Posts by Nancy Ward37

Hannah Davis18 said:Ugh, I am seriously fried. 🤣
I forgot to mention that;

it’s the exact same keyboard used to claim drugs fry your brain—only now, that same keyboard is acting all shocked by its own prejudices: wow.

Personally, I have my fair share of biases against people who make excuses for drug use—those folks likely have fried brains, though maybe it's genetics rather than the substances themselves.

rustytiger19 said:you aren't even surprised?????? well, good for you!
And why on earth is it considered "normal" for society to judge former addicts? Is it because they got clean? Because they decided to help others struggling with the same issues?? You really aren't surprised, are you....

I appreciate you clarifying that you aren't surprised by dealers or active users—but targeting former addicts? That’s exactly why addiction remains such a taboo subject. It's because of people like you who pretend to be helping while acting like experts, when in reality, you're just spouting rehearsed clichés. 👎

I'm tempted to just ignore you, but I won't. I have no desire to convince you of anything; I'm simply stating my opinion. To clarify:
Since they used to steal and everything, people view them through a negative lens. They caused harm to the community, so naturally, people remain suspicious. Even after rehab, people change—they aren't those same individuals anymore—but society keeps judging them because they refuse to believe in the possibility of recovery.

As for the dealers, I'd throw them in jail and toss the key. Was I clear enough for you?

Hannah Davis18 said:I honestly can't wrap my head around it—just a bunch of dirty thieves, scrambling for every last cent. I mean, really, who could possibly think anything good of them after stunts like that?😕

Look, if someone gets clean and wants to get back in the game, why wouldn't we give them a shot? I don't get what's so confusing about that. Everyone screws up—more or less—but we shouldn't be throwing them out on the street just because of a mistake. We should be trying to help them instead.

brightstag92 said:A requiem for lost dreams. Truly an excellent film. 👍 The psychological profiles of addicts are captured with brutal accuracy.
And now... I don't quite follow why you think drug use isn't a taboo, but rather our everyday reality. Why can't both be true at once? 😕

That’s the one. It gave me nightmares—honestly—but the film is brilliant because it doesn't sugarcoat anything. I'd tell any young person to watch it.

As for it not being a taboo among younger generations—well, people talk about it just as openly as they talk about the local NFL team playing like garbage. I'm not going to judge older folks for staying quiet about it; they have their own preoccupations, and frankly, their youth was a completely different era from ours.

If anything, I'd say the real issue is the massive stigma surrounding recovering addicts—the way society looks down on them, or even just the label "junkie" (which sounds terrible, I know, but there it is).

Look, I’m not against any specific treatment method. My point was simply that rehab isn't for everyone—but hey, that's why we have choices. The real issue with people who leave a program only to slide right back into their old habits—you know, the drugs—is that they clearly didn't finish the work properly.

Whether it's taboo or not, I’d much rather see the government go after the dealers—cracking down on the supply and kicking them out of society—than just focusing on the substances themselves. Maybe I'm wrong, but that's how I see it. It’s a fact that society tends to judge former addicts, which honestly isn't surprising, even if I personally believe everyone deserves a second chance.

Alcoholics face a massive uphill battle; very few of them actually admit they have a disease or commit to getting help.

rustytiger19 said:Good grief... where do I even start? First off, kudos to you guys for even bothering to argue with Nancy Ward37. Pro tip: don't. You can't help people like that. And Nancy Ward37—look, I respect the passion, but you're acting way too high and mighty about something you clearly don't understand.
And quit trying to pick fights over things you haven't seen. Even if you actually watched someone retching and vomiting for 21 days straight—you couldn't. Not even with the worst heroin addicts does the vomiting last 21 days!!! It’s maybe 5 or 6 at most...
Anyway, I'm over it. That's not the point here....

So, we've basically established that drugs are still a massive taboo in America, even though they're becoming less so and information is more accessible. It would all be different if people just stopped reading between the lines and actually tried to educate themselves properly...

Someone mentioned non-profits issuing drug warnings—there used to be (and probably still is) this NGO called ŠPICA (or something like that) whose activists would hand out flyers at parties. Those flyers laid everything out—exactly what every drug does and how to help someone who's overdosed.
That was, say, a commendable move. I don't know if they're still doing it, but I hope they are...

- drugs are taboo
-pedophiles are taboo
-prostitution is taboo

Maybe it's because people don't want it in their lives, or maybe they just don't want to talk about it over coffee.

Hannah Davis18 said:How can you say they aren't earning anything?

They’re basically doing odd jobs—making crafts for local markets, fixing furniture at a local repair shop, even helping people move.

I wasn't impressed; I just felt sorry for them. These second-year residents are working themselves to death without any actual benefits—the commune gets state funding while parents end up paying just to get their kids admitted.
When someone leaves, they don't even report the departure; instead, they pocket the government assistance meant for the ward for another month or two.
I wasn't impressed by them—people who were living totally reckless lives just yesterday, yet now have zero empathy for my views—and I'm not even talking about drugs, just general life philosophies.
Even a close friend of mine—someone I knew long before his ordeal with addiction—started preaching fables after joining the commune, looking at everything through "Biblical glasses."
His sudden intolerance toward things he was doing himself just a few years ago is honestly baffling; it’s like his brain has been completely rewired.

Why is faith such a negative thing for you? He wasn't looking at the world through "Biblical glasses" when he was an addict, and I highly doubt he cared about social services back then...
Well, it's better that they're working than wandering the streets.

I realize I’m largely to blame for us drifting so far off track here. My point was simple: drugs aren't some untouchable taboo—they are a part of our daily reality. Our society is poisoned to the core by this issue, and we need to root it out completely. We have to educate people on just how destructive this stuff really is.
I caught a movie on TV recently—I think it was called Requiem for a Dream, or something along those lines; I can't quite recall the exact title. It was harrowing. Honestly, I’d show that film to kids in middle school just to make sure the idea of using drugs never even crosses their minds.

They grow their own produce and tend to their livestock. Honestly, what’s the problem there? They believe in God and pray daily—where’s the issue with that? They help their neighbors, learn foreign languages, and practice being generous and honest.

I don't see anything wrong with that.

Hannah Davis18 said:Yeah, they’re all dressed down 👍
they grow their own veggies, raise cows, no phones...

It’s funny how much an addict costs😲 versus what the TV tells you—that these communes actually make money and contribute back to society.
Now, suddenly, there’s a need for cash for basic supplies😛
and even getting into one of these places isn't cheap.😳

Wait, you need money just to join?????
No phones?????
Basic necessities:
- People in these communities still brush their teeth—unless you think you can plant toothpaste in a garden somewhere.
- I hear they wash clothes too.
- They need clothing and footwear.
- They pay for electricity, water, heating.
- They buy other hygiene products.
- Etc.

In a commune, nobody is "earning" a salary. There’s no profit motive. They grow food and raise animals for themselves, sure, but they also help out the community if needed (like a rural settlement helping a family struggling with food by sharing their homegrown produce). They even support foster kids in South America.

You talk about the cost of getting sober or finding a real path, which is fine, but you completely ignore the cost of drugs—how much money is wasted on them, the funeral costs for someone who dies from an overdose, or the sheer mental toll and heartbreak inflicted on the families left behind.

Every time I’ve visited one of these communities for a meeting, I came home feeling richer than when I left. I can't quite describe the feeling. These guys—the men in the community—blow me away every single time with how honest and open they are about everything. I don't get why people judge them; personally, I think what they're doing is incredibly positive.

William White2 said:1. Just because someone is in a rehab facility doesn't mean they're there solely for detox—in this case, offshore facilities are basically just a way to bypass our local legal system.

2. And if someone runs away from a center, it doesn't automatically mean they left because of drugs. If you lock someone up who has never even touched a substance, don't be surprised when they try to make a break for it.

The type of community I’m talking about takes in all those lost kids who just couldn't find their footing—at least, that's how they frame it. It isn't strictly limited to drug addicts. Before anyone actually joins, there's a two-month intake process (which is exhausting) where they vet people and walk them through the rules so everyone knows what they're getting into. For women, that prep period is actually six months. They can—and will—turn you away if they decide your motives aren't genuine.
The conditions aren't exactly easy, but if you're actually serious about recovery, that shouldn't matter. You're surrounded by people who have walked similar paths; there's a shared understanding there. Nobody's judging—everyone is just helping each other out.
There are several different programs out there, so people can choose the one that fits them best.

William White2 said:1. Just because someone is in a rehab facility doesn't mean they're there solely to detox—in this case, these out-of-state facilities are basically a way to bypass our local legal system.

2. And if someone runs away from a center, it doesn't automatically mean drugs were the cause. If you lock a person up who has never even touched a substance, don't be surprised when they try to make a break for it.

The kind of community I’m talking about takes in all sorts of lost kids who just couldn't find their footing. At least, that's how they define themselves. It isn't strictly limited to drug addiction. When someone joins one of these programs, there’s a two-month intake period—which is exhausting, by the way—where they vet people and make sure everyone understands the rules before diving in. For women, that preparation phase can last six months. They actually have the authority to turn people away if they feel the person's motivations aren't genuine.
The conditions aren't easy, but if you're truly committed to recovery, that shouldn't matter. You're surrounded by people who've walked similar paths—people with common ground who don't judge, but instead focus on helping one another.
There are plenty of different organizations out there, so anyone can pick the one that fits them best.

William White2 said:God, this is so frustrating... 😠

Look, don't you get it? When you're 3108 miles stuck at home, you need at least one thing in your life to just lose your mind over.

Man, you lose your cool way too easily. The point is—and look at people fleeing from Russia, they were doing it for drugs, too. You have to realize that's all they think about. Once you join a community, you know the rules, and you have to be honest with yourself if you actually want to make it work.

William White2 said:Yeah, sure—his buddy went off for treatment near Barcelona, and those old folks just bled him dry, dollar after dollar...

Treatment in Spain: 6:30 AM wake up and prayer, 7:00 AM breakfast, work until 1:00 PM, lunch, prayer, work until 7:00 PM, dinner, prayer, sleep.
To make matters worse, he wasn't even allowed to talk to anyone—except for "essential" conversations. Only the people who had been there for years were granted that privilege.

The guy fled the first time, but he had nowhere to go—just wandered around Barcelona. He successfully escaped the second time, came here, found a job and an apartment, and now he’s supposedly doing fine.

And all of that costs money.

He wasn't allowed to talk??????
Only "essential" conversations???????
That is simply not true. And the fact that your friend ran away just to get high is a completely different issue—because for them, the money is ready (the funds their parents provided when they arrived) if they want to head back home.

As for the prayers—that part is true. That’s how Christian communities work; they are open to everyone. They have other options where there isn't as much praying if that’s such a sticking point, since I can see it clearly is. It’s just like how you accused me of having no clue about drugs—which I don't, except regarding the consequences—well, I could tell you that you have no clue about these communities, but that’s beside the point right now.
Parents providing money is a fact, though I'm not familiar with the specific transfer process. Besides, I would give millions for my own child just to get them on the right path. That money goes toward their food, clothes, and basic necessities because the government doesn't fund them.

William White2 said:so how is it that people actually die after an alcohol-induced seizure?

I don't know much about the specifics—and yes, people do die from it—but my take is that it happens because the brain has already been fried by the booze.

Alcohol and drugs aren't the same thing.

Hannah Davis18 said:It depends on the person—but honestly, looking at those coming back from rehab, I’d rather just take the pills and try to quit on my own.

Anyway, it's easy to talk about locking people up and calling it a failure.

The relapse rate is incredibly high.
And hey, it's not even a bad deal; grabbing a little cash from the government👍—some of these communities are seriously underfunded.

The programs I’m talking about don't get a dime from the government—and even if they did, who knows how much money it would actually take to make it "worthwhile" for anyone to profit. Also, I find it pretty strange that you're rambling about incarceration and failure rates.
At least 70% of them succeed—and it isn't about being locked up, because their doors are wide open and they can leave whenever they want. It’s about learning how to actually function and value things in life they previously ignored. You have people who were living on the streets and hitting rock bottom one day, and today they’re speaking multiple languages and picking up skills they never even dreamed of—all while knowing exactly what those chemicals do to the body and how close they came to losing everything.

Hannah Davis18 said:I certainly haven't heard anyone claim that methadone therapy is somehow more humane than prayer and willpower.

I'm not entirely sure what you're getting at here. Look—work, prayer, and humility? That's salvation. Pills? Not so much.

William White2 said:I mean, I'm not so sure—what if someone dies without therapy after they've already been taking 10 mg of dopamine daily?

No, they wouldn't.

William White2 said:Everything I’m reading here is just a perfect example of someone who knows absolutely nothing about drugs beyond what they skim in a newspaper headline—and let me tell you, that isn't going to solve the problem.

I'm betting you have a kid who comes home high and hides it from you because you're under the delusion that a person on drugs is somehow "out of control."

You aren't even right about the "out of control" part—it really depends on the substance—but if you want to talk about losing control, try dealing with an addict who can't get their fix.

It looks like you haven't heard of methadone addicts before.