Idealilization of Psychopathic traits and the price to "get" them

[Alana]

http://www.cyprus-mail.com/news/

The story of a drug addict.

‘It was great: I was invincible, felt no emotions and had all the confidence and power of Superman’

By Jill Campbell Mackay.

(archive article - Sunday, February 25, 2007)

STEVE IS 27 and for the past decade, not a day has passed without him taking some form of opiate. Growing up in a poor communist country saw him with little hope but his brief time in Cyprus has seen a sea change in his behaviour and he has been clean for almost five months.

Here, he talks with often disturbing candour about his habit. Readers should note that some parts may be offensive.

His habit started when school friends introduced to marijuana. He described the effect of that first toke.

“I thought it was just harmless fun. After smoking, I would laugh, burp, be funny and began to see everyday events as highly amusing. It was a good feeling, one that helped shut out all the negative stuff. I’d smoke every day after school.

“One day I smoked a joint made for me by a friend, which didn’t seem quite the same. He had mixed hashish and heroin and after smoking it, not much happened. I tried the same mix again the next day and that’s when I experienced the ‘Iron Man Syndrome’.

“It was great: I was invincible, felt no emotions and had all the confidence and power of Superman.

“My first thought every morning was how I was going to get my fix – absolutely nothing else in my life mattered more to me. I started to try everything that was available: ecstasy, glue-sniffing, amphetamines, then heroin and cocaine; all I wanted was to have that wonderful high and have fun. My sole aim was utterly focused in getting jacked up and at any cost.

 

[Miss Isness]

That wasn’t me doing these shameful things, that was drugs.

The fact is, other people were hurt 'through' him, because of his CHOICE to repeatedly indulge a drug habit. It may be true that he was in a sense 'possessed', but that in no way justifies his lack of regret.

I need people to trust in me and I don’t exactly have a good CV.

He doesn't need people to trust in him. He needs to PROVE himself worthy of people's trust. Rather than trying to appreciate simple pleasures, and looking for people to help him, he should be trying to rectify all the damage he's done by helping others.

 

[aurora]

I think there is a side of your character that will surface under stress, under the influence of alcohol or drugs. I don't know much about drugs but some about the effect of alcohol. Some people can become really aggressive or violent while others just talk a lot and laugh etc. So if the ugly side of your character is revealed under the influence of alcohol, then you were trying to conceal it in the first place and fooling people. I think it all amounts to the psychopathic nature of your character as is the case with Steve I think. Maybe he is just a spoiled man who always wants others to help him and denying responsibility. But aren't those psychopathic traits also ?

 

[Alana]

Actually i was too surprised to see the without remorse attitute in the above. Often during the therapeutic phase of the process, people experience intense feelings of shame, quilt and remorse when they face their behaviors from while under the influence.
Also, depending on duration of use and substance abused, there is neurological damage and distortion of the personality of the individual. Not to "excuse" Steve above, whose descriptions reveal a lack of conscience.