When you hear heroine, cocaine, meth, you most likely think drugs. From an early age we get told about these, drugs. We get told that they will make us sick, and possibly kill us. From the jump we know that drugs are not accepted, they are illegal, and yet there are those who make that choice, they cross that line. To put it straight, we had to break the law to even get hooked on dope in the first place, that hurdle over legality's was knocked down the moment we got high. So do we keep locking up users, do we continue to call addiction a sickness while proving over & over again it will be responded to as a crime. Addiction is a bundle of many demons. To achieve sobriety, one must live long enough to make that choice. When one accidently ingest something unknowingly, that choice is taken from them, addicts are humans with a heavy heart that still beats, they have a right to choose, even if they choose not to make that choice.
I battled with addiction for many years and one thing I tend to tell myself these days, is that i am glad I quit before that fentanyl shit started. I was raised to make much better choices. I knew right from wrong and wanted to entertain my demons. I was unknowingly propelling myself into a future of constant anxiety, deep thoughts that can last log enough to change my mood if I let it get to me. I have been free of cocaine meth, and that lifestyle since January of 2017. My wife fiancé joined me in sobriety that year and we married in 2018. We motivate each other with praise for staying clean, we hold each other accountable, we remind each other constantly not just about how far we came, but how rare our situation is. Sobriety is a real thing in my house, many may view smoking cannabis as violating sobriety but I do not. I've used cannabis for many stage stages of my sobriety, enough of that let me get to why this blog is being written.
It is my opinion that the cloak of shame is good thing is some ways. Ill include that in 2019 I cold turkey quit cigarettes'. I hadn't even thought of touching a ciggarete until late august f this year. I had been in a crazy accident, and after a week or so I was tired of the anxiety attacks. These things would happen late, never during the day, it was like, hell even today it is still like; my anxiety kicks in at the thought of relaxing, I shake, till I ache. I decided one night I'd puff one of the wife's cigs. It stopped the sweating, but now we are here in November and I'm still smoking these danm ciggarete. There's no shame with ciggarete, nobody was heartbroken or devastated that I slid back on cigarette. Honestly I fucking hate it, I despise everything about it but it does calm me down. There is no public shame for relapsing on tobacco & nicotine, so its just that easy to smoke them again. I say all this because that is what makes it so much harder to quit cigarettes', they are publicly accepted, unlike meth, heroin, or cocaine.
What do you know about Cocaine?
Cocaine is a powerful central nervous system stimulant drug that is derived from the coca plant native to South America. It is classified as a Schedule II controlled substance in the United States due to its high potential for abuse and severe health risks. Cocaine primarily affects the body and brain by interfering with the normal functioning of neurotransmitters, particularly dopamine, a chemical associated with pleasure and reward. When consumed, cocaine blocks the reuptake of dopamine, leading to an excessive accumulation of this neurotransmitter in the brain's synapses. This results in intense feelings of euphoria, increased energy, alertness, and heightened confidence.
The effects of cocaine on the body and mind can be both short-term and long-term. Short-term effects include increased heart rate, elevated blood pressure, dilated pupils, and reduced appetite. Users may experience heightened arousal, hyperactivity, and a sense of invincibility. However, these initial pleasurable sensations are typically followed by a "crash" as the drug wears off, leading to feelings of depression, irritability, and anxiety. Long-term cocaine use can have serious health consequences, including heart problems, respiratory issues, neurological damage, and a risk of addiction. Additionally, repeated use can result in tolerance, leading individuals to use increasing amounts of the drug to achieve the desired effects. Microdosing, a practice in which individuals take very small, sub-threshold doses of cocaine, may mitigate some of the more severe risks associated with the drug but can still lead to dependency and adverse health effects over time, such as impaired cognitive function and mood disturbances.
I am not saying that clean meth should be celebrated, or that clean cocaine is the route to a successful victory on the war and drugs. I am saying, DULF- is users looking out for users at this moment. No, they are not some one off CHAZ situation, I truly think it's worth pursuing, I believe that if you ignore this movement you cannot really say you care about drugs effecting the community. If you yourself have fought with addiction this blog is definitely for you, once you see the stats the research and the dedication these strong, determined people have put together, you too will be in aww.
What if you where told there is a Compassion Group - they ran a study showing an overall 57% reduction in overdoses that used their substances.
"The ongoing study conducted by DULF encompasses a group of 43 active participants. Demographically, the participants are categorized as follows: White (n = 24), Indigenous (n = 20), and other (n = 4). Within this cohort, there are 26 men, 11 women, and 6 individuals with other genders."
There's a lot to to discuss about not just DULF but the Rehabilitation Journey as a whole. A community should look after itself, and DULF is just that, these people struggle with addiction- do we help by aiding them with clean drugs, which is none the less still, drugs....or do we let the court system keep 'fixing' our streets by taking mentally ill addicts, tossing them in a chamber, & throwing away the key?
Thanks for reading, truly hope you will look more into DULF, they are on Twitter - Instagram - and the highlighted link for DULF website is above. Be sure to follow Stewart's Passion on TWITTER / INSTAGRAM & Facebook. Leave a Comment Below on what you thought and don't forget to share this on your page to show support! Rock The Merch & Have a easy dank day!