There already was a test run, look at the devistation the legalization of alcohol has caused countless families. These coping mechanisms are the result of being unable to live as a person that has an undiagnosed chemical imbalance. Only now that I am 8 days sober from opiates have I realized that I was never really addicted to the "high" from opiates, I was addicted to them shutting my constantly flying brain up. Legalizing more drugs for people to abuse is not the answer. People are in DENIAL. Almost evvery single person has some sort of underlying mental illness that draws them toward there addiction, because I know that it seems like the only solution to the problems of sobriety.
The fact is, I have only just now done some soul searching, 9 days clean from heroin addiction, and I tried to find the underlying cause.
I have been undiagnosed ADHD all these years. I was a very hyper kid in school as a kid, and began to experience the socializing issues as a kid. But my mom was in denial that I had anything wrong with me. Remember, this stupid mental health stigma keeps people in silence.
The reason I have never been able to stay sober, and always go back to a drug is because my brain is going a mile a minute when I'm sober and I can't deal with being an individual with a high tested IQ that wasn't achieving in life, both in the socializing aspect and and in the academic aspect. My addiction started with alcohol, because I was so "shy". That's what it was called. No, those were actually lack of social skills because of undiagnosed adhd. But, wow, 1 drink and I can actually feel normal and talk to a girl? GIVE ME MORE! It's a miracle cure to my problem! That's what I had convinced myself. I thought I was fucked up period. I didn't relate my drug addiction to my mental issue.
If drugs are legalized, it will cause a massive amount of people currently self medicating in silence, to turn to much harder drugs because they are available, as they seem like a solution at the time. I promise you almost every alcoholic would turn to heroin and od very quick if it was just LEGAL.
We need decriminalization! PEOPLE WITH MENTAL ILLNESS, WHICH IS ALMOST EVERYONE TO SOME EXTENT, WHETHER YOU WANT TO ADMIT YOUR CHEMICAL IMBALANCE OR NOT, are trying to self medicate. That is the core cause of addiction, and I have realized it is the core cause of my addiction. Every drug I've ever done, was to feel "normal". I didn't realize that I could go to a place like CAMH , which is the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, the closest up to date free walk in out-patient clinic around me, and actually get diagnosed. It's the stigma of mental health issues meaning your literally a crazy person, that leads to people battling there addiction in quite. I have literally every symptom of adhd which I've been masking all these years. As a kid, highly addicted to video games, as I got older an socializing got harder, I turned to drugs. I thought they were a solution, but they only post-poned the realization of the problem.
You may not have adhd, but rather some other mental illness. I literally felt a weight lifted off my shoulder when I finally tried to find the core cause of my addiction in this period of sobriety, that I did the research and found why was the very first reason I began abusing alcohol? It was because of the lack of social skills aspect and anxiety caused my ADHD.
I literally feel the weight of the world lifted off my shoulders man. I cracked the biggest smile off my life when I went through the list of ADHD symptoms, and said yes to EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM lol. Because now I can actually treat the underlying cause. And I think 99% of addicts are to scared to admit that there is an underlying cause, and you are just self medicating, which in turn leads to a spiral out of control. Sobriety doesn't work, because I have to severe adhd. My symptoms were getting worse and worse when sober, which lead to my destructive hard drug use, thinking they were the answer. But it turns out, I wouldn't feel the need to go to drugs had I not had a big gaping hole in my life, which was caused by my undiagnosed adhd. Anyways, sorry about the rant. As you can see, now that I'm sober, my mind is going a mile a minute again, but I'm okay with that, because I've booked an appointment to see a mental health specialist. Not some idiot like my family doctor who will just flake it off as hormones of being a early 20 year old person. I've had these symptoms my whole entire life and they were getting worse and worse which is what lead to me trying to find something to self medicate, and then drug addiction did take ahold of me. but I was in denial because I assumed all my problems were CAUSED by the drug addiction in the first place lol.
Anyways, here is the list of adhd symptoms. Literally describes me to a T.
Signs and symptoms Inattention, hyperactivity (restlessness in adults), disruptive behavior, and impulsivity are common in ADHD.[29][30] Academic difficulties are frequent as are problems with relationships.[29] The symptoms can be difficult to define as it is hard to draw a line at where normal levels of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity end and significant levels requiring interventions begin.[31]
To be diagnosed per DSM-5, symptoms must be observed in multiple settings for six months or more and to a degree that is much greater than others of the same age.[32] They must also cause problems in the person's social, academic, or work life.[32]
Based on the presenting symptom ADHD can be divided into three subtypes: predominantly inattentive, predominantly hyperactive-impulsive, and combined type.[31]
An individual with inattention may have some or all of the following symptoms:[33]
Be easily distracted, miss details, forget things, and frequently switch from one activity to another Have difficulty maintaining focus on one task Become bored with a task after only a few minutes, unless doing something enjoyable Have difficulty focusing attention on organizing and completing a task or learning something new Have trouble completing or turning in homework assignments, often losing things (e.g., pencils, toys, assignments) needed to complete tasks or activities Not seem to listen when spoken to Daydream, become easily confused, and move slowly Have difficulty processing information as quickly and accurately as others Struggle to follow instructions An individual with hyperactivity may have some or all of the following symptoms:[33]
Fidget and squirm in their seats Talk nonstop Dash around, touching or playing with anything and everything in sight Have trouble sitting still during dinner, school, doing homework, and story time Be constantly in motion Have difficulty doing quiet tasks or activities These hyperactivity symptoms tend to go away with age and turn into "inner restlessness" in teens and adults with ADHD.[1]
An individual with impulsivity may have some or all of the following symptoms:[33]
Be very impatient Blurt out inappropriate comments, show their emotions without restraint, and act without regard for consequences Have difficulty waiting for things they want or waiting their turns in games Often interrupt conversations or others' activities People with ADHD more often have difficulties with social skills, such as social interaction and forming and maintaining friendships. This is true for all subtypes. About half of children and adolescents with ADHD experience social rejection by their peers compared to 10–15% of non-ADHD children and adolescents. People with ADHD have attention deficits which cause difficulty processing verbal and nonverbal language which can negatively affect social interaction. They also may drift off during conversations, and miss social cues.[34]
Difficulties managing anger are more common in children with ADHD[35] as are poor handwriting[36] and delays in speech, language and motor development.[37][38] Although it causes significant impairment, particularly in modern society, many children with ADHD have a good attention span for tasks they find interesting.[10]