Okay, let me see if I can explain this for you. Speed is not physically addicting, it's psychologically addicting. When you're up, you don't want to come down. So if you quit, the main problem is psychological, not physical. Most people get involved with speed at the same time as all their friends. So even if you decide you want to stop, it's still everywhere you look.
I had this problem over 20 years ago, when I was a waitress. I basically had to move out of town to quit. However, when I moved out of town, I met other people who still did speed. I would get offered free lines. It took about a year after I tried to quit, before I was able to consistently turn it down.
So what probably happened with Amber, is she probably decided to quit a year ago, and has done it occasionally for the last year. This is just my guess, from personal experience, if that makes any sense. At least she's trying. Most of the people I knew, who didn't quit, died.

Dustin - GET OUT OF THE HAMMOCK! Stop listening to Joe!!! Dang it - yelling at the computer doesn't help!

Maybe she should start praying to God for help with her sobriety instead of praying for staying off the Chopping Block.

Let she who casts the first stone...

All I can say is, who cares when she quit as long as she did quit. Addiction is not pretty and those who suffer from them could usually use some support. The praying for superficial stuff bothers me a lot more for sure.

I would say the longest term is probably the one. I can't imagine BB getting someone in that hasn't been sober for a very short time.
It is just great that she is clean-

Maybe it's just me.
But, if I was a single mom on a live broadcast I think I might not make my speed habit a topic of conversation. Even if she is straight now for an unknown ammount of time. And, if this is a story line she is spinning for her fellow hamsters it probably isn't a great one to tell.

There has to be something about being stuffed into that house for so long that makes people a little wacky. The praying thing is another example - we haven't seen her pray since so perhaps it was just an emotional breakdown. I'm not a prayer but catch me late for work and looking for a missing shoe, key, sock, whatever and I'm bound to get frustrated and send out a "please god".

v

Amber needs to goooooooooo!!!

There is a friend of my family who prays for everything-I do mean everything.
She wakes up and prays to see what she should have for breakfast and goes from there.
Frankly, I find it odd,but there you have it.

Praying has probably helped in her sobriety, so I am with her on that. But saying that "God" put her on the block to test her strength...come on! Kail put her on the block. All the praying in the world won't stop what goes on in the house, but it may help with her stability (?).

If she can't remember when she quit using - perhaps she's still doing it. Or.... maybe she's a liar and she never used at all. When you quit using - you know your sobriety date.

OK, while I hesitate to presume to know the thoughts of The Almighty or what His priorities are I think that I am relatively safe in saying this... Has Amber ever heard of a place called the Middle East? What about Darfur? "AIDS pandemic" ring a bell? Does she know she is playing a game and not solving the world energy crisis? While she is praying to win the POV she should throw a few prayers up for some people that really need it. All her talk of God and chopping blocks kills me! It all seems a little self-involved. This is a game after all and games are supposed to be fun. To look at her you would think that she is being tortured... although to share a house with Jenuine (speaking of self-involved) could actually be considered a form of torture.

I agree with you Verity.
Though you are supposed to be able to talk openly in this house, you always should remember that anything you say is fair game for either the TV show or the feeds.
You always have to think to yourself "Would I want the world to see this?"

So, unless you want your daughter, or future employers or anyone else for that matter knowing you were doing druge, why bring it up??

Thats just stupid. Why do you want to be looked at in that light?

I do like Amber though.
Shes what you see is what you get.
And her honesty is refreshing.

But in this subject she should think before she reveals. It gains her nothing as far as game strategy and reveals a bad side of her to the public.
There was nothing positive to be gained by revealing her drug past.

Sorry speedsters, we will just have to agree to disagree. Not only does Amber not recall the day she quit, she also still feels the need to glamourize the experience. I think in some warped way she uses the fact that she did speed to try to elevate herself in class ranking.

Jennifer

OK, so SANDIC when you said that Speed is not physically addictive, you were absolutely completely wrong. Not only only is it classified as an addictive substance (amphetamine) but but it is one of the most highly addictive drugs. I personally went to treatment, continue to work a 12 step program, and have since getting sober have earned a Masters degree in counseling which I use to work with counseling people with substance dependence issues. Please, don't write about what is to me and many others a serious mental, emotional, and spiritual illness which effects not only our own lives but those of everyone around us and make yourself out to be an authority on the subject when you have no training and obviously have no knowledge about what the research done by professionals says.

IF AMBER REALLY WAS SOBER FOR ANY PERIOD OF TIME BEFORE ENTERING THE HOUSE (AND REALLY HAS SPEED ADDICTION) THEN SHE WOULD KNOW HER SOBRIETY DATE WITHOUT HAVING TO THINK ABOUT IT.

Sober4years, I had to comment and echo some of what you said. I also have my masters, but in clinical psychology. I work with patients with general and specific addictions and I am a year away from completing my doctorate in clinical psych...........and more importantly have been able to because I am sober for 10 years.

You are correct that stimulants, of any kind, are addictive, even though there is no need for detoxification from stimulants. Not that it is pleasant to quit any drug, but alcohol remains the most dangerous substance to detox from. Being a counselor, you also know that the criteria for dependence doesn't have to include physical withdrawal symptoms.

In addition, there is also something called Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome, which can last 6 months to 1 yr and involve hypersomina, cravings, appetite disrupt, fatigue, agitation, depression, anxiety, and even flash backs depending on substance of choice. The list is longer but don't remember the rest off top of my head. My biggest issue with Amber not remembering sobriety dates, is that because anyone who is involved in 12-step programs knows their sobriety date because it is similar to a "chosen birthday" for those working a program of recovery. My issue with Amber is the unknown variable she needs to be educatedd about which is cross addictio. Most individuals in early recovery, if that is what she is, don't realize that continuing to "drink alcohol" is not a program of recovery." The brain feels the same signals or euphoric effects whether your drug of choice used to be something else, such as other than alcohol. In time, being that addiction is a progressive disease, the bell will be rung and the progression will increase resulting in hitting bottom. Some I know have a bottom that was death, and I as always pray for those still suffering from the devestating disease of addiction.

Bottom line, once a pickle, it can't become a cucumber again.

Just my experienced and hopefully informative opinion.