Discussions

It's to bad that there are only a few people here that actually understand what addiction is. Babies are born every day with addictions and they didn't ask for it and they suffer horribly. I hope that most of you here never have to deal with an addicted person because you'll only make their situation worse.

The only people who truly understand addiction are the people that suffer with it, now with saying that, I did have to hit rock bottom, a very scary place by the way, before I sobered up, and because of treatment, and the program I work every day, I feel now that I have a choice, I choose to not drink now, but when I was in my addiction, I feel I didn’t have a choice, I felt like I had to drink, it became part of my daily routine, and at the time I couldn’t have imagined life without alcohol, but also I still have heartache, because of it, I missed so many great moments cause of addiction, and I have a soft spot for people who are suffering, and there’s a lot more to seeking help than just looking for it, I for 1 have a decent job, and am a decent member of society, and to put that reputation on the line and admit that I had a drinking problem was tough for me to do, but it actually turned out for the better, because I actually found people cared more for my well being than the fact that I was an alcoholic, they were and have been really supportive, but someone who is in that position, it’s tough to ask for help, and than there are those who don’t want help, but enough said sorry for rambling on.

Residentof7thst. said "It's to bad that there are only a few people here that actually understand what addiction is. Babies are born every day with addictions and they didn't ask for it and they suffer horribly. I hope that most of you here never have to deal with an addicted person because you'll only make their situation worse. "

In my opinion, babies born with addictions should be given immediate treatment in the hospital to help them break that addiction.  
 
My friend's baby had to be on a ventilator for the first two months of his life. Because of that, he had to be put on drugs no baby should every have to take so his body would tolerate the ventilator. However, that came with serious consequences... two more months of him going through doctor supervised withdrawal for the drugs the doctors introduced to his system that he become defendant on. Watching a tiny baby go through withdrawal is not something I would wish upon anyone, however, it was a necessary evil in their case. So I know the treatment is available.  
 
I absolutely agree that babies born with addictions suffer horribly and in no way is it their fault. I wish that those babies could be given the care they deserve by having someone step in and remove them from those situations, helping them get the start in life they should have had.

My relative was addicted to alcohol for a large part of his life, he definitely left damage in his wake but was able to pull out of addiction and now has an extremely successful business. He went from the bottom 1% to the top 1%. So to immediately dismiss someone because they are an Addict is offensive, just because someone has addictions issues does not mean they cannot turn their life around.

People can be bitter and bash the addicts and blame them for bringing it on themselves, but the analogy is that  
 
they are all in the same boat, whether they were there or made bad choices and ended up there”  
 
Once there, there needs to be some compassion and treatment, because mental illness needs help, support and treatment.  
 
We can’t discriminate and refuse to help and an Addict or someone suffering from a mental illness because we are mad that they made poor choices and that if they suffer enough they will hit rock bottom and realize that they have a mental illness or an addiction,  
 
have you ever tried explaining to someone that they have a mental illness or an addiction? how did you explain to the child with autism that they had autism and they better seek treatment?

I’ve never seen such a short-sighted and selfish post. This one takes the cake! Addiction takes many forms. There’s drugs, alcohol, gambling, food, sex, shopping, and even work. I’ve even seen cases where a person was addicted to studying! The common thread was that the addict had little or no control over their addiction. The answer is not to treat the people affected, though they do need help. The medical community has actually been able to map the brain to find what triggers addictions, so help may be in the distant future.  
 
To say addiction is a choice is probably the most uneducated and childish thing I’ve heard. I’ve had the experience of living through a childhood with a mother who was rarely sober. Our family got through it by sending her to detox and she eventually went to AA. Some of us went to alanon...but now she is sober and living a healthy lifestyle.  
 
If anything, the addict needs help and support from the smiley and friends around them. As a family, if we would have played the “victim” card, my mom never had received the much needed help she got.  
 
Long story short, of you see a loved one suffering through an addiction, help them! Don’t play the victim. The real victim is the addict.