Part II: Drugs, the Word of Wisdom, and Mental Health

Thank you to those of you who took the opportunity to participate in and read my new blog.  It flatters me to receive response and know that I have intelligent friends who think about life past what they have to.  My favorite philosopher (other than Christ who was more a master than a philosopher) Socrates stated, “all I know, is that I do not know”.  I believe that my thoughts and opinions stem from this belief.  In the pursuit of knowledge the further and deeper we get and the more we learn it would seem that the amount of questions that can be conjured only grows exponentially.

Now to continue our discourse concerning drugs; as we last spoke I left the conversation posing the question of morality in relation to drugs (for the remainder of this discussion I will subsequently refer to both drugs and alcohol simply as drugs; unless I am referring specifically to one or the other).  Morality is partly the great eternal debate of good vs. evil, progression vs. retrogression etc.  I use the phrase “eternal” because factors of good and evil, according to my understanding of them, will continue to transcend time.  So the question at hand is then, where within this spectrum of morality do drugs lie?  Now for you to understand the intended context of this question you must understand I presuppose that the following is in fact true: everything, that is, every creation or act potentially serves a twofold mission, employing one use serves for good and another serves for evil. 

Lehi said it in much more eloquent terms in 2 Nephi 2:11 “For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things”.  So we learn that for every virtue there is a vice, for every up there is a down, for every light an absence of light, and for every right there is an equal wrong.  It will be difficult for anyone reading this from here on out to agree with much I have to say if you cannot accept or at least fathom this principle.  In worldly application we might speak of sex; this act can be used in virtue for good i.e. an expression of love between two committed and married individuals, contrastingly it also could be used for vise i.e. selfish gratification for mere physical pleasure, or for the purposes of exploitation and lust we find in pornography.  It then can be assumed that anything we find or look at, any act or any of God’s creations, we can find opposing uses for.

Now that this is understood I can continue on to my point and question.  Since we assume this opposition exists in all things, we know that drugs are no exception.  Drugs can and do in fact serve this selfsame twofold manner.  We find that they have a useful and seemingly good purpose in medicine but also have the potential and dangerous risk for abuse and dependence.  So where do we draw the line in the sand so-to-speak?  Where does the use of drugs cross from one realm into the other?  When does drug use become abuse?  It seems a fine line, and many moralists might pose the question, why look for or identify such a line?  Shouldn’t one seeking moral sustenance seek to stay as far away from that line as they possibly can?  I recall an article I read in an LDS Gospel Principals manual some time ago.  An author whom I cannot remember said it well through a parable that I shall attempt to paraphrase. 

“A wealthy man was charged with the responsibility from a state bank to transport some legal tender from one city to another.  This man soon found however that a group of robbers and thieves were aware of this common practice and often set traps to overtake the man’s horse and carriage team to loot the man of the money he was entrusted with.  In an attempt to overt further loss by these robbers' hands, the man advertised his need for a reliable and skilled team of horses and coach that were faster and more expert than anyone else in the area, thus ensuring a safe flight from the robbers and thieves.  He received three applications from men who claimed to be fit for the job, so he interviewed each of them and gave them a few scenarios and asked question to gage what their individual abilities were.  The man asked how fast each coach’s team was, how sturdy their wagons were, and with each man came a similar response, “My team is the fastest in the state, and my wagon is as new and as sturdy as they come.”  In an attempt to further assess each coach’s skill the man posed the question to each applicant, "Suppose a team of bandits was chasing after us, and we came to a curved narrow road with a steep cliff barreling down one side.  In an attempt to flee from the bandits you have to use the very best skills you possess.  How close do you think you could get to the edge of that cliff without falling off and plummeting down the cliff to our deaths?"  The first man thought for a minute and said, “Why, I’ll bet I could get my team and wagon not but 6 inches without falling.”  “That’s pretty impressive” replied the man.  When asked the same question the second applicant arrogantly bragged to the man, “Oh I recon I could take my team and wagon within 2 or 3 inches of that edge and be just fine”.  Then, the last man took very little time to think about the question and responded to the man’s question, “How close could I get to the edge?  Ha!  I’d stay as far away from that edge as I possibly could!”  Now guess which one of those coaches got the job?  Well, it was the last one who opted to stay away from the edge.

So we learn the moral of the story is not to see how close we can get to the edge, but how far away from it we can stay.  Stay where the footing is sure and there is no room for doubt or error.  Now, I think that this is a debatable point that can be argued for nearly any moral debate, however I am seeking to find the spirit of good and bad drug practices, so, I will not accept this as an adequate answer, besides it doesn't answer anything, it seems to just avoid an answer.  I am really trying to define what good and positive, appropriate use for drugs is, and where we find ourselves across that line moving towards bad and negative, inappropriate abuse.

The ‘code’ that the New Testament apostle Paul admonished Christ’s followers in his day to adhere to, that was reaffirmed by the modern day prophet Joseph Smith Jr. states in the last Article of Faith: “…we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things.  If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.”  In this verse of scripture we find 4 attributes outlined for us that we are to seek after if we are pursuing goodness they are: virtue, love, good report, and praiseworthiness.  So in order for a drug to be considered good or morally good it must pass the test of possessing one or more of these virtues.

Moroni 7:16-19 says in essence, the Spirit, or light, of Christ is given to every man, and woman, that they may know good from evil.  That which is good invites more good, and invites the power to believe in Christ even to the point of a “perfect knowledge”.   Antithetically, bad or evil, persuades man to do more evil, and not believe in Christ; to deny him and not serve him.  So here we find we are given a compass or a “light” by which we can find direction or discern where good lies and where bad lies.

So we are done right?  We have found the is-all ends-all answer right?  Wrong!  We just have a good start from which to build off of.  I hope you will think on these things for a day.  I imagine by the end of this discussion, it will conclude with “knowing that we don’t know,” that is to say, I don’t have a specific answer for what I am getting into so I hope you aren’t expecting one, maybe collectively we can find a little more truth and direction in this quest.  I have opinions and guesses as to what some of the truth about drugs and morality is, but not everything.  


In the future I will question and break down the standard LDS church’s and similar Christian denominations' responses and stances on drugs and alcohol as well as find some potential faults within them.  Also, later this week, since I didn’t have time to get in to what I had intended to due to time restraint, I will as I promised last time address further and in more detail my personal experiences using drugs and alcohol personally in my life, the struggle that remains there to this day, and my aim to help others dealing with this disease of addiction (that’s right it’s a disease).   We will discuss the theory of the self-medication model verses Doctor prescribed medication.  Along with herbal and natural drugs vs. both bio-chemical FDA approved and illicit drugs.

I will also touch more on what my friend Adam John Daly remarked regarding his experiences and beliefs, presuming he is okay with that, as well as some of my wife’s thoughts and beliefs. 

If there is anything anyone wishes me to share or wants to add into the conversation via commenting the blog, or e-mail I would be happy to consider and address your thoughts.

Again thanks for reading!

-Ryan

Topic 1, Part I: Drugs, the Word of Wisdom, and mental health.

As some of you might know I am currently attending the University of Utah as a student in the College of Social Work's Licensed Substance Abuse Counselor (LSAC) program.  I should finish the program at the end of this summer 2010 and two years later after I complete 2,000 hours in the field, I will hopefully obtain my license. I plan on continuing my education in Psychology as a PhD. in Counseling in Psychology specializing in substance abuse.  I am not 100% sure what exactly I want to do with that specifically but I am tossing around a few ideas.

I think that this topic has been on my mind a lot lately for several reasons both obvious and private.  I am currently doing my practicum (internship) as a counselor at a methadone maintenance clinic in Salt Lake City.  I perform all of the duties that a licensed substance abuse counselor would in this setting under the supervision of a Mental Health Therapist.  I see patients for both individual and group counseling, assess, help create specific treatment plans for patients, I case manage, educate clients, keep records and notes, and consult etc.  I have been enjoying this field but I am also in my infancy.  As many of you may know I have been working full time in a few different youth residential treatment centers for a few years now and I am familiar with the process of treatment and feel confident and comfortable in such settings and in my role in said settings.

Many of you may also know that I have dealt with substance use, abuse, and dependence on many different levels.  I have dealt with substance abuse personally, as a friend of abusers, a family member of abuser, a counselor of abusers, a mentor of abusers, on several professional treatment teams, I am studying the processes and functions on psychological, physical, and genetic levels.  This being said I am not nor do I consider myself a professional as I lack accreditation and experience.  I do however consider myself versed on the topic of drugs and alcohol.

Now when I, or anyone else for that matter, say the word "drugs" what usually comes to the minds of most of the general public in America is a negative association or relation to illicit drug usage, addicts, pills, needles, pipes, cigarettes, alcohol, crime, addicts, discomfort, and unease etc.  That of course is an assumption, there may possibly be some of you who would first think about prescription or over-the-counter drugs, but I think it is fair to say that most people tend to automatically think about the former.

I ask you why?  Why do we associate drugs with this extremely negative connotation?  Are we taught to associate them or has the media invoked this association?  Who is it that has taught us to carry such a negative attitude and belief about drugs?  Was it God himself?  Was it some prophet or professor?

Drugs date back to very ancient times.  There are records and indications that drugs have been used for millennia dating back to thousands of years B.C.  Drugs have been used on several facets and for several purposes through out time and continue to be used for many different purposes today.  With advancement in time and technology we continue to find more and more products that have medicinal or other uses.  We have been able to produce drugs that are hundreds and thousands of times more potent than is found in nature in it's original form.  We have found drugs that some claim provide sacred spiritual experiences, some medicinal, some used as currency, some save lives, some take them.  It seems as though man has become both dependent and afraid of drugs simultaneously.

Through out time there have been men and rulers, leaders of nations who have both condoned and condemned the use of drugs.  The debate over the moral grounds of drug usage has not ceased as long as it has been recognized, with both parties strongly advocating they are either evil or a blessing.  Some and possibly would say that they are both, good and evil, depending on how they are used.

I grew up in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day saints who have a very strict code regarding drugs and alcohol in advocating strict abstinence from drugs and alcohol as cited in the LDS church's book of Doctrine and Covenants section 89 we are to understand that the use of coffee, tobacco, and strong alcohol are not in compliance with God's law.  This selfsame section also states in verse 17 that "barely and grains used for mild drinks are useful," to me I understand this section where it says "mild drinks" made from "barely and other oats" to be in reference to what we now call beer.  Beer is a distilled alcoholic beverage that is mild in comparison to the previously mentioned verses 5-7 "strong drinks' namely wine and hard alcohol i.e. whiskey, vodka, gin, rum, etc. yet the LDS church now condemns drinking even the mild drink beer despite this section of doctrine coming from God Himself implying such is okay for man to use.

Now before everyone gets up in arms about this  I will admit I am a practicing mormon and try to follow the word of wisdom, but I do see this potential error in either the words of the scripture or the translation of such by modern leaders within the church.  I am in NO WAY suggesting that the LDS church is false or mislead, I only intend to point out a discrepancy in it's practices and proclamations.  So here we learn that alcohol and other drugs such as tobacco or caffeine (coffee) are not permitted and in fact condemned by God on moral grounds.  Now this section it does not discuss specific illicit drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, or heroine etc. but according to the modern LDS church there has been a law or commandment given to it's members from it's inspired leaders that such illicit drugs are prohibited from use by it's members.  Members who use such drugs are considered unworthy to practice in the gospel's fulness and are not in good standing with the church.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day saints has made, to my knowledge, no official statement on the use of prescription psychotropic or narcotic drugs.  It is then assumed and common practice within the general population of the church that the recommended use of such drugs is appropriate under the direction of a medical professional.  Many members of the church also use many over-the-counter drugs such as ibuprofen, aspirin, NyQuil, sleeping meds, dextromethorphan (benadryl), and many other drugs that can be used at an adults discrepancy.  Drugs that are prescribed such as lortab, percocet, oxycodone, oxycontin, adderall, ritalin, other various amphetamines as well as anti-depressants are commonly found being used by the LDS church's members.

Now for a second I would like to talk about some of the drugs I just mentioned; the drugs prescribed by doctors that have moderate to fairly extreme reactions and effects on those who use them, namely; lortab, percocet, oxycodone, oxycontin, adderall, ritalin, and other various amphetamines.  It is common knowledge that in the state of Utah, the state with the highest percentage of LDS members per capita, is found the number one highest amount of prescription drug abuse.  The number one!!!  Why is that you might ask?  Well research has shown that LDS members are more likely to develop prescription drug addiction and abuse because of the justification that it is "morally sound".  We have housewives popping amphetamines to keep up with the hustle and bustle of their daily lives.  Adolescents abusing narcotics because they are a prescription legally obtained and common.  Many people do not understand that taking these drugs above the recommended dosage or taking a family member's prescription for a headache or body ailment is both illegal and according to the church immoral.  Many people simply deny this to themselves or avoid the thought process so they can justify getting desired results.

In my work which as I stated is a methadone maintenance clinic I think that the majority of people in the LDS church would be shocked by the amount of good active LDS church members come to be treated simply because they developed an addiction to opiates because they used, misused, abused, or grew dependent on a legal prescription such as lortab or oxycontin.  SOme used their spouses prescription for pain or other desired affect and become dependent on it to the point that they faced very serious and painful withdrawal.  I hope it is clear to those who are reading this if there be any that this is a problem in Utah and in LDS culture.  Drugs have desirable and pleasurable effects, when the opportunity comes for many people to use them "legally" they dive at the chance often using them even after the pain is gone if they have remaining doses.  I think the definition of abuse in prescription drugs is something to the effect of; using a prescribed drug in ANY WAY other than it's intended prescribed purpose.  Drugs that are commonly abused are never prescribed by moral doctors for any reason other than to relieve extreme pain and discomfort, or mental health disorders that are diagnosed by professionals who were given honest and accurate answers to the questions asked in order to diagnose such disorders in the first place.  Therefore it is not okay to look up what the DSM-IV states as ADHD and feed that information to your doctor such as racing thoughts, difficulty focusing, twitching etc. in effort to legally obtain a prescription like adderall or ritalin which to a person who doesn't suffer from ADHD has a similar effect to speed or crank.  If a person lies to a Dr. about symptoms of pain or mental health in effort to obtain a prescription for a psychotropic, narcotic, or stimulant drug THEY ARE ABUSING IT!!!

So the question then arrises what makes a "good drug" good and a "bad drug" bad?  Meaning, if a patient is prescribed oxycontin by a medical doctor for pain why is it then bad for that same patient, or any other patient in legitimate pain, to use heroine a drug derived from opium similar to that of the former?  Some would argue that heroine is unsafe because we don't know everything that it was made or "cut" with, and that buying illicit drugs supports illegal activities and crime subsequently.  I cannot argue with this statement, it is valid and understood.  But lets say that this person is unable to afford seeing a doctor regularly to maintain a prescription for the narcotic and they likewise do not have insurance and cannot afford to pay for the prescription outright.  Should this person then suffer because they don't have the same luxuries afforded to them that others have?  Should this person just suffer incomprehensible pain because they can't use "the system"?  There are hundreds and thousands maybe tens or hundreds of thousands of people in the world right now who live their lives in extreme pain because they either do not have the resources or the technology that would afford them relief.

Most citizens of the USA are able to take a few ibuprofen or aspirin when they get a headache or body ache.  We diagnose the need for such a pain reliever ourselves, we feel a pain or an ache, we want to get rid of that pain so we go to our medicine cabinets and take 1-4 pills to alleviate the pain.  It works, its reliable, its pretty easy and likewise cheap.  We find that this system and convenience suits us in our daily lives and we appreciate it or take it for granted.

In the LDS church and most Christian denominations in general I believe it is considered appropriate for an individual to take this sort of action.  Now, for many aches and pains a few hundred milligrams of ibuprofen will take care of the problem and allow us to go about our usual routines.  However there are more severe aches and pains that no healthy amount of ibuprofen will alleviate.  So we turn towards heavier, more effective, stronger drugs or substances that are more likely to work for us, only problem is we have to consult a doctor first and obtain a prescription for it, then go to the pharmacy fill the prescription and then take it.  Now we knew for ourselves that ibuprofen was not sufficient to remedy the pain we were in so we did what our government tells us to do and we go through the steps previously mentioned to get what we need.  A question I propose would be; if we know when to use ibuprofen for pain, and when we know it isn't enough for the amount of pain we are in, don't we then already know we need something more strong than that to take our pain away?  What I mean is where is the line to be drawn between when we know what we need and when only the doctor knows what we need/what is best for us.  As human beings I think we tend to be in harmony and in sync with our needs. We know when we need more and we know likewise when we don't need more and maybe we need less.  The errors and mistakes doctors make everyday have to be just as often as those people make trying to medicate themselves.  So why can I "prescribe" myself ibuprofen or dextromethorphan but not an opiate like lortab?  I dare say both have high abuse potential (both the dextromethorphan and the lortabs anyway)

Now according to the Word of Wisdom I previously mentioned found in the LDS book entitled Doctrine and Covenants it talks about herbs and other substances being put on earth by a loving God specifically ordained for the use of man to help such similar annoyances like headaches and body pains.  God created these substances to be used with "judgement and skill" as well as "prudence and thanksgiving".  So essentially what this scripture says is that drugs like ibuprofen or dextromethorphan or opiates are given to us from God Himself for the purposes we have discovered them as being useful.  I suppose one could argue that a doctor had judgement and skill, but then so do we in assessing when we could benefit from OTC medications.  I am having a difficult time drawing the "line of morality" on this subject.

Well it has grown late and I think I have left you all enough food for thought.  I am interested in your opinions and thoughts regarding what I have written so far.  For my next post I will dive more into my own experiences with using drugs and alcohol, why I used them, and what I have learned.  So stay tuned.

Hello Blogger World

So, after finding reasons and excuses for several years now to be 'to cool' for blogging, I have decided to succumb.  I wouldn't necessarily say that I was ever "anti-blogging" or anything, but I guess between managing a Facebook account, twitter account, a few different e-mail addresses, and yes way back in the day even a Myspace account...I have concluded it is high-time, and that this might even be somewhat productive.  I have several friends who blog, mostly all of whom are married and use it as a digital scrapbook for their families and personal interests.  Blogging in this manner is just fine, I in no way intend to degrade or deride any who blog in this format as I can see it's useful purpose.  However I desire to use this particular blog for more personal reasons more like a journal or log for my many chaotic ruminations.

I imagine this blog to include everything from thoughts and questions on topics such as; morality, politics, religion, music, entertainment, media, doctrine, education, philosophy, meaning, purpose, emotions, dreams, truth or untruth, and cognitions, to pretty much anything that I really spend any reasonable time pondering.

It feels as though I frequently find myself having a horde of things on my mind.  I also find myself wanting for intelligent analytical friends who possess the time and/or energy to sincerely discuss such thoughts.  I hope that this blog will provide me with the opportunity to get these thoughts out of myself and into text which should allow for personal reflection and potential insights that anyone might offer.  Please bare in mind that many of the rants I shall write are ENTIRELY my personal opinions and will not always be accompanied with proof.  As such, I do not desire your criticisms or censures.  If you have a conflicting opinion or thought, and desire to provide me with such feedback please do so with caution and tact, genuinely attempting to help me see something I may be misunderstanding or that I am not seeing.  If you decide to write said feedback please provide it with cited references; i.e. scriptures, pertinent articles (from professional credible sources), or other resources that are relevant to the topic.  I enjoy all of my friends' and peers' opinions and thoughts but please do not turn my posts into debates of subjective opinions.

Well, now that I have that out of the way, I hope we mutually understand one other and that you, my friends, can respect my wishes for this blog.  Now I must admit that I did once in the past attempt to create a blog that was kept very private and where I would write similar things, but in time I forgot about it and was really just bereft of motivation.  I have hopes that this will not be the case this time and that I will make a valiant effort to write in this blog often and keep it appropriate for all who might be kind enough to follow it.  Those of you who know me know I have a tendency to be somewhat immature, perverted, indignant, aggressive, belligerent, offensive, narcissistic etc.  I have been known to offend people in the past and I will give an honest effort to restrain myself from doing so in this blog.

If anyone has any suggestions or ideas of topics that they think might be interesting to discuss I am all ears and would put some effort in researching it if I concurred the topic was indeed appropriate.

Thank you for your time and interest.  It means a lot to me.