Valeri Nichushkin placed in NHLPA assistance program stage 3 - suspended without pay for min. 6 months

[Mike C]

you do realize that this dogmatic statement isn't held by all professionals, right? a common, professional take, is that the entrance into the substance use is choice, usually aggravated by outside or inside stimuli, and that over time a brain disorder develops.

the concept of addiction being gene centered like heart disease was once widely held, but is has faded and never been proven.

in your example, the use of substance is the choice, the physical and mental craving causes the stimuli to want and need more, that is the part that isn't chosen

whatever the case, i hope all struggling and suffering with the issue find peace, NUKE, and all others!

 

[Musampa]

Do we know what he was using if recreational use let him be.

There’s a rumour that he was using “painkillers”

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

There’s a rumour that he was using “painkillers”

I'd be very surprised if that's what he tested positive for without a script.

 

[Avsfan1921]

Hence why I bring up Grant Fuhr. The guy is in the Hockey Hall of Fame even though he admitted he was routinely coked up while he played.

People want Nichushkin banned from hockey for substance abuse but don't seem to have a problem with Grant Fuhr in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Its very hypocritical.

Nichushkin needs help and needs to get sober but still should have the right to play hockey.

I agree he should have, if a team wants to take the chance. I do not want that team to be mine however, two times in a row this has cost the Avs the same integral player in the playoffs. Hope he gets better and finds success, just not with the Avs.

The winner of Vegas/dallas was my pick for the SC, Avs are really missing Bryam.

That being said I understand why they made the trade and Casey has been okay, Landeskog is the guy they are really missing.

Missing Byram is not the issue lol.

 

[LokiDog]

I’m intimately familiar with addiction and understand it can impact anyone, but I’m having a massively hard time having any sympathy for Nuke. You have all of the support and resources in the world. My brother did not. The people I’ve lost didn’t. The people who overcame and are living sober lives didn’t. And to this day, live a life 1/20th as blessed. I have empathy - I understand addiction and how no one is immune. I don’t have sympathy. Sorry. Nuke’s a f***ing loser now.

 

[toddkaz]

How the heck did Colorado win today? According to posters here Nichushkin destroyed Colorado.

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

I’m intimately familiar with addiction and understand it can impact anyone, but I’m having a massively hard time having any sympathy for Nuke. You have all of the support and resources in the world. My brother did not. The people I’ve lost didn’t. The people who overcame and are living sober lives didn’t. And to this day, live a life 1/20th as blessed. I have empathy - I understand addiction and how no one is immune. I don’t have sympathy. Sorry. Nuke’s a f***ing loser now.

We're the lucky ones. It's a statistical outlier. It's really hard to bottom out when you're making that kind of money.

 

[Bowski]

How the heck did Colorado win today? According to posters here Nichushkin destroyed Colorado.

Sakic Juice. It cures and inspires all around.
Kaner took it all in at an early age.

 

[Mike C]

We're the lucky ones. It's a statistical outlier. It's really hard to bottom out when you're making that kind of money.

Every case is different. Eric Clapton is sober 40 years. Chris Mullen 30 plus. Ringo Starr 40 plus. Robert Downey Jr, the list is copious.Bottom is different for all of us and isn't mandatory. Rarely have we seen a person fail who has thorough followed the path translates to seldom have we seen a person succeed if they don't. We ARE the lucky ones. It's only a daily reprieve for all of us
Recovery isn't for those who need it or for those who want it. It's for those who DO it.

 

[NorthStar4Canes]

Every case is different. Eric Clapton is sober 40 years. Chris Mullen 30 plus. Ringo Starr 40 plus. Robert Downey Jr, the list is copious.Bottom is different for all of us and isn't mandatory. Rarely have we seen a person fail who has thorough followed the path translates to seldom have we seen a person succeed if they don't. We ARE the lucky ones. It's only a daily reprieve for all of us
Recovery isn't for those who need it or for those who want it. It's for those who DO it.

Jeez man, how can you make a list that includes musicians and not include Joe Walsh when it applies? (in this case, playing, partying, recovery). You're old enough to know better. Shame on you!

Walsh >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Clapton, at everything.

 

[Jets4Life]

in your example, the use of substance is the choice, the physical and mental craving causes the stimuli to want and need more, that is the part that isn't chosen

At one time, it was not a choice.

 

[Tupu]

Have had couple of pretty close mates going in to distance with same habits. Hoping for his best and a recovery, your not the passenger after all, drive it bro

 

[Strangle]

you do realize that this dogmatic statement isn't held by all professionals, right? a common, professional take, is that the entrance into the substance use is choice, usually aggravated by outside or inside stimuli, and that over time a brain disorder develops.

the concept of addiction being gene centered like heart disease was once widely held, but is has faded and never been proven.

Been trying to explain to a bunch of addicts and ex-addicts in this thread about exactly this thing, it’s like talking to a wall

Support groups have obviously brainwashed a lot of these people into believing they have a disease and need to take zero personal responsibility for abuse a substance to the point they developed physical addictions to them.

What did cocaine addicts do before cocaine was invented? Kind of weird for the brain to be addicted to something that didn’t even exist yet.

You might feel compelled to take substances but compulsions are not the same as addictions.

You become addicted by abusing a substance. That’s just how the body works

 

[Strangle]

I’m intimately familiar with addiction and understand it can impact anyone, but I’m having a massively hard time having any sympathy for Nuke. You have all of the support and resources in the world. My brother did not. The people I’ve lost didn’t. The people who overcame and are living sober lives didn’t. And to this day, live a life 1/20th as blessed. I have empathy - I understand addiction and how no one is immune. I don’t have sympathy. Sorry. Nuke’s a f***ing loser now.

There is something small in here that a lot of the ‘addiction is a disease like cancer’ people don’t understand.

Everyone on earth is susceptible to addiction. If you slammed my veins with heroin everyday for 3 months, I’d be addicted to heroin. There is no one alive now, or in the history of humanity that wouldn’t be.

That’s just how these chemicals interact with your body.

Same with alcohol. You feed someone 30 beers everyday, or 40oz of vodka everyday for 20 years, their body is going to become dependent on it at some point.

Cocaine? Same thing

Addiction must be the only ‘disease’ that everyone one earth has.

I’m not super liberal with a lot of my thinking, but when the question is about adults making decisions for themselves, I am. You want to take drugs, fill your boots! Be safe, know the consequences and take care of yourself.

If it turns out you can’t handle it, that’s on you. You’re an adult, make good decisions. No one is here to baby sit you

Everyone is in charge of their own lives and their own decisions

 

[Mike C]

Jeez man, how can you make a list that includes musicians and not include Joe Walsh when it applies? (in this case, playing, partying, recovery). You're old enough to know better. Shame on you!

Walsh >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Clapton, at everything.

Mea Culpa! Joe is sober 25 plus AND is Ringo's brother in law via marriage.

 

[CanMerc]

Didn’t realize the NHL tested for Ozempic

 

[NorthStar4Canes]

Mea Culpa! Joe is sober 25 plus AND is Ringo's brother in law via marriage.

AND he can play Beatles dual-guitar harmony parts all by himself on 1 guitar...without even knowing it.

 

[spintheblackcircle]

Walsh >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Clapton, at everything.

The amount that Clapton has raised for UNICEF, Amnesty, Bangladesh, drug and alcohol treatment is astounding. Tens of millions.

Not to mention starting a Drug and Alcohol treatment center where 20% of the beds are reserved for low income patients.

I don't like his Covid stance, but you can't just cancel the decades of charity and compassion towards othes.

 

[Mike C]

AND he can play Beatles dual-guitar harmony parts all by himself on 1 guitar...without even knowing it.

i saw an interview with Don Felder once and he said when he first was told Walsh was joining the Eagles, his reaction was "Joe Walsh, wow, he's an interesting bunch of guys"

The amount that Clapton has raised for UNICEF, Amnesty, Bangladesh, drug and alcohol treatment is astounding. Tens of millions.

Not to mention starting a Drug and Alcohol treatment center where 20% of the beds are reserved for low income patients.

I don't like his Covid stance, but you can't just cancel the decades of charity and compassion towards othes.

i was told he lives somewhere in ohio and attends meetings like any other schlub. he's just eric the alcoholic

Didn’t realize the NHL tested for Ozempic

they missed pat maroon then!

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

There is something small in here that a lot of the ‘addiction is a disease like cancer’ people don’t understand.

Everyone on earth is susceptible to addiction. If you slammed my veins with heroin everyday for 3 months, I’d be addicted to heroin. There is no one alive now, or in the history of humanity that wouldn’t be.

That’s just how these chemicals interact with your body.

Same with alcohol. You feed someone 30 beers everyday, or 40oz of vodka everyday for 20 years, their body is going to become dependent on it at some point.

Cocaine? Same thing

Addiction must be the only ‘disease’ that everyone one earth has.

I’m not super liberal with a lot of my thinking, but when the question is about adults making decisions for themselves, I am. You want to take drugs, fill your boots! Be safe, know the consequences and take care of yourself.

If it turns out you can’t handle it, that’s on you. You’re an adult, make good decisions. No one is here to baby sit you

Everyone is in charge of their own lives and their own decisions

You are once again confusing physical dependency and addiction. I worked with a guy who free based every third week. Great worker. He'd schedule time off around getting high as balls. Not an addict.

 

[spintheblackcircle]

i was told he lives somewhere in ohio and attends meetings like any other schlub. he's just eric the alcoholic

Yea, he actually lives about 15 minutes from me, I've seen him at dinner twice.

 

[coooldude]

What did cocaine addicts do before cocaine was invented? Kind of weird for the brain to be addicted to something that didn’t even exist yet.

No offense, but your posts here repeatedly sound like you haven't taken a biology class in your life.

Pretty much none of the "addicts and ex addicts" it seems like you're trying to save, are absolving themselves of responsibility.

What they are saying (and your posts are very confidently repeatedly ignoring) is that some humans have a stronger predisposition to addiction. This is not up for debate, even if it is debated whether this is a "disease" or not. Some humans have stronger responses to dopamine stimuli. To answer your question, before cocaine, these people were daredevils, obsessive with certain types of behavior, or had a lot of sex. And today they still exist, even when they never try coke or booze or opiates.

You can be addicted to playing hockey or working out, for God's sake. Earlier in your thread you said "if you ever do something one day and like it so much you want to do it the next day, you should realize it's addictive." You mean like hockey, or sex, or posting on a message board?

People who get to an unhealthy place with any substance or activity get there because of behavior and choice, but they also can get there because their brain is more prone to finding and seeking such behaviors. Not everyone receives the same dopamine or serotonin response to the exact same behavior (or substance). It is both a choice with personal responsibility, and a vulnerability the existence of which they have little control over.

To keep it on topic, I also have little sympathy for Nuke. He has more resources than 99.99% of people dealing with this issue. I have empathy, and I'm sure it sucks for him, but he did make his choices.

But if you don't like others saying "it's a disease", surely (probably not) you can understand that others and biology disagree with your stance that everyone has the same ability to choose not to be addicted to things.

Having read all these exchanges, I have little faith that this will lead to any constructive dialogue so I'll just say best of luck to you.

 

[Mike C]

Yea, he actually lives about 15 minutes from me, I've seen him at dinner twice.

I read his autobiography. He details how he started with cocaine and eventually his dealer said he didn't have anymore but did have heroin. The rest is history as they say.

I hear he's a quiet unassuming soccer dad so to speak.

 

[spintheblackcircle]

I read his autobiography. He details how he started with cocaine and eventually his dealer said he didn't have anymore but did have heroin. The rest is history as they say.

I hear he's a quiet unassuming soccer dad so to speak.

Coincidentally, I have a friend named Eric who has played guitar and bass in local bands for 30 years and when he met Clapton at a restaurant, he said it went like this: (he waited until there was no food on the table)

"I am sorry to interrupt, my name is Eric and....

"Really, me too," Clapton said with a laugh and he chatted with him for a minute or 2 about music.

Said he was "just a guy with his wife quietly having some pasta"

 

[Mike C]

No offense, but your posts here repeatedly sound like you haven't taken a biology class in your life.

Pretty much none of the "addicts and ex addicts" it seems like you're trying to save, are absolving themselves of responsibility.

What they are saying (and your posts are very confidently repeatedly ignoring) is that some humans have a stronger predisposition to addiction. This is not up for debate, even if it is debated whether this is a "disease" or not. Some humans have stronger responses to dopamine stimuli. To answer your question, before cocaine, these people were daredevils, obsessive with certain types of behavior, or had a lot of sex. And today they still exist, even when they never try coke or booze or opiates.

You can be addicted to playing hockey or working out, for God's sake. Earlier in your thread you said "if you ever do something one day and like it so much you want to do it the next day, you should realize it's addictive." You mean like hockey, or sex, or posting on a message board?

People who get to an unhealthy place with any substance or activity get there because of behavior and choice, but they also can get there because their brain is more prone to finding and seeking such behaviors. Not everyone receives the same dopamine or serotonin response to the exact same behavior (or substance). It is both a choice with personal responsibility, and a vulnerability the existence of which they have little control over.

To keep it on topic, I also have little sympathy for Nuke. He has more resources than 99.99% of people dealing with this issue. I have empathy, and I'm sure it sucks for him, but he did make his choices.

But if you don't like others saying "it's a disease", surely (probably not) you can understand that others and biology disagree with your stance that everyone has the same ability to choose not to be addicted to things.

Having read all these exchanges, I have little faith that this will lead to any constructive dialogue so I'll just say best of luck to you.

The sad part is that all Nuke or anyone else really needs is a desire to stop, and a willingness to work for it. Those resources are free to all of us

Coincidentally, I have a friend named Eric who has played guitar and bass in local bands for 30 years and when he met Clapton at a restaurant, he said it went like this: (he waited until there was no food on the table)

"I am sorry to interrupt, my name is Eric and....

"Really, me too," Clapton said with a laugh and he chatted with him for a minute or 2 about music.

Said he was "just a guy with his wife quietly having some pasta"

I met Billy Powell one time after he got sober. Really great guy. Jovial, conversant, great example of how life changes with recovery