“The problem with drugs is that they’re too good now”. I heard this in passing by a few years back and was kind of stunned at the analysis of such a simple statement. It’s such an accurate exclamation when you really sit back and think about it. It’s just the way of the world these days. Everybody and their mother want instant satisfaction if it’s available. The cars are getting faster, the food is getting easier to cook, and the people are becoming more plastic. Why wait for something if it can be delivered where and when we want it? We’re all chasing the idea of feeling good in one form or fashion right? There’s no sense in using the typewriter when we have the electronic keyboard- that’s just logic. The same principle applies for all sorts of food, medications, and illegal substances that flood our population. They’re getting bigger, stronger, and more efficient. “Efficient” is definitely an interchangeable word right there for the record.
Everybody on these planets who has ever lived and/or are currently living is completely different than the last. Sure we all share similarities, instincts, and what not- but we are all genetically different beings and therefore think and react to situations differently. The point to this statement is that I believe some things in life are neither easier nor harder but more so it is a case by cases basis. This being said, we’re going to start out with the belief of nicotine being a drug. No it is not a narcotic and people don’t usually rob a bank to support this habit, but it is a mind altering substance none the less. Nicotine can come in forms of chew, dip, cigars, pipe, tobacco, cigarettes and whatever else. It is widely believed that quitting cigarette smoking is one of the hardest toxins to give up. Nicotine withdrawals are not too bad on a physical level, but they end up white knuckling your every last nerve. Mentally the withdrawals from nicotine will have a vice grip on you as you try to change your behaviors and thought patterns. It’s usually pretty heavy for the first several days and then slowly subsides over the next week or two as the sands of time fall. The problem with nicotine and cigarettes specifically is that they are socially acceptable. Anybody can light up a cigarette in public and there are no ramifications like there would be if somebody was smoking crystal meth on the corner. That’s one where you kind of have to pick and choose your battles wisely.
Let’s not Forget These Guys
Then we jump along down the line to my good dear old personal friend Heroin. Well, were kind of more like frienemies. Heroin and opiates go along hand and hand with each other. In the short term, opiates are one of the leading causes of death for a lot of addicts and alcoholics. With opiates specifically it is very easy to overdose and stop your heart from over intoxication. Of course this feat can be accomplished with all sorts of drugs, but opiates and heroin happen to make it incredibly easy. Physically and mentally, heroin is one of the hardest drugs to quit. The physical torment is what keeps most addicts locked in its stronghold. The mind and body are quick to become dependent on opioids, and once this occurs, we become slaves. Opiates bring a fun crew of displeasure along with them as we try to rid them out of our bodies and set the record straight. While all the toxic opiate goodness is draining out our pours and fluids, the torturous withdrawals begin. Coming off of these poppy seed endeavors will often bring hot flashes and cold sweats. For many, diarrhea and vomiting are coupled together as a not so fun package. Then there are the body aches. Our bodies begin waking up from the numbed out coma they were in for such a lengthy amount of time. We start developing dull aches in our bones and that can be usually accompanied with a headache or migraine. There is always a large amount of discomfort to pursue in order to get to the other side. The positive note is that the pain has to only be endured once if we decide so.
Lastly I suppose we’ll make a wonderful mention of benzodiazepines with alcohol itself as an extremely close runner up. Alcohol is a drug and should be treated like one for its addictive mood altering properties, alas- we are going to discuss a quick rendition of benzos. Some people may know them better by their stage names: klonopin, xanax, and valium. These three little troublemakers will create a pathway to hell or your grave and it’s your decision. How kind and giving right? Benzos are of the pharmaceutical classification entirely and therefore give them the status of being a street drug. They’re unfortunately very easy to obtain because in today’s day of age everybody has some form of anxiety- which is understandable, but it can be dealt with other than the use of pill shaped chemicals. Benzodiazepines will bring the pain and leave you feeling like a shell of a person. These pills bring most of the same symptoms as opiates and heroin but actually a little more intensified. Benzos don’t stay in our systems as long as some opiates, so they in turn try to exit our bodies in a much quicker fashion. Essentially the whole body becomes in disarray as our nerve endings begin to feel funky, skin becomes over sensitive to touch, and fluids are coming out of you in every way possible.
A bit gross no? Apologies of course, but the facts are the facts. These three substances particularly will have you handcuffed to them as you search for a key that is out of reach. They are the hardest drugs to quit and not worth any of the time or trouble we so often put into them.
It’s Time
In all actuality, all the drugs can be a pain to get off of with an addictive mindset. Drugs and alcohol suck us addicts and alcoholics into a whirlwind of chaos that we haven’t the tools to escape. It gets pretty miserable and the consequences continually build up like a failing game of tetris and eventually enough is enough. If you or a loved one is struggling with chemical dependency and are ready for help, please call 1-844-489-0836 or visit www.firststepsrecovery.com. We are ready to give you any suggestions possible and set you or your loved one on a path that we can all be proud of.
