Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Meth

I finished reading Methland: The Death and Life of an American Small Town yesterday. It’s about Meth, Speed, Crank or whatever your favorite name for it is and it’s impact on a small town.

My experience with speed was back in the early 70’s. We called it white cross for the score that divided the small white pill into quarters. On occasion I would buy a hundred lot and would use them every once in a while and would sell some. If I remember, you needed about five of them to get going.

I was aware that you could get really messed up by speed so I never went on a binge and it never became a big part of my life. From what I read in Methland, I would guess that the stuff I had wasn’t as powerful as other stuff that was around.

The Colorado Meth Project has a slogan, Not Even Once. Good meth is very addictive because of the changes it makes in the brain; it causes an intense rush of pleasure. Here is what The National Institute on Drug Abuse says:
Dopamine is the brain chemical that allows us to feel pleasure. Meth unnaturally raises dopamine levels to more than 10 times the amount caused by life's normal pleasures, including eating and having sex. In stimulating this dopamine release, Meth creates an intense rush of pleasure. This powerful rewarding effect is a major part of the biology of Meth addiction.
The slogan is good. What if once leads to forever? What if the rush is so good that you decide you can’t live without it even though your body is being destroyed, you have lost everything, you are going to prison or just got out of prison?

Another thing that sets meth apart beside the intense pleasure is that for a while at least, it makes you incredibly productive. I remember at sixteen years old finding out I could stay up all night and then go to work the next day. Many Americans have found out that meth lets them work double shifts and still have a life. It works for awhile until everything falls apart.

As I thought about meth this morning I thought about addiction in general and I thought about myself. The drug I fell in love with was marijuana. Thankfully when I became a Christian in 1973, the transition to life without pot didn’t involve the physical withdrawal of so many other substances. My love for marijuana probably kept me away from addiction to many other drugs I experimented with. One thing I know though: I loved to get high.

I became a Christian towards the end of the Jesus Movement. In turning to Jesus most of us turned away from drugs, alcohol and tobacco as those things were viewed as sinful. While I will have to admit that there isn’t a Bible verse that covers absolute prohibition of alcohol and tobacco, I’m glad that is the way we felt. I don’t think I missed a thing by not indulging in those things.

I will not drink alcohol these days because I don’t want to risk falling in love with it. That may sound weak but I know myself too well to feel otherwise. I may find it comforting during difficult times or maybe the love of a buzz would lead to some other disaster.

Not Even Once can be a good slogan in many other areas of life too. There are many sex and porn addicts who wish they had never taken the first look. Do you know if you will be able to continue as a casual drinker if you make alcohol a part of your life?

I love good coffee and I know it is a stimulant. There was a time when I avoided it for that reason. I drink coffee in the morning and in the afternoon, two cups each time. I don’t drink to avoid sleep or instead of sleep. I buy the good stuff and grind it right before brewing. It’s a pleasure I enjoy. If I become addicted to coffee I probably won’t lose my job, steal from friends or beat my kids.

There are many things that resist the hard rule. Some things are plainly sin and others require a lot of thought. “Is it wise” is a good question. “Could this lead to danger” is another. It’s also good to have people in your life who can view you from the outside. They may see what you cannot.

Philip

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