abstinence interrupting the cycle of aging out

[Spare Chaynge]

Swim would like others to discuss this matter. By refraining from all drugs are you interrupting the natural cycle of aging out. Correct swim if he is wrong but a similar result occurs by throwing youth offenders into jail. By throwing them into jail you interrupt the natural maturation process. When they are released from jail they have not naturally matured out of these behaviors. So basically they start where they left off.

By avoiding all drugs is swim simply interrupting his natural maturation process which would eventually lead him to discover that he no longer wants to get ridiculously high and simply wants to use/drink in moderation?

Swim understands that a snowball effect of someone who is physically and mentally addicted could also keep some from naturally aging out because they are unable to do so because of the addiction. But if you were to interrupt this cycle for long enough to break the physical and psychological addiction and then allow the person to try and practice moderation could it be better than presenting the person with an either drugs or total sobriety for life type of situation?

???

[Richard_smoker]

i can tell someone has been reading a philosophy book.

j/k... this is a very good thesis. the only contention that i have with the theory as you've stated it is how it applies to the willful abstinent (as yourself, if i am correct in saying so).

the difference between the willfully abstinent (NA/AA/whatever) and the juvie being thrown in jail is the fact that YOU HAVE MATURED OUT OF THE CYCLE!

Honestly, this is one of the most obvious things imagineable to someone who is still chained to a physical/psychological drug addiction--that you have already matured-through the drug experience. It seems very common though, for the people who are LIVING in abstinence to see things very differently--almost like the grass is greener on the other side.

sure, if you chose to "fall off the wagon," i bet you could regress several YEARS backward if you wanted to. We all could. that fact alone doesn't make you special...

it is the here and now (the present) that defines us. sure, the past and sum of our experiences sets the stage for how intense our realization of now is, and to what extent we are aware of our own limitations and if & how we are able to hold back from our instinctive drives. regardless, it is what we're doing NOW that defines us--multiply this by a million to a millionth power if you're in current abstinence by CHOICE rather than because you've been thrown into juvie.

[Spare Chaynge]

Yes this is all correct.

The willfully abstinent Is a term I get hung up on. Yes I willfully do not use drugs. But, is it because I truly enjoy higher pleasures over lower pleasures: or is it because if I used drugs the consequences would be too great.

Reputation Comments on this post:

i like this perspective. a deep simplicity---higher pleasures over lower ones. consciousness & awareness of spirit...