Re: how long can you do cocaine?

Pete, again, I could dig through my material to find the original sources,
but I am not going to do that. The AMA has wavered on LOTS of things.
HRT is safe. HRT is not safe. Butter is best. Margarine is best. Etc.
For every study you find supporting one viewpoint, you can be sure you
will find another disproving it. I know that in my training, I learned
certain things. It doesn't mean they are written in stone... it means
that it was the knowledge available at that time. I think in the end,
nobody really knows for sure and we each need to make our own decisions.

I treat patients with mental health issues. Some of them DO have issues
with marijuana abuse. If they come to me and say... hey, my substance use
is really affecting my ability to be happy or to function the way I want
to... then we need to take a look at that and help them reach whatever
goal it is they are trying to reach. I do not set goals for people.
There are other patients who smoke pot regularly but that is not why they
are coming to see me... and we do not address it if it's not an issue they
want to work on, other than possibly exploring if that use is having an
impact on their life in any way. Maybe it is, maybe it's not. It is
appropriate for me to share the knowledge that I have... that marijuana is
not entirely safe, that it can impact your body in some ways and here are
the ways that I am aware of... but in the end, it is up to that patient to
decide what they want to do with that knowledge.

I don't know what you do for a living, but let's pretend you are an
electrician. I call you up and I ask you to do some wiring for me. I do
NOT ask you to prove that if you connect wire A with connector B, then the
result will be C... nor do I ask you to tell me to cite what day, in what
class in "eletrician school"... that you learned that. You know it
because you are a professional... and it was part of your training... and
you incorporate all of the knowledge that you learn over time into what
you know about being an electrician. And I will tell you what I often
tell my patients. You come to me because I am a professional with a
certain amount of training, and a certain approach to things. I am not
God. There has to be a certain level of trust inherent in that
professional relationship... you are paying me because somehow, you must
believe that I have a certain skill level or knowledge base that you do
not have, and you trust that I will be able to use those skills to help
you with your problem. The trust needs to be inherent... I do not need to
prove to my patients that I have x y or z training. So... if for any
reason you do not trust me, or you do not like me, or you do not feel
comfortable with me, or you do not like what I have to say, it is your
money and it is your life... and you are more than welcome to go to see
somebody else who might offer a different point of view or a different
approach to your problem. I can only be the professional that I have
learned to be over time. And over time, I may read new things and learn
new things and incorporate changes into my thinking or my approach... but
I can only offer what I have to offer.

Regards,

Arlene


Arlene, I consider your occupation a very respectable one, and I admire you
personally for taking on such a difficult job. I hope you don't take what I
have said as a personal affront.

As I mentioned in a prior post in this thread, I had a friend/band-mate with
a terrible cocaine abuse problem. Eric Clapton's Crossroads Center saved
his life. I'm certain they indoctrinated him with copious amounts of BS,
but no matter, the ends clearly justify the means.

But when it comes to the facts, I can't think of a more reputable source
than the AMA. Sure, the common wisdom of the times will change. Science is
making new discoveries every day, and there is an onus upon professionals
like you to keep up to date, even if you don't choose to actually employ
modern science as part of your practice. Currently, medical science tells
us that, yeah, pot ain't good for you, but it isn't as bad as the reefer
madness alarmists want us to believe.

And, if my electrician told me something that I believed not to be fact,
particularly when it comes to health or safety, you bet I'd question him,
even if he is generally more qualified than me.

Best,

Pete



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