nimblewalker58 said:Because of how we were raised, we all looked totally clueless when the war broke out in the 90s—honestly, I’d want my kid to learn from my mistakes instead of having to experience everything the hard way, maybe before it's too late.
But like, how could they have even prepared you? And when would it have been early enough for them to start?
It's hard to say anyone could've been ready for what actually went down; things happened in ways nobody could've possibly predicted. Honestly, if people knew things were going to turn into such a massive shitshow, my parents probably would've moved us out of Florida immediately.
That's basically how some of the more prominent families managed to get out just in time.
Nancy Ward37 said:Whether it’s taboo or not, I’d rather spend my energy on rehab and hunting down the people actually selling the stuff than worrying about the drugs themselves. Maybe I'm wrong, just my two cents. It's just a fact that society judges former addicts, which honestly isn't surprising, even though I feel like everyone deserves a second chance. .
it’s kind of wild to me; they're thieves, they're dirty, they're doing whatever it takes for cash... I mean, who would actually see anything good in them after seeing how they operate?😕
rustytiger19 said:so you shouldn't be so narrow-minded and just assume everything should go straight to rehab. for some people, rehab is a commune, for others it's outpatient therapy combined with work—even if some "expert" psychologists claim you can't work while you're detoxing 🙄—and for others, it's just a locked ward in a hospital.
and comparing pedophilia to addiction is just plain stupid 👎
I mean, you can work; plenty of people still handle their situation that way.👍 as for comparing pedophilia and addiction... look, I'm not easily triggered, but it honestly pissed me off when some big-shot celebrity on a huge TV show claimed that having a joint in your pocket is the same thing as handing a victim over to a rapist because he "has" to do it.👎
Look, anything that helps is fine by me; but Zoks is totally against methadone therapy, which I honestly think is way better than the alternative. I say that based on a ton of examples I've seen firsthand—dealing with all sorts of people out there.
At the end of the day, if you're an alcoholic working a regular job here in the States, you can get sick leave; you get back to your family relatively fast; and support groups are everywhere. I guess it should be the same deal with drug addiction; with therapy, you can still hold down a job, work, and actually make money; nobody's anyone to tell you what to do regarding welfare or whatever.
man, you’re totally lost; you’ve been lagging behind reality since day one. honestly, i'm all for this pathetic little country just falling apart; it's basically a failed state already. as long as we can finally cut ties with everything else, i'm good. maybe then the forum will actually be peaceful because we won't even be in the same time zone anymore; honestly, paying more for internet feels like a win at this point.
yeah, and i couldn't care less about those people either; they aren't my kin, and we definitely don't share any DNA. they're just sitting there calculating what the real odds are of us actually splitting up. it's just boring as hell.
rapidheron said:Alright, but we aren't really talking about his life before or after the addiction phase, more like the difference between when he was using and how he is now. Though, I guess there isn't much to talk about since he didn't actually manage to get clean.
So far, so good; but summer is coming; and that used to be his biggest struggle, I guess.
But it's not like nobody ever gets clean from rehab; I know this one great guy who pulled himself together at a clinic in ... Chicago; we talked about it quite a bit; so, looking specifically at them and some other sources, I still think they're better, and they do try to make sure people get back to their jobs, families, and everything else as soon as possible.
Nancy Ward37 said:Why do you think faith is such a negative thing? I mean, before he started looking at life through "biblical lenses," he was just an addict, and honestly, I doubt he gave a damn about social services... I guess it’s better they actually work instead of just drifting around the streets.
As if they wouldn't care about social security or other benefits; it's not like they aren't people, so they don't deserve it, right?👎 Faith isn't negative for me at all; plenty of my friends are practical believers; they don't judge me for how I choose to live my life.🙂
rapidheron said:...which brings us to the big question: do you think this is actually progress or just more of the same? You gotta look at his whole life perspective and how he deals with everyone—his family, his partner, even his boss.
idk, it's honestly hard for me to say; maybe it's a step forward? i mean, he's alive, but he's relapsed more times than I can count; so he'll probably just keep dragging people along through various halfway houses for a while longer. he won't listen to any ideas about seeing a therapist or anything like that; nothing else matters to him. he just doesn't know how to stop fighting everything anymore. at work, he's got zero patience for anyone else's mistakes; yet somehow, he feels the need to lecture everybody.
i've known him forever; it's just really sad to see someone turn into such a drain on everyone around them.
It's all just busy work—making cheap crafts for holiday markets, doing odd jobs... I mean, there's this local rehab center with a crew that handles furniture repair and moving services.
Honestly, they didn't impress me at all; I just feel bad for them. They've been grinding away for two years without any real benefits, while the commune gets taxpayer money from the government, and parents actually end up paying just to get their kids admitted. When someone leaves, they don't even report it; instead, they just pocket the stipend for a couple more months. They didn't win me over; I mean, people who were on the wrong path themselves just yesterday suddenly have zero empathy for my views—not even about drugs, just general life stuff. Like, I had this really good friend, someone I knew way before his whole addiction ordeal, but after the rehab program, he’s just preaching fables and seeing everything through some biblical lens. His total intolerance for things he was doing himself just a few years ago is... I don't know, it's weird. Like his brain got totally wiped or something.
Nancy Ward37 said:Look, parents handing over cash is a fact, but I don't really get how this whole sending money thing works. Honestly, I'd drop millions if it meant getting my kid on the right track. That money is just for their basic stuff—food, clothes, whatever—since the government isn't footing the bill.
Yeah, they're all "civilized" 👍 growing their own veggies, keeping cows, living phone-free...
It's funny how much one addict actually costs😲 you know? Yet on the news, they make it sound like these communes are totally self-sufficient and contributing back to society. Now, out of nowhere, they need cash for supplies😛 and even getting into those places isn't exactly cheap.😳
rustytiger19 said:someone mentioned those non-profits doing drug warnings—there used to be (and maybe still is) this one NGO called špica or something like that, where activists would hit up parties handing out flyers that actually explained everything about drugs and how to help if someone overdosed. i mean, that was a pretty solid move. not sure if they’re still at it, but I hope they are...
they do, they really do. and špica isn't the only one.
Nancy Ward37 said:I'm not really sure what you're getting at here. Hard work and being humble—plus prayer—is where the salvation is, not in some pills.
Well, depends on who you ask, I guess. Based on how people come back from those places, I’d honestly rather just take the meds and try to get clean on my own terms.
It's easy for someone to lock themselves up for two years and act like they're making progress.
The relapse rate is insanely high, anyway. and hey, it’s not even all bad; grabbing a little pocket change from the government...👍 some of those communities are actually pretty low-key about it.
Of course there is; since you're out here posting stupid links, maybe try actually looking up some info on methadone therapy for once. 😉 Besides, that first guy from Queens is telling the exact same story.
Nancy Ward37 said:someone else who talked just like you, and they ended up spending 21 days straight just vomiting and screaming while trying to detox. For them, every single day was a total war zone. They had everything going for them and honestly thought this would never happen to them, but here we are.