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Wonderful post, and I couldn't agree with you more. Thanks for taking the time to write.

posted 3 years, 2 months ago
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Yes! When did it become okay for our police to become paramilitary militias who fear their own populace? When will PPB become less defensive about their own roles in this terrible turn of events, and perhaps "relax" again into the constabulary force we trust to keep us and our neighbors safe?

PPB, as it is right now, is very scary to ordinary citizens.

posted 3 years, 2 months ago
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I would love it if Chief Sizer could come back for another hour on TOL. I am disturbed by the rank politicality of her answers, practically evading the point of many of these questions with long, drawn-out, carefully worded answers. It seems that when she doesn't have a "canned" answer, she gets snotty and defensive with the show's hosts.

I think the show's hosts have been utterly reasonable in their questioning, trying to pin down this very slippery customer to meaningful answers. Chief Sizer gets pretty snippy when they do this.

Could the Chief come back when she wants to speak to her hosts and her audience in a genuine manner?

I think the Chief has gone well beyond the "B-word" and into politically-drenched snottiness. No public servant has the right to go there, male or female. (FWIW, I'm a single white woman.) Let her come back when she's ready to say more than, "We're doing the best we can," "Police officers experience a lot of stress," and "I've already answered that, but I'll deign to repeat it here for you."

Personally, I'm scared to death of Portland Police. I have an "invisible" disability that makes me unable to stand still for more than a few minutes without extreme health consequences. If I ever get stopped by a Portland cop, I'm going to be freaking out because he may take my necessary sitting or leaning as "going against orders" and decide shoot my sorry posterior.

Chief Sizer hasn't made me feel any safer, thanks. :P

posted 3 years, 2 months ago
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"...how can I raise my concern to her in a non-offensive and sincere manner?"

Just as you have here, with the concern and compassion a friend shows another friend. If she is very defensive, you may just have to make some offhand mentions now and then, and leave it lie. There will come a time when she will begin to question her habits herself, and that is when you can be more forthright.

OTOH, if an offhand mention generates a big reaction out of her, you may have to have a confrontation right then and there. Be prepared, and have your reasoning all thought out and available for use.

If she truly is addicted, admitting it will be scary for her, since she is dependent on her drugs for pain relief. Fear of the pain often motivates fiddling with dosages, and perhaps you can help her through that. You may also want to google various combos of "methadone addiction", "pain management", and "methadone recovery". Find a program for her to get into right away, if she wants it.

She may decide you're not a friend any more, so be prepared for that. That means that she's pretty desperately trying to avoid facing her addiction, and you'll have to just let her go. Let her know you're there for her, though, if and when she decides she wants to recover.

Good luck, and your friend is lucky to have someone who cares beside her.

posted 4 years, 2 months ago
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There is a saying in AA (yes, I know, one of hundreds, seemingly :D): "You're only as sick as your secrets." I find it applies throughout life, not just to addictions. Congrats on getting your dad back!

posted 4 years, 2 months ago
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I am a 49-year-old woman who got clear and sober through the AA program in 1985. While I have not had a drink since that day, two years ago I became legal through the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program for marijuana use. I have severe chronic pain and depression, and prescription drugs for my conditions (including fibromyalgia) do not provide relief, or have intolerable side effects.

I was very concerned about the possibility that medical marijuana (MMJ) would make me want to drink again. I attended AA meetings and even a Marijuana Anonymous meeting, as a type of "innoculation" against drinking, in case using MMJ made me crazy enough to want to hit the bottle again. I was (and am) fully prepared to NOT use MMJ if it made me want to drink -- any benefit I could accrue would just simply not be worth the risk of throwing my life back down the tubes. I was (and am) not in any way ready to give up the progress I've made in my life since I've been sober.

I did not smoke MMJ until I was legal, and then I was able to procure legal medicine through a couple of non-profit organizations. I'm pleased to note that MMJ has provided me immense amounts of pain relief with no returning compulsion to drink. If MMJ has any side effects, it's the "high" feeling, which can be inconvenient if I'm trying to comprehend something complicated, like balancing my checkbook. :D If I'm in an situation where it's important for me to be straight, a little time and "psychic" effort gets me as "straight" as I need to be. As side effects go, that's not so bad -- it beats muscle spasms, somnolence, and bipolar-like cycling, which are some of the myriad side-effects I got from prescription drugs.

When I run out of donated marijuana, I have no problem going without. Sure, my pain and depression return full force and that's a drag, but I don't twitch and think about MMJ all the time, and I don't panic and sweat and have to run out and procure medicine somehow. This tells me I'm not addicted, IMO. I continue to follow my AA program, and feel no need to drink either, when the MMJ runs out.

So for me, thankfully, medical marijuana did not precipitate any addictive effects. I find it to be a beneficent medicine, and am grateful I live in a state (OR) where I can obtain it legally.

posted 4 years, 2 months ago
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