recoveredcrackhead@yahoo

[larrylive]

Well this may reqiure alot of time and effort, but I am sure it will be worth it.
If you or some one you know is a crack addict, past or present, please join me in the search for the truth and reality of this addiction.

I do not understand any other drug addiction, with the exception of marijauna and that seems to have passed. I am a crack addict, my life has been torn apart by the drug, and I have no family left to depend on. It's been that way for a few years, but with the passing of my Mom last Aug. while I was in jail it truely has sunk in.

So once again I am homeless, unemployed and alone in my quest for the answer.
I congradulate those of you who have learned to refuse crack and I am interested in how this came to be. And I mean exactly how. To many people play word games, aka; semantics, and can't give precise accounts as to why they are no longer addicts, it's a shame. I have been through the rehabs and meetings, brow beatings and shame, I am Hungry, angry, lonely and tired.
I am also Open, Honest, and willing to do the work. But.....

So no need for me to critize.
I have spent great quantities of time in libraries, online, and talking with addicts and counselors. Now I shall attempt to untangle this web we weave.

Please understand I AM a crack addict and should I disappear, I shall return, hopefully with further insight if not the answer.
But I can always be reached at recoveredcrackhead@yahoo.

Regards,
Larrylive

[larrylive]

Addictive Disease

Bio-Psycho-Socio

"The first task in early recovery is to develop a thorough understanding of chemical dependency or addiction." (Gorski)

"Pointing out problems without remedies does little good." (Larson)

People who've never encountered the true nature of addiction can't conceive of what we're going through.

Addiction: Latin; addictus; to devote or give oneself up habitually to something
: A compulsive physiological need for a habit-forming drug.
: Compulsion to use a drug, loss of control over the amount used,
and continued use in spite of adverse consequences.*

Compulsive: Having power to compel.
: The irrational impulse to continue using drugs, no matter what
happens as a result.
: A strong irrational desire to do something that we know is not
in our best interest.
( manifest in drug seeking & using behavior, this may be
episodic rather than continuous.)
Compulsion: if a compulsion is strong and persistant for a long time, our brain chemistry can change and a craving can be triggered. This may lead to physical discomfort similar to withdrawal.

Compel: To drive or urge forcefully or irresistibly.

Disease: A morbid process having a certain characteristic train of symptoms.

Social Diagnosis of Drug Abuse:
Use, usually by a self administration, of any drug in a manner that deviates from the approved medical or social patterns within a given culture. 7

ref: 3rd edition of the American Psychiatric Association
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSMIII)
Cocaine Abuse requires a pattern of pathological use:
: Inability to reduce or stop use
: Intoxication throughout the day
: Episodes of cocaine overdose
: Impairment of social or occupational function. 7



1

Addiction: The alluring combination of enjoyment and guilt.... a guilty pang accompanies the jolt delivered by the drug, without the guilt the jolt would lose its allure. The addict is then caught in a circular trap-can't get enough pleasure to abolish the guilt.
Love can rescue me from this circular trap. Think of the joy of helping another, the rush of excitement in starting a new project, or the exhilaration you feel when you cautiously step forward in faith, to follow a gut instinct the proves to be right on track.

Achievement Addict: While the pain and devastation caused by the addicts behavior is obvious, the pain caused by the achievement addict may be much subtler & less obvious,
this is due to the seemingly positive payoffs. i.e.: bigger paychecks.
However owning a larger house or having more discretionary income is hardly worth it, when our children begin to emulate our behavior by detaching from their feelings, seeking to win at all cost, and believing bigger is better, money is power, etc.(3)

Passages

Availability: the more available drugs and alcohol are, the more likely we are to take them.

Purity & route of administration: chemicals that give us a quick and powerful high are more likely to be rapidly addicting.

Dose, Frequency & Duration Of Use; will effect the “intensity” of addiction. Some drugs are more quickly addicting than others (quick dependency to crack)

Genetic Factors: Genetic make-up seems to influence susceptibility to addiction.

Beliefs: 1) We should be able to stop using on our own.
2) We just don't have enough willpower (how do I increase my willpower)

Bio: predisposed to addiction, chemical reaction produces damage or distress to the brain , resulting in dysfunction.
(6-18 mo. to regain basic mental capabilities)
(3-5 yrs for complete revitalization)

Genetic make-up seems to influence susceptibility to addiction.

Social Factors: When people have meaningful alternatives to chemical use, the incidence of abuse and addiction is lower. Having sober places to socialize and a variety of drug free entertainment options seem particularly important for teens and preteens

Developmental Factors; as we grow up we develop our own attitudes about drug and alcohol use by observing our families and society.


2


Psycho: Certain mental health disorders may have higher rate of addiction.
(see A.D.D. and crack)

A.D.D.; high risk for stimulant addiction
; related to hyper activity in childhood, but may occur without it as well.
; a marked inability to focus
; often can’t sit still
; daydreaming or can’t sit still long enough to do school work

*many are extremely bright , but have problems at school because of their inability to follow directions and their distractibility.

HIGH RISK GROUP: A.D.D. w/ conduct disorder,
These kids behave badly, (constantly in motion, breaking things and ignore adult instruction.)
Extreme distractibility, inability to focus (sometimes alternating with periods of intense focus) severe procrastination and hypersensitivity.

LOSS OF CONTROL
The addict may attempt to limit or control use with many strategies,
i.e.; certain times, places & amounts, but fails.

*CONTINUED USE IN SPITE OF ADVERSE CONSEQUENCES
In the physical, mental, social, or financial realms with such being ignored or
denied until the situation becomes nearly catastrophic.

“The Theory of Addiction” must include:

1) what accounts for drug cravings


2) Why are only certain substances and activities abused


3) Why does obsessive craving persist in the face of enormous negative consequences


4) Why is relapse so prevalent


5) Why can relapse be precipitated by so many different stimuli






Positive & Negative reinforcement

Pavlovian reinforcement
This may attempt to explain the concept of triggers and the following cravings.

Premackian reinforcement
Can Premackian reinforcement be applied to identify a more powerful reinforcer than crack cocaine? If not what is the prognosis for the behavioral treatment of those chemically dependant/addicted to( & highly reinforced by) crack cocaine



Oct,2009.......................................... ........

So that is where I began, notes, ideas and concepts going all the way back to my first rehab in 2000. On this I will biuld, but my next post is where I believe the conclusion lies.

Regards,
Larrylive

[larrylive]

Extinction: the disappearance of a conditioned response when a conditioned stimulus is repeatedly presented without the unconditioned stimulus

Stimulus Discrimination: the ability to differentiate between to similar stimulus and respond accordingly.
General Educational Implications of Behaviorism
Emphasis on behavior: students should be active respondents; people are most likely to learn when they actually have a chance to behave. Also, student learning must be evaluated; only measurable behavior changes can confirm that learning has taken place.

Drill and practice: repetition of stimulus-response habits strengthens those habits.

Breaking habits: one way to break a stimulus-response habit is to continue to present the stimulus until the individual is too tired to respond in the habitual way, or the exhaustion method. Also, the stimulus can be presented "faintly" so that the individual "learns" over time not to respond in the habitual manner, or the threshold method. Lastly, the incompatible stimulus method, would replace the habit with another habit, where eventually the individual adopts the "new" behavior in response to the stimulus.

Rewards: many theorists emphasize the importance of rewards or reinforcement for learning. *

Exposure And Response Prevention ERP presentation of the trigger with varying intensities. First determine or rank different cue/exposures into order of magnitude.
Introducing the trigger is the first part or “exposure”. Next the response prevention occurs when one is denied the opportunity to respond with the compulsive behavior. Observing the intensity and duration of the distress incurred. The reaction can be quite an unpleasant, painful intensely anxious experience. And may take hours to dissipate.

Right Mindfulness or mindful awareness: the capacity to observe one’s inner experiences in a “fully aware and non-clinging way”.
Clear minded observational power
Bare Attention: the clear and single minded awareness of what actually happens to us and in us at the successive moments of perception without reacting to them.
An impartial spectator.

To pass judgment without passion or prejudice.

Relabel—as false signals
Reattribute—due to a malfunction of the brain
Refocus—onto constructive behaviors
Revalue—obsessive/compulsive impulses have no intrinsic value or power
………………………………...................................... ..........................................


Nov 1, 2009

.expanded the understanding of cocaine’s pattern of abuse
Brookhaven National Laboratory
Joanna Fowler, PhD

Fowler’s recent work is centered on variations in MAO genes and how they affect personality and vulnerability to psychiatric disorders. In earlier research, she discovered that cigarette smokers have reduced levels of monoamine oxidase (MAO), an enzyme that breaks down dopamine, the neurotransmitter that mediates reward, motivation and movement. This finding may account for the high rate of smoking in individuals who are depressed or addicted to drugs.

Regards,
Larrylive