Addictions...
 

..(inspired by some posts in the 'controversial' thread and also BBC this morning which has an item on gambling addiction..)....

..what do you think of addictions and people who are addicted to gambling/alcohol/smoking and all other addictions and any 'issues' or problems which they may cause...are you empathetic to addicts or have no sympathy because they 'bring it on themselves'....

I have come across someone with alcohol addiction and also a drugs addiction. I will never condemn anyone for being in that position.

It is for them and also for their families a truly horrific thing at times to go through. Thankfully the person I know who has the alcoholic addiction has been off alcohol for over a year now but he needs to be really careful where he goes but more to the point who the company may be as there are always other daft people who push and push saying one drink won't hurt you or worse still, they go to get a soft drink for him but add alcohol to it.

Support and understanding is what most of them need.
Many unfortunately will reject the help however and they sadly are on a downward spiral and it is often impossible for their families to cope with the situation.

It is not at all a nice place for anyone, addict, family or friend to be. All anyone can do is be there and hope to guide them to relevant help and support, again though if they really don't want to take the help they will just walk off and relapse.

It is easy to write people off because of addictions, life can become intolerable for some close to the addict and they also need to think of others like children that are in their lives at the time too.
So it can be understood why some feel they have to give up on someone who is an addict.

I don't subscribe to they bring it on themselves, I would hope I would never give up on someone I knew with that problem and that I could be there as a friend, not a judge as to them or to condemn them.
Sadly though lives are wrecked and others lives are wasted by such addictions once they get really serious, a very sad and bad place for anyone to find themselves in.

"I will never condemn anyone for being in that position."


Sit on the Fence then

Unless you have ever been addicted to something, addiction is impossible to understand. I know a lot of people believe you can just "stop" whatever it is you are doing - drinking, smoking, drugs, gambling etc but it is not that simple. I have encountered people in my life who are addicted to all the big things and they know it is killing them and on the whole want to stop but they are so conditioned to their problems that it climbing everest would be an easier task.

I have a lot of empathy for addicts, they don't all know where to turn to get help and need the stongest support network to help them.

Don't get me wrong, some addicts are selfish and have ruined their and many lives around them but you normally find there will have been a trigger to get them in that position in the first place and they and their family and friends network need help and support to assist them in recovery

I totally agree.

Very difficult for families to have to watch their loved ones ruining their lives through any sort of addiction and not being able to really change the situation.

I am addicted to gambling myself, and have been since a very young age. Its awful.

I KNOW how stupid it is. If I sit watching others feeding notes into bandits and such I comment on how stupid they are, yet it always draws me back in again. Once I put even a quid in, 9 times out of 10 I will end up putting every penny I have on me (and in my bank) into the damn things :/

Its very strange..

I think gambling is one of the hardest addictions to deal with too as there is no outside sign of it - like being drunk or high etc.

I had a friend who was addicted to the horses...before anyone knew what trouble he was in he was on the verge (and eventually did) of losing everything yet to everyone he was still his normal self as he spent every last penny looking for that big win which would pull him out of it.

I'm one of them bleeding heart types. I've been told I'll grow out of it once I "hit the real world" - whatever that is - and find the remark quite patronising.

I have mounds of empathy for people suffering in the throes of addiction. I believe in a system of forgiveness, compassion and understanding for those sick brothers and sisters.

If you can heal someone it's a hell of a lot better than some infantile, keeping it real "they did it to themselves so fuck them" mentality.

..I don't think it's 'bleeding hearts' though Stu...I mean there's nothing 'lost' by showing compassion/empathy to someone and tbh, it's all a case of 'there but the grace of god..' etc..I'm not religious but you know what I mean...

Oh I know. Just making a play on the fact that this is what people who show compassion so often get quite derogatorily labelled as.

You are like a Disney Dream
Ammi

Completely agree Stu :worship:

..yeah those lovely 'labels' that we all have to wear...

..ouch, no..I'm really not Arista, I promise you...

..you know what it is Arista, it's part of my life and my job to try and understand 'behaviour'..some of it very difficult but there are always reasons for that and not just someone being 'naughty' for the sake of it...if I thought that and judged them then I would be just adding to their problems/worries in life and not helping at all ...it doesn't always or possibly not even that often make any difference to their lives/their future because there are so many environmental things that I can n ever change or do anything about...but to communicate with them, then I have to try and understand them/listen to them and what they say ...and my whole job is about 'communication'....

..and also, I don't tend to spend energy 'debating opinions' when I'm not really going to change anyone else's or they change mine most of the time..I do state them when I feel very strongly about something though....

"my whole job is about 'communication'...."


you would make a great Conservative MP


Life In The City.

...lol, I really wouldn't Arista....

You got that..from ammis post about understanding people, listening to them, and basically being compassionate? :joker:

I'm fairly certain I am addicted to Codeine

Oh burn

..that makes me feel really nauseous, well actually be sick, I was prescribed to take Tramadol and Diazepam once for back pains...whoa, what a weird combination..I wouldn't do that again...

I get a high, I love it. But it got to the point where I was taking them if I ever had a down day..

..yeah I can easily see how these things can become addictive and for me anyway, because they help you sleep..(well knock you out completely..)..then I would have trouble sleeping if I stopped taking them and was really worried about how reliant I was becoming after a short time..but everyone would say to me, oh I'll have them then, I love them lol....

Gotta love codeine. It seems to have..antidepressant qualities for me. I always feel good for a fair few hours once it kicks in. Went through a stage of having it every day a few months back, but I realised I was becoming dependent on it so cut back. I only have it now when my rib pain flairs up, but I am running out and I am worried the docs wont give me more :(

I don't see it though....
I don't see this compassion people have filtering down into the real world.
You have people who watch jezza kyle and view it like some medieval bloodsport as he tears into some toothless woman with 6 kids and an addiction to alcohol.... Or the drug addict son who stole from his disabled mother.
That is the ugly face of addiction within communities.
I see scoffing and mocking, strivers and taxpayers baying for benefits to be stripped back to nothing.
Safety nets, child services, rehab programmes, respite, and carers allowance removed.
Everyone loves to think of themselves as so tolerant, but the truth is not many are.

You can get codeine in over the counter pain killers too, like solpadeine although it's probably not as strong. They have to keep it behind the counter here and you get the talk if you want to buy it :laugh: It is a bit addictive though, I don't use pain killers with codeine in anymore because I started taking them everyday for a while as well