Shoot opium? Since opium is by it's nature an unrefined product this seems very dangerous when compared to the practically riskless option of smoking it. Seems an odd choice for the "someone [you] know well". Such is the matter of individual preferences I guess. Jonesing is ALMOST as bad as the physical discomfort except for the connective tissue pain. The others can be dealt with more easily.
>Not to mention the fact that the only people an addict knows is other
>addicts, since no normal person can bear an addict's company for more
>than 15 minutes (i.e. when any conversation invariably starts veering to
>the subject of drugs). And those other addicts bring the subject of
>drugs while interacting with the recovering addict in every possible
>way. So the temptation, encouragement and the means of its realization
>is always there.
Getting away from other addicts is usually necessary for success in kicking but I don't get the other reference. Addicts talk of mostly drugs? There are millions of socially functional addicts worldwide who rarely, if ever, discuss their addictions. We aren't talking shooting gallery folks but just regular run of the mill addicts. Did Rush mention his addiction constantly to the ESPN crew? I doubt it. His OxyContin addiction is, in all probability, just like most peoples opiate addictions.
>The process of detoxification, accompanied by a radical change in social
>environment worked, as far as I can tell.
>Wojtek
Are you saying this person NEVER feel a craving for opium again? Really good times and really bad times seem to trigger the response in most of the addicts I've ever been acquainted with. If this person truly never feels the cravings ever I would like to know more specifically what they feel they may have done to completely eliminate this feeling. It runs counter to years of experience on my part with addicts.
John Thornton