From: dave@bradley.bradley.edu (David Vessell)
Subject: Re: Partial Legalization
Organization: Bradley University
Distribution: usa
Date: Sun, 26 Jul 92 07:18:27 GMT

lamontg@milton.u.washington.edu (Lamont Granquist) writes:

>No an "addiction pill" wont.  But drugs that repair biochemical damage or
>maladustment may solve the problem of addiction and drug abuse *FOR*
>*SPECIFIC* *INDIVIDUALS* and overall will *HELP* deal with the problem of
>addiction, when combined with psychotherapy in the correct proportions for
>each individual.  Can you see how this ties in with the mind/brain
>duality crap that I've been blabbering about?  It just seems to me that
>you and most others on this thread are placing psychology first, and resisting
>admitting that pharmacotherapy may be more effective for certain patients.
>My point is that for *some* patients pharmacotherapy may be useless, while
>for *others* psychotherapy may be useless (and then there are all the
>others in between...).  Essentially I think that they are completely 
>equal, and that statements about how addicts are all mentally fucked are
>really about the most ignorant things I've ever heard -- in fact that any
>blanket statement about addiction & psychology is probably really damn ignorant.

I admit that I do put psychology first, because (from my point of view) if
a person can help himself without drug intervention, that's better in the
long run.  However I would like to distinguish myself from those who do
advocate a completely psychological approach; I certainly agree that drug
therapy deserves a prominent place in any psychotherapy strategy.  My
emphasis is different.

For instance, as Pete pointed out in a previous article, I didn't just pull
myself up by my bootstraps and magically become undepressed through some
flash of insight.  I did have some drug therapy, most notably the
antidepressant Elavil and the ulcer medication Zantac (for chronic
gastritis caused by long-term anxiety).  These got me back on my feet
mentally and physically and gave me the break I needed to get some
momentum.  But they were by no means the most important part of my
treatment.  What made the difference (and will mostly likely go farthest in
preventing me from falling into that pit in the future) was the
psychological strategies that helped me change the way I perceive and
react.

It's the same with drug addiction.  Suppose the folks in Canada are
successful in developing a drug that suppresses the compulsion to use that
plagues smokers, alcoholics, cokeheads, etc.  This drug could give them the
break they need to get out of the vicious circle, but unless they confront
why they abuse drugs in the first place, they'll never make any progress.
They'll relapse the minute they stop drug treatment, and that will
reinforce their feelings of helplessness because they'll basically be
choosing between two drugs which they'll be addicted to.  Since one give
them a buzz and the other doesn't, it's not hard to see what they will
choose.

I do feel, on a certain level, that in the vast majority of cases,
physiological intervention isn't mandated.  Most psychological therapies
can succeed on their own in whatever situation.  However, I see the value
of physiological strategies because they make treatment easier in many
circumstances and enhanse the effectiveness of psychological therapy.
I do not feel that drug therapy is so effective that it can be practically
used alone or even predominantly.  I would rather see a depressed person
fail at a talk therapy strategy before more or less permanently prescribing
them Prozac in order for them to lead a normal life, rather than just stick
them on Prozac without determing whether or not they need it.

I suppose our stances aren't so different, it's just that our emphases
differ.

-- 
=========*davE*.....making the world safe for intelligent dance music.=========
               Andre Marrou -- Libertarian for President 1992
--(David Vessell)--(Bradley University Computing Services)-(dave@bradley.edu)--
Xref: sparky talk.politics.drugs:5430 alt.drugs:13730