Question: Do you think that in the future we will be able to stimulate dopamine and serotonin electronically in the brain and then once we do people will be able to get insanely high and experience total ecstasy just by pressing a button? Because you wouldn’t have to inject or smoke any toxins to do this wouldn’t this be much better for people than taking dirty street drugs like today? Is there any body researching the development of this kind of system? From a harm reduction perspective, do you think this would be a good thing – after all, people will never stop wanting to get mind-altered, will they?

Mark Hughes Says...:

Science already is creating new ways of getting high. Mind altering drugs are proliferating as they get easier to create, but the idea that there is a safe way of creating artificial highs is very unlikely IMO.

You could argue that it would be safer than street drugs because of impurities, contamination and so on, but much of that is purely a result of the criminalisation of drugs. We could already make most of those improvements, so why don't we?

One reason is undoubtedly because there is a fear that it would make drugs more acceptable, that their use would increase and society would suffer far more damage as the burden of addiction grew or even become out of control.

Wanting articifial highs is IMO a health issue. We all like pleasure, but addicts seek it out of an inability to bear their pain of existence. I believe many people have a similar but less extreme response to emotional discomfort, and generally manage it without recourse to highly addictive drugs. Comfort eating is one example. Moderate use of alcohol another. Both unhealthy, and in extreme they are as damaging as powerful drugs, but in moderation are not necessarily a problem.

In all cases though, I believe there is a better way - to come to terms with your pain and to seek out support to help you manage and moderate the extremes until you learn ways to respond to pain in a healthy way. Anyone can get knocked off balance, but for some it becomes very difficult to recover that balance without help. We all need support at times, and looking for pleasure to take away pain is I believe symptom that we need to pay attention to our wellbeing, and if we don't know how, to seek help in doing so.

This is my personal experience, and my experience from working with clients. If you look around, most people have these kinds of issue, but relatively few have even recognised there is a problem because they haven't ended up on heroin or something widely recognised as a "problem".

Just because we aren't on heroin, doesn't mean we are ok, so I believe that not knowing how to be with difficult feelings is a very widespread and important issue.

Question: I’m a musician and DJ. Music is very important to me, it is me. I have a marijuana problem. It interferes with my relationships and memory and makes me a less good dad than I want to be. These are good reasons to want to quit, and I do, but on the other side music is part of my core identity and without weed I just can’t sink into music like I need to to do what I do. So what I have to do is smoke it at work and then leave it at work. Problem is I am not able to do that. And since I work in a home studio a lot, the lines between work and family get real hazy. Wish I didn’t need to choose between passion/work and family. Is there any way I can get better at controlling my smoking so I don’t have to stop altogether? I gotta admit that just trying to smoke less isn’t working real great.

Mark Hughes Says...:

I don't have any solutions I'm afraid.

If managing it isn't working out, either because you can't smoke at work or you can't control your use as well as you'd like, you are facing a choice. Perhaps it won't pan out the way you think though?

You say you have to use weed to engage with your music, but that isn't necessarily true. Certainly it enables you to do so, and certainly you haven't found an alternative way, but that doesn't mean there isn't one, so I think you are setting up a false choice for yourself: music/passion or family.

I suggest you do some research and see how other musicians seek creative inspiration. There are lots of ways. I'm not an expert, but I recall Brian Eno and David Bowie coming up with all sorts of interesting (and fun sounding) ways to tap into their creativity, and I'm sure other musicians and creatives have as many ways of engaging and connecting with their passion too.

I hope that gives you something to consider, and maybe a way forward that isn't such a stark and difficult choice. Creativity is about always staying open to what you don't yet know, haven't seen or realised, so hopefully it will help.

I remind myself of this in any situation where I'm trying to work something out by adding a few words to the end of my conclusion: "and then there's factor X"

Its great that you want to be a good dad and care about your family and relationships :-)

Good luck,

Mark

Question: How bad is mephedrone? Is it as addictive as cocaine? My friends are using it but I am scared to try it. Should they be scared of getting addictied?

Mark Hughes Says...:

I would be very cautious about this drug as it is powerful.

I can't advise on mephedrone specifically because I don't know much about it, and from a quick web search scientists don't either because it is relatively new. So it may well be addictive, and harmful, and could easily become part of a harmful life pattern, as well as having the risks involved with any powerful drug.

People try and use drugs for different reasons. Maybe your friends are experimenting, perhaps wanting to try things that feel dangerous, and believing they can handle it. Maybe they are using drugs to escape difficult feelings or situations in their lives.

Whatever their reasons, when a group does this, it is very easy to lose your own sense of what is right for you, and to go along with things to join in, and be part of it. So I hope you will be able to take care of yourself, and that you make decisions about this that are right for you, even if it means being reject by, or just leaving this group to their path.

If you try to dissuade them, they may not like it, so you may be faced with a tough choice and I hope you'll be able to make the right one for yourself, regardless of what others think or say about it.

Good luck, and well done for asking. Its good that you are considering your friends, and also by doing this research you give yourself the possibility to think about the consequences of your choices, and make better decisions for your own future.

Mark

Question: I am a depressive with social anxiety who prefers to go unmedicated for personal reasons. I am searching for alternative methods to help get my depression especially a little more under control and I have been looking at floatation therapy. Supposedly some studies have been done that say that spending time in a sensory isolation flotation chamber is good for depression. Do you agree that this is the case?

Mark Hughes Says...:

I'm sorry that I don't know if sensory deprivation or flotation can help with depression as I've never heard of this before. If you want to try it I suggest you consult your doctor and see if you can verify the research you mention is real, because at first thought it is not apparent to me how it might help.

What I can say is that some people do find work with an individual therapist helps, but each person and each situation is unique, so don't assume what works for someone else will be good for you.

I understand that some people prefer not to medicate, but make sure that you are capable of looking afteryourself too, and sometimes medication is a safe way to get to that point, or is simply the best one can do. Good luck with your search. I wish you well and hope that you'll find your own way to be with your depression.

Mark

Question: My husband and I are both long time marijuana smokers (him 18 years, me 12 years). I am tired of the habit and want to quit. He still loves it and never wants to stop smoking. It would be hypocritical of me to tell him to quit. Unfortunately, with him still smoking multiple times per day it is very hard for me to get past my own cravings and I keep relapsing despite my good intentions. How can I quit when it’s all around me all the time, in my own home? I still love him dearly, by the way, so leaving him for this is not an option on the table.

Mark Hughes Says...:

Quitting something is difficult at any time, but as you're finding, it is especially difficult without changing the situation around you. Your husband smoking clearly makes it much harder for you to focus on yourself, and instead you're finding yourself experiencing your craving and being reminded of your own smoking and the effects you were enjoying.

I think it would help if you had his co-operation, but asking him to quit if he doesn't want to might have the opposite effect.

I suggest you talk to him about what you want for yourself, why it is important for you to quit, and then explain that you would like him to help you, but that his smoking is making it difficult. Give him the chance to think about it, ask if he can think of ways to help you but be aware this is something you want for yourself, and he isn't obliged to help you. You may resent him for not helping, but the responsibility is really still yours. Perhaps there are other things you can do to help yourself? One of course is in seeking help here, so keep on looking for ways to help yourself.

Let me know how you get on. It is great that you are trying to make positive changes for yourself, and giving up marijuana is a big challenge when it has been a long term habit. You can expect to struggle, to relapse, and it is very much harder to do without support from those around you. So perhaps try to cut down first, or to be kind to yourself if you relapse. Seek out other things to do - things you like and which are good for you - at the times you know it is most difficult for you.

Good luck and if you like, let me know how you get on.

Mark