The Problem with Drug Addicts

I was visiting Jane Galt's where she was discussing the dysfunctions of the poor.

What surprised me was her complete misunderstanding of why people chronically take drugs. Here is my response to her article.

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Uh. People take pain relievers chronically to relieve chronic pain. PTSD mostly.

The #1 cause of PTSD in civilian populations is physical and sexual abuse of children.

The chronic pain caused by the abuse could probably be best dealt with by teacing people the cause and letting them get the drugs that give them relief at reasonable prices.

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Such a sea change in our understanding and dealing with the issues of chronic drug use are very unlikely to be dealt with any time soon. For the same reason that contraceptives were such a hot button issue for so long.

People believe in addiction and do not wish to have the beliefs of a life time overturned.

In addition overturning the belief in "addiction" would mean that a lot of folks who think of themselves as caring compassiionate people would have to face the fact that they have been persecuting victims of what amounts to childhood torture.

This has been a hobby horse of mine for a very long time. The connection between child abuse and chronic drug use was first brought to my attention by Dr. Lonnie Shavelson.

There are also various mental health departments in Massachusets that explicitly make the connection and teach the facts to various police departments.

The trouble is there is no national conciousness of these facts. The above article is ample proof of that fact.

Instead of trying to heal or at least ameliorate the pain of the abused the prescription is to house them in mental health facilities against their will.

Drug prohibition is morally one of the ugliest things America is doing. And it has exported that ugliness to the rest of the world.

There is no doubt that by now those in a position to know do know the facts. The truth is out there.

If you want to learn more Google - PTSD drug. If you want to read some of what I have had to say on the subject add - M. Simon - to the search.