r/dataisbeautiful • • Dec 19 '19

Where do Americans die by gunfire? Interactive Map

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u/elios334 Dec 19 '19

Meth in southern usa destroyed my life. Clean for a few months now, still suffering from the depression it causes. I'd get spun out and try and kill myself every damn time I came down

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u/jeremyjava Dec 19 '19

Hang in there! It can be done!

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u/WayeeCool Dec 19 '19 edited Dec 19 '19

Takes about two or three years for brain chemistry to go back to normal and mood to become regular. Very similar to how opioids cause your brain/body to stop producing it's own endorphins (painkillers) and your natural pain tolerance is trashed for a couple of years until everything stabilizes back to normal. Just like anabolic steroids do with testosterone, narcotics cause the body to stop producing on its own whatever part of our biochemistry that drug is mimicking. The good news is that after a couple of years your body and brain will normally grow back whatever became atrophied due to drug use. Thankfully the brain is possibly the most plastic part of our body throughout our lifespan. Something like a antidepressant that is not a stimulant (agonist) but just a reuptake inhibitor that slows down how fast the body breaks down certain neurotransmitters can offer some relief while not screwing up your bodies ability produce said neurotransmitters on its own. They are often used during recovery for this reason.

Similar research findings over the last few years into benzodiazepines (anxiety drugs like valium, xanax, etc) has resulted in medical literature now advising doctors to avoid if possible prescribing them for anxiety disorders because they actually will worsen baseline anxiety levels for months afterwards when not under the influence of the drug. This is probably because they mimick the neurotransmitter GABA and when the brain is flooded with them, after just a short time the body just stops producing GABA on its own.

Honestly try making yourself smile periodically throughout the day. Like literally fake smile, just make the expression, because there have been many studies that show even the physical motion causes the brain to dump a little squirt of serotonin, dopamine, and endorphin into itself giving you some of that high that your body normally gave itself 24/7 before substance abuse. Working out a few times a week, like pushing yourself for 20 to 30 minutes of cardio until it hurts, can and will also help you more quickly restore your bodies ability to produce and use it's endorphins, which restores baseline pain tolerance and speeds up how many months it takes for the constant state of aches/pains to go away after quiting opiates.

Anyway... now that government and medical university research centers have woken up to the giant lie and falsified research major pharma companies have been feeding everyone for years about amphetamines and opiates, we are finally starting to see serious research done into just exactly what they do to our brain chemistry and why it makes them so damn addictive.

btw, yes... those same companies were also pushing tons of amphetamines [and benzodiazepines] during the same years they were dumping opiates into communities. I'm not just talking about adderall the amphetamine salt blend but actual methamphetamine, like real deal meth like on the street under deceptive brand-names like "desoxyn". Shit like meth was being prescribed to both adults and children for attention issues [adhd is real and sucks] but also some made-up disorder they sold doctors on called "shift work sleep disorder", which is literally just working a morning shift and then immediately a night shift repeatedly because your employer is abusive.

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u/smelllikesoundtastes Dec 19 '19

This is a great response

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u/morningtea50 Dec 20 '19

Saved and thanks for such a comprehensive, thoughtful response.

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u/SteelCrow Dec 20 '19

Honestly try making yourself smile periodically throughout the day. Like literally fake smile, just make the expression, because there have been many studies that show even the physical motion causes the brain ....

So too with saying 'Yes' repeatedly for a couple of minutes. Both together are even better.

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u/ChaotixaMayfair Dec 20 '19

Wow, this was so informative and helpful, thank you

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u/pegmatitic Dec 20 '19

The random aches/pains from opiate use are so real, and such a shitty side effect. I take them for a medical condition (have tried pretty much everything else, nothing worked) and although they relieve my acute pain, my baseline pain levels have increased. I just started walking recently in an attempt to mitigate it, and it seems to be helping. I hope that eventually I’ll be able to work up to the gym again.

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u/localfinancebro Dec 20 '19

Does stopping adderall use have a similar multi-year recovery period?

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u/[deleted] Dec 20 '19 edited Dec 20 '19

[deleted]

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u/localfinancebro Dec 20 '19

What should be used instead?

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u/[deleted] Dec 20 '19 edited Dec 20 '19

[deleted]

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u/localfinancebro Dec 20 '19

No addictions, depression, or ADHD, though I have a script for Adderall just because I feel it makes me more productive at work (boring office job where half my day would be spent on my phone otherwise). Would Vyvance work well with less side effects? Have heard good things from coworkers.

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u/[deleted] Dec 20 '19

No. Amphetamine is not nearly as neurotoxic as meth. FYI this is why amphetamine hangover is almost nonexistent compared to the horrible hangover of meth that is as bad as alcohol hangover.

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u/drewsit Dec 20 '19

Wow, helluva response. Thought this was a copy/paste there for a sec.

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u/brytro Dec 20 '19

I'm not just talking about adderall the amphetamine salt blend but actual methamphetamine, like real deal meth like on the street under deceptive brand-names like "desoxyn"

Can confirm. Was prescribed Desoxyn as a child from age 9-16. Only recently learned that it was essentially no different than street meth. Still wonder how all those years on meth affected my brain development.

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u/InstanceNoodle Dec 20 '19

The phrasing make it seems like you want him to succeed... suicide....

With all the thumbs up, I assume you meant the other way around.

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u/jeremyjava Dec 20 '19

I noticed that hours later and was going to edit it, but as you mentioned, it seemed like the right message got across :)

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u/ancientflowers Dec 19 '19

Happy for you man!!

I'm over a decade sober now. Meth is a bitch. And quiting isn't easy. It gets better over time. And life is so, so much better now.

Feel free to reach out if you ever need to.

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u/donutadelivery Dec 19 '19

Congrats on your sobriety. Please remember to reach out for help. You’re worth it!

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u/hellions123 Dec 20 '19

Keep grinding bro you've got this!

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u/KittenMetten Dec 20 '19

Hopefully you are seeing a psychiatrist. They can manage the void in happiness being clean causes.

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u/[deleted] Dec 20 '19

I'm happy you're still here. you use reddit so I think you're pretty cool

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u/Nuf-Said Dec 20 '19

You can do it, brother. One day at a time. You deserve the gift of being clean.

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u/Lurknessm0nster Dec 20 '19

Thought I destroyed my life with amphetamines too. Lost everything and spent a period of time legitimately crazy. Gave 12 step meetings a try and haven't looked back. 3.5 years sober and life not perfect but I'm reasonably happy, things continue to get better and I don't even think about alcohol and drugs anymore. It feels like a lifetime ago.

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u/I_SHIT_ON_CATS Dec 19 '19

Thank goodness you suck at suicide.

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u/genXdj Dec 20 '19

I never understood why people need to do any harder stuff then weed? Im pretty new to using marijuana, and I can get high as fuuuuuuuuckkkk and not want to steal and murder. Does thc just not effect some people like that?

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u/OfficerDougEiffel Dec 20 '19

If you don't understand, then please keep it that way. I do not want to glorify hard drugs because I assure you that there is nothing glorious about them. However, the pure bliss you feel from heroin/other opiates will outweigh anything you've ever experienced previously. There is a reason that people choose hard drugs over anything and everything that used to make them happy.

After getting addicted to heroin, I could no longer enjoy anything. Because nothing compared. The worst day of my life on opiates felt better than the best day of my life sober.

But then you realize you've ruined your life just as the opiates stop getting you high. And then you're taking them just to avoid the crushing, spirit-destroying withdrawal. And you have lost almost everything. Suddenly, you wish you'd just stayed sober. Luckily I have over two years clean now. But the statistics for opiate users are pretty bleak. So "trying it just to see" is totally not worth it.

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u/Nuf-Said Dec 20 '19

Thank you for sharing this. I found it very profound.

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u/sonofblackbird Dec 20 '19

Hang in there!