Myths and Denial

What is a myth?

A myth is an untrue or fictitious story.

There are many myths about drugs. Here are some specific ones!  Drinking coffee will sober you up!  Marijuana isn’t as dangerous as cigarettes!  Drug addiction is a voluntary behavior.  Beer is harmless, it is hard liquor that is bad for you.  Pot doesn’t kill ya!

4 Myths about Drugs

#1 Drug use provides emotional protection from the outside world. What makes this myth partially true? –Drugs provide a temporary escape. What makes this a myth? –You don’t escape; just hide. Reality catches up sooner or later! What would make a person want to use drugs to “emotionally protect” them from the outside world? –Drugs work quickly. Coping skills take time.

How longs does a drug induced “happiness” usually last? –Only as long as the user is high. Over time when tolerance builds up, a user loses this feeling. What is the difference from a drug “happiness” and a natural “happiness”? –Natural high lasts, drug high fades. What might “emotional protection” end up costing a drug user?” –Problems not dealt with, may all crash down at once.

#2 Drugs help people establish friendships. What makes this myth partially true? –Partying does usually involved social interaction, which can be fun. What makes this a myth? –Drug related friendships are usually built on mutual drug use and often little else.

Do you think fighting is associated with drug use? –Violence is associated with drug use. Family and friends of Josh Wohlman gathered in a Linn County courtroom Friday to see their son’s killer sentenced and to have a chance to tell him how his actions have affected their lives. Wohlman, 19, was shot to death at an underage drinking party near Garwin in rural Tama County on Oct. 15, Luis Guzman Perez, 22, was sen tenced to a mandatory 50 years in prison. He will spend 35 years in prison before he is eligible for parole. A jury found him guilty of second-degree murder. The events leading up to Wohlman’s death were a recipe for disaster, Koehler said. The shooting occurred sometime after 2 a.m. in a remote area, where such parties are often held to avoid detection by law enforcement. There were drinking contests, fighting between young ladies, a beer bottle thrown, fights between young men and too much alcohol, Koehler said. “Last but not least Guzman Perez and his friend took guns to the party,” he said.

What types of friendships are established with drug use? –Usually very shallow and superficial. When they quit using, they often find that many of their using buddies disappear as friends.

#3 People get used to a drug Once a user becomes addicted to a drug, they are dependent on it. –When tolerance (needing more of the drug to get the same “high”) occurs people think they have learned to handle it. –The body’s warning signals are giving up. Alcohol –A person might not act drunk, but their Blood Alcohol content is still over the limit.

#4 Drug use shows independence Once a user becomes addicted to a drug, they are dependent on it. –How is needing something so bad that you are willing to steal from your family and friends make you independent?

Denial Ignoring consequences that are obvious to others. Refusing to believe what is true

“I can quit anytime.”

“I did what last night while drunk? I don’t remember it.”

What would be an example of someone living in denial regarding their drug use? –Thinking that their behavior is normal. It’s ok to drink a bottle of vodka each day. What do you think makes a person live in denial? –May be easier than admitting a drug problem Reverse cause and effect – “I use beer cause I’m bored.” Reality is they are bored because they lose their creativity.

Four Kinds of Denial Drug users frequently blame others for their drug use. –“I drink because you make me angry!” Drug users may deny injury from drug use.

Drug users deny their effects on others.

Drug users reinterpret bad things that happen to them, so that they appear to be positive, or at least not so bad. Reinterpretation: making negative consequences seem positive. –“You should have seen how drunk I was!”

Recognizing the behavior and beliefs that go along with drug abuse is the first step to either change or avoid drug abuse.