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Alcohol-related deaths spiked during the pandemic, a study shows

nytimes.com

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Re: Alcohol-related deaths spiked during the pandemic, a study shows

#181

Post by hallway_monitor »

The-Bus wrote: post #167
ponow wrote: post #155

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"For some reason" there are temptations to addiction all around us, and alcohol is only one. We can't treat being human as merely a medical condition. Human cultures have adapted using shame as a tool.

The medical condition is a predilection to addiction, alcohol or otherwise. Shame doesn't cure cancer or make you recover from a common cold.

You don't have to think of addiction as a moral failing when you treat it as a behavioral problem. There's not necessarily a genetic or chemical cause or cure - in the end, addiction is a behavior.

Re: Alcohol-related deaths spiked during the pandemic, a study shows

#182

Post by vorpalhex »

gameswithgo wrote: post #169
elliekelly wrote: post #136

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For some reason we, as a society, have decided certain health problems are moral failures to be treated with shame and cured through willpower alone rather than modern medical intervention.

Hmmm, in America the most common intervention is AA, whose doctrine is that willpower alone is not sufficient, that you must appeal to a higher power. We also know this intervention isn't any more effective than someone just trying get over it on their own, yet it persists, and is even court ordered often. There will be replies to this post about how AA "worked for them" or something to that effect. Which doesn't mea…

I think the identity of "recovering alcoholic" is quite harmful.

One of the things we've learned is that success with behavior changes happen when you normalize them. If someone is a "survivor of X" as their identity, X is still kind of controlling them. They are still defined in relation to that X. They are "James the rape survivor" and not "James the talented craftsman".

Re: Alcohol-related deaths spiked during the pandemic, a study shows

#183

Post by vkou »

dotancohen wrote: post #77
tyingq wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your comment illustrates a large part of the problem. If society believes addiction is mostly a willpower problem, then effective services to help address it won't exist.

That service exists, though. The hospital specifically referred them to AA.

AA barely works, though.

Re: Alcohol-related deaths spiked during the pandemic, a study shows

#184

Post by toomuchtodo »

_fat_santa wrote: post #165
sjg007 wrote: post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Has he tried antabuse or something like that? Those pills make you vomit when you drink and are quite effective in harnessing the body's natural anti-poison response system to curb drinking.

I'm from Russia and this is a very common treatment over there. Rather than pills, they give you an implant of sorts. In Russia we call it "getting coded". Works for some, but others just keep drinking.

Is this available in the US?

Re: Alcohol-related deaths spiked during the pandemic, a study shows

#185

Post by rchaud »

elliekelly wrote: post #136
sjg007 wrote: post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Has he tried antabuse or something like that? Those pills make you vomit when you drink and are quite effective in harnessing the body's natural anti-poison response system to curb drinking.

For some reason we, as a society, have decided certain health problems are moral failures to be treated with shame and cured through willpower alone rather than modern medical intervention.

Rehab and addiction therapy is not accessible to everyone, both geographically and financially.

Re: Alcohol-related deaths spiked during the pandemic, a study shows

#186

Post by ionicgiraffe »

kaczordon wrote: post #160
elliekelly wrote: post #136

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For some reason we, as a society, have decided certain health problems are moral failures to be treated with shame and cured through willpower alone rather than modern medical intervention.

People often turn to drugs when there are other problems in their life they can’t deal with. Drug abuse is not just about the physical hook.

Many people have never realized that self-destruction can feel liberating.

Re: Alcohol-related deaths spiked during the pandemic, a study shows

#187

Post by Dma54rhs »

toomuchtodo wrote: post #184
_fat_santa wrote: post #165

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm from Russia and this is a very common treatment over there. Rather than pills, they give you an implant of sorts. In Russia we call it "getting coded". Works for some, but others just keep drinking.

Is this available in the US?

Google Disulfiram but there are some newer things out there as well.

Re: Alcohol-related deaths spiked during the pandemic, a study shows

#188

Post by tasty_freeze »

after_care wrote: post #157
hackeraccount wrote: post #104

I am so glad I got married and had a kid. My wife doesn't drink - and honestly it's way less fun to drink - even have a glass of wine with a meal - when someone else isn't. Plus with my daughter I don't drink when my wife isn't around because I'm always worried something is going to come up and I'll have to drive her some place on short notice. I think if it were just me on my own I might drink more ... and I always…

Always having meals with the same people, being consistently worried you’ll be responsible to drop what you’re doing on short notice to drive someone. I’m glad I did not marry or have kids.

Although I don't relate to your comment at all (I'm married for 26 years, have two kids) I don't know why someone downvoted you, so I upvoted.

Different people have different priorities, and it is great when people realize marriage or kids are not right for them and ignore the social pressure. There are too many people who get married or have kids who aren't suited and it is bad for everyone involved.

Re: Alcohol-related deaths spiked during the pandemic, a study shows

#189

Post by steve_adams_86 »

dionidium wrote: post #168
_jal wrote: post #159

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Human cultures have adapted using shame as a tool. A rather poorly targeted and counterproductive one. Note that you immediately assumed a puritan view, that addiction is solely an individual moral failing. > there are temptations to addiction all around us

I used to be a heavy drinker. Shame and guilt were absolutely enormous factors in my decision to quit drinking. I'm just n = 1, but it seems crazy to me to suggest that shame doesn't work. It works really, really well on me! If you want me to stop doing something, then getting me to feel ashamed about it is a very effective strategy.

For many other people it might only lead to reclusion and self loathing, which leads to more drinking, which leads to more shame, and so on.

Re: Alcohol-related deaths spiked during the pandemic, a study shows

#190

Post by rchaud »

vorpalhex wrote: post #182
gameswithgo wrote: post #169

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hmmm, in America the most common intervention is AA, whose doctrine is that willpower alone is not sufficient, that you must appeal to a higher power. We also know this intervention isn't any more effective than someone just trying get over it on their own, yet it persists, and is even court ordered often. There will be replies to this post about how AA "worked for them" or something to that effect. Which doesn't mea…

I think the identity of "recovering alcoholic" is quite harmful. One of the things we've learned is that success with behavior changes happen when you normalize them. If someone is a "survivor of X" as their identity, X is still kind of controlling them. They are still defined in relation to that X. They are "James the rape survivor" and not "James the talented craftsman".

There's a very good reason that the term "I'm in recovery" is commonly said by people with substance issues.

Relapse is just around the corner, and most people don't know what will bring it on. It has happened to men and women stronger than you or me. Saying "I'm in recovery" is a way to remind yourself of that, and learn to be OK with taking things a day at a time. If a relapse happens, it's not the end. You're still taking it a day at a time, and tomorrow you'll make a plan to call your accountability partner, or structure your day to avoid those triggers.

Telling yourself "I'm recovered" makes the relapse much more damaging.

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