Trigger warning: I tell a story about a friend who killed himself after the list. Nothing graphic, though.

Edit to add TL;DR and message to mods.

I support sushisection. I dealt with heavy depression last year. Eventually they called it "treatment resistant" and I went to various hospitals 6 different times. I got through it and here are some things that helped me. (Note, this is mostly copied from Facebook messages that I sent a friend of mine today when she said that she was suffering from depression and she asked me what I did that helped me get through it.) I will edit it for you and put a message just for you at the bottom.

I never liked being lonely, though I didn't mind being alone. Some things I started doing that have made a huge difference for me:

1. I journal. I used to write everyday and I need to get back to it, though it is harder now because I've lost the momentum. I use my journal to "dump" my thoughts. I only have so much space in my head, and journaling helps me get things out of it. Also, the simple act of writing things down forces me to organize and even confront my thoughts. Sometimes thoughts race through my head and sitting down and taking time to write things out helps slow things down to a speed I can handle. Journaling also take a snapshot of what state my mind is in at the time. I can go back to entries from last year and they seem like they're written by a different person or from a different lifetime. I know that's not true, because it's my journal and I'm the only person who's written in it. It is good for me to have a record of where I was so that I know how far I've come.
   
2. I work hard to maintain my support system. When I get depressed, I start to isolate and that only makes it worse. If it is not interrupted, it will be much harder to break out of that cycle. I talked about this a little bit in my comment on your post. To me, this is a daily maintenance task. Well, maybe not daily maintenance, but instead constant consideration. A friend told me a long time ago that you become like those you spend your time with. At Fort Drum, for a long time I had no Christian community. The people I spent my time with were other soldiers in the barracks, so guys who were younger than me, drank more than me, and were not Christians. I didn't have much in common with my peers, so I isolated myself. Isolation is a way to survive, but not a way to thrive. It was like a death by a million cuts. No one thing was unbearable, but I just felt so tired, and eventually I gave up. After I got out of the hospital, I got hooked up with a great Bible study filled with people I could actually be friends with and who would love me. This made all the difference. Now, I'm out of the Army and back in Pennsylvania. I am living with the a good friend's family and it is wonderful. I knew that it would be bad for me to be alone. I had plans to move in with another friend, but I realized that that might not be the best option. While I was home visiting, I came over to their house and heard them say that they could use a roommate. God was working that day. As a result of living in their house, I was introduced to a Christian men's breakfast that Joe attends weekly. These guys have been great and are a cornerstone of my new support system. Currently I am on a weekend retreat with several of them. I have so much to be thankful for.
   
3. I had some great resources. When I was in a hospital in New Jersey for the second time, I was given printouts of a workbook called "Out of Control" by Melanie Gordon Sheets. Here's the link on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Out-Control-Dialectical-Cognitive-Behavioral-Emotion-Driven/dp/B002A6LLK0
   I am happy to get you a copy if you want.
   This book taught me so much and it has exercises that you can use as long as you need them, even for the rest of your life. This is where I learned why and how to protect my peace and stability. This book taught me about "The Cycle of Suffering" and then helped me identify why my life was worth living. I still have the printouts and I bought a blank copy of the workbook, so I can go back and look over my answers from then and use this book, make my own printouts, or give it away to someone else if they need it immediately. Hint: if you need it immediately, I could even place the order on Amazon this weekend if you want.
   This book was not the only thing that helped me. I learned that "you have to be in the right place to receive the message" and that "you are not your diagnosis." I learned about reframing and how powerful it is. I learned about my spheres of control and concern and what things are in which and how to not worry about it. I had time, I had love, and I had support. These things, combined and overshadowed by the grace of God, made all the difference.
   
4. I learned to be thankful. When I pray, I try to always start out by being thankful. It improves my mood and puts me in a better place. It always shows me the good that God is doing in my life in a way that nothing else ever has.
   
5. I learned (am learning) that I am under Grace, not the Law. My good friend and counselor Tim Bettger (who, with his wife Bobbi, runs the North Country Hospitality House near Fort Drum) recommended the book The Cure to me. The full title is "The Cure: What if God isn't who you think He is and neither are you." I promised that I would read it and I just started this week. This is a lesson that Tim (and God) have been trying to communicate to me for quite a while. Here's the link on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/The-Cure-What-think-neither/dp/0984757708/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1422119445&sr=8-1
   This book is also available as a Kindle version, and I am willing to send it to you as well, in whatever format you prefer. God does not condemn us. He loves us and I pretty sure that most of the time we are unaware of what that means, exactly. We do not have to earn God's love. There is nothing we can do to get Him to love us more or less. I cannot overstate how powerful and how freeing this is. I don't have to feel guilty about not praying enough or not reading my Bible or struggling with sin. Grace is so amazing!
   
   I think that's all I've got for now. If anything else comes to mind, I'll write more later. I hope that this helps you. If you have any questions or comments, please send me a message. I'd love to hear anything you have to say. Please don't feel that you need to respond. You don't. My only hope is that what I've said will help others, including you.
   I was on the way to the Hospitality House when I got a call from my Dad telling me that Thomas, a guy I had met and gone through 3 hospitals with, had killed himself. I was in shock for about 20 minutes. I called a few people, and then when I was talking to one friend I started crying. I finally got off the phone and walked inside and even though I was surrounded by people, by strong Christian friends, I felt completely alone. I didn't know where God was. I didn't know why this had happened. All I knew was that my friend was gone and I didn't like it. Later, someone asked me if I was ok. I said no and told him what had happened. He gave me a hug, I cried, and he prayed with me. That helped. It still took a while for me to...I don't know. Learn to cope with it, I guess. I don't know why I'm telling you this. I still think about Thomas sometimes. I don't want to ever forget about him. So many people in his life didn't care about him. That is a tragedy.
   Sorry to end this on a down note. There are so many people I know who went through this with me and came through it. I know that living like this is not God's plan for our lives. He wants us to truly be joyful, though He is not dissapointed when we struggle. The two greatest commands are all about love! Love for God and love for others. I can truthfully say that I understand what you're feeling. I know what it's like to want to give up. And I know that God loves you and I do too. I'm sure that I'm not the only one saying that.
   I guess I didn't end this on a down note after all.
   
   Ok, OP, here's my part just for you. Obviously, I am a Christian and it means a great deal to me. That being said, if you are suicidal or have tried to hurt or kill yourself, please go to an emergency room, not a church. Even if you haven't, find a good therapist if you don't have one. When I was at my lowest point, I started with therapy first. Religion is not some amazing force that makes everything better. Many parts of Christianity can actually make things worse. Some people will blame you for not "having enough faith," or they will say "God is punishing you." These are lies. If anyone ever says that to you, tell them to shove it. Some people (including Christians) don't believe in mental health. When I got started with this, I don't think my parents did. Things have changed. If our bodies can be broken and sick, then why can't our minds? Please don't beat yourself up. I don't think that will do anything to help you. The good thing is that you can always start over and get a second chance. Even if you don't agree with my Christian beliefs, I think there is still a lot of stuff in here that could help you. I'm not saying it will, because we are all different, but it might. And if you want the books, just PM me and I can send them to you. You have my support. I know that you can make it through this. I hope this helps.
   
   

That's too bad. Sounds like she's not ready to deal with her addiction yet. I'd check out some books about dealing with alcoholic relatives, I know there's whole sections of them in the bookstores near me. I'd love to give advice but I've never been in that situation before.

The good news is that lots of other people have and there are lots of resources and support out there that will help you take care of yourself. There's probably even a support group somewhere near you.

Ultimately, you can't make someone give up their addiction, you can only point them in the right direction and make sure that you're looking after yourself.

I don't know if you think it'd be a good idea, but there's a book that really helped me quit drinking and maybe it would help your mom too. It's called Allen Carr's Easy Way to Control Alcohol, and it could be worth giving her a copy to read.

It's pretty easy to get people to read it, because at the beginning of the book he tells you not to stop or cut down your drinking until the end of the book. It completely stopped me from wanting to drink at all.

From the fact that she's hiding her alcohol it sounds like she's ashamed of it, and probably would quit if she felt like she could. It's hard to describe addiction without experiencing it, but no matter how much you want to quit you'll just keep going back to your old behaviors.

Anyway, best of luck. make sure you're looking out for yourself, and give the book a shot. It really changed my life, and I hope it can help you & your mom too.

Hey, good luck with giving up. I gave up for about 8 years after reading this book, from being about a 40 a day man. Just for full disclosure, I did start again (as a rational choice, not because I felt I had to believe it or not- work related). But have stopped again, for a few weeks this time via the same method. It's really easy, and I found it almost impossible before reading that book. It goes into detail of the psychology of smoking and how the feeling of self denial is what triggers the 'cravings' for cigaretts. Really interesting to read, even if you weren't a smoker.

For me, I modify it slightly, I use a regime of nicotine replacements to work my way through the physical addiction part of it, mainly because I can't afford the downtime of having a day or two being grumpy and feeling off.

I start off on the 4mg niquitin CQ lozenges as you can tailor the nicotine dose easily by 'shaving' bits of the tablet off (makes sense if you use them), then go down to the 2mg one. Then I go to the 4mg micro tablets (as they are more discrete, but you can't control the dose so effectively), then the 1.5mg version of them, then the 1mg lozenges and, by then, it's easy just to wean yourself off. I'm sure I could go 'cold turkey' over it, but my view is if we have the technology to make it less unpleasant then why not use it.

Anyways, good luck with that, really, that book and a graduated nicotine replacement programe work well for me, to the point it's easy to give up this way (and, for me, I find it staggeringly hard any other way), so, should you have difficulties, bear it in mind. There is no real downtime, and, once you get used to the 4mg tablets you end up preferring them to smoking, as you get your sense of smell and, to some degree, health back even whilst on them. Good luck, and yeah, contrary to what many people say, you do get out of it and never look back. That always worried me when I was trying to quit first time.

TL;DR, good luck, but if you have problems look at that book I recommended above, and think of a nicotine replacement regime. I couldn't give up any other way, but if you've found one, awesome. It does get easier and within a few months you should have forgotten you were ever even a smoker ;) Then it's super easy :)

Yea, I just got home. I'm bored, mini rants incoming.

When I first heard of The Four Agreements, I was in detox back in 09 or something. And this tweaker chick kept going manic. She'd be happy/sad/angry/empty... just over and over. She was throwing chairs, and freaking out, but she kept telling me to read that book. So I had to, because she had excellent chair throwing skills. It was a great read, ... very very interesting take on spirituality but it is pretty applicable. It's a feel good philosophy warrior book thing.

The Power of Now. I had what AA would call a "spiritual awakening" and it really wasn't much like a burning bush, but A LOT like this guy talks about in this book. When I was about to kill myself with a teener of dope, I had this very very strange experience where I couldn't identify with myself anymore. .. "Who is this person that wants to die so badly?... Who am I?" It really changed things. The power of now was the most powerful thing I've read.

The New Earth is pretty interesting. I have to disagree with some points, because traditionally, you can't really get rid of the ego. The ego is necessary to survive. But it's interesting. It's worth a read, especially someone stuck in a facility with only their remorse and addiction to keep them company.

I personally LOVE Gabor Mate. This guy deals with the most tragic cases of addiction in Vancouver, and he's a neurologist and he has some pretty good insights on addiction. In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts. It's partly where I came up with my flair.

Rational Recovery was another I would suggest. It's a lot like those Allen Carr Easy Way to Quit Smoking. But the basic idea is disassociation from the "Addictive Voice". That it's not ME that wants to get high, but my addiction. That shit rocked my world when I learned it, and I immediately integrated it into my first step in Narcotics Anonymous.
EDIT, Rational Recovery, and Jack Trimpey are VERY AGAINST 12 step ideology. He HATES IT, and he hates the God idea. I get that, but I cannot and will not deny the therapeautic value of one addict helping another. Nothing compares. Even Bill W. in AA wrote about it in his memoirs and grapevines and the Big Book. "When all other measures failed, work with another alcoholic saved the day."

Tao de Ching really helped me. Although it may be missattributed, the whole "Living in the Past is living in depression, living in the future is living in anger and fear, living in the now is living in peace."

So, as you can see, I really like the "now" concept, but it's helped me stay clean and be happy about it. Non-fiction would probably be great too. But these are very spiritual new agey ideas.

This reminds me, I need to read The Spirituality of Imperfection.

THE MOST IMPORTANT BOOKS THOUGH:

I highly recommend the NA Basic Text, and I love the Step Working Guide.

Ahh ok....cool. The good news is that in today's world, there are many alternatives to AA.

I'm not going to try to talk you into going to AA but just know, I've known plenty of people that had the same reservations as you and were able to get help in AA and even enjoy it.

On a different topic, I took a look at the sidebar and for some reason I didn't see the SMART Recovery link. Perhaps it would be more to your liking. I honestly can't speak to it because I've never used it. I've heard people mention it here and they also have online meetings you can attend for free.

I have read parts of Allen Carr's Book and I quite liked it but I've barely read much of it. If you can't afford it be sure to check your local library as they might have a copy you can check out for free.

Anyways - I hope you find something that works for you because life can be fun again and it's quite possible to live a sober and happy life.

A woman's gut is golden as we say in the S-anon meetings. You know deep down something is wrong, you even know what it is (most don't)...where you are going wrong is that you don't comprehend that he IS addicted and YOUR life has to change because of it.

Think of sexaholism like alcoholism. You know an alcoholic has to quit drinking, right? Well, a porn addict has to quit all on-line digital sexual stimulation, and magazines if they uses them. You encouraging anything but live face to face sexual interaction is defeating any chance he has to finding recovery and sobriety.

The porn addict also has to quit masturbation for a period of time also. The actual amount of time, is up for grabs. some say 30 days, some 90. I see the best successes with 90.

Here is a video that can give you a good overview of the addiction.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSF82AwSDiU

All this is dependent on his decision to quit. You cannot make him. It sounds as if to me you have pretty much tried every avenue you can think of to get thru to him, with no avail. It's the same story all over the world. You are by no means alone. They may look you lovingly in the eyes, proclaiming their promises on their mothers graves and be lieing and manipulating you in any way possible in order to keep using. It's the same for all addicts, he won't stop until he gets help.

None of this has anything at all to do with you. You have not done anything or done anything to cause this in your lives. You could be the hottest porn star in the world laid out on his bed ready to do anything he desires...and he would still get bored with her and go back to porn and masturbation. It's his meth.

Since he admits he's an addict, I am going to give you a whole bunch of info and ways to find recovery and sobriety. Maybe you can get him to at least check the stuff out. If he won't move forward and DO something to help himself, then the only advice I can give you is to get the fuck out. Living with an addict, any practicing addict is a horrible way to go.

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If you want to explore a real life situation from a man's point of view, check out these You Tube video's from Terry Crews, there are several of them, They helped me decide to stay with my partner and work thru our problems. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4krRkO4sHc

A funny look at addiction: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Dq0SgNJr_I&feature=youtu.be

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First try to see a CSAT counsler, a specialist in addiction therapy, for both the addict and the partner of the addict. Having someone explain the intricacies of the disease, how it effects the brain, and what it takes to beat it is they only way to understand what you both are faced with. https://www.sexhelp.com/am-i-a-sex-addict/

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A recovery treatment center: http://www.lifestarnetwork.com/

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There are SAA meetings https://saa-recovery.org/Meetings/UnitedStates/

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On-line here is a recovery worksheet: https://www.smartrecovery.org/smart-recovery-toolbox/ On-line program for the SA: https://www.drglover.com/tpi-university/sons-of-ulysses.html

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Here is a good article about 12 step programs, it talks about AA and drug programs, but sexaholism is right there with them: http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2018/08/24/to-ben-affleck-and-other-addicts-heres-my-message-to-from-one-alcoholic-to-another.html

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There are S-Anon meetings for the partners or family members of addicts, very helpful in getting you over your self doubt. http://www.sanon.org/find-a-meeting/s-anon-meeting-locations-united-states/ OR SLAA https://slaafws.org/

Also do a little reading, get the book Out of the Shadows, by Patrick Carnes. It will give you a real life view of what a sexaholic faces on the road to recovery. Another good book: https://www.amazon.com/What-Can-Do-About-Me-ebook/dp/B00AVBERGG

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If you want to block XXX sites from your computer Here is a simple way to do so: https://cleanbrowsing.org/for-adults Or this is considered the best: K9 Web Protection: http://www1.k9webprotection.com

Blocking porn on your computer:

https://www.reddit.com/r/pornfree/comments/9ueez4/a_comprehensive_guide_to_blocking_porn_on_your/

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Here is an app for the SA's phone: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.androidapp.watchme

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Here is a good resource for learning about stopping this in in your life. https://www.reddit.com/r/pornfree/comments/2mfxyi/concrete_tips_for_staying_away_from_porn/

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Here is a reddit sub for addicts r/pornfree

Podcasts: https://recoveredman.com/category/pfr/

More podcasts: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p06qhs5t/episodes/downloads

Another podcast: https://www.podbean.com/podcast-detail/43txf-388e1/Pornfree-Radio-Porn-Addiction-%7C-Recovery-%7C-Help-%7C-Pornography-Freedom-Podcast

Magazine for addicts: The Fix https://www.thefix.com/search/site/porn?page=11

Porn Reboot: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbqaPKeiNW6R6LECHwQkRug

Hypnosis for porn: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmpwZf5Rono

Twitter: https://twitter.com/gabedeem

REBoot Nation: http://www.rebootnation.org/

A great set of videos on pornography: https://brainheartworld.org/watch/the-world/

How porn portrays women: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRJ_QfP2mhU&feature=youtu.be

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Why has nobody mention Allan Carr's Easy Way to Stop Smoking? OP THIS IS THE BEST POSSIBLE THING YOU CAN DO FOR YOURSELF I smoked for 12 years, over a pack a day and tried everything, until I read this book. It was the only way I could free myself. It works, you'll quit and you will find it a PLEASURE to stop the moment you smoke your last one.

Please, do yourself the greatest favor you can and seek out this book. It's small, it's short (can be done in a day) and you will quit. Read the reviews to get some idea as to what it can do.

Good luck and all the best with the wedding and your marriage.

Hey Pedes I've said it before, I'll say it again.

Just for those who may be caught up in the smoking and/or drinking trap, and thinking you're fucked cause you've tried to stop but can't. So you resigned yourself do doing your best to limit the damage --- BASED Alan Carr's books got me off both. GOT ME OFF BRAHS

First the smoking. It took me a month or so to really believe I was done smoking. I could get as drunk as I wanted and WOULD NOT SMOKE.

But then the side effect of that is is started drinking more. I would limit my drinking because I knew I would smoke. But once I was done smoking --- holy crap. And I live in walking distance to the bars. So yeah. I was getting bloated, and my body just was not happy.

So alcohol --- seemed impossible to quit. And a lot of people look at you weird when you quit or feel a need to use labels. Whatevs... I didn't need AA or meetings. I just needed to be convinced that alcohol is bottled misery. And it is. Now I go to parties and don't even think about drinking booze. There isn't even a temptation. Or to put it another way the temptation I have to drink is the same level of temptation I have to go to the bathroom and lick urinal cakes. Yet I still have a good time. It is so fucking wild.

You have so much to gain if you quit. Unfortunately with either, it doesn't feel that way and you can't imagine it. But trust a little. And you will be bigly rewarded.

Why the fuck would I lie? These aren't affiliate links below. I seriously want everyone to know what I know. Booze and smokes are just shitty traps, like an abusive spouse, they make you think you can't live without them. But that's bullshit. You can have your freedom and leave their sorry asses in the dust. Your freedom is your God damned natural born right. You can have it. Again, just trust a little. And keep an open mind.

Alan Carr should be a made a Saint. He's saved millions of lives. He's made my life better, my wife's and my boys. And I am sort of the fun uncle who found a little success, so my nieces and nephews are hoping seeing the point: Successful dudes don't drink. And maybe you are struggling. maybe you don't like that you're not giving the best example. But that's only because you been brainwashed into believe the big lies. You just need to be un-brainwashed. Once you are they have absolutely no power over you and when you see someone drinking or smoking, all you wish is that they knew what you knew. You really won't mind being around being with those who drink or smoke. You just know they want to stop but they haven't seen reality yet. And you won't lecture, as lectures didn't work with you, right? You already wanted to stop, you just didn't think you could.

Here's links:
Easy Way to Quit Smoking:
https://www.amazon.com/Allen-Carrs-Easy-Stop-Smoking/dp/0615482155

Easy Way to Control Alcohol (which will convince you you actually don't want to drink)
https://www.amazon.com/Allen-Carrs-Easy-Control-Alcohol/dp/0572028504

MAGA starts with you!

>I've been "trying" to quit for a few months now, going for 4-8 days then drinking and resetting again

I could always stop drinking, it was staying stopped that I could not do. For me, I had to get a support system in place for it to stick. Reddit works for me when i can't get out, but for me the most important part of my recovery is Face to face interactions with similar people. Good luck

Resources and Groups

Other subreddits

• Here is a listing of subreddits related to addiction, addiction support, and the problems that often come along with addiction.
  
  Many people find real-life support groups or certain books helpful in achieving and maintaining their sobriety. Here are links to a few of the more popular resources.
  
  
• Alcoholics Anonymous (Agnostic AA)
  
• Allen Carr books - Easy Way to Control Alcohol / Easy Way to Stop Drinking. These two books are substantially similar. A free preview is available on Google Books.
  
• LifeRing
  
• Rational Recovery
  
• SMART Recovery
  
• Women for Sobriety
  

>I can't break out of my habits

Yes you can. You absolutely can. You just have decide if you want to stop drinking or if you just want to talk about it. You decide. Everyone here in SD has to make that same decision.

How? We could start by making a decision not to drink today, and then doing something different to support that decision. For example, have you attended a meeting (AA or SMART, for example)? Have you told a family member about your problem? A close friend? You could call them up, now, and ask them to listen and ask them for support.

Many people have found the Allen Carr book linked in the sidebar helpful in changing the drinking habit.

Reaching out here is something different. That's great. Reaching out and asking for help in figuring out you next step is even better.

What's your next step?

It's good, innit? I went to a festival a couple of years ago and Howard Marks was reading there; he was treated like a god by the crowd :-)

You may also like Pot Planet - it's a jolly good and easy read :-)

NA Step Guide

Buy the book and start working the steps privately. It might help you sort through some of the 'stuff' that keeps you struggling.

THEN maybe you can find a trusted person (even from another town) to share your work with.

At a minimum it might help you feel proactive and that you are doing SOMETHING!

Also - some professions have closed private groups to assist with privacy and anonymity concerns. Nurses are one of them. I have known several people in medical professions that needed greater anonymity to protect their jobs and public exposure.

Good luck and hugs!

I'm still in school and one of my professors really changed my mind about legalization. I am 100% for decriminalization but I lack the ability to fully articulate what that policy without legalization would look like.


http://www.tiedc2014.com/
While far from perfect, this campaign brought up some really good points especially around increased emergency room visits, strains that have excessively high thc content, and possible social justice issues such as flooding lower income areas with marijuana dispensaries in the same way liquor stores are.

I know this may be an unpopular opinion but with the potential for marijuana use to be harmful on a developing brain or exacerbate existing but not expressed mental weaknesses, nationwide legalization may cause excessive damage.

I do not think marijuana is technically worse than alcohol or tobacco, but remember legalization entails not just marijuana being available but being actively marketed for commercial gain.


https://www.amazon.com/Reefer-Sanity-Seven-Great-Marijuana/dp/0825306981

Is a good book.


http://www.dailyrecord.com/story/opinion/2017/03/05/murphy-guadagno-marijuana-pot-legalization/98702300/?cookies=&from=global

A great article that addresses many parts of the issue in NJ.

Start with: How to Change Your Mind (start with this detailed annotated summary). The pop culture starting point these days. The summary is all you need to read to understand the entire book but the book is well worth the time.

After that you'll have more ideas where to do. Below is a lot of stuff. I've watched/read all of them, so happy to answer any questions/give more guidance.

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Study the "classics" by taking a look at these (skim the long ones to start):

Seeking the Magic Mushroom (first western trip report on mushrooms)

My 12 Hours As A Madman (another historically important trip report)

The Psychedelic Experience: A Manual Based On The TIbetan Book of the Dead (classic book on guided trips)

LSD My Problem Child by Albert Hoffman

Al Hubbard: The Original Captian Trips

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Docs to Watch:

The Sunshine Makers (documentary)

Orange Sunshine (documentary)

Aya: Awakenings (documentary)

Dirty Pictures (documentary)

A New Understanding: The Science of Psilocybin (documentary)

Hoffmans Potion (documentary): r/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFfblVjCwOU"

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And a whole lot of others:

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Books

The Psychedelic Explorer’s Guide – James Fadiman
In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction – Gabor Mate
Storming Heaven: LSD and the American Dream – Jay Stevens
Psychedelic Psychiatry: LSD from clinic to campus – Erika Dyck
The Natural Mind: A Revolutionary Approach to the Drug Problem – Andrew Weil
Acid Hype: American News Media and the Psychedelic Experience – Stephen Siff
Acid Dreams: The complete social history of LSD – Martin A. Lee and Bruce Shlain
Drugs: Without the Hot Air – David Nutt
A Really Good Day: How Microdosing Made a Mega Difference in My Mood, My Marriage, and My Life – Ayelet Waldman
Neuropsychedelia: The Revival of Hallucinogen Research Since the Decade of the Brain – Nicolas Langlitz
The Harvard Psychedelic Club: How Timothy Leary, Ram Dass, Huston Smith, and Andrew Weil Killed the Fifties and Ushered in a New Age for America – Don Lattin

Videos

Terence McKenna discusses the stoned ape theory

A Conversation on LSD – In a video from the late 1970s, Al Hubbard, Timothy Leary, Humphry Osmond, Sidney Cohen and others reflect on LSD’s heyday

Alison Gopnik and Robin Carhart-Harris at the 2016 Science of Consciousness Conference

The Future of Psychedelic Psychiatry – a discussion between Thomas Insel and Paul Summergrad

Documents, Articles & Artifacts

Al Hubbard’s FBI file

Remembrances of LSD Therapy Past – Betty Grover Eisner’s unpublished memoir about her role in developing psychedelic therapy

LSD, Insight or Insanity – Transcript of excerpts from hearings of the Subcommittee
on the Executive Reorganization of the Senate Committee on Government Operations [concerning federal research and regulation of LSD-25] May 24, 1966

The Brutal Mirror: What an ayahuasca retreat showed me about my life —A Vox writer’s first-person account

​

Forums

Ayahuasca.com: Includes experience reports, discussion of spirituality, ecology, healing, and recovery by means of the vine are collected here. A place to learn from members of ayahuasca churches, as well as a few foreign language channels.

Bluelight: A 20 year old online harm reduction forum that fosters open and factual discussion of drugs and provides support for those seeking recovery from addiction.

DMT Nexus: A hub for underground psychedelic research on botanical sources of tryptamines and other psychedelic compounds.

5Hive: A newer forum devoted specifically to 5-MeO-DMT — synthetic, botanical or toad-derived.

Mycotopia: All things mycological — discussions of edible, wild, and psychoactive fungi.

The Shroomery: A forum  devoted to cultivating psilocybin-containing mushrooms and sharing trip reports.

TRIPSIT: A 24/7 online harm reduction resource.  Users can chat instantly with someone about their drug experience, or questions they may have about about the safe(r) use of a wide variety of controlled substances.

Definitely check in with a doctor about the pain. I know for sure my health has improved since I quit but it's probably a good idea to check in with a doctor.

The next step is to figure out how to stop drinking in a way that will work for you, because everyone is different. /u/invincie already linked to coolcrosby's baby steps so definitely check that out. I personally am a big fan of Allen Carr's Easy Way to Control Alcohol too. And of course this sub is invaluable.

The trick is to figure out exactly what you need to get sober. For me it was this sub, the book I mentioned, the support of my SO, and a focus on exercise/healthy eating to replace the bad habit of drinking. However as I said everyone is different so you have to figure out what will stick for you.

Best of luck and keep us posted!

It boils down to personal responsibility. Sadly, this is not something taught anymore in the home for whatever reason.

Cannabis is something I enjoy fairly regularly and it is no secret to anyone in my life. I make sure all of my responsibilities are done for the day before I sit down to relax (I love to write music, program, or play the uke when partaking) so I can be 100% in the moment. This provides me clarity about things that I may otherwise have had an extremely biased take on. I, however, do not put myself at the point of being a blabbering idiot if I am going out into social settings; it's not cool to do that to anyone who just wants to hang out. The point someone reaches where they appear unable to handle basic tasks is when they should be alone, lost in thought...not trying to function :) Introspection is such an important thing, shame more don't appreciate what you learn from it.

I had a friend, F, who used to be baked to the point of having the spins and passing out almost daily. He was great for playing video games with and that was about it. I hated his usage patterns but it was his choice and I made mine and broke off our friendship.

P.cubensis have helped me reach a state of understanding myself that I would never have reached on my own. Now I don't view either cannabis or psilocybin as a drug but rather a medicine. Both allow me personal insight that I hold very near and dear. Perhaps this is because of the age I was when they found me, I don't honestly know.

I view a weekly mushroom trip as my church. While some use religion as a means to better understand life and circumstance, I turn to my own mind and the insight into my own mind that nature provides through fungus. I will eat a small meal around 6am, meditate in the rising sun on the beach, and when I know things are aligned correctly, I will make myself some tea and return to meditating.

I understand why people think all drugs are bad and detrimental but it does sadden me that such indoctrination exists.

As kids we are taught that all drugs are bad. As an educated adult I fully appreciate how the FUD machine works and wish they would teach kids that "you will most likely put a substance into your body so the best weapon to have on your side is education, not abstinence.".

Wanting to be in an altered state is not a sin, it is not a malformed behavior...it is part of nature. Some animals wait for fermentation to occur and get drunk while others enjoy a psychedelic experience (http://www.amazon.com/Animals-Psychedelics-Natural-Instinct-Consciousness/dp/0892819863 - great read btw).

Be respectful, be responsible, be educated...then become enlightened.

You're welcome.

I also thought of something else which might help you and your girlfriend understand each other better.

There is a very common misunderstanding between non-smokers and smokers, where non-smokers can't stand the smell of cigarettes and smokers don't believe them and see them as judgmental.

The answer to this is that in fact smokers' sense of smell is greatly diminished, they are used to the smell of cigarettes and also associate it with the pleasure they get from smoking (which is actually because they enter nicotine withdrawal).

Around two-three days after I crossed to e-cigs I started getting my sense of smell back. Food tasted much better, coffee was exceptional and also I could sense a smoker from a few meters away.
Because of that and because I get my nicotine from e-cigs I can't stand the smell of cigarettes and I can tell that somebody's been smoking even a few hours after they did.

Also, I read this book (well, the illustrated variant, since I was being lazy), and while I did not quit nicotine entirely, it did help me to stop seeing smoking as pleasure and rather as addiction.

try showing them this TED talk graham hancock has some pretty far out ideas, but the idea that drugs helped us understand the world way was before the societal norms that ban them is a pretty solid one i think. there's also this book which really puts humanities relationship with drugs in perspective. if nothing else, it might show them that drugs are not the preserve of indolent hippies but are inimately bound to the human experience. hope it helps anyway, and enjoy your shrooms!!

AA meetings are good, but you might find Al-Anon meetings much more helpful for you personally.

But /u/SOmuch2learn is right. I doubt there are Al-Anon meetings anywhere in Afghanistan. And I personally don't like phone meetings.

OK, fine. Have you ever read the "personal stories" section of the Al-Anon basic text?

Have you ever looked into "community reinforcement approach and family training"? I think I read in some scholarly text that it's even more effective at saving lives than Al-Anon is.

Could your grandpa personally witness your mom swallow one daily dose of disulfiram / Antabuse, plus make sure she regularly gets some naltrexone (generic / once-daily Revia tablets / once-monthly Vivitrol injections)? Remember, if she hides the tablets in her mouth then secretly spits them out later, it doesn't count as swallowing the tablets.

(Note: Naltrexone isn't so cheap. The cheapest way to get it is to get the tablets, using the Costco pharmacy or the Costco online pharmacy. You don't have to be a Costco member. Or maybe your mom's insurance [or the government] might cover it. It may not work for everyone, but it works at least for some.)

The International Handbook on Alcohol and Culture" says toasting "is probably a secular vestige of ancient sacrificial libations in which a sacred liquid was offered to the gods: blood or wine in exchange for a wish, a prayer summarized in the words 'long life!' or 'to your health!' "

A good example of this is in Mexico, often times people will cheer 'salud!' which literally means health, or 'to health!'

I've also heard tales that cheers-ing was a way to show you were not poisoning your guests drinks. Everyone would cheers and vigorously bring together their drinking vessels such that the drinks would spill over eachother and intermingle. Not sure the validity of this explanation, though.

I stopped drinking entirely about 110 days ago. It is amazing really. No hangovers for 110 days. I used to have 4-5 a week. I have saved over $1000, lost 20 pounds, I sleep better, honestly there are too many benefits to list. It was one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life. If you are considering it, DO IT! You won't miss out on anything.

Allan Carr's book Easyway to Control Alcohol has changed my life. I don't even have the desire to drink. If I were quitting through pure willpower I would have failed long ago.

The SMART Recovery handbook is really good https://www.amazon.com/SMART-Recovery-Handbook-William-Abbott/dp/061585267X?crid=1YVIOE70ZZTQA&keywords=smart+recovery+handbook+3rd+edition&qid=1538064855&s=Books&sprefix=smart+rec%2Cstripbooks%2C176&sr=1-1&ref=sr_1_1

And for general stuff I like "Get Out of Your Mind and Into Your Life: (if you have AMazon Prime it's free on Kindle) https://www.amazon.com/Get-Your-Mind-Into-Life/dp/1572244259?crid=2L7XM4FSHJHX5&keywords=get+out+of+your+mind+and+into+your+life&qid=1538064922&s=Books&sprefix=get+out%2Cstripbooks%2C145&sr=1-1&ref=sr_1_1

sorry for the garbage looking links

See if you can get your hands on a copy on Allen Carr's Easy Way to Stop Smoking. This is by far the best and easiest way I have tried (and succeeded) for quitting the cancer sticks.

You could also head over to /r/stopsmoking.

Good luck champ!

So when I read that you wanted to fix this, the first thought was to recommend this book to you about betrayal trauma and the authors story. I think you will get al ot out of it. My wife read it and it really helped us. My heart goes out to you and I hope your husband can find the help he needs or wants. Good luck.

https://www.amazon.com/What-Can-Do-About-Me-ebook/dp/B00AVBERGG

I completely understand. In my long DB marriage I also developed similar symptoms.

First to go was alcohol which I did with [this book] (http://www.amazon.com/Allen-Carrs-Easy-Control-Alcohol/dp/0572028504). Replaced overeating with walking and other forms of exercise. Picked out an educational goal and started pursuing the hell out of that goal, which helped with the depression, anxiety and other symptoms. Started dressing better.

I know how it feels like sex might be your most pressing problem right now, but trust me it's not. Getting yourself together is far more important and it's a great example for the babies. (Little pitchers have big ears and they have big eyes too). Also, your wife will notice and if this marriage means anything to her she will step up her game. If not, you'll be ready and prepared for a new stage in your life.

DBT is a very good therapy option. I've been in a DBT group with my primary therapist for well over a year now. The discussions and material covered are so helpful. I would definitely look into doing DBT in a group setting as it makes the ideas so much easier to grasp via the experiences of others. It does take time and practice for the methods to work, patience is key. Hope all this info helps!

Also, this book is incredible DBT

Dad's Guide to Pregnancy for Dummies is a great for during pregnancy, planning for baby, delivery, & other stuff you didnt know to think about. My wife just enter third trimester this week and this book helped me. Good luck!

giving up doesn't have to be this difficult. actually it doesn't have to be difficult at all, in fact , it's really easy to give up with the right mind frame.

what will give you the right mind frame to give up easily is reading this book.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Allen-Carrs-Easy-Stop-Smoking/dp/0140277633


let me tell you this, it's the best fucking book i have ever read , and without sounding preachy, i urge you to give it a try.

it just turns out the addiction from smoking is nothing more than a psychological one which is fear based. a fear of what life will be like without smoking. the rest is a insignificant physical addiction which passes out of your blood in 2 days.

what keeps people smoking is the belief that it's hard to give up, when in absolute fact , it isn't. it's really fucking easy with the right help.

read that book.

For anyone else reading this, I got recommended Drugs Without the Hot Air here on reddit, and I easily do the same (recommend it). A good read and definitely worth checking out, in my opinion.

Agreed - he speaks so much sense. I've picked up a copy of his book that I'm working my way through.

It's such a good read and he makes so many great points that it annoys me he was fired from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs. He really was the voice of reason for such an important subject... instead the government proved beyond doubt that they simply don't have its citizens' best interests at heart. More info for anyone who's not aware of him and his background.

> I'm going to go home, and be alone with my scary thoughts and just let the pain in. And I'll probably cry but that's okay, feelings are okay. I'm not going to be afraid of my feelings or think they're wrong or stupid and try to cover them up and drown them anymore.

I love this. From a distance its so easy to rationalize that external factors are not us - e.g. a dickhead customer's behavior does not have to be internalized - and that our own emotions are not reality - e.g. fear and stress are messages from our body. Sometimes we should listen to our emotions, sometimes we shouldn't. Either way they're not reality outside our own heads. But when you're in it, it's so hard to keep that perspective.

I really liked Allen Carr's discussion of self-soothing with slippers, cozy pajamas, a cup of cocoa, a good book or favorite TV show and a comfortable chair after work instead of a six pack.

Allen Carr's book did it for me. Have tried on and off for years but this is the only thing that seems to have worked.

Been smoke free for about 3-4 months (don't really even remember the date I gave up) and don't crave them at all. The book is really good at getting in your mind that there is no such thing as "just one" cigarette.

The current version is Easy Way to Control Alcohol, but they are virtually identical.

For anyone interested, the kindle version is only $8... it's a quick read and has helped many SD'ers. Don't order the paper copy unless you're prepared to wait several weeks for it's arrival http://www.amazon.com/Allen-Carrs-Easy-Control-Alcohol/dp/0572028504

Best wishes 👍 look into smart recovery when you get out of rehab.

SMART Recovery 3rd Edition Handbook https://www.amazon.com/dp/061585267X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_cc9pDbRRG1M6M

Secular science based recovery + support group

And they don’t kick anyone out if they relapse or make you start over or any of that guilt shame crap.

I know it's not 100% related to the topic, but there's a book called Animals & Psychedelics, short & interesting, which I recommend you to read.

Here's an Amazon link.

Try this book, it really helped me a lot!
And it makes it soooooo easy!

https://www.amazon.de/Allen-Smoking-Penguin-Health-Fitness/dp/0140277633

I'm free for 1 1/2 months

Check out this book. It completely changed my way of thinking and I have not had a single craving since I read it. I would recommend downloading the eBook so you can start reading it now. It has been the best four bucks I've ever spent.

I like it when people make something that they know other people need. In this case I assume your father wanted one of those, and has great use of it.

If it were me, however, I would have given my father this.

I apologize for the x-post, but it appears /r/cogsci doesn't allow self.posts, so I submitted it again. Sorry, but methinks relevant to /r/cogsci.

Given that Daniel Dennett has recently published a book on thought experiments called Intuition Pumps and Other Tools for Thinking, I thought it would be good to show one of Dennett's most famous intuition pumps.

This section of the movie is based on Daniel Dennett's though experiment first published in Brainstorms: Philosophical Essays on Mind and Psychology and reprinted in his famous compendium with Douglas Hofstadter, The Mind's I.

The original paper is available here and elsewhere online.

The movie itself is a documentary and dramatization of several themes in the book The Mind's I and includes an interview with Douglas Hofstadter earlier on (a name that should be familiar to many /r/cogsci folks)

The cogsci-relevant parts of the movie are a bit dated, but still relevant nonetheless.

I would recommend Alan Carr; I found it a huge help.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Allen-Carrs-Easy-Stop-Smoking/dp/0140277633

There's a workbook/therapist manual published that focuses on clients' stages of change. I forgot the exact title--something like "Group Treatment of Substance Use Disorders." I've used it a lot with co-occurring clients and appreciate the ability to target treatment for where the client is at in the session.

NB: Here it is.

Can't offer much advice on the dealing with stress, but I would suggest you have a read of Allen Carr's Easy Way To Stop Smoking - It will talk you through and make you realise that smoking actually doesnt help when stressed, it doesn't solve anything nor have magical powers to chill you out, that's just brainwashing and marketing. I stopped three days ago with that method, from smoking 20 Marlboro full strength a day right up until Sunday, haven't had one since nor any nicotine replacement and feel fine, don't miss them and am enjoying having quit.

His book has only 10 reviews: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0825306981

Surely an ama of this caliber can do better!

There's a good book out there called "Drugs Without the Hot Air" by David Nutt. It's based out of the UK, but it was very informative, might be a good sister book to you own!

Addiction has been proven.

"Addiction is really about experiencing cravings and losing control over your actions, not just physical tolerance and withdrawal", pg 143

The issue with your answer relates to physical dependance, i.e. withdrawal symptoms. A study using rimonabant, has show that physical withdrawals do occur. Rimonabant blocks the psychoactive effects of cannabis.

So, one takes rimonabant and keeps smoking. Nonetheless, smokers feel withdrawal symptoms. Tolerance has established a new "normal" in your brains chemistry. As a result, being sober is felt as a deficiency (withdrawals), not normality.

However, the contention that more teens need professional help for cannabis addiction than all other illegal drugs combined is utter tripe.

In the US, the choice in minor possession cases is almost always court ordered treatment or detention. No prizes for guessing what people, especially kids choose.

Just remember, our best soldiers in this war are informed users. Our best weapon is science - incontrovertible evidence can only be ignored for so long.

Try Allen Carr's Easy Way to Control Alcohol.
http://www.amazon.com/Allen-Carrs-Easy-Control-Alcohol/dp/0572028504

His book 'Easy Way to Quit Drinking' is essentially the same. That's the one I bought and it transformed how I view alcohol. I'm not deprived by not drinking, I'm free!

Get this book!
http://www.amazon.com/Allen-Carrs-Easy-Control-Alcohol/dp/0572028504
It is available on audible too.
I credit Allen with my initial success during the most difficult days.
It's really worth getting.

I FEEL THE NEED TO HIJACK THIS TO PLUG HIS GREAT BOOK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Drugs-Without-Minimising-Harms-Illegal/dp/1906860165

This is actually an awesome book that traces the history of militaries employing drugs for warfare across history. Highly recommend it.


https://www.amazon.com/Shooting-Up-Short-History-Drugs/dp/0190263474

Hiya!!

I am not entering, but may I suggest [Methland] (http://www.amazon.com/Methland-Nick-Reding-ebook/dp/B002WU7TA0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1397704961&sr=8-1&keywords=Methland)?

Such a good book. The author grew up in this town that he saw go to shit because of meth. Really good read.

I have been a smoker for around 10 years..... A couple of years ago I watched my Grandma die from the big C (probably a result of smoking all of her life) and even after seeing someone I love go through hell it still did not stop me from smoking.

I hate everything about smoking tobacco but carry on doing it regardless.

Do you have any vices yourself? Drink? Drugs?

I hear a lot of people have luck with the Alan Carr book 'Easy way to stop smoking'. It is written by a man who smoked 40+ a day for a long time and is not based around scare tactics.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Allen-Carrs-Easy-Stop-Smoking/dp/0140277633

You should be able to find a PDF somewhere.

At the end of the day though, its up to your mom and if she doesnt want to stop herself she is not going to be able to do it for you or anyone else.

Obviously street ecstasy is dangerous. It could be cut with anything, and it could be anything. This is all the more reason why pill testing should be available, and furthermore, why MDMA should be legal. Pharmaceutical-grade MDMA would be far safer for users and far better for society at large than our current predicament, and MDMA has all sorts of therapeutic benefits. Scientists have been recommending this to politicians for some time now.

EDIT: Also no, if you have never taken substances such as MDMA, cannabis or LSD, you simply have no grounds to stand on when telling other people what you think they should or should not do with them. None.

Allen Carr's Easy Way to Control Alcohol

It's on the sidebar as well.

> How did society even function before all of these poisonous drugs were produced to help us get through the day?

Unskilled labor requiring little to no formal education. Now a days to make a decent living requires a college education. Also, drugs were prominent in the early half of the 1900's to increase productivity. If anything, a drug free society is a modern day fallacy.

Good book.

Torrent of the ebook if your poor.

>Kevin Sabet, president of Smart Approaches to Marijuana

Hrm, who is Kevin Sabet exactly?

He wrote this book: Reefer Sanity: Seven Great Myths About Marijuana What is it about?

>In this book, Kevin A. Sabet argues that the United States should not legalize pot with all of its attendant social costs, nor damage the future prospects of pot smokers by prosecuting and jailing them.

Oh.

Well, at least the Smart Approaches to Marijuana organization isn't so bad, right?

Who are it's notable members and founders?

>David Frum, Patrick J. Kennedy, Kevin Sabet

Oh.

A bunch of conservative assholes who shill for big prison and other despicable shit.

Sorry to hear you’re struggling. I wasn’t able to do the Smart Recovery meetings either but I got the handbook and working through that was really helpful for me...

Smart Recovery Handbook

There's a workbook called "Out of Control" that focuses on ALL the things. It's very in depth, kinda cluttered, but it really does delve deep.

It covers CBT, DBT, Trauma-focused, ACT, all the therapies lol.

Here's a link to check it out: https://www.amazon.com/Out-Control-Dialectical-Cognitive-Behavioral-Emotion-Driven/dp/B002A6LLK0

Hi there! I found this link on their website SMART . There are international online meetings here . Hope this helps!

Also they sell the workbook on amazon

Highly recommend his new book "Drugs Without the hot Air"

Amazon link http://www.amazon.co.uk/Drugs-Without-Minimising-Harms-Illegal/dp/1906860165/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1347114886&sr=1-1

A table used in this book written by a lecturer of a course at Macquarie University which I studied. It is a figure from 1969-1979 via Commonwealth Dept of Health. I have been unsuccessful in finding a more recent figure but I doubt it has changed much. It will hopefully change as we see the effects of smoking laws improve outcomes.

Interesting! I Googled the book that you mentioned and found this. https://www.amazon.ca/Narcotics-Step-Working-Guides/dp/1557763704

It looks really similar to the one that I have. Maybe it's time to pull it out again!

Good luck, Andrew. If you haven't read it, I recommend Allen Carr's Easy Way to Stop Smoking.

I heartily recommend his book "Drugs Without the Hot Air". A very thorough examination of all the issues around drugs, from brain chemistry, through addiction, and some possible evidence-based solutions.

This might be of interest: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0190263474/ref=tmm_hrd_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=&sr=

> scientific study of the chemicals in marijuana, called cannabinoids, has led to two FDA-approved medications that contain cannabinoid chemicals in pill form. Continued research may lead to more medications.

.

> Syndros treats anorexia associated with weight loss in patients with AIDS, as well as nausea and vomiting caused by cancer chemotherapy.

.

> Epidiolex is one drug currently on the FDA fast track. According to a recent press release from GW Pharmaceuticals, a study of 171 randomized patients suffering from Lennox-Gastaut and Dravet syndromes found that Epidiolex decreased seizure occurrence, was relatively well tolerated among patients, and generated no unexpected adverse effects.

.

> Cesamet, another synthetic drug that treats nausea and vomiting stemming from chemotherapy; Cannador, which is currently used in Europe and has demonstrated potential to relieve multiple sclerosis symptoms and postoperative pain management

.

> Sativex, another GW Pharmaceuticals drug on the FDA fast track that treats spasticity caused by multiple sclerosis.
.

People don't smoke the pills, the desired effect is not to get high from them. I have no problem with people taking derived substances approved by science. This isn't a win for cannabis, it's a win for science.

• http://www.cnsnews.com/commentary/cully-stimson/pot-pushers-dirty-little-secret-fda-approved-thc-drugs-already-exist
  
• http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.3109/00952990.2015.1135158
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Reefer-Sanity-Seven-Great-Marijuana/dp/0825306981/184-5737184-9153639?ie=UTF8&keywords=kevin%20sabet&pebp=1416947988599&qid=1416947986&ref_=sr_1_1&s=books&sr=1-1
  
  To be clear if cannabis was safe, they wouldn't need to derive anything from it, they wouldn't waste the money. It's the same as a fan of sports assuming they help their team win. They provide funding which in a roundabout way helps there team to get the equipment and professionals to win (chemicals in this analogy) but most of their rituals are waste (the plant parts not used in this analogy)

You may also be interested in this (amazon).

People I know who have managed to quit recommend Allen Carr's book.

(Wow, that was a really clumsy sentence)

I recommend this book. You'll probably know most of the information in it, but it's a good excuse for knowing a lot about drugs. I correct my parents when they spout bullshit about drugs, and as far as they're concerned, I got it all from that book. Even if it makes them question whether I use drugs as well, at least they know I do my research.

Plans for the future? A few people have asked me that and I don't know the answer. I'm about to buy Allen Carr's "Quit Drinking" book, which I expect to help me out when it arrives in a few days.

Other than that I'm not sure.

Sorry, thought I had stumbled into /r/stopdrinking somehow. They have a link in the sidebar to this book which many people claim helps cure them of alcoholism.

Also I don't think there's any medical evidence proving "Once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic.".

I suggest, before you purport to others to be on the side of truth to read this book.

I've been reading the book that is linked to in the sidebar of this subreddit, Alan Carr's Easy Way to Control Alcohol http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0572028504
At first it sounds all sales-pitchy, but once he really gets into it, he takes you through a logical argument against drinking alcohol and it has helped me quite a bit in a short time. He is very anti-AA, so I definitely recommend giving it a look.

Seems like a dodgy demographic to be messing with like this amazon.

Also, I tried to get the kindle version of these awesome pants, but it was just some book about drugs...

https://www.amazon.com/Drugs-Without-Hot-David-Nutt/dp/1906860165/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=drugs+without+the+hot+air&qid=1565123396&s=digital-text&sr=1-1-catcorr


Edit: Missing word re-assimilated.

Here

Theres a Kindle version out there as well.

Wrong. It's not day one.
It's the LAST day. Of you being a smoker.
There is no day one. You are not "starting" anything, you're just back to normal. Counting days is dumb and it could only mean "how many days I went through before lighting another one."
Just say fuck it and that's it.
I'm pretty sure someone already mentioned this book, if not - give it a read. It's not long and I highly recommend it. Here's a link to pdf.

Good luck.

I was drinking to the point of blacking out about twice a week. For me that was around 12-20 drinks. I had zero preference (which goes to show that most people don't drink for the taste, they drink to numb themselves). Wine, beer, liquor, anything really. During the week I would have 4-8 beers most nights. Some nights only 2. But I didn't have control. I HAD to get at least a couple beers every night. Or else I thought I couldn't sleep. When I went out on weekends I would try to limit myself to 4-6 drinks. That almost never worked. When I stayed in and played video games (I played a lot of ps3 back when I was drinking) I would try to just have 2 or 3.. 3 always turned into 6 which turned into 8 and then usually 10.

I do not doubt that severe alcoholics suffer real physical withdrawal in the form or sweating, jittering, and more severe things too. I think the same happens for heroin and opiate addicts going through withdrawal.

But I think that we emphasize the minor side effects wayyyy too much. If I barely suffered anything I think that most people could have a similar recovery with zero to few withdrawals. It definitely stems from framing your recovery it a different way.

Allen Carr does a great job of detailing all of the above in his books:

http://www.amazon.com/Allen-Carrs-Easy-Control-Alcohol/dp/0572028504

Anyone interested in getting their drinking under control I would urge you to give this book a shot.

You should read this book. Animals and Psychedelics. It's a look into the evolutionary instinct for altered consciousness. And has some incredibly silly stories about animals drugging themselves.

If someone wants to learn about the harms associated with drugs (legal and illegal), and/or how to minimize those harms - they could read this book by David Nutt, the scientist sacked from the UK Government's drugs advisory council for stating the best science we have on that issue.

If someone just wants to put you down, you will not change their minds. In that case, just smile and nod.

This book by Daniel Dennet comes to mind:

https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0393082067/braipick-20

I found Allen Carr's Easyway to Control Alcohol was a great place for me to start. By reading it I was able to reframe my thoughts around alcohol.

Recently, the CEO of the company did an AMA here on Reddit and said some stupid and flat out dangerous things, but that being said, in my opinion at least, there is a lot of value in the book.

http://www.amazon.com/Allen-Carrs-Easy-Control-Alcohol/dp/0572028504

All the facts you need to know are in these books.

• https://www.amazon.com/Reefer-Sanity-Seven-Great-Marijuana/dp/0825306981
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Going-Pot-Legalize-Marijuana-Harming/dp/1455560731/ref=pd_sim_14_4?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=Y96HN29D5BC25ZWB31V0
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Marijuana-Debunked-handbook-politicians-legalization/dp/163051229X/ref=pd_sim_14_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=Y96HN29D5BC25ZWB31V0

http://www.amazon.com/Animals-Psychedelics-Natural-Instinct-Consciousness/dp/0892819863/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1211076276&sr=8-1

apparently it's a habbit.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1842125524/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Drugs-Without-Minimising-Harms-Illegal/dp/1906860165/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1372115157&sr=8-1&keywords=drugs+without+the+hot+air

His book (which is decent) is called Drugs Without The Hot Air.

This was the comment made by professor David Nutt, chief of the Advisory Council for the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD). He was later sacked from this position by the, then home secretary, Alan Johnson. Seven other members of the ACMD left their respective positions in protest and then went on to form the Independent Scientific Committee on Drugs (ISCD).
 
Professor Nutt gave a talk at this month's Merseyside Sceptics Society meeting in Liverpool, where he talked about the benefits of having an evidence-based drug policy and why the government should implement it. He also showed evidence and data that showed alcohol and tobacco to be far more dangerous than the illegal ones mentioned in the title. All in all it was a good lecture he gave.
 
He also has a book out that it worth a read, only £12

Buy them prof. Nutt's book. Or just show them his famous drug harm chart where psychedelics are at the very bottom.

Seems the guys that wrote the book in the sidebar would disagree.

edit: This guy would disagree and I hear it works out for many people. Also I don't think there's medical evidence that you're always an alcoholic.

It was only after I was sober for a while that I even came close to realizing how fucked up my thinking was about how I was living. Give Allen Carrs book a shot http://www.amazon.com/Allen-Carrs-Easy-Control-Alcohol/dp/0572028504 --- That and this sub was what I needed to get to 141 days so far (cold turkey), and I won't drink today. Now, i know i was kidding myself about the health effects, the effects on my life and my work. I don't want early dementia, or to fog through life. And I had false beliefs about how many others actually drink. Like being a musician, being a writer comes with the thinking that drinking is just a part of the package. We tie it so tightly into who we are that we cant see life/work without it. All I can say, is a few weeks in, the fog began to lift, and continues to lift each day and that alcohol is a lying shitbag.