3-8. Can I take medications if I'm straight-edge?

    Some kids say you shouldn't take any drugs. "Straight Edger's exclude 
    all forms of drugs from their lives, including alcohol, cigarettes, 
    illegal drugs and often other drugs such as aspirin. Most sXe'ers don't 
    even "use" caffeine." [2]

    However, it would be stupid not to take medications for serious
    illnesses. How can you take control of your life if you're delirious 
    or dead!

    On 25 Jan 1997 refuge <ebmgieda@refuge!microserve!com> wrote:
    "fucking take them! are you nuts?"

    On 27 Sep 1997 SuperCarol <supercarol@hotmail!com> wrote:
    "You are who you are. Straight Edge has always been about the choices 
    you make, right? Well you don't have a choice to choose to have [a 
    condition] or not. Therefore take your medicine and have SxE pride 
    because you are doing what's best for your body. And I think a lot of 
    "SxE" is about taking care of yourself...as long as you're not abusing 
    your prescription, than it's all good."

    On 10 Nov 1998 Xed mitchellX Edwin.Mitchell@Colorado!EDU> wrote:
    "The first thing you must understand is that sXe, in its most basic
    essence, is a defiance of the self-destructive behaviors that 
    mainstream society, the media, and often times our parents and most 
    often our friends deem acceptable.  These behaviors are most often 
    prerequisite for social acceptance in many circles ranging from the 
    high-school beer party to the CEO's business party.  It is an 
    acceptance of responsibility for your own actions and your own life 
    to become sXe, and many times the lines drawn for that accptance vary 
    from person to person, so in the end the decision whether to include 
    medical drugs in ones sXe commitment is up to the individual.  However, 
    it is my opinion that the idealism of that rejection of 
    self-destructive behavior is what embodies sXe.  So, in my opinioin, 
    to not take a medication that is beneficial, or crucial to your 
    health doesn't really do anything for you except advance your ailment.  
    It is also important to remember that a healthy straight-edger is a 
    much more effective revolutionary than one who is sick or dying."