#drug abuse treatment market

[afeelgoodblog]

The Best News of Last Week - January 15, 2024

🎊 - As we embark on another journey around the sun, I am thrilled to bring you the first newsletter of the year, packed with inspiring, informative, and sometimes downright amusing stories.

1. Marijuana meets criteria for reclassification as lower-risk drug

Marijuana has a lower potential for abuse than other drugs that are subjected to the same restrictions, with scientific support for its use as a medical treatment, researchers from the US Food and Drug Administration say in documents supporting its reclassification as a Schedule III substance.

2. South Korea passes law banning dog meat trade

The slaughter and sale of dogs for their meat is to become illegal in South Korea after MPs backed a new law. The legislation, set to come into force by 2027, aims to end the centuries-old practice of humans eating dog meat.

3. After 20 years in a tiny cage, these 'broken bears' are finally feeling the grass beneath their paws

These bears, termed "broken bears" due to physical and psychological trauma from years of abuse, are treated at the Tam Dao rescue center with individually tailored diets, physiotherapy, and medical care. The bear bile trade, which involves extracting bile for traditional Asian medicine, has been illegal in Vietnam since 2005, but a black market still exists.

4. France just got its first openly gay prime minister.

Gabriel Attal is France’s youngest-ever prime minister at age 34 and the first who is openly gay.

5. Australian ‘builders without borders’ repairing war-torn homes and schools in Ukraine

Manfred Hin, a 66-year-old builder from Townsville, Australia, spent most of 2023 volunteering in Ukraine to rebuild homes and schools damaged by Russian attacks. Having contributed to over 50 house and a dozen school renovations, he worked with Ukrainian charity Brave to Rebuild, mentoring young volunteers and sourcing three tonnes of donated tools.

Inspired by Hin's story, Tasmanian carpenter Hamish Stirling also joined the efforts, learning Ukrainian, traveling to Europe, and volunteering for three months to help rebuild homes.

6. The age-standardized death rate from cancer has declined by 15% since 1990

The age-standardized death rate from cancer declined by 15%

Cancer kills mostly older people – as the death rate by age shows, of those who are 70 years and older, 1% die from cancer every year. For people who are younger than 50, the cancer death rate is more than 40-times lower (more detail here).

7. Germany Reached 55% Renewable Energy in 2023

In 2023, 55 percent of Germany’s power came from renewables — an increase of 6.6 percent, according to energy regulator Bundesnetzagentur, reported Reuters. Europe’s biggest national economy has a goal of 80 percent green energy by 2030.

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That's it for this week :)

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Buy me a coffee ❤️

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[probablyasocialecologist]

“The ‘war on drugs’ may be understood to a significant extent as a war on people. Its impact has been greatest on those who live in poverty, and it frequently overlaps with discrimination directed at marginalised groups, minoritiesand Indigenous Peoples. In our reporting and experience, we have found that such discriminatory impact is a common element across drug policies with regard to the widest range of human rights, including the right to personal liberty; freedom from torture, ill-treatment and forced labour; fair trial rights; the right to health, including access to essential medicines, palliative care, comprehensive drug prevention and education, drug treatment, and harm reduction; the right to adequate housing; freedom from discrimination and the right to equal treatment before the law; right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment; cultural rights and freedoms of expression, religion, assembly and association. Globally, drug control has had massive costs for the dignity, humanity and freedom of people of African descent, with reports showing that people of African descent face disproportionate and unjust law enforcement interventions, arrests and incarceration for drug-related offences. In various countries, the ‘war on drugs’ has been more effective as a system of racial control than as a tool to reduce drug markets. Policing interventions based on racial profiling remain widespread, whilst access to evidence-based treatment and harm reduction for people of African descent remains critically low. Around the world, women who use drugs face significant stigma and discrimination in accessing harm reduction programmes, drug dependence treatment and basic health care. Although one in three people who use drugs are women, women constitute only one in five people in treatment. Women are also disproportionately affected by criminalisation and incarceration, with 35% of women in prison worldwide having been convicted of a drug-related offence compared to 19% of men. The causes of women’s interaction with the criminal justice system in relation to drugs are complex, often linked to other factors such as poverty and coercion, and may reflect systemic gender inequality in society more broadly. Of note, most women in prison for drug related offences have little education. Under international law, States that have not yet abolished the death penalty may only impose capital punishment for the ‘most serious crimes’, meaning crimes of extreme gravity involving intentional killing. Drug offences clearly do not meet this threshold. However, drug-related offences are still punishable by death in over 30 countries, and human rights experts have raised concerns about evidence of its discriminatory impact on individuals belonging to minorities. Everyone without exception has the right to life-saving harm reduction interventions, which are essential for the protection of the right to health of people who use drugs. However, according to UN data, only 1 in 8 people with drug dependence have access to appropriate treatment, and the coverage of harm reduction services remains very low. The situation is particularly critical for women, LGBTIQ+ persons, and other marginalised groups, for whom harm reduction and treatment services may not be adapted or respond to their specific needs. Women and LGBTIQ+ persons also face even higher levels of stigma, including self-stigma, and discrimination than men who use drugs.

As the world grows older, drug use among people over 65 has also increased. The COVID-19 pandemic had a negative impact on the health and well-being of older persons, and studies show an increased use of pain relievers, tranquillizers, and sedatives among this age group. Older drug users are also more often using the dark web, social media, and online forums to obtain illicit substances resulting in a rise of drug-related deaths among older populations. The criminalisation of substances traditionally used by Indigenous Peoples such as the coca leaf can also result in the suppression, undermining and marginalization of traditional and indigenous knowledge systems and medicine, which has wide-ranging health impacts and is rooted in discriminatory hierarchies and conceptions. Forced eradication of crops, including through the aerial spraying of highly hazardous pesticides, can cause serious harm to the environment and clean water, as well as to the health and welfare of Indigenous communities. Indigenous Peoples that might be affected by these and other drug control operations must be meaningfully consulted, and guarantees should be given that their lives, cultural practices, lands and natural resources are not violated. Criminal laws and the punitive use of administrative and other sanctions stigmatise already marginalised populations. Criminalisation results in significant barriers to access to health services (including those for HIV and palliative care) and in other human rights violations. As called for by the UN system Common Position on drug-related matters, drug use and possession for personal use should be decriminalised as a matter of urgency. Drug use or dependence are never a sufficient justification for detaining a person. Compulsory drug detention and rehabilitation centres need to be closed and replaced with voluntary, evidence-informed, and rights-based health and social services in the community.

[the-true-stories]

Understanding Drugs and its Types

Drugs, both legal and illegal, have been used for centuries for medicinal, recreational, and cultural purposes. While some drugs are essential for medical treatment, others are harmful and can lead to addiction, health problems, and social issues. In this blog, we’ll explore a range of drugs, their effects, and the reasons behind their prohibition. Cocaine  Heroin  LSD (Lysergic Acid Diethylamide)  marijuana  Cannabis

What Are Drugs?

Drugs are substances that affect the body or mind. They can be categorized as prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, or illegal substances. The latter often pose serious health risks and are banned or tightly regulated in many countries. Methamphetamine (Meth)  Ecstasy (MDMA)  Anabolic Steroids  PCP (Phencyclidine)  Synthetic Cannabinoids 

Let’s delve into some common illegal or restricted drugs, their effects, and the dangers they pose.

Cocaine

Derived from the coca plant, cocaine is a powerful stimulant that increases energy, alertness, and confidence. However, it also causes severe health issues, including heart problems, paranoia, and addiction. The illicit nature of cocaine stems from its high potential for abuse and its harmful social and physical effects.

Heroin

Heroin, an opioid derived from morphine, is one of the most addictive substances. It induces feelings of euphoria but quickly leads to dependence. Overdose risks are high, often resulting in respiratory failure. The drug has devastating effects on individuals and communities, prompting its strict prohibition.

Methamphetamine (Meth)

Meth is a highly addictive stimulant that affects the central nervous system. It increases energy and focus but also causes severe physical and mental health issues, including paranoia, hallucinations, and dental problems (“meth mouth”). Its illegal production in clandestine labs adds to public health and safety concerns.

LSD (Lysergic Acid Diethylamide)

LSD, commonly known as acid, is a hallucinogenic drug that alters perception and mood. Although not typically addictive, it can cause psychological distress and dangerous behaviors. LSD is illegal in most countries due to its unpredictable effects and potential for misuse.

Ecstasy (MDMA)

MDMA, or Ecstasy, is a synthetic drug with stimulant and hallucinogenic properties. Popular in party scenes, it induces feelings of euphoria and emotional closeness. However, it can cause dehydration, overheating, and long-term cognitive issues. Its recreational use is widely banned.

Psilocybin Mushrooms (Magic Mushrooms)

Psilocybin, the active compound in magic mushrooms, is a natural hallucinogen. While some studies suggest potential therapeutic benefits, its recreational use is illegal in many regions. The drug alters perception and can lead to panic attacks and confusion.

Marijuana and Cannabis

Cannabis, commonly referred to as marijuana, has been at the center of legalization debates. While medical marijuana is approved in many countries for pain relief and other uses, recreational cannabis remains illegal in several places. Its overuse can lead to dependency, impaired judgment, and respiratory issues.

Synthetic Cannabinoids

Synthetic cannabinoids, often marketed as "legal highs" under names like K2 or Spice, mimic the effects of cannabis but are far more potent and unpredictable. They are associated with severe side effects, including psychosis, seizures, and organ damage. Their sale is banned in many regions.

Anabolic Steroids

Anabolic steroids, synthetic derivatives of testosterone, are sometimes misused for muscle growth and athletic performance. Abuse can lead to heart disease, liver damage, and mood disorders. Non-medical use of steroids is illegal in many countries.

PCP (Phencyclidine)

PCP, or angel dust, is a dissociative drug known for its hallucinogenic effects. It can cause violent behavior, paranoia, and detachment from reality. Its high potential for abuse and dangerous side effects make it illegal for recreational use.

Cocaine  Heroin  LSD (Lysergic Acid Diethylamide)  marijuana  Cannabis

[onecornerface]

Against "More Housing & Jobs" as an anti-drug-legalization argument

I claim only drug legalization can drastically and quickly reduce overdose deaths in North America, because only legalization can replace the volatile black market mystery-powder with a consistent supply of known potency and composition. (Here I’m using “legalization” as an umbrella term which encompasses safe supply.)

One of the most pernicious objections to drug legalization is this: “Instead of legalization, we should invest massively in housing and job programs.” Or "Instead of providing marginalized people with more drugs, we should give them services so they won't want drugs anymore."

This is a close cousin to the argument “Instead of legalization, we should invest massively in addiction treatment” which I��ve complained about a lot before, and it is unsound and pernicious for similar reasons.

This objection is pernicious for many reasons. One reason is that it *pretends* to be progressive, but really it is a conservative authoritarian defense of the failed war on drugs. Anti-drug-user conservatives cynically make this argument to fool ill-informed progressives into opposing legalization on pseudo-progressive grounds. It's a grotesque abuse of progressive values, and tends to be dishonest.

These conservatives tend to actively oppose investment in housing and job programs. Even when they aren't outright hostile, they insist that housing and job programs should actively discriminate against people who use drugs, especially against addicted people who are at highest risk.

By contrast, pro-drug-legalization progressives and harm reductionists are among the staunchest supporters of massive investment in housing and job programs, and against anti-drug-user discrimination within these programs. For instance, there are close ties between the harm reduction movement and the low-barrier housing/housing-first movement. Harm reduction and safe supply programs are often accompanied by services to assist drug users to get or maintain jobs and housing.

Moreover, the objection is fundamentally a distraction aimed at shutting down critical thought. It insinuates that drug legalization is somehow at odds with housing and job programs—but gives zero explanation as to how or why there would be any conflict between the two. They don't want you to ask these questions or flesh out the structure of the argument. It's a thought-stopper. The argument is aimed at people who won't scrutinize it.

(Note: Later, I will come back to a steelmanned argument that suggests there could be a more subtle conflict between jobs/housing and legalization-- but conservatives don't and can't actually make the more subtle argument.)

Housing & Jobs ARE good and probably reduce addiction -- but here are four reasons this does NOT justify the anti-legalization view Of course, one can very reasonably argue that housing and job programs would reduce addiction (and/or the worst symptoms of addiction) greatly--perhaps rendering legalization unnecessary. Indeed I claim we should invest in housing and job programs—in part to reduce addiction and overdose, and in part for many other reasons. But construed as an anti-legalization argument in particular, this argument is severely flawed on at least four grounds (in addition to the fact that there simply is no actual contradiction between jobs/housing and legalization, as I noted).

One, it is empirically unclear how much housing and job programs would reduce addictions that already exist, and there is a serious risk of overstating the case --including by legit progressive advocates of housing and job programs, who arguably sometimes exaggerate how much housing-first programs reduce addiction and/or overdose.

Two, regarding jobs: Many people with severe drug addictions are presently unable to hold a job (or there are very few jobs they can hold). This somewhat limits the scope of jobs as a solution for presently addicted people, at least for now. Overdoses are disproportionately very common among people who don't have jobs-- but I'm not sure of the causal directions (probably there are multiple causal directions), and it isn't clear how many of them could have their overdose risk much reduced by job programs in particular (even for the subset of them who can hold jobs, let alone those who cannot).

Three, housing and job programs can’t reduce addictions quickly, but rather (at best) quite slowly-- by (1) slowly preventing the acquisition of new addictions among a new cohort of would-be addicted people, and (2) by slowly helping treat addictions among a subset of presently-addicted people. And in the meantime, hundreds of thousands of addicted drug users will continue dying. Only legalization can quickly reduce overdoses.

Some people attack legalization as short-term oriented—but I think we SHOULD be short-term oriented in this way, since so many thousands of people are dying right NOW.

Four, housing and job programs won’t likely do much to reduce overdoses among non-addicted drug users who still use the unregulated drug market. Non-addicted drug users almost surely constitute a minority of overdose deaths, but still a lot of people in total. And non-addicted drug users are also the large majority of total people who use drugs. (I'm here assuming the "addiction" conceptual-theoretical framework is more-or-less legit-- although this is far from uncontroversial.)

The "Housing & Jobs" anti-legalization argument is probably unsound or flawed in other ways too, but that's what I can think of offhand. Admittedly I'm being very hand-wavey about the specifics. Lots of empirical research by experts would be needed to flesh out the analysis more concretely.

The Realpolitik Variant of the Argument Finally, is there a better possible variant of the argument? Maybe. One could potentially argue that drug legalization would be good if attained-- but that we should strategically abstain from advocating for it, or that we should make it low-priority, because of the limitations in government funding and/or political capital. We can only pragmatically advocate for so many things at one time, so perhaps we should sacrifice legalization for the sake of gains in jobs and housing? These sorts of reasons could create a real conflict between jobs/housing and legalization.

(Relatedly, one could also worry that legalization may create conservative backlash (which decriminalization has arguably caused in British Columbia and Oregon), or that it may problematically empower for-profit drug corporations and/or right-libertarians, in such a way as to strengthen longterm opposition to progressive advocacy for jobs and housing.)

At the risk of misusing terminology, I will tentatively call this the realpolitik argument against legalization advocacy. Perhaps the realpolitik argument has serious weight in countries that don't have an ongoing severe overdose crisis, outside North America. However, I think the realpolitik argument would probably also be unsound, at least in North America-- if indeed I'm right that only legalization can save hundreds of thousands of people's lives. I do not believe there are strong enough realpolitik considerations, with a high enough probability, to outweigh the value of such massive-scale life-saving (even if we discount for the fact that there is some probability that I am mistaken about legalization's effects).

In any case, conservatives do not make this argument, and indeed cannot legitimately make this argument—since conservatives are the ones mainly responsible for opposing progressive goals and creating the aforementioned limitations on government funding and political capital, in the first place.

[whitherwanderer]

17 // diagnostic (extra credit)

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>> diagnosis

Please list up to five major symptoms for a diagnosis using our QuickMatch™ technology.

[1] fever [2] headache [3] mania [4] hallucinations [5] not recognizing faces

———

QuickMatch™ Potential Diagnoses*

The symptoms listed are a complete or partial match to the diseases and disorders below:

Click for more information and recommended treatment options.

Schizophrenia [+]

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) [+]

Cyberpsychosis [–]

Cyberpsychosis is a collective term for all psychotic and anxiety-related personality disorders caused by hardware implanted in the body and any and all behavioral mods, including software. Often this begins as changes to the personality, followed by increasingly erratic and even violent behavior. Some medications and substance abuse can worsen these behaviors. Recommended treatment options: - Therapy - Implant deactivation and/or removal - Bethaloperidol While antipsychotics are widely used to slow the onset of cyberpsychosis, therapy has also proven effective for some patients after years of treatment. Those experiencing aggressive cyberpsychotic symptoms such as violent outbursts should be kept away from public spaces and denied access to weapons until they can be incapacitated, restrained, and removed for treatment. If you or someone you know is experiencing symptoms of cyberpsychosis that result in erratic or violent behavior, remove yourself from any potentially dangerous situations and call MaxTac. Do NOT interrupt MaxTac officers during an ongoing violent situation. DO put as many walls between the situation and yourself as is possible to avoid stray projectiles and bodily harm.

*QuickMatch™ diagnoses are a quick-screening technology and should not be used to replace the services of a trained medical professional.

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>> nethaloperidol

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>> bethaloperidol

Searching “bethaloperidol” yielded the following articles:

Bethaloperidol [–]

Bethaloperidol is an antipsychotic used to treat a broad range of disorders, ranging from Schizophrenia to hyperactivity. When prescribed by a doctor in combination with therapy, bethaloperidol has been proven effective in helping patients recover. Bethaloperidol can be taken in pill form or through injection. The most widely used brands are Bethal and Novadol. Though black market bethaloperidol is frequently sold, it is not created in a lab environment where product quality is overseen, it is likely a cheaper alternative that will not address symptoms adequately, and/or it has been cut with other drugs that could be a potentially dangerous cocktail. Brand names are always recommended and more effective than their black market counterparts.

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Searching “ripperdoc” yielded the following articles:

Ripperdocs: the new GP or back alley surgeon? [+]

Top 10 most horrifying ripperdoc patient stories [+]

Confessions of a street doctor: ripper reveals all [+]

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☆☆☆☆☆

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

By: Freddie deBoer

Published: Apr 29, 2022

Marianne Eloise wants the world to know that she does not “have a regular brain at all”. That’s her declaration, on the very first page of her new memoir, Obsessive, Intrusive, Magical Thinking. The book catalogues her experience of a dizzying variety of psychiatric conditions: OCD, anxiety, autism, ADHD, alcohol abuse, seasonal affective disorder, an eating disorder, night terrors, depression. By her own telling, Eloise has suffered a great deal from these ailments; I believe her, and wish better for her. But she would prefer we not think of them as ailments at all. And that combination of self-pity and self-aggrandisement is emblematic of our contemporary understanding of mental health.

Eloise is a champion of neurodivergence, an omnibus term that’s recently ballooned in popularity, which can include autism, anxiety, borderline personality disorder, or indeed any other psychiatric condition that’s hot right now. The term is designed for making sweeping pronouncements. Forget the fact that, say, autism and schizophrenia are so different that they have at times been described as opposite conditions. Forget the fact that saying you’re neurodivergent has as much medical meaning as saying you have a disorder of the body. The idea is that there’s a group of people whose brain chemistry differs, in some beautiful way, from some Platonic norm. And it’s an idea that’s taken on great symbolic power in contemporary liberal culture.

There is, for example, a thriving ADHD community on TikTok and Tumblr: people who view their attentional difficulties not as an annoyance to be managed with medical treatment but as an adorable character trait that makes them sharper and more interesting than others around them. (They still demand extra time to take tests, naturally.) It’s also easy to come across social media users who declare how proud they are to be autistic; I’m glad they’re proud, but their repetitive insistence makes me wonder who exactly they’re trying to convince, us or them.

Darker, there’s the world of “DID TikTok”. DID, dissociative identity disorder, is a profoundly controversial condition, once known as multiple personality disorder. Many serious experts question whether it exists at all; at the very least it’s incredibly rare. And yet thousands of adolescents have diagnosed themselves with the condition, and happily perform their various personalities for their social media followers, typically in ways that defy all established psychological understandings of the disorder.

Against this backdrop, Eloise is a marketing department’s dream come true: hers is a story of the young, beautiful, dysfunctional — and successful. Eloise is the perfect 21st-century woman, from a certain internet-enabled philosophy of human affairs. She is an admirer of witchcraft and believes that women have a mythical connection to water. She does a lot of drugs and becomes bisexual. She uses Tumblr and travels the world, vacationing in Lisbon and the south of France, and moves to Los Angeles to be an actor, taking care to embed that period of her life in a self-defensive patina of irony. She lives an enviable life of obvious socioeconomic privilege, which she does not have time to recognise, as she’s too busy cataloging her psychiatric maladies.

She crams them into every last anecdote: apparently nothing happens to her that she does not ultimately attribute to those maladies. Eloise’s love of swimming as a child is, for instance, laboriously explained in terms of her neurodivergence. I’m talking thousands of words. It seems never to have occurred to her that a love of swimming is not exactly rare among children, or that she doesn’t have to justify her joy at being in the ocean by making it “deeper”. Again and again, she holds perfectly mundane attitudes and behaviours up to the reader and says “Isn’t this special?”

The label of neurodivergence is so vague and capacious, pretty much anything can be pulled into its orbit and made “diverse”. There’s a meme that crops upon Tumblr, TikTok and Twitter that starts with “the neurodivergent urge to…” and is immediately followed by, well, just about anything a person does. Common examples include the neurodivergent urge not to reply to an email or to order food in rather than cooking what’s in the fridge.

Take Eloise’s nightmares. She has, at times in her life, suffered from debilitatingly bad dreams that made sleep a constant source of fear and pain. This sounds like an awful condition, and she deserves sympathy. But she gives the game away when she writes: “Maybe my relationship with dreaming wasn’t like everyone else’s.” Not like everyone else’s, no. But certainly like that of many people who suffer from recurring and terrifying nightmares. Eloise writes that, according to the Mayo Clinic, nightmare disorder “only affects around 4-5% of adults, which shocked me: did adults really not have nightmares?” It’s as if she genuinely does not know the difference between 4% and zero.

It is perhaps comforting to see every last detail of one’s life as the product of some uncontrollable force. “I am this way because I was born this way,” Eloise writes, in a remarkably bald denial of personal responsibility. As a pawn of the various interior forces that do combat in her brain, she is adamant that there is nothing wrong with her, that her suffering is all in service to some deeper way to live, and that she is proud of the very conditions she asks us to treat as a perpetual get-out-of-jail-free card for her behaviour.

The implication is that the neurodivergent might just be better than other people. As with introverts, social media users have developed a discourse around neurodivergence that is nakedly self-celebratory, a bragger’s genre. Eloise has clearly endured a great deal of hardship, but like her culture she seems to feel that this hardship can only be given meaning by being woven into a journey of self-actualisation. Eloise writes that her life is “underpinned and ultimately made whole by obsession”. Can you imagine a sadder statement: an adult telling you that there is nothing to distinguish her or give her value but her psychiatric conditions, conditions she shares with millions of others?

Diagnosis is the Holy Grail of the neurodivergence narrative. Eloise fixates on hers and its quasi-mystical powers. No reader could doubt that her problems are real, but she seems to have treated getting diagnoses like a consumer on Amazon. She states flat out, on several occasions, that she went shopping for an autism diagnosis, went to doctors with the express intent of wringing one out of them. There was a time when self-diagnosis was understood to be unhealthy, and perhaps embarrassing, but this is a brave new world we’re living in now.

Once enough people insist on mental illnesses as upbeat and fashionable lifestyle brands, then any of us who oppose it are guilty of the most grave sin of all, the sin of perpetuating stigma. It’s stigma to call autism a disorder, despite the fact that it renders some completely nonverbal and unable to care for themselves; it’s stigma to suggest that someone with ADHD bears any responsibility at all for problems at school or work; it’s stigma to speak the plain fact that people with psychotic disorders sometimes commit acts of violence under the influence of their conditions. It’s stigma, in other words, to treat those of us with mental illnesses as anything else than wayward children.

Stigma, that cartoon monster, has never been in the top 100 of my problems in 20 years of managing a psychotic disorder, but never mind; stigma is the ox to be gored in contemporary pop culture, and so we must fixate on it to the point that we sideline the health, safety and treatment of those with mental disorders.

What I find tragic about those who buy into the neurodivergence narrative is that they become their illnesses. And yes, there are alternatives. Eloise and people like her seem never to consider one of the possible ways that they could have dealt with their myriad disorders: to suffer. Only to suffer. To suffer, and to feel no pressure to make suffering an identity, to not feel compelled to wrap suffering up in an Instagram-friendly manner. To accept that there is no sense in which her pain makes her deeper or more real or more beautiful than others, that in fact the pain of mental illness reliably makes us more selfish, more self-pitying, more destructive, and more pathetic. To understand that and to accept it and to quietly go about life trying to maintain peace and dignity is, I think, the best possible path for those with mental illness to walk.

But in this culture, all must be monetised, all must be aspirational, anything can be marketed. Eloise lacks the self-awareness to ask whether there’s something exploitative and ugly about turning psychological illness into fodder for soap opera and motivational posters. Again and again in this book, Eloise gins up the kind of statement on mental health that you might find in an Instagram meme, wedges it awkwardly into some prosaic story about her youth, and then skips away. At one point she mocks “Airbnb-style Live Laugh Love signage”, and I could only think, you’re writing a book filled with it.

The most real, most human, most honest, and most humane part of Eloise’s book is something she wrote in a journal in 2009, when she was a teenager:

I fear my mind, as one single assembly by one fireman on fire safety in primary school caused this deep-seated fear. That shows the true extent of my mind’s power over me. Although these things are unlikely to happen, just yet, I fear every one of them one day. I don’t need a doctor to tell me that is a problem. But I want, so badly, to get better.

This is what it’s actually like to have a mental illness: no desire to justify or celebrate or honor the disease, only the desire to be rid of it. But the modern conception of neurodivergence (and disability activism generally) wants to have it both ways. Sometimes, people would prefer for you to think of their conditions as debilitating hindrances for which they may demand special dispensation. And sometimes they would like them to be seen as positive personality quirks that make them unique.

It is hard to witness the damage that has been done to this young woman, by a culture that insists she views her suffering as part of a beautiful journey. Today’s activists never seem to consider that there is something between terrible stigma and witless celebration, that we are not in fact bound to either ignore mental illness or treat it as an identity.

Were we wiser and more serious, we might be able to see psychiatric disorders as both natural and lamentable, as beyond the control of the individual but still within their responsibility. We would have sympathy for those who suffer from them, but recognise that sympathy only accrues to those whose conditions are unfortunate, unhealthy. We might be honest and say that, yes, it’s bad to be afflicted with psychiatric disorders.

We might, then, have the courage to say that mental illness sucks, that there’s nothing good about it, that the efforts to bend it into some superpower of greater creativity or deeper living is sour grapes from those who can’t escape. We might help people like Eloise, rather than celebrating them as self-actualised girlbosses. We might have the wisdom to ease her suffering, while we patiently tell her that there’s nothing beautiful about it.

==

Somewhere along the way we overshot “destigmatize” and ended up at “celebrate” and “reward.”

Not everything needs to be completely destigmatized.

[crystalmethshop02]

Where to Buy Crystal Meth in Queensland

Crystal meth is a synthetic drug that comes in the form of crystalline rocks or bluish-white shards. It is typically smoked, snorted, or injected, producing an intense euphoric rush and increased energy. However, the effects of crystal meth are short-lived and often followed by a crash, leading users to seek more of the drug to maintain the high.

The Dangers of Crystal Meth

The use of crystal meth can have severe consequences for both individuals and society as a whole. Chronic use can lead to addiction, psychosis, cardiovascular problems, and damage to the brain. Additionally, the production and distribution of crystal meth contribute to crime and violence in communities.

Legal Status of Crystal Meth in Queensland

In Queensland, crystal meth is classified as a dangerous drug under the Drugs Misuse Act 1986. Possession, trafficking, and production of crystal meth are criminal offenses punishable by law. Law enforcement agencies are actively involved in combating the illicit drug trade, including crystal methamphetamine.

Risks of Buying Crystal Meth

Purchasing crystal meth in Queensland poses significant risks to both buyers and sellers. Law enforcement agencies conduct operations to target drug trafficking networks, leading to arrests and prosecutions. Furthermore, the quality and purity of crystal meth obtained from illicit sources are often unknown, increasing the likelihood of harmful effects on users' health.

Where to Buy Crystal Meth in Queensland

Despite the legal and health risks, individuals may still attempt to procure crystal meth in Queensland. Several avenues exist for obtaining the drug, including:

Online Sources

Some individuals may attempt to purchase crystal meth through online marketplaces or social media platforms. However, this method is risky and illegal, as law enforcement agencies monitor online activities related to drug trafficking.

Dark Web Markets

The dark web provides a platform for anonymous transactions, including the sale of illicit drugs like crystal meth. However, accessing these markets requires specialized software and presents significant legal and cybersecurity risks.

Street Dealers

Street-level drug dealers may also offer crystal meth for sale in Queensland's urban areas. However, purchasing drugs from street dealers exposes buyers to the dangers of violence, robbery, and arrest.

Risks and Considerations

Regardless of the method chosen, buying crystal meth in Queensland carries inherent risks. Individuals may face legal consequences, including fines, imprisonment, and criminal records. Moreover, the use of crystal meth poses serious health risks, including addiction, overdose, and long-term damage to physical and mental health.

Alternatives to Buying Crystal Meth

Instead of seeking out crystal meth, individuals struggling with substance abuse can explore alternative options for help and support. These include:

Seeking professional treatment for addiction through rehabilitation centers and counseling services.

Participating in support groups such as Narcotics Anonymous (NA) or SMART Recovery.

Utilizing harm reduction strategies to reduce the risks associated with drug use, such as needle exchange programs and overdose prevention education.

While the temptation to buy crystal meth in Queensland may exist, the risks far outweigh any perceived benefits. From legal consequences to severe health effects, the dangers of crystal methamphetamine use are profound. Instead of succumbing to the allure of illicit drugs, individuals are encouraged to seek help and support to overcome addiction and lead healthier lives.

Address: 1569 Ave, New York,NY 10028, USA

Contacts: Email: sales@crystalmethshop.com Mobile: +1(818) 714-0948

Visit Here: https://crystalmethshop.com/

[daddymothxxx]

[.ooc.] Hektor + Beau

Alekos "Hektor" Ariti was the Overlord of the Red Light district before, and a bit after, Valentino died and came to Hell. He had a form like a piebald Sphinx Cat and was on the chunkier side.

Hektor was not a kind and took a shine onto Valentino. He was overbearing and treated his tricks much the way Valentino during The 40yrs. There's quite a bit of parallel between Valentino and Hektor and Valentino and Angel Dust. Except Hektor never put on a charming front and Valentino endured the treatment as a fact-of-life, having been treated similarly before in life.

Hektor often beat and abused his workers and, as said, focused a lot on Valentino specifically. There wasn't any accommodations for anyone and flesh was entirely expendable.

Valentino met Vox at a glance a few times while Vox was negotiating with Hektor. Often brought as the party favor or entertainment in Hektor's attempts to mollify Vox. Vox never really seemed to interested beyond looking at him which sort of frustrated Valentino (and sort of reminded him he wasn't just a toy to everyone).

Anyway, Valentino sure as shit wanted to kill Hektor and planned for a long time to make that happen. Hiding money and carefully scrounging around the black markets until he finally got some of Carmine's angelic bullets.

He only meant to kill Hektor, but he ended up hitting one of his blind berserker rages and killed everyone in the building in a flash of Wrath. It was the first time he really got a taste of what he was capable of with his Wrath Curse and unusual strength for a Sinner.

Unbeknownst to him, Vox was due to meet with Hektor soon after the building was a murder scene and Vox stumbled in on it. Vox immediately saw some kind of advantage to be gotten and suggested Valentino take Hektor's place and work with Vox to make it larger and better--Valentino agreed and the rest is history.

Bagwis "Beau" Abantas had a form like a Giant Golden-Crowned Flying Fox Bat. They were right hand Overlord of Drugs to Hektor. They weren't present when Valentino went apeshit. They never liked Valentino and was often party to abusing Val for Hektor's entertainment. Producing the intoxicants to 'spice things up'.

Valentino didn't hold as much of a grudge for them because Beau was also his dealer of drugs that helped him get through it all. However, Beau resented Valentino for killing Hektor (who they had some sort of fucked up Feelings for on the down low).

Beau played along to the power structure change until they saw an opportunity a bit after Vox's 80's fallout with Alastor. They managed to kidnap Valentino and had a lot of plans for the upcoming Overlord. However, they made the mistake of letting some of their lackies have some 'fun' with Valentino and one of them got the bright independent idea to broadcast the torture/near-snuff porn and various abuses.

Vox was quick to zero in on that (thought not before a angelic knife was used to remove Valentino's antenna) and no one in the building made it out of there intact.

Though he left Beau alive, the former Overlord does not remember anything about themselves--not even their own name. Branded with a V scar on their abdomen and presumably still witlessly wandering around Pentagram if no one has taken advantage of their helpless state yet.

Valentino and Vox replaced him with a much mor cooperative Drug Overlord named Caius "Lucian" Bellomo. Whom is so far content to bask in the lime light of the Vee's as their collective supplier. Got a look like a basic red fox.

[rhk111sblog]

The Importance of the Economic Ties and Cooperation between China and the Philippines

Here is an interesting Article from the Asian Century Journal (ACJ) showcasing the importance of the Economic Ties and Cooperation between China and the Philippines. Here are some of the most important Quotes from the Article:

“… Some so-called “Experts” and Academics in the Country are urging the Philippine Government to consider stopping and annulling existing Chinese Business operations in the Country if alleged China’s illegal and aggressive actions in the disputed SCS or popularly known in the Philippines as the “West Philippine Sea (WPS)” continue. As far as I am concerned, such a Suggestion from these “Experts” is akin to telling the Philippines to commit Economic Suicide.”

“China has been the Philippines’ Top Trading Partner for seven consecutive Years, with Bilateral Trade reaching $87.73 billion in 2022. In the first seven Months of 2023, China jumped to become the largest Export Market for the Philippines. Thus, China remains the Country’s vital Economic and Trade Partner and is still one of the Country’s top Sources of Investment. In terms of Government-to-Government (G2G) Cooperation Projects between the Philippines and China, they have yielded fruitful Outcomes, with nearly 40 Projects carried out in recent Years, 18 of which have been completed. Apart from Cash, Rice, Fertilizers and Covid-19 Vaccine Donations, an important Highlight is Infrastructure cooperation such as the construction of China-aid Estrella-Pantaleon Bridge, the Binondo-Intramuros Bridge, the Bucana Bridge Project in Davao City, the Dangerous Drug Abuse Treatment and Rehabilitation Centers, the Chico River Pump Irrigation Project, the three priority Bridges Project (North and South Harbor Bridge, Palanca-Villegas Bridge and the Eastbank-Westbank Bridge) and the Samal Island-Davao City Connector Project, among others, are key G2G cooperation Projects between the Philippines and China, which offer and extend real Benefits to the Filipino People.”

Here is the Link to the Article at the ACJ Website: https://asiancenturyph.substack.com/p/what-is-the-importance-of-china-philippines

SOURCE: What is the Importance of China-Philippines Economic Ties and Cooperation? {Archived Link}

Check out the Links to my other Social Media Accounts at https://linktr.ee/rhk111

If you like my Work, buy me a Coffee to help support it at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/rhk111

[ewan-mo]

We made it

15th March 2023

This has been quite a trip. So good to sense the improved mood compared with last year, the renewal of optimism and cheerful responsivity. But it’s clear that the economic challenges are very difficult indeed, and most of our partner hospitals are struggling financially.

The knock-on effects include a national shortage of prescribed drugs which is only just beginning to recover, and in any case many of our patients can’t afford the fees. A new and rapidly developing problem is the use and abuse of pethidine and tramadol, both strong painkillers. 

As you will have gathered, we’ve been here for the beginning of the rains; sorely needed in many dry areas, but sometimes carrying the risk of flooding, which we saw in miniature at the community clinic with Lubaga.

It was a bit damp

Many of our partners have grasped the challenge of developing mental health services, and some of our days out with them have been brilliant. There are still some among the church hospitals who haven’t quite caught the vision, though. 

In all cases, there is a great deal to do in encouraging local communities to believe that there is a modern treatment for the behaviour that they assume is due to evil spirits or witchcraft, and which I would describe as mental illness or in some cases epilepsy.

Our colleagues here suffer the same stigma as our patients. I have the highest regard for them as they faithfully ‘serve their patients with love’ as the Lubaga logo has it. 

You can see that there are many contrasts in the day to day world of Uganda and its development. We came from Kampala to Entebbe this morning ready for our flight tonight. We came through some highly deprived city areas but also along the superb Kampala-Entebbe Highway, beautifully constructed, smooth and free flowing, lined with palm trees. Such a contrast to the very muddy and potholed dirt roads, found over much of the country.

Here and there in the city are some quite desirable dwellings (sorry to sound like an estate agent) but for the majority in rural Uganda, many people still live in traditional mud or fired brick houses. Mostly with corrugated iron roofs, which is great, but we have seen many examples of grass roofs, used to make thatched houses in Africa from time immemorial.  

A line of duka's

Most of the shops we see are the dukas, small and almost always fronting on to the road – at risk of flooding in the heavy rain, as well as dusty when it’s dry. What puzzles us is that in these shops and in the big sprawling markets, so many units sell exactly the same things, often arranged in exactly the same way too. How do they ever sell enough to make a difference?

Big but not splendid - our vehicle, a 4x4 van.

There are many big, shining and splendid vehicles large and small on the crowded roads. Some vehicles are not so splendid though! Like the vehicle which has been transporting us around Uganda these last days. It has done us fine, but it is 25 years old and covered over 360,000 km.  I was wondering if it is down on power but the owner assures me it just may need a service and new air-filter!

You now know all about the boda-bodas! So pity the poor cyclists, who are at the mercy of all the rest on the road. 

Time on the road and evening time in the guest houses and hotels where we’ve stayed have often been occupied with writing. I try to write a blog each evening, to give you a window into our world here. Ewan is always on the lookout for good snapshots to illustrate the written account, then makes the selection for the blog and edits it into place. He also writes a report for the Jamie’s Fund trustees on each of our visits, which I then check and review. 

Using the time

Often the apparent gaps in our timetable are filled up by these activities, so sometimes the days are tiring. We do hope you have found the blog interesting and helpful, especially if you are a JF supporter. You have been helping to make the transformations we’ve described as beginning to happen.   

We are going to need to raise funds for the professional development workshop we are planning in September (£9000) and probably for a motor bike and rider training for Eseza to get out to do her work in the community (around £5000). Do let us know if you would like to help or donate through the Just giving site https://www.justgiving.com/jamiedevaney-memorial and say which you would like your donation to go to.

Having reflected to a limited extent on this country which has come to mean a great deal to us, I have to return to one of its great characteristics, and that is the welcome we receive. Everywhere you go they will ask you how you are, then tell you that you are welcome. In the JF meetings they add how very much they appreciate us.

Over the last ten years we have gradually built relationships with the teams supported by JF. The welcome now feels very genuine, rather  than traditionally formulaic. And in many different ways our friends have made it clear that they do appreciate us coming so that we meet face to face: a deeply rooted part of African culture. 

I have a very special memory of a community leader in a small village high in the hills above Bwindi Community Hospital. Having waited there 5 hours because they knew we would come that day, when we arrived after quite a precarious journey, he told us in his welcome speech that they were a small people of no account, but we came on our long journey, and we talked with them. How they valued that encounter.

We assured them that they were people of worth and importance.  We value our meetings with them very much and continue to learn a great deal from them. Our overwhelming response to all that we experience is how privileged we are. Thank you for being part of it with us.

[afeelgoodblog]

The Best News of Last Week - March 27, 2023

🐢 - Why did the 90-year-old tortoise become a father? Because he finally came out of his shell!

1. New Mexico governor signs bill ending juvenile life sentences without parole

New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham has signed a bill into law that prevents juvenile offenders from receiving life sentences without eligibility for parole. The bill, known as the No Life Sentences for Juveniles Act, allows offenders who committed crimes under the age of 18 and received life sentences to be eligible for parole hearings 15 to 25 years into their sentences.

This legislation also applies to juveniles found guilty of first-degree murder, even if they were tried as adults. The move puts New Mexico in a group of at least 24 other states and Washington, DC, that have enacted similar measures following a 2021 Supreme Court ruling.

2. Promising pill completely eliminates cancer in 18 leukaemia patients

An experimental pill called revumenib has shown promise in curing terminal leukemia patients who were not responding to treatment in a long-awaited clinical trial in the United States. The drug works by inhibiting a specific protein called menin, which is involved in the machinery that gets hijacked by leukemia cells and causes normal blood cells to turn into cancerous ones.

The pill targets the most common mutation in acute myeloid leukemia, a gene called NPM1, and a less common fusion called KMT2A. The US Food and Drug Administration granted revumenib "breakthrough therapy designation" to fast-track its development and regulatory review based on the promising results of the trial.

3. Spain passes law against domestic animal abuse

Spain has passed a new law on animal welfare, accompanied by a reform of the penal code that increases prison sentences for those mistreating animals. The law will make compulsory training for dog owners, and will prohibit them from leaving their dogs alone for more than 24 hours.

It also mandates the sterilisation of cats, with exceptions for farms, and increases the penalties for mistreatment of animals to up to two years in prison, or three years in the event of aggravating circumstances.

4. Bravery medals for women who raced into 'rough, crazy' surf to save drowning girls

Elyse Partridge (far left) and Bella Broadley (far right) raced into dangerous surf to save Chloe and Violet from drowning.(ABC North Coast: Hannah Ross)

Bella Broadley and Elyse Partridge saved two 11-year-old girls from drowning at Angels Beach near Ballina, an unpatrolled beach in Australia. The younger girls, Chloe and Violet, became trapped in a rip and overwhelmed by waves and the current. Bella and Elyse jumped into action, using an esky lid as a flotation device to help them swim to the girls. Elyse helped Chloe back to shore while Bella swam further out to help Violet.

Elyse and Bella were on Wednesday named on the Governor General's Australian Bravery Decorations Honours List, which recognised 66 Australians for acts of bravery.

5. Almost every cat featured in viral Tik Tok posted by Kansas City animal shelter adopted

Let's find homes for the rest

6. A 90-year-old tortoise named Mr. Pickles just became a father of 3. It's a big 'dill'

These critically endangered tortoises are native to Madagascar and have seen their numbers decline due to over-collection for illegal sales on the black market. Captive breeding programs have helped produce new radiated tortoises, but the species still faces extinction in the wild.

That's why the arrival of these hatchlings, born to 90-year-old Mr. Pickles and his 53-year-old partner Mrs. Pickles, is such great news. Mr. Pickles is considered the most genetically valuable radiated tortoise in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' Species Survival Plan, and the births represent a significant contribution to the survival of the species.

7. EU strikes ‘ground-breaking’ deal to cut maritime emissions

The European Parliament and EU ministers have agreed on a new law to cut emissions in the maritime sector. The law aims to reduce ship emissions by 2% as of 2025 and 80% as of 2050, covering greenhouse gas, methane, and nitrous oxide emissions.

The European Commission will review the law in 2028 and will decide whether to place carbon-cutting requirements on smaller ships. The agreement will also require containerships and passenger ships docking at major EU ports to plug into the on-shore power supply as of 2030. Penalties collected from those that fail to meet the targets will be allocated to projects focused on decarbonising the maritime sector.

- - - -

That's it for this week :)

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[raine-leonhart]

So understand that this is coming from a place of deep anger.

My brother died of an overdose of meth and a cocktail of other illegal hard drugs in August. He always had issues with drugs all of his life, but he spiraled especially hard the last 6 months before he died.

He left behind 3 kids. Two are technically adults (23 and 19), one is 13. All three of them are in my house and I am officially raising the teenager. Previously, I was child free by choice.

So no, I don't believe in his "right" to do whatever hard drugs he wanted. He has scarred our family for life, and i am left trying to pick up the pieces. He abused (physically and mentally) these boys their entire lives. Would he have anyway? Maybe, but certainly not to the degree of causing multiple car accidents that resulted in his and their physical injuries. Certainly not by going through withdrawals and getting so enraged, he beat their skulls against porcelain tubs or put them through walls.

Your right to do anything ends the minute you hurt other people. Fuck bodily autonomy in that case.

I agree to access to free and safe treatment for addiction, but a "regulated market" is bullshit. Anyone who thinks that wouldnt make the situation worse has never experienced what picking up the pieces left by an addict looks like. They've never desperately fought to stop an addict from ruining their and their kids' lives.

I don't care if you've met an addict or you had an addiction problem. If you are/were an addict, you have hurt others around you to one degree or another, even if you don't know it. And you probably didn't care at the time because the addiction trumps everything else. You may not care now.

We treat diseases for a reason and addiction is a disease. But a disease isn't a free pass to hurt others.

So no, it's not "bodily autonomy" to respect an addict's "right" to do drugs. They don't have that right.

Fix rehab systems. Fix the prison system. Those are the actual issues you should be focusing on. Not giving people better access to the tools to kill themselves and hurt others.

Bodily autonomy includes the right to do drugs. Yes, even the drugs YOU think are bad and scary and dangerous.

People absolutely deserve access to free, compassionate recovery resources, but ONLY if they want them and find them useful.

You have to understand just how many "rehab" programs are effectively prisons, cults, or both. You have to understand and be compassionate toward the reasons behind self-medication. And above all else, you have to LISTEN to drug users about what is actually effective, useful, and wanted aid.

Otherwise you're just part of the problem.

[reignforestmagicnugalmanac]

Major Psilocybin Bust in Riverside County

https://magicnugalmanac.com/index.php/2024/12/02/major-psilocybin-bust-in-riverside-county/

In an unprecedented operation, law enforcement in Riverside County recently intercepted nearly $3 million worth of psilocybin mushrooms. This seizure highlights a significant milestone in the ongoing battle against illegal drug trafficking in the region. Psilocybin, a naturally occurring compound found in certain types of mushrooms, has been the subject of much debate due to its psychoactive and potentially therapeutic properties. As the legality and acceptance of psilocybin continue to evolve across the nation, this major bust serves as a reminder of its current standing within federal laws. The complexity of navigating these legal waters, alongside the growing interest in psychedelic research, adds layers to the ongoing discussion surrounding this contentious substance.

The recent seizure in Riverside County underscores the scale and sophistication of the illegal psilocybin market. Operations of this magnitude are often indicative of organized networks that span across multiple states, employing advanced methods to cultivate, process, and distribute these illegal fungi. The haul of mushrooms, valuing at nearly $3 million, points to an operation that not only had substantial reach but also extensive resources. Law enforcement agencies have been intensifying their efforts to dismantle such operations, utilizing both traditional police work and advanced technologies. This bust represents one of the most significant in the area’s history and reflects the continuous struggle against the illicit drug trade that law enforcement agencies are committed to curbing.

Psilocybin mushrooms are part of a wider conversation around drug policy reform, especially in the wake of research suggesting potential medicinal benefits. For years, they have been used in different cultures for spiritual and healing purposes. However, under current federal regulations, psilocybin remains classified as a Schedule I substance, deemed to have no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. Despite federal restrictions, several states and cities have begun to decriminalize psilocybin. Advocates argue for its therapeutic potential, citing studies indicating benefits in treating depression, anxiety, and PTSD. The clash between evolving public sentiment and stringent laws adds a layer of complexity to both the legal and social discourse surrounding psilocybin mushrooms.

The Riverside County bust also raises questions about the implications for both state and national drug policies. As society re-evaluates its stance on substances like psilocybin, there is a growing push towards reform. This includes reconsidering the legal frameworks that govern these substances, especially in states where legislation may be shifting towards decriminalization or legalization. This shift is propelled by increasing public demand for alternative treatments and a deeper understanding of the therapeutic potentials of psychedelics. While the role of enforcement remains clear—upholding current laws—the evolving landscape hints at a future where policies might better align with scientific revelations and societal attitudes. The tension between law enforcement objectives and reform advocates continues to shape the narrative around psilocybin and other similar substances.

The substantial seizure of psilocybin mushrooms in Riverside County serves as a pivotal moment in the complex tapestry of drug enforcement and policy. While this bust signifies a notable law enforcement achievement, it also highlights the shifting dynamics in public perception and scientific discourse around psilocybin. The tension between maintaining law and order and advancing meaningful policy reforms is palpable. As research into the potential benefits of psilocybin mushrooms continues to expand, there is an urgent need for policies that reflect both scientific understanding and societal values. The path forward involves a delicate balance between regulation and the promotion of safe, evidence-based therapeutic use, should research continue to support such applications. With increasing momentum towards decriminalization in several jurisdictions, this seizure becomes not just a matter of law enforcement, but a part of a broader discussion about the future landscape of drug policy in the United States. Navigating these waters demands nuanced understanding and forward-thinking approaches to ensure both public safety and innovation in mental health treatment.

For other great articles:

[k00317618]

Today I did the Zine publication workshop

In the morning,I was introduced to the machines around the room eg Saddle stapler and risoprinter

Then taught how to make an 8 page zine by learning the folding process and then started drawing out designs onto my zine using cuts from magazines and photos that were printed

For the design called “Nine”,I used the poster for the film “Se7en” by David Fincher.It’s a poster about the nine million euro spent on special phone pouches which is insane to say and type

The next design is a play on the title of a horror film called “My Bloody Valentine” directed by George Mihalka in 1981.I didn’t really use any likeness to the film except the title because I thought it was a funny little bit on the way I speak.It’s a comment on how bad the housing market is to live in Dublin isn’t an option for anyone and the lack of jobs hiring because places say they are hiring but don’t want to give you experience and only want people with experience.It’s like a dog chasing its own tail

This next piece is just a little bit more personal because I don’t want to leave home yet there isn’t a lot here in terms of housing,jobs and cost of living.So many people emigrate to Australia notably like how many people back then emigrated to America,Scotland or England because of job opportunities and money but I don’t want to live away because everything I’ve ever known is here and leaving it forever by emigration isn’t for me but kudos to people who have and are doing it.They are very strong

The final design in this post is a take on the poster of “The boy and the heron” and a comment on how opiates are flooding streets and cities causing massive destruction and overdoses to people who abuse them.In Ireland,opiates were the dominant drug for users until cannabis and cocaine started being used more

A link where I got information on drug trends

I wanted to keep the heron because it has a very prominent spot in the English title and in the film (completely different title in Japanese) and I played on the title so the heron being there gave me the idea of combining the two together

I plan tomorrow to actually getting my zine printed and filled with designs and messing with different colours in the riso machine and experimenting with coloured papers

[cazort]

I think this lack of acceptance and respect for people with chronic conditions is related to how, at least in the US, the healthcare system is abysmal at treating chronic conditions, in spite of usually being quite good at treating most acute illnesses and injuries.

And the worst chronic conditions are the ones where there are multiple interacting causes and the causes tend to be systemic.

Depression is a classic example. It can be caused and/or worsened by nutritional deficiencies, inactivity, social isolation, abusive or toxic social relationships, negative or untruthful beliefs and messages from culture or from individuals, drug side effects, numerous other medical conditions, insufficient sunlight even.

A more physiological condition that is a classic example is metabolic syndrome, which is a cluster of multiple related conditions including high blood pressure, high blood sugar and/or type II diabetes, fatty liver, and high concentration of visceral fat, kidney disease, heart disease, and PCOS in people with ovaries. It is typically caused by a combination of age, obesity, sedentary lifestyle, diet (especially high consumption of sugars and foods with high glycemic index), stress, poor, inadequate, or disrupted sleep, mood disorders, and drug or alcohol abuse.

Both depression and metabolic syndrome are also influenced by societal factors beyond people's control, such as car-oriented community structure which facilitates a sedentary lifestyle, and the refined-food-heavy food supply which makes foods that worsen both disorders inexpensive and widely available, and healthier foods that might alleviate both of them, scarce and expensive.

I think all of these things are a symptom of the fact that our society is hyper-individualistic and tends to approach chronic conditions from a place of blame and individual responsibility. I.e. you're inactive and eating poorly because you're lazy and lack self-restraint, not because the federal government pours massive amounts of money into subsidizing bulk corn production and road construction, thus facilitating the corn refining industry and flooding the market with HFCS and corn starch and making foods based on these cheap and widely available, and making most communities built around the car, to where it becomes easy to be inactive and have a poor diet and thus develop depression and metabolic syndrome. But develop them? Society tells you: "It's your fault because you're lazy and fat and lack self-restraint. You're worthless so you don't deserve treatment."

I'm all about taking responsibility and pulling yourself out of these conditions. But as a society we can do better. We can do better at supporting and showing compassion for people with chronic conditions. And we can do much, much better at reforming policy to stop creating or fueling the chronic conditions on a population level.

And we have to. We nearly all have chronic conditions, in our current society. That's how bad it's gotten. Our lives and happiness, and the very persistence of our society depends on it. There are no enemies, we are all in this together and we just need to agree to cooperate, to stop shaming people and start supporting each other and working together to change the rules and laws and structures that keep our society broken like this.

There's a mistake I see a lot of people in the mental health community make and in all honesty, it's one I've made myself. But I think we should really work on it. And that's saying "if this were a physical illness, wouldn't you care?"

I've learned that no actually, people wouldn't care. Katelyn Weinstein (theADHDprincess on Twitter) is a neurodiversity acceptance activist who really put this in perspective for me. She said that it's actually more an issue of longevity than physical vs mental health.

If you're having a bad day people will generally be understanding. But when you're experiencing chronic depression and you have many bad days people lose sympathy.

In the same respect people may be understanding when you've broken a bone that will heal properly or when you have a cold that will go away soon in ways they simply won't understand when you have chronic pain or need to use a wheelchair. They may send chicken soup for a temporary situation, but when you need consistent accomodations it's an entirely different story.

I understand that from our perspective it looks like people care more about physical health than mental health, but it's good to remember that our own perspective is also limiting. Facing ableism doesn't mean you can't be ableist. And I know so many people are not ill-intentioned when they say this. I know I wasn't. But we can't discount the lived experiences of physically disabled people. If we want true equality we need to be united and we need to listen to those with physical disabilities and illnesses. And those with physical disabilities and illnesses (some of which are also invisible) have said that they are not given proper accomodations either.

So let's be united and fight for equality and accomodations for everyone, no matter what their illness or disability may be.

[insightfulblogz]

Drug Addiction Treatment Market : Current Insights and Demographic Trends 2024-2032

Drug addiction is a chronic and complex condition characterized by compulsive drug use despite harmful consequences. It affects millions of individuals worldwide, with significant impacts on health, relationships, and society. Drug addiction can be caused by various factors, including genetic predisposition, environmental influences, mental health issues, and stress. The treatment of drug addiction involves a comprehensive approach that addresses both the physical and psychological aspects of addiction. Medical interventions such as detoxification, medication-assisted treatment (MAT), and psychotherapy are integral components of treatment. Additionally, support from family, peer groups, and community services plays a crucial role in long-term recovery. As society continues to address the challenges of addiction, there is a growing recognition of the importance of tailored treatment plans that cater to individual needs and provide a holistic approach to recovery.

The Drug Addiction Treatment Market size was estimated at USD 18.81 billion in 2023 and is expected to reach USD 33.17 billion by 2031 at a CAGR of 7.35% during the forecast period of 2024-2031.

Future Scope of Drug Addiction Treatment

The future of drug addiction treatment is focused on developing more effective, personalized therapies that integrate medical, psychological, and social aspects of recovery. Advances in neuroscience and genetic research are leading to a better understanding of addiction's underlying mechanisms, potentially paving the way for more targeted treatments. For example, personalized medicine approaches that consider genetic profiles and brain activity patterns could help identify the most effective medications and interventions for each patient. Moreover, digital health tools, including telemedicine, mobile apps, and online therapy platforms, are expected to play a larger role in drug addiction treatment. These technologies offer the convenience of remote care, which can be particularly valuable in rural areas or for individuals who are unable to attend in-person treatment sessions. Additionally, harm reduction strategies, which focus on minimizing the negative effects of drug use while encouraging recovery, are becoming increasingly important in treatment plans.

Emerging Trends in Drug Addiction Treatment

The treatment landscape for drug addiction is evolving with several key trends shaping the field. One of the most significant trends is the use of medication-assisted treatment (MAT), which combines medications such as methadone, buprenorphine, or naltrexone with counseling to help individuals manage cravings and withdrawal symptoms. MAT is now widely used in the treatment of opioid addiction and is showing promise in the treatment of other substance use disorders. Another emerging trend is the growing focus on co-occurring mental health conditions, such as anxiety and depression, in addiction treatment. Dual diagnosis care, which addresses both addiction and mental health issues simultaneously, is gaining traction as it improves overall treatment outcomes. Furthermore, the use of alternative therapies, such as mindfulness-based stress reduction, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), and art therapy, is gaining recognition as valuable components of addiction treatment, helping patients manage stress, triggers, and emotions in healthy ways.

Drivers of Drug Addiction Treatment Market Growth

The increasing global burden of substance abuse and addiction is one of the main drivers of growth in the drug addiction treatment market. Rising rates of opioid use, as well as alcohol and tobacco dependency, are contributing to the growing demand for addiction treatment services. Governments, non-governmental organizations, and healthcare providers are increasingly prioritizing addiction treatment, recognizing its importance for public health. Additionally, the development of more effective and accessible treatment options, including MAT and telemedicine services, is driving market growth. Public awareness campaigns and increasing acceptance of addiction as a medical condition are also contributing to the demand for treatment services. Moreover, societal shifts toward harm reduction and the legalization of certain substances, such as marijuana, are shaping the demand for various treatment modalities.

Restraints in Drug Addiction Treatment Market

Despite the growing demand for drug addiction treatment services, several factors are limiting market growth. The stigma surrounding addiction and treatment can deter individuals from seeking help and may limit access to necessary care. Additionally, the high costs associated with long-term treatment, including inpatient rehab programs and medication-assisted therapies, can be a barrier for many individuals, particularly those without adequate insurance coverage. Another significant challenge is the shortage of qualified addiction counselors and therapists, which can limit access to effective care in certain regions. Furthermore, although progress is being made in developing new treatments, many individuals continue to face challenges in accessing personalized care that suits their unique needs. Finally, the limited availability of treatment programs in rural or low-income areas exacerbates the disparities in access to care.

Key Points

Drug addiction is a chronic condition that affects millions globally, and treatment involves a combination of medical and psychological interventions.

Medication-assisted treatment (MAT), counseling, and support from peers and family are key components of addiction recovery.

The future of drug addiction treatment includes personalized approaches, telemedicine, and advancements in neuroscience and genetic research.

Trends such as co-occurring mental health care, alternative therapies, and harm reduction strategies are reshaping treatment practices.

The increasing burden of addiction, along with greater public awareness and healthcare initiatives, is driving the growth of the treatment market.

High treatment costs, stigma, and access challenges remain significant barriers to widespread adoption of effective addiction therapies.