In March 2009, I was interviewed by ABC’s Nightline about my research in the field of toxicology and how it has helped me to cope with my chemical dependency. It was a wonderful conversation and one I plan to share with you in more of a series of future podcasts.
Chemical dependency is a term that has a long and unfortunate history. For a long time, the term “chemical dependency” was used almost exclusively as an insult. People used to think that using chemicals made them “addicted” to them. I remember being told at the time that, “If you do that, you’re not going to be able to get high anymore, you’re going to be stuck on some drug.
Yes, that’s right, a lot of people who had chemical dependence or alcoholism actually went on to become doctors or other professionals. But the stigma with chemical dependence was that it meant that you were “addicted” to something. And while there is a lot of truth to this, there is also a lot of truth to the idea that many people with chemical dependency aren’t actually addicted to any specific substance.
This is the biggest thing I hear people say and talk about. A lot of people feel like they are addicted to something, even though they know theyre not. A lot of people who were chemical dependents have realized that they were just looking for a fix, and theyve gotten it. And you know what, most of them are making good, healthy strides. And you know who theyre not making good strides? Theyre not getting high.
To be fair, this isnt quite how I would put it. You can have chemical dependency and still be a good person. A good person who makes good strides. A person who is taking steps to help themselves.
I’m not a fan of this idea. I feel like it’s like saying we must be mentally ill to want to cure mental illness. If you have chemical dependency, you’re probably not a good person at all. Which is why I dont believe that a person with chemical dependency is a good person.
I have a very strange feeling that our bodies are failing us most of the time, but I think we just have to do something to get through it. We have to be ready for the next step before we get too old for the step. I feel that is the most important thing to keep in mind.
It’s not perfect. The only way to stay in contact with the world is to stay conscious of it. So it’s worth remembering that we are all born with a sort of mental deadness. We don’t have to sit around getting up and walking around, we can walk around the house and look at the sky and think about everything. The world we live in is a way out of our minds.
One of the things I think is important to keep in mind when thinking about health is that all the chemicals we are exposed to in the normal world are toxic. This means that most of our chemicals are also toxic. We are made of chemicals. So if we are exposed to certain chemicals, we get sick. We have a lot of information about chemical exposure and how it can affect the body.
The science behind chemical research is still out there. But some researchers have been able to use this information to create a novel way of thinking about the world. The results are far-reaching. The fact that a single person could use the information to create a new way of thinking about the world is what makes a great piece of advice.
