been great and are a cornerstone of my new support system. Currently I am on a weekend retreat with several of them. I have so much to be thankful for.
   
3. I had some great resources. When I was in a hospital in New Jersey for the second time, I was given printouts of a workbook called "Out of Control" by Melanie Gordon Sheets. Here's the link on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Out-Control-Dialectical-Cognitive-Behavioral-Emotion-Driven/dp/B002A6LLK0
   I am happy to get you a copy if you want.
   This book taught me so much and it has exercises that you can use as long as you need them, even for the rest of your life. This is where I learned why and how to protect my peace and stability. This book taught me about "The Cycle of Suffering" and then helped me identify why my life was worth living. I still have the printouts and I bought a blank copy of the workbook, so I can go back and look over my answers from then and use this book, make my own printouts, or give it away to someone else if they need it immediately. Hint: if you need it immediately, I could even place the order on Amazon this weekend if you want.
   This book was not the only thing that helped me. I learned that "you have to be in the right place to receive the message" and that "you are not your diagnosis." I learned about reframing and how powerful it is. I learned about my spheres of control and concern and what things are in which and how to not worry about it. I had time, I had love, and I had support. These things, combined and overshadowed by the grace of God, made all the difference.
   
4. I learned to be thankful. When I pray, I try to always start out by being thankful. It improves my mood and puts me in a better place. It always shows me the good that God is doing in my life in a way that nothing else ever has.
   
5. I learned (am learning) that I am under Grace, not the Law. My good friend and counselor Tim Bettger (who, with his wife Bobbi, runs the North Country Hospitality House near Fort Drum) recommended the book The Cure to me. The full title is "The Cure: What if God isn't who you think He is and neither are you." I promised that I would read it and I just started this week. This is a lesson that Tim (and God) have been trying to communicate to me for quite a while. Here's the link on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/The-Cure-What-think-neither/dp/0984757708/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1422119445&sr=8-1
   This book is also available as a Kindle version, and I am willing to send it to you as well, in whatever format you prefer. God does not condemn us. He loves us and I pretty sure that most of the time we are unaware of what that means, exactly. We do not have to earn God's love. There is nothing we can do to get Him to love us more or less. I cannot overstate how powerful and how freeing this is. I don't have to feel guilty about not praying enough or not reading my Bible or struggling with sin. Grace is so amazing!
   
   I think that's all I've got for now. If anything else comes to mind, I'll write more later. I hope that this helps you. If you have any questions or comments, please send me a message. I'd love to hear anything you have to say. Please don't feel that you need to respond. You don't. My only hope is that what I've said will help others, including you.
   I was on the way to the Hospitality House when I got a call from my Dad telling me that Thomas, a guy I had met and gone through 3 hospitals with, had killed himself. I was in shock for about 20 minutes. I called a few people, and then when I was talking to one friend I started crying. I finally got off the phone and walked inside and even though I was surrounded by people, by strong Christian friends, I felt completely alone. I didn't know where God was. I didn't know why this had happened. All I knew was that my friend was gone and I didn't like it. Later, someone asked me if I was ok. I said no and told him what had happened. He gave me a hug, I cried, and he prayed with me. That helped. It still took a while for me to...I don't know. Learn to cope with it, I guess. I don't know why I'm telling you this. I still think about Thomas sometimes. I don't want to ever forget about him. So many people in his life didn't care about him. That is a tragedy.
   Sorry to end this on a down note. There are so many people I know who went through this with me and came through it. I know that living like this is not God's plan for our lives. He wants us to truly be joyful, though He is not dissapointed when we struggle. The two greatest commands are all about love! Love for God and love for others. I can truthfully say that I understand what you're feeling. I know what it's like to want to give up. And I know that God loves you and I do too. I'm sure that I'm not the only one saying that.
   I guess I didn't end this on a down note after all.
   
   Ok, OP, here's my part just for you. Obviously, I am a Christian and it means a great deal to me. That being said, if you are suicidal or have tried to hurt or kill yourself, please go to an emergency room, not a church. Even if you haven't, find a good therapist if you don't have one. When I was at my lowest point, I started with therapy first. Religion is not some amazing force that makes everything better. Many parts of Christianity can actually make things worse. Some people will blame you for not "having enough faith," or they will say "God is punishing you." These are lies. If anyone ever says that to you, tell them to shove it. Some people (including Christians) don't believe in mental health. When I got started with this, I don't think my parents did. Things have changed. If our bodies can be broken and sick, then why can't our minds? Please don't beat yourself up. I don't think that will do anything to help you. The good thing is that you can always start over and get a second chance. Even if you don't agree with my Christian beliefs, I think there is still a lot of stuff in here that could help you. I'm not saying it will, because we are all different, but it might. And if you want the books, just PM me and I can send them to you. You have my support. I know that you can make it through this. I hope this helps.
   
   

There's a workbook called "Out of Control" that focuses on ALL the things. It's very in depth, kinda cluttered, but it really does delve deep.

It covers CBT, DBT, Trauma-focused, ACT, all the therapies lol.

Here's a link to check it out: https://www.amazon.com/Out-Control-Dialectical-Cognitive-Behavioral-Emotion-Driven/dp/B002A6LLK0

DBT is a very good therapy option. I've been in a DBT group with my primary therapist for well over a year now. The discussions and material covered are so helpful. I would definitely look into doing DBT in a group setting as it makes the ideas so much easier to grasp via the experiences of others. It does take time and practice for the methods to work, patience is key. Hope all this info helps!

Also, this book is incredible DBT

This was nothing traumatic in my childhood that I can blame on me being an alcoholic. It might make a good plot line in TV but it's not what makes the majority of alcoholics drink. I've been to thousands of real life AA meetings and alcoholics with bad childhoods are in the same proportion as non-alcoholics in the general population with bad childhoods i.e. relatively few and far between.

What makes me drink is that feeling of ease and comfort a drink gives me but the problem is I can't stop at just one drink. Once I take that first drink I get a "taste" - a craving for more. In order to stay sober first of all I have to avoid taking that first drink because it's the first drink that gets me drunk, not the 5th or 6th or 10th. It's the first one that sets off the craving. Of course this is easier said than done. If I could just decide not to drink then I wouldn't be an alcoholic. My mind plays tricks with me and tells me that this time it'll be different, this time I'll be able to take that one drink just to take the edge off and stop at that even though I've rarely been able. Over time my drinking becomes worse and my binges more frequent. It always got worse never better but my mind tells me the opposite.

What AA does is provide a structured program to deal with the every day tensions of life which build up and make an alcoholic like me think that it would be a good idea to take that first drink. These days, and as a result of putting AA's program into action I rarely even think about drinking plus my life is much more richer and fulfilling that it has ever been.

The book "Living Sober" is a good starter.

https://www.amazon.com/Living-Sober-AA-Services/dp/B0048C7TFA/

I like it when people make something that they know other people need. In this case I assume your father wanted one of those, and has great use of it.

If it were me, however, I would have given my father this.

All the facts you need to know are in these books.

• https://www.amazon.com/Reefer-Sanity-Seven-Great-Marijuana/dp/0825306981
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Going-Pot-Legalize-Marijuana-Harming/dp/1455560731/ref=pd_sim_14_4?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=Y96HN29D5BC25ZWB31V0
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Marijuana-Debunked-handbook-politicians-legalization/dp/163051229X/ref=pd_sim_14_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=Y96HN29D5BC25ZWB31V0

> scientific study of the chemicals in marijuana, called cannabinoids, has led to two FDA-approved medications that contain cannabinoid chemicals in pill form. Continued research may lead to more medications.

.

> Syndros treats anorexia associated with weight loss in patients with AIDS, as well as nausea and vomiting caused by cancer chemotherapy.

.

> Epidiolex is one drug currently on the FDA fast track. According to a recent press release from GW Pharmaceuticals, a study of 171 randomized patients suffering from Lennox-Gastaut and Dravet syndromes found that Epidiolex decreased seizure occurrence, was relatively well tolerated among patients, and generated no unexpected adverse effects.

.

> Cesamet, another synthetic drug that treats nausea and vomiting stemming from chemotherapy; Cannador, which is currently used in Europe and has demonstrated potential to relieve multiple sclerosis symptoms and postoperative pain management

.

> Sativex, another GW Pharmaceuticals drug on the FDA fast track that treats spasticity caused by multiple sclerosis.
.

People don't smoke the pills, the desired effect is not to get high from them. I have no problem with people taking derived substances approved by science. This isn't a win for cannabis, it's a win for science.

• http://www.cnsnews.com/commentary/cully-stimson/pot-pushers-dirty-little-secret-fda-approved-thc-drugs-already-exist
  
• http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.3109/00952990.2015.1135158
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Reefer-Sanity-Seven-Great-Marijuana/dp/0825306981/184-5737184-9153639?ie=UTF8&keywords=kevin%20sabet&pebp=1416947988599&qid=1416947986&ref_=sr_1_1&s=books&sr=1-1
  
  To be clear if cannabis was safe, they wouldn't need to derive anything from it, they wouldn't waste the money. It's the same as a fan of sports assuming they help their team win. They provide funding which in a roundabout way helps there team to get the equipment and professionals to win (chemicals in this analogy) but most of their rituals are waste (the plant parts not used in this analogy)

http://www.amazon.com/Animals-Psychedelics-Natural-Instinct-Consciousness/dp/0892819863/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1211076276&sr=8-1

apparently it's a habbit.

Buy them prof. Nutt's book. Or just show them his famous drug harm chart where psychedelics are at the very bottom.

Seems the guys that wrote the book in the sidebar would disagree.

edit: This guy would disagree and I hear it works out for many people. Also I don't think there's medical evidence that you're always an alcoholic.

Oh, fuck off.

Here's an academic source.

Here's from a New York newspaper from some years ago. Still relevant.

Here's a whole fucking book

See this? You're literally at the second to bottom step.

So this is probably way late and you may be gone, but perhaps someone can relay it to you some time:

I'm gunna be a bit pig-headed and assume you haven't read this book otherwise you would be over the struggle. I wanna just tell you it's magic, it feels like it. It's basically CBT, anyone who has believed me enough to read it has quit smoking - it's beautiful, it's genius.

I wish you luck regardless.

Also, you're fucking brill at what you do. I appreciate your skillz.