Guest guest Posted November 19, 2001 Report Share Posted November 19, 2001 The first thing that you need to do is to cease ALL contact with your former AAers. You will continue to doubt yourself as long as you keep up these so-called " friendships " . Of course these people are going to try to scare you back into the " rooms " with all of the " doomsday tales " of how ex-AAers died a horrible drinking/drug death. Remember that the Twelve Steppers must believe the propoganda and fear that they spread. AA/NA would not be so " successful " in maintaining control over others if many of the members actually supported a person leaving the " program " for a chance at a sane life without any strong-hold over their minds or emotions. You will only drink if you CHOOSE to! Remember that you have a choice in everything. Seeking out medical care is not a bad idea. Get the AAers' voices of saying how medication is " bad " out of your head! Only you and your physician can make a decision re: medicine that you may need. Therapy is not a bad idea, either; but be careful who you go to see. Many people in the counseling field try to coerce their patients into these Twelve Step cults. http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/aaornatwelvestepcults Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 19, 2001 Report Share Posted November 19, 2001 Scared > I've been actively NOT going to meetings for a few months now. I have > been hoping to wean myself off of AA and get back to a normal life. I > have alot of fear. I get depressed and lonely sometimes even though I > am often around alot of people. I am worried that if I drink I will > die drunk even though I'm not a low bottom drunk. I am thinking about > anti-depressants. I don't want to be a zombie, though. I am also > interested in therapy. I need to stop giving a shit what others think > about me. I talked to my old sponsor today. She told me about a friend > that died drunk in her car recently. I got all this fear. Plus the > holidays are a hard time for me. I can see myself going back there. Or > drinking and having all that aa rhetoric swim around in my head and > crawling back. > > G'day. Thanks for the post. I think what it boils down to is whether or not you think you have a choice in the behaviour you describe. If you drink, is it mandatory for bad things to happen? AA says yes. You have an allergy, a disease. If you have ONE drink, you will be almost obliged to have 100, and to create havoc in your life and the lives of others. Then you die.... When I think about the times I " relapsed " , I wonder if the programming of AA influenced me into a self fulfilling prophesy of types. If thinking that having ONE drink will lead you to get drunk, it may follow that you will. Specially when you're told this day after day in meetings etc. But if you have decided to reject this thinking, and have decided that no, you are NOT sick, not diseased, not insane, not powerless, you have just acquired what us non steppers call personal choice. Personal power. I'm not telling you to go ahead and drink, or even suggesting it. I'm suggesting that you have the ability to chose, as we all do, contrary to the teachings of AA. I believe that substance abuse, (or call it what you will....I try to avoid the words " alcoholism and addiction) is a behaviour, not a disease. Here in Australia, we have a mostly public (hence, not for profit) health system. There are two types of detox/ treatment types on offer. One is the Salvation Army, who have 6 month rehab programmes based on the 12 steps, and the other is offered by the public hospital system. The hospital approach is based on the concept that substance abuse is a behavioural problem, not a disease. Consequently, the treatment and interventions focus on behavioural modification. They rarely support AA/NA, or refer people to meetings. Instead, they work on life style, education, moderation techniques, belief systems. A good " tool " is the " triggers and cues " inventory. SMART is similar in its philosophy. You might like to check them out. It's all about personal choice and empowering people to take charge of their lives. I wonder about the private health system in the U.S.A. Which of the above models would be better for business? I cant give you any statistics for which model is more sucessful, but I know that our health professionals in Australia and accademic researchers have rejected the disease model for 10-15 years, and modern treatments are as such. I just wish there was an alternative to AA that I knew of in 1984. To me, it's simple. If you don't want to be a drunk.....DON'T. Don't live like one, don't behave like one, don't think like one, and most importantly for me: DON'T call yourself one. I hope this helps. From Barnsey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 19, 2001 Report Share Posted November 19, 2001 I agree with much of what is said here but I also think to some AA does serve a purpose. By saying that 'our' thinking is better puts things in a difficult hole. Let's be happy we have found a way to life a happy life, but also support people that make different choices. Just like some people have found hapiness in AA doesn't make it right for them to push there ideas and ideals on others, that same rule should apply here. Hope this makes sense. Thanks > > Scared > > > > I've been actively NOT going to meetings for a few months now. I have > > been hoping to wean myself off of AA and get back to a normal life. I > > have alot of fear. I get depressed and lonely sometimes even though I > > am often around alot of people. I am worried that if I drink I will > > die drunk even though I'm not a low bottom drunk. I am thinking about > > anti-depressants. I don't want to be a zombie, though. I am also > > interested in therapy. I need to stop giving a shit what others think > > about me. I talked to my old sponsor today. She told me about a friend > > that died drunk in her car recently. I got all this fear. Plus the > > holidays are a hard time for me. I can see myself going back there. Or > > drinking and having all that aa rhetoric swim around in my head and > > crawling back. > > > > > G'day. Thanks for the post. I think what it boils down to is whether or not > you think you have a choice in the behaviour you describe. If you drink, is > it mandatory for bad things to happen? AA says yes. You have an allergy, a > disease. If you have ONE drink, you will be almost obliged to have 100, and > to create havoc in your life and the lives of others. Then you die.... When > I think about the times I " relapsed " , I wonder if the programming of AA > influenced me into a self fulfilling prophesy of types. If thinking that > having ONE drink will lead you to get drunk, it may follow that you will. > Specially when you're told this day after day in meetings etc. > > But if you have decided to reject this thinking, and have decided that no, > you are NOT sick, not diseased, not insane, not powerless, you have just > acquired what us non steppers call personal choice. Personal power. I'm not > telling you to go ahead and drink, or even suggesting it. I'm suggesting > that you have the ability to chose, as we all do, contrary to the teachings > of AA. > > I believe that substance abuse, (or call it what you will....I try to avoid > the words " alcoholism and addiction) is a behaviour, not a disease. Here in > Australia, we have a mostly public (hence, not for profit) health system. > There are two types of detox/ treatment types on offer. One is the Salvation > Army, who have 6 month rehab programmes based on the 12 steps, and the other > is offered by the public hospital system. The hospital approach is based on > the concept that substance abuse is a behavioural problem, not a disease. > Consequently, the treatment and interventions focus on behavioural > modification. They rarely support AA/NA, or refer people to meetings. > Instead, they work on life style, education, moderation techniques, belief > systems. A good " tool " is the " triggers and cues " inventory. SMART is > similar in its philosophy. You might like to check them out. > > It's all about personal choice and empowering people to take charge of their > lives. I wonder about the private health system in the U.S.A. Which of the > above models would be better for business? I cant give you any statistics > for which model is more sucessful, but I know that our health professionals > in Australia and accademic researchers have rejected the disease model for > 10-15 years, and modern treatments are as such. I just wish there was an > alternative to AA that I knew of in 1984. > > To me, it's simple. If you don't want to be a drunk.....DON'T. Don't live > like one, don't behave like one, don't think like one, and most importantly > for me: DON'T call yourself one. > > I hope this helps. > > From Barnsey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 19, 2001 Report Share Posted November 19, 2001 Re: Scared > I agree with much of what is said here but I also think to some AA > does serve a purpose. By saying that 'our' thinking is better puts > things in a difficult hole. > > Let's be happy we have found a way to life a happy life, but also > support people that make different choices. Just like some people > have found hapiness in AA doesn't make it right for them to push > there ideas and ideals on others, that same rule should apply here. > > Hope this makes sense. > > Thanks > > > Yes, as a general statement, it makes sense. But in the context of this thread; no it doesn't. It's an exchange of ideas, not a demand. Barnsey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 19, 2001 Report Share Posted November 19, 2001 Antidepressants don't make you a zombie. Whether or not they are for you is something that you will want to discuss with your doctor. Of course your sponsor told you about someone who died because of alcohol. This is the easiest way to keep you in control, to keep you scared and to keep you going in A.A. It is absolutely terrifying leaving the cult, I know, been there. The best information I can give you is to keep reading as much as possible , the more information you get the better off you will be. This list has been a doorknob send to me. kisses Tom Boy At 10:33 PM 19/11/01 +0000, you wrote: I've been actively NOT going to meetings for a few months now. I have been hoping to wean myself off of AA and get back to a normal life. I have alot of fear. I get depressed and lonely sometimes even though I am often around alot of people. I am worried that if I drink I will die drunk even though I'm not a low bottom drunk. I am thinking about anti-depressants. I don't want to be a zombie, though. I am also interested in therapy. I need to stop giving a shit what others think about me. I talked to my old sponsor today. She told me about a friend that died drunk in her car recently. I got all this fear. Plus the holidays are a hard time for me. I can see myself going back there. Or drinking and having all that aa rhetoric swim around in my head and crawling back. k Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 19, 2001 Report Share Posted November 19, 2001 Thanks alot. I really appreciate the responses I've gotten here. I do have some problems. I pretty much have the symptoms of " alcholism " . One way they keep you in the program is they ask if you to see if you " identify " with the speakers. And I do. Not with their drunkalogues so much as with their feelings. I went to a meeting with a " normie " friend of mine. He wanted to prove a point to me. The point was to show me that I had the same feelings as everyone who spoke at the meeting whereas my friend did not. Therefore, I am an alcoholic and he is not. And he isn't. I like the idea of being able to chill with people and be honest about how I feel about things. I do feel like I am surrounded by normal people who don't get depressed really or feel less than or all the other ways alcoholics feel. It's nice to be around other folks who have to cope with a little more grief in their lives. Although, I do think I tend to enshrine some of that. I guess aa doesn't really help me fix my problems it just makes me feel more at ease cause I can see that I am not alone. I'm glad Tomboy said anti-depressants don't make you feel like a zombie. I have absolutely no one in my life that supports me trying them. I seriously wonder if they could help and spare me alot of pain. I have a prescription for zoloft I am going to pick up tomorrow. I'm gonna try it and see how it works. I can see the need to stay away from those " you're gonna die! " people as well. What a downer. It's hard though cause cults draw you in. If you've ever seen the movie " Ticket to Heaven " then you know it feels. At the end the dude is hugging his family after having gone through the deprogramming process. And at the last instant he shoots a cold, knowing look up at his cult friends standing nearby. this is all over the place. :-) just some thoughts. k > >I've been actively NOT going to meetings for a few months now. I have > >been hoping to wean myself off of AA and get back to a normal life. I > >have alot of fear. I get depressed and lonely sometimes even though I > >am often around alot of people. I am worried that if I drink I will > >die drunk even though I'm not a low bottom drunk. I am thinking about > >anti-depressants. I don't want to be a zombie, though. I am also > >interested in therapy. I need to stop giving a shit what others think > >about me. I talked to my old sponsor today. She told me about a friend > >that died drunk in her car recently. I got all this fear. Plus the > >holidays are a hard time for me. I can see myself going back there. Or > >drinking and having all that aa rhetoric swim around in my head and > >crawling back. > > > >k > > > > > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 19, 2001 Report Share Posted November 19, 2001 Antidepressants work. I suffer from horrible depression and I fought taking antidepressants for years because well ya all know the story (bad bad not following the program , if you did what we said and you did the steps properly you wouldn't be depressed and if you take an antidepressant you might as well be drinking because it is mood altering). One big concern I had when going on antidepressants was being goofy on them or feeling like a zombie. I deal with great amounts of money every day and I cannot afford to be " zombie like " . Zoloft will definitely not make you feel zombie like (it's what I take). One thing you should know (which my kind doctor pointed out) is that if you get agitated when you get depressed, stay away from Prozac. Apparently one of the side affects of Prozac is agitation ! kisses Tom Boy At 02:28 AM 20/11/01 +0000, kikibaby67@... wrote: I'm glad Tomboy said anti-depressants don't make you feel like a zombie. I have absolutely no one in my life that supports me trying them. I seriously wonder if they could help and spare me alot of pain. I have a prescription for zoloft I am going to pick up tomorrow. I'm gonna try it and see how it works. I can see the need to stay away from those " you're gonna die! " people as well. What a downer. It's hard though cause cults draw you in. If you've ever seen the movie " Ticket to Heaven " then you know it feels. At the end the dude is hugging his family after having gone through the deprogramming process. And at the last instant he shoots a cold, knowing look up at his cult friends standing nearby. this is all over the place. :-) just some thoughts. k Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 19, 2001 Report Share Posted November 19, 2001 I think most people here do not want to deny AA a existance, but since you can not openly criticize AA, someone must give a balancing viewpoint. A lot of what is said here is harsh, but we can't help it, it is the truth. abbadun ==================================================================== Total abstinence is easier than perfect moderation. ---St. Augustine >From: finklez@... >Reply-To: 12-step-free >To: 12-step-free >Subject: Re: Scared >Date: Tue, 20 Nov 2001 00:16:07 -0000 > >I agree with much of what is said here but I also think to some AA >does serve a purpose. By saying that 'our' thinking is better puts >things in a difficult hole. > >Let's be happy we have found a way to life a happy life, but also >support people that make different choices. Just like some people >have found hapiness in AA doesn't make it right for them to push >there ideas and ideals on others, that same rule should apply here. > >Hope this makes sense. > >Thanks > > > > > > > > Scared > > > > > > > I've been actively NOT going to meetings for a few months now. I >have > > > been hoping to wean myself off of AA and get back to a normal >life. I > > > have alot of fear. I get depressed and lonely sometimes even >though I > > > am often around alot of people. I am worried that if I drink I >will > > > die drunk even though I'm not a low bottom drunk. I am thinking >about > > > anti-depressants. I don't want to be a zombie, though. I am also > > > interested in therapy. I need to stop giving a shit what others >think > > > about me. I talked to my old sponsor today. She told me about a >friend > > > that died drunk in her car recently. I got all this fear. Plus the > > > holidays are a hard time for me. I can see myself going back >there. Or > > > drinking and having all that aa rhetoric swim around in my head >and > > > crawling back. > > > > > > > > G'day. Thanks for the post. I think what it boils down to is >whether or not > > you think you have a choice in the behaviour you describe. If you >drink, is > > it mandatory for bad things to happen? AA says yes. You have an >allergy, a > > disease. If you have ONE drink, you will be almost obliged to have >100, and > > to create havoc in your life and the lives of others. Then you >die.... When > > I think about the times I " relapsed " , I wonder if the programming >of AA > > influenced me into a self fulfilling prophesy of types. If >thinking that > > having ONE drink will lead you to get drunk, it may follow that you >will. > > Specially when you're told this day after day in meetings etc. > > > > But if you have decided to reject this thinking, and have decided >that no, > > you are NOT sick, not diseased, not insane, not powerless, you have >just > > acquired what us non steppers call personal choice. Personal power. >I'm not > > telling you to go ahead and drink, or even suggesting it. I'm >suggesting > > that you have the ability to chose, as we all do, contrary to the >teachings > > of AA. > > > > I believe that substance abuse, (or call it what you will....I try >to avoid > > the words " alcoholism and addiction) is a behaviour, not a disease. >Here in > > Australia, we have a mostly public (hence, not for profit) health >system. > > There are two types of detox/ treatment types on offer. One is the >Salvation > > Army, who have 6 month rehab programmes based on the 12 steps, and >the other > > is offered by the public hospital system. The hospital approach is >based on > > the concept that substance abuse is a behavioural problem, not a >disease. > > Consequently, the treatment and interventions focus on behavioural > > modification. They rarely support AA/NA, or refer people to >meetings. > > Instead, they work on life style, education, moderation techniques, >belief > > systems. A good " tool " is the " triggers and cues " inventory. SMART >is > > similar in its philosophy. You might like to check them out. > > > > It's all about personal choice and empowering people to take charge >of their > > lives. I wonder about the private health system in the U.S.A. Which >of the > > above models would be better for business? I cant give you any >statistics > > for which model is more sucessful, but I know that our health >professionals > > in Australia and accademic researchers have rejected the disease >model for > > 10-15 years, and modern treatments are as such. I just wish there >was an > > alternative to AA that I knew of in 1984. > > > > To me, it's simple. If you don't want to be a drunk.....DON'T. >Don't live > > like one, don't behave like one, don't think like one, and most >importantly > > for me: DON'T call yourself one. > > > > I hope this helps. > > > > From Barnsey. > _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 19, 2001 Report Share Posted November 19, 2001 > I've been actively NOT going to meetings for a few months now. I have > been hoping to wean myself off of AA and get back to a normal life. I > have alot of fear. I get depressed and lonely sometimes even though I > am often around alot of people. I am worried that if I drink I will > die drunk even though I'm not a low bottom drunk. I am thinking about > anti-depressants. I don't want to be a zombie, though. I am also > interested in therapy. I need to stop giving a shit what others think > about me. I talked to my old sponsor today. She told me about a friend > that died drunk in her car recently. I got all this fear. Plus the > holidays are a hard time for me. I can see myself going back there. Or > drinking and having all that aa rhetoric swim around in my head and > crawling back. > > k Hi k, You sound rough. Would like to ask why you are talking with your old sponsor? I only ask cause she sounds like a bitch, and you only mentioned her briefly. But look at what she tells you....something to enhance your fears. Why? Control of you. My suggestion would be if you are going to talk with her, be careful with what you tell her or watch how she uses that info. Also would suggest to get your butt over to AAdeprogramming and read up....have articles on sponsors. You might recognize yours AA rhetoric swimming around in your head...i hate it when that happens. Go back in files...look for slogans. Might help. Holidays...yiks. Last year i could do nothing. Made it to one of the meals i think. Was clean, but mentally gone. Only do what you want with the holidays. If people don't like it - tough. If they continue...give em your shopping or card list. If they have time to hound-they have time to help. You have to give yourself some time to get well, in whatever way you feel is best. For me that meant to find options i could choose from. Sounds like you are looking at a couple now, therapy and/or anti-depressants. If those feel right for you, go for it. If not, search for more options. About the drinking and die stuff. A huge mind f***. Rethink this one....it's a pisser, thats for sure. People have drunk themselves to death and those assholes in AA use that to control and manipulate you. If you reject that, you are to follow same fate. It's boggus...it's a trick...a mind f***. Those who die that way....how many where involved in AA? You have to relearn some stuff, you do have power and control. Now you just have to believe it. netty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 20, 2001 Report Share Posted November 20, 2001 I disagree with you on this and feel that you are one step away from saying that you and people who think like you are better than others. This is what is referred to as tertiary deviance, when your a certain factor common to a group becomes the lynchpin into thinking that you/we are better than others. Mental illness does exist, treating it is just a very inexact science. If you have ever been with someone or have any kind of bi- polarity brain disorder then you can understand what I am saying. You have to understand though that just taking meds isn't a cure but a helping hand to break out of what ever is going on in your head. 80% of it though has to be through your own sweat and effort and that is something that not many people do, and then blame it on the drugs, or a psychiatrist when they should be looking inside. > > > I've been actively NOT going to meetings > for a few months now. I have > been hoping to wean myself off of AA and get > back to a normal life. I > have a lot of fear. I get depressed and lonely > sometimes even though I > am often around alot of people. I am worried that if > I drink I will > die drunk even though I'm not a low bottom drunk. I am > thinking about > anti-depressants. I don't want to be a zombie, though. I am > also > interested in therapy. I need to stop giving a shit what others think > > about me. I talked to my old sponsor today. She told me about a friend > > that died drunk in her car recently. I got all this fear. Plus the > > holidays are a hard time for me. I can see myself going back there. Or > > drinking and having all that aa rhetoric swim around in my head and > > crawling back. > > k > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 20, 2001 Report Share Posted November 20, 2001 > > Ha! There is more misinformation about psychiatric medications than > AA Yes Tangie, and ppl like you and the antipsychiatry ppl are the source of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 20, 2001 Report Share Posted November 20, 2001 tangie, Anyone who calls Zoloft addictictive does not understand what the word means. If you do not caveat your opinions with an acknowledgement you are not an MD and that a person *should always seek medical advice* with regard to these matters, I will moderate your posts. I am NOT going to have ppl practising medicine without a licence on this list! A very GOOD URL to go to on depression is Dr Ivan's Depression central, easily found with a web search. P. > > Careful with that Zoloft. I can speak from both personal experience > and observation of others taking that Zoloft is addictive especially when > combined with other meds. Your doctor will never give you all of the > necessary information about Zoloft, possibly because he doesn't have it > himself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 20, 2001 Report Share Posted November 20, 2001 And we are the source of the misinformation in addiction...Right? I don't think so. Re: Scared > > Ha! There is more misinformation about psychiatric medications than > AAYes Tangie, and ppl like you and the antipsychiatry ppl are the source of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 20, 2001 Report Share Posted November 20, 2001 The idea of Bichemical imbalance is going hand in hand with the disease model of addiction. Basically what both say, is that a persons brain chemicals cause thoughts and feelings to happen. Not what a person thinks or feels about what is going on causing the biological response. That a drug, when ingested, takes over a persons ability to think for themselves, by altering the brain. The imbalance theory states that a person is inable to feel an emotion because the brain does not produce the chemicals needed to produce that emotion. So a person can not feel happy in situations they used to. The only problem with this theory is that you have to assume that the brain chooses what we decide we like and dislike. While in all actuality, we have chosen through experience. In other words, the body does not decide how we think or feel. Chemicals do not make us depressed. What happens in our lives makes us depressed. I am not trying to practice medicine, only give my belief on the subject. But it makes moer sense to me that a "bad run of it" will cause some one to feel down, then the brain not functioning right. Would you call someone who is grieving the death of a loved one chemically imbalanced? Yet, their brain chemistry would resemble that ogf someone who has been diagnosed with a chemical imbalance. How do they check for this chemical imbalance? Do they take a needle and stick it ion your brain and check the levels, like they do when they take blood to check for other bodily chemicals? No. They ask questions, if they are relevnat, they give you medication, and you never figure out what was making you depressed. Tomboy is on to something. She was on meds the entire time she was in AA. Even after being placed on medication, she still felt depressed. Now that she has left AA, she no longer feels depressed. Was AA or a chemical imbalance giving her depression? AA, right? Is taking medication going to releave you of your depression? No, it cures nothing. Yeah, it causes more of the "happy" chemicals to go through your brain, exactly like alcohol or cocaine did. Was there a disease causing you to drink or take drugs? No, there was something else. Something that you have to figure out yourself(I am not a doctor or a therapist), maybe with sopme help of other people, but finding what ever caused you to want to escape reality or become depressed is going to make you better. As I said, I am not a doctor, I am not trying to tell you that I am. I am not even playing one on t.v. This just seems like common sense to me. If you agree, then you agree. If you don't, you don't. If you want to take meds, you have every right to, just as you have every right to drink if you want to. Do what ever you want to do, but don't try and blame some kind of condition that has as much proof as the disease of addiction. Re: Scared I disagree with you on this and feel that you are one step away from saying that you and people who think like you are better than others. This is what is referred to as tertiary deviance, when your a certain factor common to a group becomes the lynchpin into thinking that you/we are better than others. Mental illness does exist, treating it is just a very inexact science. If you have ever been with someone or have any kind of bi- polarity brain disorder then you can understand what I am saying. You have to understand though that just taking meds isn't a cure but a helping hand to break out of what ever is going on in your head. 80% of it though has to be through your own sweat and effort and that is something that not many people do, and then blame it on the drugs, or a psychiatrist when they should be looking inside. > > > I've been actively NOT going to meetings > for a few months now. I have > been hoping to wean myself off of AA and get > back to a normal life. I > have a lot of fear. I get depressed and lonely > sometimes even though I > am often around alot of people. I am worried that if > I drink I will > die drunk even though I'm not a low bottom drunk. I am > thinking about > anti-depressants. I don't want to be a zombie, though. I am > also > interested in therapy. I need to stop giving a shit what others think > > about me. I talked to my old sponsor today. She told me about a friend > > that died drunk in her car recently. I got all this fear. Plus the > > holidays are a hard time for me. I can see myself going back there. Or > > drinking and having all that aa rhetoric swim around in my head and > > crawling back. > > k > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 20, 2001 Report Share Posted November 20, 2001 Antidepressants certainly don't make me a zombie and anyone I know personally who is taking them don't suffer from zombie like states either. Am curious how one can become addicted to antidepressants? (since they aren't addictive) I would be very pleased to read the research you have done and read and if you could please provide me the sources for your statements I would be delighted. kisses Del At 02:03 AM 21/11/01 -0600, Tangie wrote: Antidepressants don't make you a zombie. Ha! There is more misinformation about psychiatric medications than AA. I have been off and on and off and on and finally off of medication after 10 years. Psychiatrists seek to enslave the same way AA does only making you more fragile, brain damaged from highly questionable meds, and yes, addicted. Anyone who wants more info can go to www.antipsychiatry.org www.breggin.org E-mail me at Tangerina01 (AT) yahoo (DOT) com for a longer list. Therapy is not a bad idea. A trusted minister or pastor can help you through what is essentially a spiritual crisis. Hugs, Tangie At 10:33 PM 19/11/01 +0000, you wrote: I've been actively NOT going to meetings for a few months now. I have been hoping to wean myself off of AA and get back to a normal life. I have a lot of fear. I get depressed and lonely sometimes even though I am often around alot of people. I am worried that if I drink I will die drunk even though I'm not a low bottom drunk. I am thinking about anti-depressants. I don't want to be a zombie, though. I am also interested in therapy. I need to stop giving a shit what others think about me. I talked to my old sponsor today. She told me about a friend that died drunk in her car recently. I got all this fear. Plus the holidays are a hard time for me. I can see myself going back there. Or drinking and having all that aa rhetoric swim around in my head and crawling back. k Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 21, 2001 Report Share Posted November 21, 2001 Antidepressants don't make you a zombie. Ha! There is more misinformation about psychiatric medications than AA. I have been off and on and off and on and finally off of medication after 10 years. Psychiatrists seek to enslave the same way AA does only making you more fragile, brain damaged from highly questionable meds, and yes, addicted. Anyone who wants more info can go to www.antipsychiatry.org www.breggin.org E-mail me at Tangerina01 (AT) yahoo (DOT) com for a longer list. Therapy is not a bad idea. A trusted minister or pastor can help you through what is essentially a spiritual crisis. Hugs, TangieAt 10:33 PM 19/11/01 +0000, you wrote: I've been actively NOT going to meetings for a few months now. I have been hoping to wean myself off of AA and get back to a normal life. I have a lot of fear. I get depressed and lonely sometimes even though I am often around alot of people. I am worried that if I drink I will die drunk even though I'm not a low bottom drunk. I am thinking about anti-depressants. I don't want to be a zombie, though. I am also interested in therapy. I need to stop giving a shit what others think about me. I talked to my old sponsor today. She told me about a friend that died drunk in her car recently. I got all this fear. Plus the holidays are a hard time for me. I can see myself going back there. Or drinking and having all that aa rhetoric swim around in my head and crawling back. k Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 21, 2001 Report Share Posted November 21, 2001 Careful with that Zoloft. I can speak from both personal experience and observation of others taking that Zoloft is addictive especially when combined with other meds. Your doctor will never give you all of the necessary information about Zoloft, possibly because he doesn't have it himself. Check out www.antipsychiatry.org or www.breggin.org Good luck to you. Hugs. Tangie Re: Scared Thanks alot. I really appreciate the responses I've gotten here. I do have some problems. I pretty much have the symptoms of "alcholism". One way they keep you in the program is they ask if you to see if you "identify" with the speakers. And I do. Not with their drunkalogues so much as with their feelings. I went to a meeting with a "normie" friend of mine. He wanted to prove a point to me. The point was to show me that I had the same feelings as everyone who spoke at the meeting whereas my friend did not. Therefore, I am an alcoholic and he is not. And he isn't. I like the idea of being able to chill with people and be honest about how I feel about things. I do feel like I am surrounded by normal people who don't get depressed really or feel less than or all the other ways alcoholics feel. It's nice to be around other folks who have to cope with a little more grief in their lives. Although, I do think I tend to enshrine some of that. I guess aa doesn't really help me fix my problems it just makes me feel more at ease cause I can see that I am not alone. I'm glad Tomboy said anti-depressants don't make you feel like a zombie. I have absolutely no one in my life that supports me trying them. I seriously wonder if they could help and spare me alot of pain. I have a prescription for zoloft I am going to pick up tomorrow. I'm gonna try it and see how it works. I can see the need to stay away from those "you're gonna die!" people as well. What a downer. It's hard though cause cults draw you in. If you've ever seen the movie "Ticket to Heaven" then you know it feels. At the end the dude is hugging his family after having gone through the deprogramming process. And at the last instant he shoots a cold, knowing look up at his cult friends standing nearby. this is all over the place. :-) just some thoughts. k > >I've been actively NOT going to meetings for a few months now. I have > >been hoping to wean myself off of AA and get back to a normal life. I > >have alot of fear. I get depressed and lonely sometimes even though I > >am often around alot of people. I am worried that if I drink I will > >die drunk even though I'm not a low bottom drunk. I am thinking about > >anti-depressants. I don't want to be a zombie, though. I am also > >interested in therapy. I need to stop giving a shit what others think > >about me. I talked to my old sponsor today. She told me about a friend > >that died drunk in her car recently. I got all this fear. Plus the > >holidays are a hard time for me. I can see myself going back there. Or > >drinking and having all that aa rhetoric swim around in my head and > >crawling back. > > > >k > > > > > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 21, 2001 Report Share Posted November 21, 2001 I don't think I'm better than anyone. BTW, I'm not a stepper, either. I would give you my long history of hospitalizations and diagnosis but not enough room here. I have been diagnosed bipolar. The longer I took meds, the worse my symptoms got. So I quit the meds. I still have ups and downs but not like when I was taking the meds. I thought there was something wrong with me until I started researching and found a whole movement with people with stories just like mine, often worse. I think it is a horrible tragedy so many people are taking medications when their doctors (often because they are not informed themselves) fail to explain fully the risks of the medications they are prescribing. I don't understand the logic of giving someone medication to fix their depression that is allegedly a biochemical imbalance when it is clear their depression is due to life experience, changes, and challenges. The biochemical theory of depression is often presented as fact. I cannot adequately explain my frustration with this. It has never, ever been proven biochemical differences in peoples' brains lead to mental illness. Humor me and check out my sites. E-mail me at Tangerina01@... for a complete list. Hugs for everyone. Tangie Re: Scared I disagree with you on this and feel that you are one step away from saying that you and people who think like you are better than others. This is what is referred to as tertiary deviance, when your a certain factor common to a group becomes the lynchpin into thinking that you/we are better than others. Mental illness does exist, treating it is just a very inexact science. If you have ever been with someone or have any kind of bi- polarity brain disorder then you can understand what I am saying. You have to understand though that just taking meds isn't a cure but a helping hand to break out of what ever is going on in your head. 80% of it though has to be through your own sweat and effort and that is something that not many people do, and then blame it on the drugs, or a psychiatrist when they should be looking inside. > > > I've been actively NOT going to meetings > for a few months now. I have > been hoping to wean myself off of AA and get > back to a normal life. I > have a lot of fear. I get depressed and lonely > sometimes even though I > am often around alot of people. I am worried that if > I drink I will > die drunk even though I'm not a low bottom drunk. I am > thinking about > anti-depressants. I don't want to be a zombie, though. I am > also > interested in therapy. I need to stop giving a shit what others think > > about me. I talked to my old sponsor today. She told me about a friend > > that died drunk in her car recently. I got all this fear. Plus the > > holidays are a hard time for me. I can see myself going back there. Or > > drinking and having all that aa rhetoric swim around in my head and > > crawling back. > > k > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 21, 2001 Report Share Posted November 21, 2001 When did expressing opposing ideas and experiences become grounds for personal attacks? BTW in mY earlier posts I gave the wrong site. It is actually www.breggin.com I was typing and doing the best I can from my medication impaired memory. My reason for posting the anti-psychiatry information is that when people decide to leave AA, or any cult for that matter they become depressed. There are a lot of reasons for this. Loss of identity, loneliness, lacking direction, not knowing where to turn. Any one of these can depress a person but it has nothing to do with a never proven chemical imbalance in the brain. How is taking medication going to cure any of the above problems I mentioned? That will only drag you into more dogma and unproven theory. It is a tragedy to leave one cult for another. Instead of taking medication why not address the above mentioned issues? For a lot of depressed people the cause of their depression is not always clear. Sometimes it takes a lot of work with a competent therapist of minister to understand. However, this is a better alternative to taking medications whose efficacy compared to placebos is unclear at best and have many damaging side effects. Hey, did you know Freud once endorsed cocaine as a cure for morphine addiction? A slightly modified Ecstasy and LSD were freely dispensed to psychiatric patients before their dangers became known and were declared illegal. I'm living for the day the SSRIs are declared dangerous and pulled off of the market. It may happen sooner than I hope. There are at least a dozen lawsuits against Pfizer and Lily and other drug companies. Read up. You'll be amazed. A good starting point is "Toxic Psychiatry" by Dr. Breggin. That's right. The people with the muscle behind the anti-psychiatry movement are not people like me but medical doctors. I, too, once believed I needed my medication "like a diabetic needs their insulin." How many of you taking medication have been told that? Well, it's a lie. The only argument I have against Dr. Breggin and Dr. Mosher is they endorse AA. Obviously they have never been to a meeting. But you cannot refute their medical information. Hugs for everyone (even my attackers and detractors) Tangie Re: Scared > > Ha! There is more misinformation about psychiatric medications than > AA Yes Tangie, and ppl like you and the antipsychiatry ppl are the source of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 21, 2001 Report Share Posted November 21, 2001 The problem with seeking medical advice is often the doctors the patients seek the advice from are uninformed themselves or if they are informed neglect to pass the information onto their patients. The phrase buyer beware comes to mind. Re: Scared tangie, Anyone who calls Zoloft addictictive does not understand what the word means. If you do not caveat your opinions with an acknowledgement you are not an MD and that a person *should always seek medical advice* with regard to these matters, I will moderate your posts. I am NOT going to have ppl practising medicine without a licence on this list! A very GOOD URL to go to on depression is Dr Ivan's Depression central, easily found with a web search. P. > > Careful with that Zoloft. I can speak from both personal experience > and observation of others taking that Zoloft is addictive especially when > combined with other meds. Your doctor will never give you all of the > necessary information about Zoloft, possibly because he doesn't have it > himself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 21, 2001 Report Share Posted November 21, 2001 > Antidepressants certainly don't make me a zombie and anyone I know > personally who is taking them don't suffer from zombie like states either. Practically everybody I ever met on Prozac or Zoloft reacts more like theyve had a cattle prod shoved up their ass than being a zombie. On the contrary, vegetative depression is *very* zombie like. Ppl who arent MD's can I guess be forgiven for succumbing to ignorant prejudice about meds, buy my motherfucker sponser WAS and MD when he said that " zombie " line and directed me away from almost free, effective meds and into his very expensive and totally iatrogenic 12- tep rehab farm, and for that I should have sued his ass years ago. P. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 21, 2001 Report Share Posted November 21, 2001 Why is it necessary for me to email you privately ? You have shared your " wisdom " on this email list and have made numerous claims, so I think it is only responsible that you back up your words with a list of links as have been requested. kisses tom boy At 12:21 AM 22/11/01 -0600, Tangie wrote: Write me at Tangerina01@... and I will give you a list of sites. Hugs, Tangie Antidepressants certainly don't make me a zombie and anyone I know personally who is taking them don't suffer from zombie like states either. Am curious how one can become addicted to antidepressants? (since they aren't addictive) I would be very pleased to read the research you have done and read and if you could please provide me the sources for your statements I would be delighted. kisses Del At 02:03 AM 21/11/01 -0600, Tangie wrote: Antidepressants don't make you a zombie. Ha! There is more misinformation about psychiatric medications than AA. I have been off and on and off and on and finally off of medication after 10 years. Psychiatrists seek to enslave the same way AA does only making you more fragile, brain damaged from highly questionable meds, and yes, addicted. Anyone who wants more info can go to www.antipsychiatry.org www.breggin.org E-mail me at Tangerina01 (AT) yahoo (DOT) com for a longer list. Therapy is not a bad idea. A trusted minister or pastor can help you through what is essentially a spiritual crisis. Hugs, Tangie At 10:33 PM 19/11/01 +0000, you wrote: I've been actively NOT going to meetings for a few months now. I have been hoping to wean myself off of AA and get back to a normal life. I have a lot of fear. I get depressed and lonely sometimes even though I am often around alot of people. I am worried that if I drink I will die drunk even though I'm not a low bottom drunk. I am thinking about anti-depressants. I don't want to be a zombie, though. I am also interested in therapy. I need to stop giving a shit what others think about me. I talked to my old sponsor today. She told me about a friend that died drunk in her car recently. I got all this fear. Plus the holidays are a hard time for me. I can see myself going back there. Or drinking and having all that aa rhetoric swim around in my head and crawling back. k Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 21, 2001 Report Share Posted November 21, 2001 > > The problem with seeking medical advice is often the doctors the patients > seek the advice from are uninformed themselves or if they are informed neglect > to pass the information onto their patients. The phrase buyer beware > comes to mind. Unfortunately I have to agree with this, but for the opposite reasons to those you are likely considering. I now know vastly more about antideps than the doc I have to see to get my prescriptions, and shes almost certtainly not the worst. She also lies, pretending that the MAOIs dont exist so she doesnt have to rx them. She makes an extremely common error of *underprescribing*, which imo even in America, and definitely here in the UK, is much more common than overprescribing of antideps. That is why I recommend Dr. Ivan's Depression Central - he knows this and says so. Should anyone suggest I am trying to practice medicine, note I am *encouraging* a medical consultation - and a search for a specialist in fact, not just an MD. Fwiw I have a degree in Psychology (but am not a clinical psychologist) but that is irrelevant. If someone decides to take a med after reading something I write, they can only legally do this via someone qualified to prescribe it - and they should do their own expert evaluation before doing so. If they dont do that, that is *their* responsibility , not mine. P. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 21, 2001 Report Share Posted November 21, 2001 > > The problem with seeking medical advice is often the doctors the patients > seek the advice from are uninformed themselves or if they are informed neglect > to pass the information onto their patients. The phrase buyer beware > comes to mind. Unfortunately I have to agree with this, but for the opposite reasons to those you are likely considering. I now know vastly more about antideps than the doc I have to see to get my prescriptions, and shes almost certtainly not the worst. She also lies, pretending that the MAOIs dont exist so she doesnt have to rx them. She makes an extremely common error of *underprescribing*, which imo even in America, and definitely here in the UK, is much more common than overprescribing of antideps. That is why I recommend Dr. Ivan's Depression Central - he knows this and says so. Should anyone suggest I am trying to practice medicine, note I am *encouraging* a medical consultation - and a search for a specialist in fact, not just an MD. Fwiw I have a degree in Psychology (but am not a clinical psychologist) but that is irrelevant. If someone decides to take a med after reading something I write, they can only legally do this via someone qualified to prescribe it - and they should do their own expert evaluation before doing so. If they dont do that, that is *their* responsibility , not mine. P. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 21, 2001 Report Share Posted November 21, 2001 No, most of them are CAC's. Certified addictions counselor. Basically all that stands for is someone who has a degree in stepping. They have studied learned and " came to believe " . They head these indoctrination centers(rehabs) and push their ideas on the medical, political, and scientific communities. Most people in these communities believe the stepper based solely on there credentials and their stories. Well as we know, these stories are wickedly overdone melodramas and pro-AA/NA personal accounts. Usually, they convince high ranking officials of their ideas solely on hearsay, the way they convince most everyone. >From: watts_pete@... >Reply-To: 12-step-free >To: 12-step-free >Subject: Re: Scared >Date: Wed, 21 Nov 2001 22:46:58 -0000 > > > > And we are the source of the misinformation in addiction...Right? >I don't think so. > >Nope - and neither are the shrinks. Only abt 10% of US addiction >treatment professionals are trained in psychiatry - and those are >themost likely to povide NON 12 STEP approaches. That is why I >despise the professional stepper so much - the vast majority of them >have no credentials in either Psychology or Psychiatry, but are >frequently nothing more than mere graduates of the 12-step farm that >they now work in - often starting only weeks after they left as >patients, just long enough to ensure that no patient remembers them >in that role. I have written on professional lists as well as here >about how they shamelessly ianly distort the DSM, both to make >dxes and to refuse remission status, even though the DSM dxes >themselves were written by ppl highly influenced by the Disease >COncept and is hardly a Harm Reduction manifesto. They have the >brass neck to reply that they arent shrinks and hence are not bound >by the DSM or ICD - yet they file DSM and ICD codes with their >fraudulent dxes to the XA coercers and the insurance providers to get >their hostages and their blood money. > >Typically in a rehab you get to see a shrink or psychologist just the >once as a CYA so they can say that you had a screening if you later >sue them - but you'll never see them again as the XA clergy move in >on your head from that point onward. > >With their ignorance and their XA " A drug is a drug " bullshit, they >use their professional status to drive ppl *away* from ppl who >actually know something about mental distress and the treatments that >might actually help. > >The steppers are PART of the antipsychiatry movement. > >P. > > _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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