Change is Possible....Castanet article today

[JennParker]

i would kill myself before i would steal from people who go to work to make ends meet, and would come back home to nothing because i robbed there home, for my next high, its as low as it gets,,stealing from people does not give anyone a pass because they are junkies

There is a very large difference between the rational thoughts of someone who is not fighting a chemical addiction, and someone who is so deep into an addiction their rational thought process is about feeding the addiction. Everyone has the ultimate goal of survival. Their survival is a lot different than yours.

Do I give addicts a pass for their behavior? No.
Do I give empathy and understanding? Yes.

It is very easy to judge when I was raised in a life of privilege. I was born into a life of opportunity. I would be naive to not recognize that I was given a head start. Not everyone won the birthing lottery. Imagine if you had been born to a junkie parent, in and out of the system... do you truly believe you would be where you are now... sitting and judging?

The Truth... I don't think you have the slightest idea some of the battles these people have to fight. Some of these addicts, were born addicts. Literally born addicted to drugs. These people have needed society to speak for them from the day they were born... and we have failed them.

[Gixxer]

The best way to not become an addict is dont even try or dabble in it. Eventually you'll get caught.

[Bsuds]

The Truth... I don't think you have the slightest idea some of the battles these people have to fight. Some of these addicts, were born addicts. Literally born addicted to drugs. These people have needed society to speak for them from the day they were born... and we have failed them.

Exactly, well said!

[the truth]

*removed*

[Fancy]

*removed*

[dle]

The best way to not become an addict is dont even try or dabble in it. Eventually you'll get caught.

Now, how do we convince the doctors of this? How do we stop the doctors from being "dealer zero" in this epidemic?

The ONLY way to be absolutely 100% sure you won't become an addict is, as you say, DON'T USE EVER - especially opioids even when your doctor says it's ok, we got this.....ask for something else

[the truth]

*removed* the guy in this story choose to do drugs become and junkie and steal to support his habit, like millions of others out there, no sad story to tell he says his life was good like many others, who chose to do drugs -just because, and then become criminal junkies

[Fancy]

*removed* the guy in this story choose to do drugs become and junkie and steal to support his habit, like millions of others out there, no sad story to tell he says his life was good like many others, who chose to do drugs -just because, and then become criminal junkies

I was following the discussion, as you did when you followed Bsuds and JennParker. This is what you made fun of:

The Truth... I don't think you have the slightest idea some of the battles these people have to fight. Some of these addicts, were born addicts. Literally born addicted to drugs. These people have needed society to speak for them from the day they were born... and we have failed them.

Exactly, well said!

[60-YEARS-in-Ktown]

So we have a choice here..
Support his efforts to better himself..
Or continue to condemn him.

Cleary some here are on the condemn side. . Which is not part of the solution..

[60-YEARS-in-Ktown]

The best way to not become an addict is dont even try or dabble in it. Eventually you'll get caught.

This is very easy to say , but in reality we all have our vices, some smaller than others..
Gixxer, I assume you have a motorcycle ? How are you doing with the speeding thing ? Better you don't even try it..

[mexi cali]

A big part of the reason that addicts don't try as hard as they might to quit or to stay quit is that the fight to stay sober is constant. Once an addict, always an addict.

It's easier (at least you can convince yourself that it is) to give in that to fight.

I say this as a former serious smoker. Many former smokers will tell you that they quit many times before it stuck. They always went back, usually in weak moments and then they found themselves back at the corner store every day buying the next pack until the next time they tried again.

The lucky ones finally get to where they remember how *bleep* they felt every time they started up again but the fight never ends. It just becomes less daunting and you get better at ducking the blows.

Nicotine is a powerful drug. Just like meth and cocaine and heroin. The effects of the ingestion may be different but the addiction is the same and it's hard to get out once you're in.

While I never stole to support my smoking habit, I did enough mental justification to support my weakness so that I could continue smoking. Drug addicts are no different except that in order to support their habit, they need much more money than a lowly smoker and that is where the thievery comes in fro many, not all.

While you may not be able to justify these actions, there is some level of understanding required so that when you talk about addiction in forums, you don't come off as a self righteous *bleep* and yes Truth, I am speaking of you. Your stance is far to unyielding because it comes from a place where you have obviously, at least I think so, never had to experience the effects yourself.

If I'm wrong about that, I apologise and if you have a story to tell, I'd love to hear it.

You don't have to embrace addicts but if you don't know anything at all about the bond between an addict and thier drug of choice, you maybe should take a more observational role rather than a critical one.

[MAPearce]

So we have a choice here..
Support his efforts to better himself..
Or continue to condemn him.

Cleary some here are on the condemn side. . Which is not part of the solution..

I hear you 60... In supporting anyone's efforts to get clean , I offer that they must come clean and face those they've hurt .

[Gixxer]

This is very easy to say , but in reality we all have our vices, some smaller than others..
Gixxer, I assume you have a motorcycle ? How are you doing with the speeding thing ? Better you don't even try it..

Dont know what my driving record has to do with addictions but I have clean drivers abstract. My livelihood depends on it and I know the potential consequences if I do speed.

Plus speeding isnt highly addictive like drugs. I dont know of any women that would sell her body to speed.

[60-YEARS-in-Ktown]

I gave an extremely clean driving record as well, although I speed and act like a Hooligan on occasion.
Better though than I was.. of course, back in the day we got in far less trouble than today's laws.

But what I was pointing out was attitude, and the road to allowing yourself to do things , you ought not to do. For whatever reason..
So if you never sped, or broke traffic laws I am impressed.. but I never met anyone that didn't do those things...yet. .
If you did break the rules, even knowing better, then the question you posed, is partially answered.. you can partly answer your own question.
People have their own reasons for doing things they know they should not do..

[JayByrd]

I hear you 60... In supporting anyone's efforts to get clean , I offer that they must come clean and face those they've hurt .

This is covered in Steps 8 and 9 of a 12 step program, and is a huge part of recovery. Especially when you consider that guilt from the things one has done wrong, is often part of the reason people use. It's a vicious cycle.