Sympathy for those with addiction

Kermit.de.frog

Depends on the situation. Anyone can give up alcohol/smoking but the stresses of their own lives may get in the way of the control and confidence they need to build. This is not always the case though. Some with a bad hand give up these things all the time. I'd say it just takes a lot more short term pain/effort.

I'd be far less sympathetic to smokers/drinkers/whatever with a good job, education, and less to worry about in life etc etc.

con___manx1

I have a gambling addiction and had problems with drugs in my younger days

I would sympathise with the girl.

I never stole from anyone but I hated myself. It was self destruction that drove me. Psychological problems.

I have the addiction under control a few years now. Life is good.

This girl has problems. She has that self destruction in her to.

She needs support from the people that love her.

They need to educate themselves and understand more about addiction.

Liberty_Bear

Per Con above its all like a vicious cycle that perpetuates itself. On one hand you have this need that stops you feeling the pain you have, you come out of the state of excitement/Drunkeness/high etc and then feel shame. To stem the shame you take whatever it is you are on to numb that pain. Wash rinse repeat. Addiciton aint easy I can imagine for people. Ive had issues with drug addicts in town and had to firmly tell them not to bother me again but its an illness. No one asked for it, just happens to people.

Strumms

Sympathy for people addicted to legal substances, things… alcohol etc.

no sympathy for anyone with an addiction to cocaine, heroin, amphetamines, etc… supporting criminals, serious criminals, enabling murder and destruction.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119266801#Comment_119266801

i think you need to back off berating anyone with a different perspective from you here

we as a country have huge issues with addiction historically and it's highly likely any one person with a strong opinion on these issues has a personal reason for holding it.

i have a specific perspective on the idea that any addict becomes a full time job to prop up for the people around them regardless of how much time, energy, attention and resources have already gone into them or that there's always an onus to keep trying to understand and persevere.

and if there's one thing my experience has made me hate it's the do-gooder who wags an easy finger at the people who decide that they won't become a support function for a person that wont help themselves.

you should step back and apologise or you should set out your personal expertise or experience that allows you to tell others how to feel about issues like this- more google expertise no doubt

Strumms

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119267127#Comment_119267127

Could it be the criminal justice system providing an ineffective deterrent ? Sentencing if an ineffective deterrent would be increased by 15-20%… ?

bad2thebone

It's hard to have sympathy for an addict who's violent, aggressive and brings trouble to their families. Robbing all around them and drawing dodgy people to your house looking for payback, looking for drugs etc

What some good mother's father's, siblings, friends, work colleagues etc had to put up with is absolute hell on earth, life savings gone over a drug debt not paid off. The lies, deception and promise's... walking on eggshells because of their moods and motives, paronia. Christmases ruined, birthdays railroaded, kid's confused etc

I have sympathy for the hopeless passive addict who's a loner and zero responsibility only themselves to look after, incapable of having a partner or family just an absolute wreck, they usually are law abiding citizens and spend all they have on their habit and will wait until next dole day or whenever to start the drinking or drugs again. Begging for a few quid, falling around off their heads, harmless in general but unable to get their lives together. Loner's and just cannot face the world without being off their heads. They're a minority for sure but I have more empathy for them because they're harmless divels. And would be afraid of confrontation or getting into trouble. By nature they're not violent or would harm anyone only themselves.

As for the aggressive types I just cannot be empathetic towards them, they're nothing but trouble, even when they're trying to get better,sober or clean it's hard to forgive them and their mood swings and chopping and changing is quite irritating. They get sober and clean, and they go from being demons to being on a spiritual crusade and everyone has to dance to their tune. I don't know which is worse, them being the former or the latter. As they can be quiet manipulative when they take on this new age spiritual boloxilogy, they'll talk their way out of anything, or excuse their bad behavior. Ask them about something and they'll be all philosophical about it, never a yes or no. And still inside they're quite crafty and have a lot of agendas. Everyone gets the old sob story and how well they're doing.

When the quite passive addict or alcoholic gets well they tend to get better much quicker and are more honest and caring. They get out there and they are givers rather than takers.

fatherted1969

Currently fostering a child who was born from an addict, as open minded as I'd like to think I am I find it incredibly difficult to forgive the damage she caused to the child we now have. I'm absolutely heartbroken about it. The supports are there but she needs to have the willpower to take the first step and walk away from her previous life.

I don't think I'll ever be able to forgive her for the damage she caused to her little boy 😣

kirk.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119269516#Comment_119269516

The addiction isolates you and the drug numbs the pain and isolation

They don't go away

Bit of a vicious circle

PTH2009

The 'bump' way of a night out is rampant

Tomaldo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119269560#Comment_119269560

If you're so against serious criminals committing murder, destruction blah blah, then why don't you support legalisation of said substances instead of judging people who take them. Anyway the vast vast majority of illegal drug users are not addicts, they're recreational. Also alcohol kills far more people than any banned substance that I know about.

Bobblehats

Thing about junkies, randy bastards whose prick becomes a spike even more potent and capable of a litany of devastation in their wake. Sure you’d have to neuter them

A lot of sweeping generalisations when it comes to addictions, but that tends to be normal with people who haven't experienced such addictions first hand.

I've "had" a few addictions, and each was different from the other, as were the cases as to why I started or restarted, along with the experiences each time. Physical addictions vs mental addictions (or the combination of both). My addictions have never impacted on other people, so, posters really should rein in the impulse to assume that addicts affect others around them. Some do.. many others manage their addictions, and are more private with their own habits.

I'd have sympathy for anyone suffering through an addiction, or who has "gotten over" their addiction. TBH I probably have more sympathy for those who have gotten over their addictions, because it's a near regular battle not to return to that substance when times are bad (or good, depending on the substance). God knows, I itch something bad whenever I pass a casino, or someone offers me something psychedelic. Never felt any addiction for cannabis being able to stop easily whenever I wanted, although I do miss the "feeling" of being stoned, but it's easily ignored.. whereas other substances invade my awareness more often. TBH I've found tobacco to be the hardest drug to stop for extended periods (years), although I know other people have found it relatively easy to do.

Addiction, and the substance (or whatever) involved is very personal. It's individual to that person. Yes, the substance is available commonly, but our reasons for starting/continuing/stopping are all unique to that particular person.

Bobblehats

An interesting to do is to leave some cash lying around. If they take it; they’re weak if they don’t then a truer friend than most I’ll give it to them…

kirk.

Yes it's normal for those not familiar with addiction to not understand

As evidenced here on this thread