Today I went to my doctor to fill my prescriptions for gabapentin and flexeril (cyclabenzaprine), both of which I consider safer than anything stronger for me. The flexeril is for muscle spasms in my left shoulder due to arthosis and the gabapentin, sleep.
For a while, while using both medications, I was anticipating more sedation, but like what I get from them on waking. It's great to wake up after taking flexeril and gabapentin, only to find my thoughts aren't sluggish.
I suppose the reason for wanting this medication is the laid-back feeling the morning after due to getting a good night's rest.
A plus is there are few side effects worth mentioning. Instead I just feel good, about myself and how to deal with the world.
Thank the heavens for cyclobenzaprine to sedate me, and gabapentin, to calm my mind down.
Update: 20140206.2022
Also, if I up my dose of gabapentin, then I can reduce my nicotine addiction. Given that a daily dose 1500 mg of gabapentin can reduce alcohol cravings to the point of abstinence in 17 percent of alcoholics, gabapentin may be used to maintain nicotine abstinence. Though, gabapentin has some sedative effects but has no interaction with alcohol or nicotine.
So tonight I'm taking the minimum dose of 300 mg, which is the lowest maintenance dose of gabapentin i.e. the lowest recommended dose that may cause psychological dependence. I'd rather take a medication that I get free due to being a Class C recipient for social welfare than have to pay for a $8-10 a pack of cigarettes.
Originally written on Dec 19, 2012 at 7:16 AM
Last posted on December 7, 20163 at 9:04 PM
Showing posts with label alcohol. Show all posts
Showing posts with label alcohol. Show all posts
20140206
20140204
Methamphetamine Use Trouble Spots (satire)
Depicted above are cities where methamphetamine has been reported as a problem.
If you live in these cities, then you might have met or seen a lot of people high on meth. YMMV
If you don't then that does not mean your country does not have a meth problem.
Currently the trouble spots nationally are the Philippines and Canada (see graphic below).
The above information merely charts mention of meth busts in cities and regions globally.
It is likely that if you are not a recreational drug user then you will not experience a problem with meth users or even meet a tweaker looking for meth crystals on the sidewalk while doing the "meth dance."
Here is the first of a series of three videos of Shane Nasty, the meth dancing bum:
On this youtube page to the right are other examples of meth addicts to peruse.
My conclusion on the matter of recreational meth use is that with the addictive personality, crystal meth is worse than crack cocaine or heroin. YMMV
However, psychiatrists routine prescribe methamphetamine or amphetamine for children with ADHD who rarely become drug addicts because they treat their medication responsibly. Though, people with undiagnosed ADHD have a high risk to self-medicate with alcohol and other substances of abuse. often, their self-medication may lead to drug abuse and a high risk of homelessness and poverty.
Thus methamphetamine is the post-modern day equivalent of chronic alcoholism, crack addiction, and heroin abuse.
My final word on the matter of meth abuse is, "Mmmm drugs (like alcohol, cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine) are bad."
SMART PEOPLE DON'T DO DRUGS, BUT SOMETIMES SUPPOSEDLY SMART PEOPLE STUPIDLY MAKE BAD CHOICES LIKE DRUG ABUSE.
YMMV
Reference:
Worldwide trend on metamphetamine bought to you by Google: http://www.google.com/trends/explore#cat=0&q=Methamphetamine,&geo=&gprop=&cmpt=q
20140203
Lindsay Lohan: Alcohol Was a Gateway (to Other Drugs) (satire)
Lindsay Lohan's candidness proves alcohol to be a gateway drug, but brewing companies keep brewing more of the harmful and life-threatening drug.
Most lives have been ruined by alcohol and prescription drugs. Yet the mainstream media is mum about this fact while showing alcohol advertising in some regions of the US and other parts of the world.
As for cocaine, it leads most recreational users believing it is harmless and not addictive, until they met someone who believes otherwise. Then their addiction gets worse because of their drug-induced delusion that cocaine is safer than a 26oz bottle of Scotch.
Of course, it is worse to binge on either drug alone instead of sharing it with the whole dance floor. Though, it is legal to serve alcohol to young adults over the age of 21 in most parts of the US, a holdover from prohibition days.
When American youths under 21 but over 18 get thirsty, they usually cross the border into Canada to party, sometimes with tragic results due to being in an alcoholic blackout in Canada where a lot of the street people won't put up with American bravado.
Sadly though the Border patrol never catch the partiers, because a breathalyzer is not standard issue.
Anyway, it is possible Lindsay Lohan might have partied hardy in the UK. When I was looking for pictures of Scots lassies, I happened across a picture of one who had LiLo's hair color and freckles, though the lass whose picture I closely perused appeared to be clean-shaven and pleasingly plump.
Perhaps some Scots with mad computer skills Photoshopped LiLo's head on this Scots wrench.
Though, the fact that some rich Arab prince paid for her to come to one of his big parties in the UK makes me wonder if Lindsay had an alcoholic blackout and some cocaine and entered a temporary psychotic delusion in which she fancied herself to be a model.
Nah, that couldn't have happened because there's been nary a peep from the Daily Mail and other trashy tabloids like the Sun. Maybe that Arab prince likes snapping pictures of pretty starlets like Lindsay.
Who knows?
Anyway, I have been searching high and low for the incriminating picture in my photo stream. Maybe one day I'll find it, crop a closeup of the Scots lassy's face, and ask if it looks like Lindsay.
Anyway, I refer any interested reader to Google Tallulah Bankhead to give you an idea of the role model for scandalous behavior among a certain group of young celebrities. Tallulah makes Lindsay seem like an innocent choir girl, but she kept her coke binges under control in the 1930s-1950s, and managed to become a talk show host in her prime in the 1960s.
So if Tallulah can handle her drinking and drugs, then I can't see why Lindsay can't.
Reference:
Lindsay Lohan's interview with Oprah: http://www.nationalpost.com/m/wp/arts/scene/blog.html?b=arts.nationalpost.com/2013/08/19/it-was-a-gateway-to-other-things-lindsay-lohan-admits-to-alcohol-addiction-discusses-cocaine-use-in-oprah-winfrey-interview
Most lives have been ruined by alcohol and prescription drugs. Yet the mainstream media is mum about this fact while showing alcohol advertising in some regions of the US and other parts of the world.
As for cocaine, it leads most recreational users believing it is harmless and not addictive, until they met someone who believes otherwise. Then their addiction gets worse because of their drug-induced delusion that cocaine is safer than a 26oz bottle of Scotch.
Of course, it is worse to binge on either drug alone instead of sharing it with the whole dance floor. Though, it is legal to serve alcohol to young adults over the age of 21 in most parts of the US, a holdover from prohibition days.
When American youths under 21 but over 18 get thirsty, they usually cross the border into Canada to party, sometimes with tragic results due to being in an alcoholic blackout in Canada where a lot of the street people won't put up with American bravado.
Sadly though the Border patrol never catch the partiers, because a breathalyzer is not standard issue.
Anyway, it is possible Lindsay Lohan might have partied hardy in the UK. When I was looking for pictures of Scots lassies, I happened across a picture of one who had LiLo's hair color and freckles, though the lass whose picture I closely perused appeared to be clean-shaven and pleasingly plump.
Perhaps some Scots with mad computer skills Photoshopped LiLo's head on this Scots wrench.
Though, the fact that some rich Arab prince paid for her to come to one of his big parties in the UK makes me wonder if Lindsay had an alcoholic blackout and some cocaine and entered a temporary psychotic delusion in which she fancied herself to be a model.
Nah, that couldn't have happened because there's been nary a peep from the Daily Mail and other trashy tabloids like the Sun. Maybe that Arab prince likes snapping pictures of pretty starlets like Lindsay.
Who knows?
Anyway, I have been searching high and low for the incriminating picture in my photo stream. Maybe one day I'll find it, crop a closeup of the Scots lassy's face, and ask if it looks like Lindsay.
Anyway, I refer any interested reader to Google Tallulah Bankhead to give you an idea of the role model for scandalous behavior among a certain group of young celebrities. Tallulah makes Lindsay seem like an innocent choir girl, but she kept her coke binges under control in the 1930s-1950s, and managed to become a talk show host in her prime in the 1960s.
So if Tallulah can handle her drinking and drugs, then I can't see why Lindsay can't.
Reference:
Lindsay Lohan's interview with Oprah: http://www.nationalpost.com/m/wp/arts/scene/blog.html?b=arts.nationalpost.com/2013/08/19/it-was-a-gateway-to-other-things-lindsay-lohan-admits-to-alcohol-addiction-discusses-cocaine-use-in-oprah-winfrey-interview
20130501
Bipolar World (poem)
In a world of manic depressives,
everyone self medicates,
be it alcohol,
recreational drugs,
religion, shopping or sex.
everyone self medicates,
be it alcohol,
recreational drugs,
religion, shopping or sex.
20090403
Less is More In Action / Cheap Drunk Revisited
April 3, 2009: Over the past three weeks I have followed my "Less is More" philosophy, which consists of having one drink and stopping there to enjoy being inebriated.
After the previous "Cheap Drunk Episode", my decision has been to follow that philosophy closely, mainly due to the fact that I hate being blitzed out of my mind after a couple beers.
This is all the result of the December 6 Christmas party, where bits and pieces of what went on then were related to me by my girlfriend. Because of my sensitivity to large amounts of alcohol, and not wishing to experience an alcoholic blackout and the resulting disassociative state of mind again, it's my endeavour to get blitzed on one and only one drink!
Tonight, I have again achieved a satori-like experience after sobering up from one drink. This time it consisted of feeling rather happy and cheerful, and it's reassuring to me that I can maintain my sobriety within 2-3 hours after one and only one drink.
For the goal throughout this "Less is More" campaign was to achieve a brief period of drunkenness without any drama and with the civility and politeness of a near teetotaler, so as to show what can be achieved in the name of social drinking even following my "Less is More" philosophy.
Do I want another drink after I am under the influence of one drink?
Heck no!
Why would I ruin the inebriation with another drink which might put me over the limit and ruin the campaign by getting drunk for the sheer pleasure of it?
Since the sobering up period resulted in a positive benefit (cheerfulness and joy), I doubt that more drinks would do anything but delay the good cheer after sobering up.
Indeed, the one drink that I drink is a symbol of the "Less is More" philosophy in that I drank much less than I did on December 6, 2008 and had much more fun in the process of experiencing drunkenness including acting appropriately and behaving maturely.
It was easy to perform simple tasks such as minding the girlfriend's grandchildren, including reading Dr. Seuss to the eldest and other mundane child-minding tasks. Had I been more inebriated, this would not have been possible. For the ensuing sobriety I now am experiencing does not have any disassociative memory losses.
Given that research has shown that 1-3 drinks a week is healthy and safe, this level of drinking will be maintained because less problems have occurred from it.
So I plan to carry on my one-drink, "Less is More" campaign and live this philosophy to the fullest.
After the previous "Cheap Drunk Episode", my decision has been to follow that philosophy closely, mainly due to the fact that I hate being blitzed out of my mind after a couple beers.
This is all the result of the December 6 Christmas party, where bits and pieces of what went on then were related to me by my girlfriend. Because of my sensitivity to large amounts of alcohol, and not wishing to experience an alcoholic blackout and the resulting disassociative state of mind again, it's my endeavour to get blitzed on one and only one drink!
Tonight, I have again achieved a satori-like experience after sobering up from one drink. This time it consisted of feeling rather happy and cheerful, and it's reassuring to me that I can maintain my sobriety within 2-3 hours after one and only one drink.
For the goal throughout this "Less is More" campaign was to achieve a brief period of drunkenness without any drama and with the civility and politeness of a near teetotaler, so as to show what can be achieved in the name of social drinking even following my "Less is More" philosophy.
Do I want another drink after I am under the influence of one drink?
Heck no!
Why would I ruin the inebriation with another drink which might put me over the limit and ruin the campaign by getting drunk for the sheer pleasure of it?
Since the sobering up period resulted in a positive benefit (cheerfulness and joy), I doubt that more drinks would do anything but delay the good cheer after sobering up.
Indeed, the one drink that I drink is a symbol of the "Less is More" philosophy in that I drank much less than I did on December 6, 2008 and had much more fun in the process of experiencing drunkenness including acting appropriately and behaving maturely.
It was easy to perform simple tasks such as minding the girlfriend's grandchildren, including reading Dr. Seuss to the eldest and other mundane child-minding tasks. Had I been more inebriated, this would not have been possible. For the ensuing sobriety I now am experiencing does not have any disassociative memory losses.
Given that research has shown that 1-3 drinks a week is healthy and safe, this level of drinking will be maintained because less problems have occurred from it.
So I plan to carry on my one-drink, "Less is More" campaign and live this philosophy to the fullest.
20070924
De-stigmatizing Mental Illness Requires Education
Mental illness stigma is similar to masturbation stigma. Some people do/have it but nobody admits to it in a crowd of strangers. ;)
Sadly though, Britney Spears can put out Touch of My Hand, but no word from Paris Hilton about her disorders at all. She sufffers from claustrophobia and may have mild ADHD. Her risky behavior looks prodromal for either bipolar or borderline personality disorder, though I nix the latter because she has had no known failed suicide attempts.
Chris Benoit is likely to have had borderline personality disorder, since concussions are comorbid with BPD, though steroid abuse is more likely. Though, if he had failed suicide attempts in the past, then he would be positive for BPD.
Usually, after the first and only psychotic incident, people in denial will go off meds due to side effects and pretend it never happened.
However, if there is a parent with recognized schizotypy (ranging from schizoid to schizo-affective to schizotypal to schizophrenic behavior), then a first-timer might go on to exhibit similar behavior (suspicion, paranoia, denial of relapse, delusions, anxiety, nervousness, love of nature and books, long time spent alone).
If economic conditions are adverse, then this could morph a first-time psychosis into a schizotypy.
For women, a caring and loving husband or soulmate can mitigate her schizotypy. There are a lot of eccentric women in long-term relationships who are successful, especially when they have learned how to deal effectively with stress. The same goes for men, but they too require a caring and loving wife or soulmate.
Undiagnosed mental illness is not the actual problem. If my unofficial research into drinking is any indication, people are self-medicating for an undiagnosed mental illness. A similar conclusion can be made about rereation drug use. Though, a refusal to acknowledge there is a problem is related to the current stigmatization of mental illness.
Because, sometimes alcohol use may indicate a coping skill to deal with undiagnosed mental illness, I feel that next to the posters against binge drinking and overdrinking in clubs, there should be posters bringing a human face to mental illness.
I currently get headaches from drinking alcohol, which means my self hypnosis is working. ;)
So, I feel substance abuse education goes hand in hand with mental health education. Why? My unofficial research shows that substance abusers are slightly more likely to be in denial that they are medicating a mental illness with alcohol and/or other drugs.
YMMV
Sadly though, Britney Spears can put out Touch of My Hand, but no word from Paris Hilton about her disorders at all. She sufffers from claustrophobia and may have mild ADHD. Her risky behavior looks prodromal for either bipolar or borderline personality disorder, though I nix the latter because she has had no known failed suicide attempts.
Chris Benoit is likely to have had borderline personality disorder, since concussions are comorbid with BPD, though steroid abuse is more likely. Though, if he had failed suicide attempts in the past, then he would be positive for BPD.
Usually, after the first and only psychotic incident, people in denial will go off meds due to side effects and pretend it never happened.
However, if there is a parent with recognized schizotypy (ranging from schizoid to schizo-affective to schizotypal to schizophrenic behavior), then a first-timer might go on to exhibit similar behavior (suspicion, paranoia, denial of relapse, delusions, anxiety, nervousness, love of nature and books, long time spent alone).
If economic conditions are adverse, then this could morph a first-time psychosis into a schizotypy.
For women, a caring and loving husband or soulmate can mitigate her schizotypy. There are a lot of eccentric women in long-term relationships who are successful, especially when they have learned how to deal effectively with stress. The same goes for men, but they too require a caring and loving wife or soulmate.
Undiagnosed mental illness is not the actual problem. If my unofficial research into drinking is any indication, people are self-medicating for an undiagnosed mental illness. A similar conclusion can be made about rereation drug use. Though, a refusal to acknowledge there is a problem is related to the current stigmatization of mental illness.
Because, sometimes alcohol use may indicate a coping skill to deal with undiagnosed mental illness, I feel that next to the posters against binge drinking and overdrinking in clubs, there should be posters bringing a human face to mental illness.
I currently get headaches from drinking alcohol, which means my self hypnosis is working. ;)
So, I feel substance abuse education goes hand in hand with mental health education. Why? My unofficial research shows that substance abusers are slightly more likely to be in denial that they are medicating a mental illness with alcohol and/or other drugs.
YMMV
20070420
20051211
Anti Drugwar Czar Leads the Way to Conquering Addiction
Anti Drugwar Czar: This website cuts through the hyperbole of the anti-drug "war" against marijuana which is more dangerous than smoking pot itself.
Statistics have shown repeatedly that the use of alcohol causes much more death per capita from alcohol-related conditions than the use of marijuana.
Even so, meditation has been shown to help deal with the root cause for addictions.
References:
Alcoholism leading cause of death: http://www.nutramed.com/alcohol/alcoholism.htm
Deaths Caused by Marijuana: http://frankdiscussion.netfirms.com/info_statistics.html
Hungry Ghosts: Can insight meditation (Vipassana Meditation) help with addictions: http://www.skillfulmeditation.org/articles/hungryghosts.html
Statistics have shown repeatedly that the use of alcohol causes much more death per capita from alcohol-related conditions than the use of marijuana.
Even so, meditation has been shown to help deal with the root cause for addictions.
References:
Alcoholism leading cause of death: http://www.nutramed.com/alcohol/alcoholism.htm
Deaths Caused by Marijuana: http://frankdiscussion.netfirms.com/info_statistics.html
Hungry Ghosts: Can insight meditation (Vipassana Meditation) help with addictions: http://www.skillfulmeditation.org/articles/hungryghosts.html
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