More than 20 percent of gun owners in the U.S. admit to using drugs while also suffering from a mental health disorder, according to a study.
According to a survey of 1,098 gun owners by rehab center The Florida House Experience, one in three people self-identify as having a mental health disorder, with anxiety, mood disorders and post-traumatic stress among some of the most common conditions.
Elsewhere, 33.7 percent of those taking part in the survey admit to being drug users, with nearly 17 percent of these gun owners saying they take drugs every day. According to the survey—Don’t Shoot the Messenger: A Look at Gun Ownership, Drug Use, and Mental Health in America— cocaine, marijuana and Xanax, a prescription medication used to treat anxiety that is becoming increasingly popular among young people recreationally, are the three most used drugs by gun owners.
In total, one in five gun owners self-identify as having a mental health condition—not necessarily diagnosed with one—as well as taking drugs illicitly.
I of course am not at all surprised by this since I already think the idea of buying dozens of firearms is by itself an indication of a mental health problem.
I am not however necessarily down with the idea of Marijuana use being a problem for gun owners.
But definitely mark me down as being worried about opioid and cocaine use among Ammosexuals.
I have an uncle who went through a rather prolonged period of cocaine abuse and he jumped out of bed one night and shot his whole bedroom up absolutely convinced that he somebody was climbing through the window to murder him.
He most CERTAINLY should not have had access to a gun.
P.S. Here is the study.
I have a nephew who spent a year in Afghanistan as an officer. I have no idea what he did or saw, but he is planning to teach his four year old daughter to use a gun, so she can 'protect herself' when (not if) someone breaks into their home. He is definitely suffering from PTSD. They also lost a pregnancy recently, which devastated his wife. Of course, being a lauded vet means no one asks whether or not he should have access to whatever gun he chooses. In my opinion, we should assume anything trained by the US Military to kill people is just as dangerous back home as they were in the field, and none of them should have a gun until they can prove they are sane. I fully expect my mom to call one day and say my nephew has killed himself, if not the entire family.
ReplyDeleteThat is like Dakota Meyer. The fear and terror he lives with each day drives him to obsess with having loaded guns. His step son wants to grow up to be a sniper. His daughters are too young to have guns, but that will change.
DeleteWhere's Redneck when you need him. May be he can get the vet some immediate help. Or refer him to someone May be?
DeleteSomeone test *this* obvious mental case:
ReplyDeleteNugent, a major proponent of gun rights and the Second Amendment, applied the same comparison to Hollywood and RINOS - the common acronym standing for Republicans in name only - during an interview on InfoWars’ The Alex Jones Show.
'“Don’t ask why. Just know that evil, dishonesty, and scam artists have always been around and that right now they’re liberal, they’re Democrat, they’re RINOs, they’re Hollywood, they’re fake news, they’re media, they’re academia, and they’re half of our government, at least,” Nugent said according to conservative media watchdog Media Matters.
Nugent continued: “So come to that realization. There are rabid coyotes running around. You don’t wait till you see one to go get your gun. Keep your gun handy, and every time you see one, you shoot one.”'
https://www.rawstory.com/2018/04/nra-board-member-ted-nugent-democrats-shot-like-coyotes/
(Hey, didn't Turd Nugget have a momentary flash of sanity and actually talk scaling his hateful verbal diarrhea back after the Scalise incident?
Oh, I guess it only applies with REPUBLICANS!
https://www.thedailybeast.com/nugent-after-baseball-shooting-ill-stop-hateful-rhetoric)
My 63 year old brother has been a daily smoker o marijuana for decades.He is also a gun owner.The issue with smoking and having guns is that it lowers inhibitions.When high,he has a tendency to leave guns out rather than locked away.He daughters won't bring children to his house beyond lunch time for this reason.
ReplyDeleteMy husband has been a daily smoker, medical reasons, for years. I see no lowering of inhibitions. From pot?? Really??
DeleteI'm not attacking you, 5:25 AM, it just reminds me of the "Reefer Madness" propaganda. There's a bigger issue, and your family's right to stay away for their safety.
My brother has been a daily smoker for years--we are talking like 49 years-not for medical use.Maybe lowering of inhibitions is the wrong term.Maybe I should say he gets a more lackadaisical manner and just doesn't bother to lock things up after he plays with his guns.He also gets messier around the house too.Maybe he just uses a lot more than your husbands medical use,or maybe it just affects some people differently than others.You seem to equate lowering inhibitions as some huge change,that isn't true.1 glass of wine will lower inhibitions,it won't make you do things you don't want to do.I think smoking marijuana has about the same effect.Have you ever tried it? Maybe you would understand better.Of course that would not be "medical use" if you did that,would it?
DeleteAs much as folks bemoan weed, let me ask you a question.
DeleteYou smoke too much weed, and (go to sleep) and later (raid the refrigerator). Zzzzzzz.
Now. When you smoke too much
Meth, coke, heroin, pills,
(overdose) and DIE. The End.
So weed is not a bad thing.
20% of the gun nuts ADMIT to it. I bet the real number is more like 80 or 90%.
ReplyDeleteI bet almost all drink Alcohol daily.
ReplyDeleteVOTE.
ReplyDelete"No matter how hard Republicans try, they can’t shift the blame for rising healthcare costs to Democrats. They can’t blame Democrats for the millions of uninsured Americans. They are the party in power and they have the responsibility to fix problems, not create problems."
https://www.politicususa.com/2018/04/08/how-democrats-can-use-healthcare-to-win-big-in-2018-midterms.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGuwlkxT4KQ
ReplyDelete'Southern man better keep your head
Don't forget what your good book said
Southern change gonna come at last
Now your crosses are burning fast
Southern man
I saw cotton and I saw black
Tall white mansions and little shacks
Southern man when will you pay them back?
I heard screaming' and bullwhips cracking
How long? How long?
Lily Belle, your hair is golden brown
I've seen your black man coming' round
Swear by God I'm gonna cut him down!
I heard screaming' and bullwhips cracking
How long? How long?'
neil young
Jason Dalton, February 20, 2016 finally used his collection of guns to kill 6 people. Two others, complete strangers all, were permanently injured but did not die. Kalamazoo, Michigan, February 20, 2016. He had a family, job, money, no military background. His case is still winding through the court system.
ReplyDeleteI married a guy who liked guns. It was only later I learned how nutty he was about them. He owned 9 in all, including an AR-15, a pistol he kept loaded on his computer desk, and one I later found under our mattress.
ReplyDeleteWhen I tried to divorce him, because he was having anonymous Craigslist sex, he threatened to kill himself. When I told his family they did nothing. He tried everything to get me back. Forced me into marriage counseling, had been secretly recording my conversations and used them to manipulate me. Sent my family a letter saying how good of a Christian he was.
I was absolutely terrified of him for well over a year. A controlling misogynist is scary. An armed man who is hell bent on preventing his wife from leaving is horrifying.
Kudos to you for patiently using your wits and getting out alive!
Deletewhy am i not surprised??
ReplyDelete