This is directed purely to the OP, and not to any of the respondents. (All of whom I know to be good, well-intentioned people.)
Two separate issues are being debated here, and only one of them should matter to you. Flying. The FAA is what it is. I had to jump through a lot of stupid hoops, based on stupid assumptions and outdated science. But that's what it took to get my medical, so that's what I did. Everyone's advice in that regard is spot-on. Had I been privy to such advice prior to starting my medical process, I still would have needed to jump through the hoops, but it would have been a lot less stressful, and a lot less expensive. Start with Doc Bruce.
As for all the crap about "are you an addict or aren't you an addict", "should you do this" or "should you do that", it's all crap. No one knows what works for you but you. These days, nearly all of medical and mental health is industrialized, herd-mentality, care that is rarely focused on the individual, but rather on the most common stereotypes. There is no time to treat people as individuals, and tailor their care to meet their unique needs, as that eats into profit margins. In this day and age, that is up to you. It took me a long time to figure this out. (I was once in the health-care industry.) Eventually, I learned to listen to my body first, and all the so-called experts second. If your body is telling you something different than what the experts are telling you, you'd better listen to your body first.
But with the FAA: Shut up and do as you are told. (Then come here to complain about it.)
