RE: Dominatrix Accused of Stealing $300k from Slave

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RE: Dominatrix Accused of Stealing $300k from Slave - 11/17/2007 12:01:07 AM

PhoenixRed

Posts: 174
Joined: 10/7/2007
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In response to chelle....

quote:

alcoholics have been proven to have a brain chemical which does not exist in nonalcoholics - THIQ

I taught a bit to a diversion class for first time DUI offenders. The AA person that was teaching quoted that same thing.... he also said that alcoholism can be directly passed from parents to children....a genetic mutation that affects the majority of children of alcoholics in one generation. This is also patentely false (alcoholic behavior patterns can be passed on from a parent to thier child in one generation, but not a gene for such). I asked for the reference for both concepts he put forth. They turned out to be very outdated and were disproven decades ago. He also related stories of alcohol studies being done at the NIH and grossly misrepresented them (I know because I saw them first-hand only months before). I approached the directors of the diversion center with my findings and that's how I ended up teaching the part of the class concerning the brain and addiction.

I found that this particular person really had no knowledge of the neurochemistry of addiction. I suggested some books for the laymen and new stories that he could use to get through to the classes he taught. He paid no mind to my suggestions. I know this has been the "party line" for people from AA teaching diversion classes for a long time now. I just wish that insted of trying to scare people with outdated theories, that they would actually educate people about how addictive substance change brain chemistry. I showed PET scans of non-addicted vs. addicted brains regarding a number of drugs and what the long-term effects were. I ended by telling them that they were all adults and that it was their choice whether or not to take drugs, drink alcohol, etc. I just asked if they were going to do so, that they should educate themselves regarding the substance they're planning on putting in their bodies. I suggest the site www.nida.nih.gov, the home site of the National Institute on Drug Abuse. There you can search on any drug of abuse and find out about it through documents citing scientific studies that are easy for lay people to read.

Now, I'm not saying AA is not a helpful or useful organization. I think it's a great concept and has helped many with their struggle with alcohol addiction. I'm just saying don't take everything they say as gospel based on scientific fact. Investigate for yourselves from non-biased sources (i.e. those not pushing their own agenda or treatment option). K, off the soapbox now.

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Everyone deserves a break from the person everyone else expects them to be.
In the great experiment known as evolution, evidently there are some people who's ancestors were in the control group.

(in reply to chellekitty)

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RE: Dominatrix Accused of Stealing $300k from Slave - 11/17/2007 12:31:12 AM

PhoenixRed

Posts: 174
Joined: 10/7/2007
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quote:

ORIGINAL: velvetears
Thanks chellekitty for giving me that piece of info. This has been explained to me by some professionals but they never mentioned the actual name of the brain chemical. Please see my previous post regarding that brain chemical.

LafayetteLady i would be interested to know how these others, who sway from the disease theory classify addictions - what are they? Why do they say they occur? How do they propose stopping drug and alcohol abuse? Who exactly are "they"?

I'll try to keep this as short as possible, but would like to respond. There are 2 main component states to an addiction to a substance - physical dependence and psychological dependence.

There are many people that are physically dependent on drugs in order to have a satisfactory level of "normal daily function". Case in point...most people on opiates for chronic pain are physically dependent upon them to function somewhat normally in daily life. They show tolerance to the drug...the hallmark of physical dependence - over time, your body accomodates to the drug and you need more for the same effect. However, those taking meds for chronic pain typically don't get high off of them and would gladly give them up if there were any other way to live with the pain and function. Addicts also start by developing physical dependence. However, some take drugs past the point they are needed by the body to ameliorate pain, etc, and some take them recreationally to achieve the "high" or altered states they produce. Long-term drug use does change the brain chemically and physically over time.

Psychological dependence - when the person grows to believe that they need a drug, etc. to function normally despite the body's lack of need for the drugs to restore a chemical imbalance in the brain, etc. Under this heading is much of the use of recreational drugs "to escape or alter reality". Also encompassed are behaivors commonly associated with addiction - changing friends or social group to be with those more apt to provide the drugs they seek, stealing money, lying to friends and family about their drug use, etc.

When psychological dependence is coupled with physical dependence for long enough, in simplest terms, a "switch" is thrown in the brain that results in addiction. We are still investigating how to flip this "switch" back to OFF mode!

Here's an analogy I used to describe the difference regarding degrees of alcohol use: It's Sunday and a football game is on. You want to get some beer (or some more beer). There is a difference between saying "honey, I'm taking $20 from your wallet to get some beer" and sneaking the $20 out of your SO's wallet, hoping they won't find out because it will just cause another argument about your drinking. Not the most perfect example, I know, but I hope you get my point. Good health to all!

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Everyone deserves a break from the person everyone else expects them to be.
In the great experiment known as evolution, evidently there are some people who's ancestors were in the control group.

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RE: Dominatrix Accused of Stealing $300k from Slave - 11/17/2007 3:47:45 AM

camille65

Posts: 5746
Joined: 7/11/2007
From: Austin Texas
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quote:

ORIGINAL: velvetears

The funny thing here is that it's not the fact that the woman is an alcoholic that sways me, it's the fact this dominatrix misled her and lied to her - the fact that she did it to someone weaker and vulnerable just makes it more pathetic... this one line said most of what i feel i needed to hear about the case to make the decision to scorn this dominatrix and i will cut and paste: Shepherd told Whyte the money would be safer in her account and that she had invested $210,000 in property in the Port of Spain, the court was told.

She had told police she spent the money Whyte transferred into her account on pokie machines.

Now i am making my assumptions of this dominatrix from what i have read - if the facts come to light somehow that this was not the case i would change my stance. We can only form opinions from the information given. The women she stole from could have been a harvard graduate of great wit and education and still be emotionally vulnerable - con artists know how to manipulate people emotionally to get what they want out of them - they are quite good at their craft.... the harvard graduate would probably never come forward out of a feeling of shame and many don't. So even if this woman was not an alcoholic it would really not mean much except to make it all the more sad and pathetic.