Kunlun for recovering drug addict?

[markern]

A friend of mine has been addicted to drugs for several years. Mostly heoin the last couple of years but also cocaine and numerous pills. While he is addicted he has a good education and good job for a computer company making good money.

 

It apears to me that he is sometimes able to quite for a few days or a few weeks but never longer. What I am wondering is if it could be possible to get him doing Kunlun within one of those off periods and getting him hooked on that instead. If he had been a former addict that had come completly off drugs I would rather have recommended stilness meditation, healing sounds, inner smile and Qi Gong or yoga and psychological work but it seems to me that this would not be enough to hook him initialy becuase his clean periods are too short for milder practices to realy give strong effect and take hold. Kunlun seems to me to be a too powerfull practice to start of with for someone in a catastrophic mental and physical state but as the option probably is continued addiction it is a lot better to try. What do the Kunlun people here think? What kind of effects can one experience doing Kunlun for a short while and how would it be for an addict wich is in withdrawl?

[Nikola]

Have you thought about fighting fire with fire?

 

Many former addicts say that the thing that got them out of addiction is a hallucinogen. Some hallucinogens are different, souch as ibogaine for example. It is used to treat addictions, and is used in Africa for centuries. It's said to dissolve the ego, but experienced guidance is needed because it isn't a fun, naive pleasant experience, it's very spiritual and introspective. Another is ayahausca, a medicine from the Amazon has a simmilar effect on the ego and one's perspective of his/her life.

Google iboga or ibogaine and see what you find. It could be a good solution.

Another thing addicts use to wean themselves off heroin is leaves of a plant called kratom.

 

 

That's what I know on the subject, good luck.

Edited September 27, 2008 by Nikola

[joeblast]

It takes MANY external blows to change, and when this happen it's usually because the internal seed of change was already there.

kunlun might help, but the change needs to come from your friend...from within. it also helps to look at the circumstances which led to the addiction in the first place. if your friend doesnt understand that he needs to change then the battle is going to be that much harder and longer. one thing that might help is a 'trigger mechanism' of sorts - being addicted to garbage like that virtually guarantees you are going to have hunger pangs at some point in the future, so plan for them - they know the symptoms, so have a plan in place to settle the mind when this happens, it will help firm the will and....keep the ass in the seat of the wagon

[metzu]

A friend of mine has been addicted to drugs for several years. Mostly heoin the last couple of years but also cocaine and numerous pills. While he is addicted he has a good education and good job for a computer company making good money.

 

It apears to me that he is sometimes able to quite for a few days or a few weeks but never longer. What I am wondering is if it could be possible to get him doing Kunlun within one of those off periods and getting him hooked on that instead. If he had been a former addict that had come completly off drugs I would rather have recommended stilness meditation, healing sounds, inner smile and Qi Gong or yoga and psychological work but it seems to me that this would not be enough to hook him initialy becuase his clean periods are too short for milder practices to realy give strong effect and take hold. Kunlun seems to me to be a too powerfull practice to start of with for someone in a catastrophic mental and physical state but as the option probably is continued addiction it is a lot better to try. What do the Kunlun people here think? What kind of effects can one experience doing Kunlun for a short while and how would it be for an addict wich is in withdrawl?

 

Having been a heroin addict for many years, myself, having had many years clean in Narcotics anonymous,though I have not been a member since 1993, the realization is that nothing you do or say can make any difference. It has to solely be his decsion. Allow nature to take it's course and though he may die, from his addiction, he will be at One with the universe and suffer no more.. Sometimes that which we desire for someone else is actually what winds up killing them.

Be careful for your own life. And your world will find peace.

The power of the white powder to end pain be it physical, emotional, or spiritual is very great.

If you have never been there ,imagine your own self living without any pain except ,getting your supply of the drug. In a meaningless life, the action of the getting and using actually give purpose and meaning ununderstandable to those who have never experienced it.

joe

[satyagraha]

as a recovering addict myself kunlun has helped immensley, although kunlun was (and still is, although less so) very tough as to the demons you have to battle. Your friend would have to be very willing to face himself, he would need to really want to quit. Even kunlun by itself won't be as effective as working in tandem with a support group or recovery program such as narcotics anonymous or alcoholics anonymous, at least for the first little bit, these groups do a great job at beating the futility of drug use into you, and help teach coping skills to combat cravings. Also, detoxing with kunlun and the drug use at the same time can lead to a lot of sickness and confused mental states, his moods will still fluctuate powerfully (from the cocaine). My reccomendation is to get him into a treatment center, get him to detox, possibly some medication to help his brain chemistry balance out and then ask him if he wants to do kunlun. Acupuncture also helps very much, and is probably the most positive thing he can do for cravings and purification.

 

That is how I did it (inpatient Treatment, outpatient treatment, acupuncture and kunlun) - it will be very tough - kunlun will help him see a higher purpose. In my experience because of so many mental/physical/emotional problems due to the drug use I didn't experience any bliss for a while doing kunlun until I cleared out a lot.

[Trunk]

Having been a heroin addict for many years, myself, having had many years clean ...

as a recovering addict myself kunlun ...

 

REALLY appreciate your posts.

[mjjbecker]

REALLY appreciate your posts.

 

I second that.

[Yoda]

I have a pal in a psychiatric ward who isn't crazy (long story). I tried to teach him kunlun but they keep him too sedated.

[Cameron]

I wouldn't go straigh into Kunlun. Going from being a drug addict to all the energy Kunlun can open up probably would be extremely intense.

 

I like Clinton's view. Treatment and detox first. Learn to be a normal everyday person. Then maybe go for Kunlun or a spiritual path.

 

Cam

[markern]

Thanks for the replies, I realy apreciate it!!

 

From what those of you familiar with Kunlun say and the input of the former addicts it seems to me that going straight for Kunlun is not the best idea. My imression of Kunlun is that it is extreemly powerfull and sets of radical changes quickly in a way a normal qi gong or vipassana practice would not do so soon, or ever if practiced only to a smal extent. Even I who has practiced yoga for several years am vary of Kunlun because it seems a bit too much for me at the moment. I prefer a more gradual aproach. Because of that I only mention Kunlun to very experinced cultivators because I want people to know a bit about what they are getting into if they choose to try. As I mentioned, the thought behind getting him to do Kunlun was that he is usualy sober for such short interwals that I have doubts wether other practices will kick in soon enough to realy help him.

 

What I am thinking now is this: I will sugest to him that if he gets into some sort of recovery program that helps keep him clean for a little while and helps him cope with the psychological issues and withdrawel symptoms I can help him put together a group of practices that should help him but that does not include Kunlun. I will suggest adding accupuncture imediately as suggested. I have read studies that mindfulness meditation is extreemly helpfull to adicts so I will add that. I have also seen that the Art of Living practice of Sudharsan Kriay (almost like Bastrika) is extreemly helpfull to people suffering from depression and they also teach it to recovering addicts with succes so I will add that as well. Beyond that I will stronlgy suggest healing sounds and if he feels he ha cappasity to add more meditation practices also the inner smile because it helps a lot with depression, anxiety and self esteem in addition to healing the body. Beyond that I will sugest yoga, taiji og qi gong. I think that if he can manage to stay of for a month or two through some sort of program these practices should kick in and help him go all the way. The main problem is how to get him to manage a month or two clean. Another thing I have been thinking about is wether there are retreat like places or monastaries were they could let him stay for a few months ad just do various practices. He has several times expressed a desire to go somewhere were there isen`t any drugs arround in order to help him keep clean and if he went to a retreat/monastary far away from access to drugs he could get that aspect in addition to massive time to practice meditation and energy practices. DOes anyone have any opinions or suggestions about that? Where could he go?

[Cameron]

Vipassana or Zen would probably be ok.

 

I just wouldn't be comfortable recommending Kunlun to a drug addict. Have to be clean for awhile first imo.

 

Good luck.