Not sure if this is welcome here or not

[LiberalLoner]

But I wanted to recommend the book "Methland." I'm reading it right now and it's really opening my eyes to the devastation that drug has caused. I'm from Montana originally and I always thought alcoholism was the main problem there (my family has bad problems with alcoholism) but I'm learning now that meth might be an even bigger problem there than alcoholism.

Something is so wrong, we aren't a healthy society I don't think, it seems like there is just so much addiction to different things and problems and pain. I wish things were better.

Ps I didn't end up with alcoholism but I have codependency and problems from growing up in that family like I tend to want to hide from the world and I overeat and I have big anxiety problems. So I'm not looking at this from the outside, I'm saying we are all hurting too much and something is wrong with how we are living and what we are taught as a society, we are a crazy culture or something.

Pps I'm an ACOA too, have gone to al-anon but not going now. Post at soberrecovery sometimes and like it there. Was just feeling sad reading this book because I feel like the whole world is hurting. But I feel like the whole world should be aware of these problems, because how can we heal as a society if we don't see our problems?

[NMDemDist2]

1. meth is a horrible addiction

and is rampant in rural America

[libodem]

2. We had a not even once

Campaign here. Billboards, tv, radio, spots. It does seem more despicable than most illegal drugs. I think sometimes an alcoholic will use it in combination to continue drinking. This maybe where some of the blackout drinking comes from. So unpredictable and violent. Bad drug.

I worked in treatment in the 90's back then it was crack and crank.

[LiberalLoner]

3. Thank you for your work helping others. What gets me is that I still remember the ads in the 1960's

the ones that had some person pretending to shoot up and "speed kills." Those ads really horrified me and made me very curious as a kid. I wanted to understand why on earth anyone would do such a terrible drug or any drug really. It scared me badly enough, I never wanted to do any illegal drugs and don't even like drinking much. (I have one drink sometimes if we are going to dinner with friends. More than one makes me feel loopy and I don't like that feeling.)

But I do like my morning caffeine, and actually drink tea throughout the day, so maybe that's not so different from those other stimulant drugs. I mean I guess I can understand the attraction, if a person doesn't think harm will happen from them.

Looking back on things I think I have seen some meth addicts and didn't realize it at the time.

I guess what bugs me is that we never seem to learn, as a society. We went through that in the 60's, people dying and acting crazy from speed (Charles Manson and his family were high on speed) and yet here we are again.

[libodem]

4. I remember the speed kills

Ads. I even drew one as a poster for my room, in the 70's. I think reasonable drug education is as important as sex education to prepare kids for reality. It is good to practice ways of resisting peer pressure to try substances before you are more mature and mentally prepared to handle it. With speed, I like the not even once method, I think the not even once is a good idea. Heroin, too.

Even armed with knowledge, I smoked cigarettes, for over 20, years. They are so bad, I had to quit 4, different times, and each time was stressful. It did give me a point of reference to relate to my detox patients.