/lit/ - Literature

You Can't Win
The Lost Weekend
Ablutions
Shuggie Bain

>>17054582
What's this about?

>>17054608
How modernity is alienating and spiritually impoverishing and the rise of substance abuse (among other addictions) is largely reflective of an attempt to fill the resulting hole

>>17054644
That sounds really interesting

>>17054599
These all look really good, ablutions in particular.

>>17054550
>Sorry if this is considered a "bad thread topic"
just ask for what you want.

the #1 best drug book in recent decades is Hit So Hard by Patty Schmel (?) the drummer from Hole. Fantastic book.

The Bible.
ESV translation.

if you give him any fiction or biographical books about addiction, no matter how disgusting and debased it makes addiction look, it will only glamorise it for him, if he even bothers to read it. so don't bother with that.

you're best bet is honestly to constantly call him a faggot for being addicted to such a gay drug

>>17055431
I have a friend of mine who is kind of dumb and was interested in trying opioids so I lent him my copy of junkie by william burroughs and it disuaded him as I expected. He used to be addicted to weed and romanticizes the life of kurt cobain (he's 21)

>>17054550
Best book about addiction I've read is How to stop smoking by Allen Carr, not sure if applicable but yeah

>>17054978
>>Sorry if this is considered a "bad thread topic"
>just ask for what you want.
Exactly. This thread is already better/more on topic than more than half the shit on the catalog.

>>17055991
I've read some of Naked Lunch is Junky more readable? I love the hardcore horrible descriptions in it.

>>17056042
Let's not derail the thread with comments like this.

>>17056560
Yes, absolutely. It's easy to read and very entertaining desu

>>17054550
12 rules for life

>>17056599
I've heard Jung mentioned more than any other philosopher in the last 60 or so years, at least outside of hardcore circles, but I've also heard a lot of criticism directed at him too. Just in general what does /lit/ think of him? My opinion is that he's sort of phililophical self help?

>>17057284
all that said i have never read anything by him

>>17057284
Jung exists in a grey zone between philosophy and science. He works with a lot of philosophical ideas, particularly those of Kant, Nietzsche, and the Greeks. Despite this he always emphasized that he was not a metaphysician--that he was an empirical medical professional whose primary concern was the psyche. He was also very much a pragmatist, meaning that he judged the validity of his theories by how well they helped his patients. Could Jung prove that his method of dream analysis is 100% correct? No, it is pretty much impossible to measure the meaning of a dream since it is a totally subjective experience. Can Jung measure whether or not his method of analysis is effective in treating neuroses? Certainly. In one of his books he writes, "reality is that which is useful". I think Jung is an important and challenging thinker--his writings have helped me immensely in learning how to introspect and relate to myself. I would say give Modern Man in Search of a Soul a read, or watch some videos online to get a feel for what he's about, then decide after that whether or not you think he's worth diving into.

LIVEBLOG by megan boyle

The Patrick Melrose books were pretty good I remember reading em when I was tapering off booze and Xanax

>>17057338
I see, may be worth a read.

>>17057381
Also Xanax withdrawal is the fucking worst shit. I was in a similar situation as ur friend with the seizures and whatnot. Just be supportive but stern with him. That will help more than any book will.

I've known people who got too deep in the benzo hole and killed themselves. The sense of hopelessness and being trapped with the addiction seemed awful. Like realizing you committed a crime with a life sentence only after you committed it, with no takebacks. Take the addiction seriously now so you don't have to take it much more seriously later.

>>17057391
Yeah, he's having trouble. I've been mostly observing it at this point without offering much input even when he's coming to me for advice. I've just been trying to figure out how to approach it in a way that won't alienate him.

>>17054550
I have the same version of this book, cost me $3.

>>17057434
honestly I wish one of my friends had just grabbed me and been like "wtf are you doing?" but everyone was scared that I might take it the wrong way. Sometimes its better to risk being an asshole and just saying how you feel man. He might react poorly now but in the long run he'll be thanking you.

>>17057434
Also anything by Denis Johnson especially his last short story collection is very good. I see people recommending Jung but that's the last thing you wanna read while you're still coming out of it. Something like Johnson or St. Aubyn would be more helpful in my opinion since they both present a pretty realistic look at what your friend is going through and he might empathize with it more in his current predicament. Jung is good once he's back to normal to understand what brought him to abuse drugs in the first place

>>17054550
American Junkie

>>17054550
Probably the only thing that will help your friend is serious medical treatment. I used to think that people in dire straits might benefit from some existentialist philosophy. But probably some genre fiction just to take his mind off things would be best.

>>17057496
>>17057487
reading being and nothingness in the mental hospital helped a lot, but reading it was really frustrating to do the brain worms, so i agree with both of you on that part. Although he's not much of reader and might find basic genre fiction to be not worth the time to read it.

>>17057561
I'm an outsider to literature though, i'm not may be misjudging some of these terms

>>17057456
mine cost me $20

>>17057381
What are these about?

>>17057628
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_St_Aubyn
It's an autobiographical look at his recovery from heroin/cocaine/alcohol abuse. He came from an exceedingly wealthy family and his dad raped him repeatedly most likely with his mother's knowledge. I know it sounds rough but it a very engaging book despite the subject matter. Like Brideshead Revisited crossed with Infinite Jest. Hard to describe but it captures the Junkie mindset very well.

Reading Schopenhauer ruined everything for me

LIVEBLOG

look at this functioning ex-addict

>>17057731
How would you describe it?

>>17055401
is this a good stack for someone about to jump in?
got this from a dear friend a week ago

>>17054550
Are you being ironic? Your pic related is all about how people avoid the short term discomfort and risk of actually trying and take the safe and easy path. Do the work and find places he can get treatment and then sit down with him and lay it all out. A book is not going to prevent withdrawal induced seizures, look him dead in the eyes and tell him he is he will die if he does not change his ways, give him the run down on places you found for treatment and tell him that you will help him get better but you won't stand by and watch him slowly waste away.

Your pic related is more suitable for you than him.

>>17057338
>Jung exists in a grey zone between philosophy and science.
if you consider psychology a science. I think it's more impressive that he managed to produce 'scientific' theories of philosophical merit than the other way around.

also recommending american psycho