Posts by Noah Sanchez7

Is an apology actually an excuse? I'm not even sure what that means anymore.. 😳

You should probably check out the latest thread on "Addiction Recovery," because I'd likely give you the exact same answer..

slywolf45 said:How many brain cells do you actually have left? Or rather, how many survived that last yellow haze of yours?
Regarding that bolded part... you aren't exactly speaking for me, are you? I work in a clinic, so what exactly are you implying, that I should be paying for my own treatment, or perhaps go beg Ljubicic to lower the drug prices? Do you honestly think I set the pricing?

Furthermore... why on earth would I personally care about curing an addict? Huh? Out of pure altruism? Honestly, it’s attitudes like yours that make me lose interest..
And don't try to frame drug use as being comparable to cancer. No one chooses to get cancer, but you? You were the one who drove the needle in yourself.

And yes, of course the injection is expensive. Look, if life-saving medications for HIV are priced so high that ordinary citizens can't touch them, I'm not sure what else you expect me to say..

And don't go assuming I'm some wide-eyed innocent who's never touched anything. I've seen plenty, but I was smart enough to know when to walk away.

Maybe I'm currently channeling all my intellect toward accepting and normalizing addiction from a global perspective, so that in the future, if I happen to use again, I won't feel quite so much guilt...

There isn't much left to say here... I'm out of comments.👎

Not the first one. Definitely the second...

When I wrote that, I wasn't talking specifically to you.
I was referring to the pharmaceutical companies that manufacture them.
There are vaccines out there for almost everything, including HIV and various cancers.
But no matter how much they charge for a vaccine, the profit margin won't match what they make once a patient gets sick.
Because, as we both know, a vaccine provides long-term protection.

By the way, have you heard of the Zodiac medication?
It's a drug that makes you quit smoking effortlessly. My mom is a perfect example.
I couldn't believe my eyes when she finally quit.
That medication is overpriced here, but in the US, it's practically free.
Basically, you just have to want it.

If there's really a fight against addiction, why isn't that vaccine provided for free? Even if it's a once-a-year thing?
Then addicts wouldn't have any excuses left.

If you're going to argue about costs, then why shouldn't the government step up? Why should the state suffer because of junkies? The government wouldn't be "suffering"—on the contrary, they'd be rehabilitating people to become productive workers, which means less crime, less theft, and less of everything else. Right?

No, all jokes aside.

The first part was accurate, but the second part wasn't quite right.
I never claimed that drug use is cool or healthy; I actually made that very clear in some of my previous posts.

Perhaps I am just currently channeling my intellect toward accepting addiction from a global perspective, just so I don't feel quite as guilty if I ever decide to go down that road again...🙄

brightridge59 said:@Noah Sanchez7
You’re such an incredibly bright (young😕 ) guy, but it’s a real shame how much you’re weighed down by your addiction. Even if you aren't actively using, it’s like this shadow that follows you everywhere. Every single thread you start somehow circles back to drugs, and in every discussion—whether yours or someone else's—you try to convince people that using is actually cool, or even "healthy" (!), if they just choose to see it that way. Honestly, man, you really need to move past that innate, nihilistic streak of yours. 😉

@Teenah
I honestly don't get why you came here looking for help of any kind, because when I read through your posts, all I see is one apology after another. Do you want to know why your child cries the very second you step away from them? It's because they feel you—they sense your struggles and the grip your addiction has on you. Please, don't be naive and stop trying to convince yourself that what you're doing is "right" or the only way to handle your situation. If you truly wanted to get clean, you would have done it already. It really is as simple as that.
Instead, you showed up here and found support from yet another addict—one who, frankly, is still a question mark🙄 regarding whether he's actually sober—who now acts like some enlightened guru, lecturing everyone on the forum as if he’s the only person to ever survive this. 👎

It makes sense.
I'm basically just a broken kid screaming for one more fix! 😁

quiethound45 said:Regarding child abuse—maybe try re-reading your own comment alongside the very first post in this thread..
Hopefully, you'll see the connection there...😉

You should probably read through all the other posts alongside the first one; hopefully, that will give you a clearer picture of what's going on.

quiethound45 said:There are noble causes worth fighting for, and then there’s just utopian nonsense..
It’s like how if you start looking for the first kind, tomorrow a predator will be demanding their rights too, because we're apparently so pathetic that we won't admit they should be locked away for hurting a six-year-old, or that they need society to provide them with medication because they're sick and it's a mental health issue.
I could maybe wrap my head around that, since a mental disorder is a condition that might be subconsciously driven, but to consciously and willfully inject yourself three times a day—systematically destroying yourself and everyone around you through sheer habit—that’s just pure stupidity.
Well, if someone wants to live like that, more power to them..
Helping people who systematically and intentionally create their own messes, only to turn around and demand the government or the system step in to support their "choice" to engage in such idiocy—isn't that the definition of a utopia?
If you consciously dragged yourself into the gutter out of your own weakness or desire, then you should be the one pulling yourself out.
Nobody is forcing anyone to use drugs..
You reap what you sow..
That's just how it works..
And nothing in this world is free. People work to feed their families, from doctors to pharmaceutical companies. So you expect people to work for free for some idiot who decided to indulge themselves, wasted massive amounts of money on insurance or healthcare, and ended up ruining lives—including their own—only to play the victim and claim they're too weak and sick to need help without assistance?
Give me a break..
You're talking nonsense...
There are starving people and those with terminal illnesses in this world...
People like that should be charged double instead of getting everything handed to them for free. It's already more than enough that they get access to sterile needles and generic prescriptions. In my opinion, that money could have been spent much better elsewhere..
Because these individuals are hollowed out inside. They're ruins. They have always been, and always will be, a drain on society.
Instead of helping someone with cerebral palsy, the resources go to an idiot capable of stealing from their own mother for a single gram..
If they're willing to sell themselves for insurance coverage, then they can sell themselves to pay for their treatment, if that's truly what they want...

If you were any smarter, you wouldn't compare a predator to an addict.
A predator who directly inflicts physical and psychological pain on another person, especially a child, is not the same as an addict who, if they cause anyone pain, does it exclusively to themselves!!

Since you aren't any smarter, I can't really blame you..

Just to reiterate, I am done using drugs.;

But really, is it actually abnormal to fight for the rights of others, even when there is nothing in it for you??!!

Think about it..

quiethound45 said:I guess you have a point..
reading that post, it reminds me of those pride parades and all that push for rights..where's the money coming from?..if you want to deal with the consequences of your own choices—it's your call. if someone forced you or pushed you—no... then nobody's stopping you, so just stay quiet and suck it up however you see fit..
it's the same thing with addicts..
who's to blame if they choose to use..if they're making foolish decisions, that's on them..in a few years, there'll just be one less fool out there.🙂

shame on you! 👎

You clearly don't get it, and honestly, you're the ones acting pathetic here.

I'm not asking for anyone's help, yet everyone keeps pulling at me, expecting ME to be the one to step up.
Who am I talking about? This entire society.

If you all claim to be such big-hearted philanthropists and humanitarians, then why aren't you providing these medications for free? Instead, pharmaceutical giants just want to make a quick buck off some "poor addict."
It’s like they’d rather we just buy a thousand doses from them than let a dealer handle it.
That is pure hypocrisy, and it's the worst kind.

And that is exactly why I'll go to the dealers first.

I’m not sure if any of you have heard about blockers.
They basically neutralize the effects of any drugs, including heroin.
There are three types available >> pills, injections, and implants.

I stick to the pills because they’re the cheapest option. One pill lasts me two days, and during that time, I can take as much coke as I want and it’ll feel like I just drank a glass of water. It’s the same deal with oxycodone, Tramadol, and stuff like that.
Now, an implant that lasts two months goes for about $650, and an injection that works for a month is around $430.
Where am I supposed to get that kind of money?

I recently heard there’s this new injection that lasts for an entire year! And wouldn't you know it, it costs $3,200...?!

A blocker is hands down the most effective way to get clean, mostly because you realize there's no point in chasing a high when you know it won't hit.
If some "addict" were to get that one-year injection, do you know what that actually means for them?
It means no coke for a whole year. And during those twelve months, they aren't just going to sit at home waiting for the clock to run out; they’ll likely try to get back into a normal routine.

So, I’m asking you good people—specifically those working in the outpatient clinics who claim to care so much about helping addicts recover—can't this be made a little more affordable, or even free???

It's just more proof that everything is about the money. Nobody actually gives a damn about us addicts.

Chris Peterson53 said:Oh, you are: you're owned by the drug!
Your posts are nothing more than the glorification of your own choices—namely, drugs!
Look, I'll give you credit for choosing to live that way, but only as long as you aren't hurting anyone else! And you *are* causing harm, simply through these destructive posts of yours.
But the author's child didn't get a choice in the matter!
Your little philosophy regarding free will doesn't apply here.
Every single person—whether it's a government agency or an individual—has a right to protect that child!
And for the mother, that protection is her absolute priority!
The facts presented in these threads (and I mean that with respect to the authors) are things a mother needs to sit with and reflect on. They carry extra weight because they're coming from addicts themselves.
As someone who is sober, these posts have opened up entirely new perspectives for me...
And as a mother, my heart goes out to the author; I truly hope she finds the strength to pull through!
Parents sacrifice all sorts of things for the sake of their children. Especially mothers, because
giving birth is the easy part—the hardest thing is carrying the weight of responsibility for a child who never asked to be brought into this world!
Regardless of how much of a hellish nightmare detoxing is, I believe love and responsibility for a child should always win out!

I view this entire thread as an ethical question, but one rooted in reality.
If George Ramirez11 had come forward three years ago saying she wanted to have a baby while on probation, everyone would have assumed the kid would definitely be born with issues, which turned out not to be the case.
I think most people form their opinions based on what they've heard, rather than what they've felt. And they don't feel much because they've already been told something is dangerous or harmful, so they avoid it altogether.
That's their loss.

So here we are, entering a new millennium with the mindset that weed is the gateway to the path of death, self-destruction, and everything terrible imaginable...
But is weed really that? Are there other factors regarding it that we should consider?

I realize my opinion goes against the grain, but that won't stop me from thinking this way.
Even most of the problems caused by it stem from a lack of money to finish the job; if you have the funds, if you have the product, you aren't causing harm to
another living being.
As for harming myself, I don't see the point in arguing about it. It isn't selfish of me to "destroy" myself and thus affect my family; the selfish ones are those who judge my behavior in the first place.

So, you have every right to despise something, and I won't give you any grief for that, but you don't have the right to tell me I can't have a positive opinion about something—even if it were heroin..

No, I wasn't talking about lifestyle. That would just be silly, crude, and pathetic.

The issue here is that the culture in this area is such that the mere mention of the word drugs makes people recoil in disgust, without them actually knowing or understanding what they're talking about.

Yesterday, some Jehovah's Witnesses knocked on my door and left a brochure. My mom just commented on how they're a cult, saying they proselytize and that I should stay far away from them. 🙄
The word "cult," in any form used by the public, carries a negative connotation, even when people don't know an absolute thing about cults beyond the label itself.

As far as I know, in the US, the term "drugs" covers both medication and illicit substances. To me, that's a much more accurate way to define the concept.
If you look up the definition of "drug," you'll see it actually refers to a medicinal substance—which it is—but we humans are so "smart" that we try to ban every single therapeutic substance. 👎
Of course, since it's a medicinal substance with a pleasant effect, human nature dictates that it's perfectly normal to want more and more.
And ultimately, if you lack the ability to control that desire, you become a slave.

@Ciara, if you felt targeted or anything like that, then you really don't get where I'm coming from.

My whole point isn't that I have an issue with people taking anxiolytics, antidepressants, xanax, or whatever else—but I also don't have an issue with someone using heroin. My main point is specifically that those who rely on prescription meds shouldn't be judging addicts, because at the end of the day, they're both just dealing with dependency.

Furthermore, I want to prove that a person has the right to be vulnerable, the right to try to help themselves, and the right to do so on their own terms without needing a doctor's permission.

I also want to show that for some people, addiction is a life path they've chosen, not just some tragic mistake. You don't have to respect that choice, but you shouldn't judge it either.
Someone choosing the "path of least resistance" might be viewed as "lesser" on some moral hierarchy compared to someone taking the "hard road"—which we could call the righteous path—but that doesn't give anyone the right to condemn or cast them aside. We aren't living in the Middle Ages,
or in a society based on slavery.

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Here’s a simple example: Did you know that under certain laws here in the US, you can actually face up to a year in prison just for growing a single plant in your garden? One single plant!!
Now I ask you, how does that hold up against common sense?
Who actually has the authority to arrest me just because I'm growing a plant in my backyard, even if I plan to smoke it later?

Anthony Bailey3 said:Up, there are parallels between teenah’s situation and yours—but let’s not mistake them for being identical.
Sure, she has the right to choose, but that choice comes with a massive weight of responsibility—she already made the call to carry this child despite her addiction, and thank God the baby is healthy. Now, if that kid has to watch their mother slowly fade away... in ten years, they might grow up thinking their mother didn't love them enough because she chose death over living for them. That is devastating—nobody deserves that...
The decision belongs to teenah; we can only influence things so much, if at all. If I could say anything, I’d try to nudge her toward choosing a life free from Horse instead of facing a slow, agonizing decline toward death—which is just an inevitable fact here—especially since it seems like she actually wants to live for her child.
And your situation is your own choice too... picking the lesser of two evils, as you put it.
Personally, the idea of being a slave to addiction is terrifying—I actively fight that urge to chase a "sensation seeking" high just to numb my brain for a few hours and get some rest... But when the comedown hits, everything is still right where I left it... waiting for me...

How many mothers walk away from their kids without being addicts? For instance, my brother's mother (on his dad's side) just flat-out abandoned him when he was three.
And how many families deal with deaths that leave a child without one or both parents?
Take my father, for example. He passed away from natural causes when I was 14. He was a casual drinker, too. Maybe that wasn't the cause, maybe it was. Even if it was, I’d be a total idiot to hate him or blame him for it.
Was alcohol more important to him than me?
What a stupid, selfish question that is!!
I love him exactly as he was, and I'll always remember him as a good man.
Actually, I'm starting to think that good people just tend to leave us sooner; it kind of makes sense.

Secondly, what's the point of all these anxiolytics and antidepressants? You say you're scared of addiction and the "high," but I have to ask: if those medications aren't that, then what are they?
I don't know if you take them, but plenty of people do.
People will argue, "Oh, that's different!" >> No, it isn't. It's the same thing, if anything, it's worse.
Ustanes, and like Dubravka would say, you "pop an antidepressant" and head out into the world >> feeling happy because you think that pill is going to fix the obvious misery inside you >> and you tell yourself, "Yeah, now I'm finally normal!"

Fuck that.
There is life and there is death. The world celebrates life and tells you to "put a smile on your face," even when nothing is funny. And then, the poor individual realizes it was much easier to
fake it through the cracks, ending up in an even deeper darkness just because they were trying to be positive.

quiethound45 said:Come on, you're making excuses for them now...
Drug use (especially hard drugs) has never been good, positive, normal, or acceptable.
For one simple reason: those people are killing themselves. Slowly, maybe, but they are.
If they want to throw their lives away, that's on them.
It's just another group of ruined, broken lives resulting from their own stupidity and weakness...
But the child isn't at fault in any of this. 😠

How can you not get that an addict has the right to be an addict and destroy themselves if they choose to.
It's their life, and it's their choice.
Am I in the same "mess" as you? Yeah, I am.
And you know what? I'm checking out now, and I'll go through rehab just so I can stop being a burden on my family. Once I feel like myself again, I'll just go right back to it and use until the day I die.

Because to me, a straight life is just as much of a disaster, so I might as well just swap one disaster for another..

@quiethound45,

Even in paradise, you’re bound to run into some rot...
Are we even human...?
Are we really people...?

That is exactly my point. What should be "taken away" from people who act like that? If I may ask, are their children being taken from them? Do they even have a right to a family or a "normal" life?
And if they do, what's the problem?
Who among us is actually blind here?

That mother struggling with addiction uses drugs because she actually feels things—things that hurt her—unlike those people in the video who feel nothing and understand nothing.
She might not live long, but I am certain she won't teach her kids any of the nonsense shown in that video!

My posts might not be perfect, but I'm sure they aren't helping her situation one bit.

I won't pretend to have all the answers, but why not at least try to move past stereotypes like being a criminal or an addict? Try to imagine what it’s actually like to live with someone on heroin.

Sure, it's a bit of an unconventional family, but I wouldn't call it much more than just being "unconventional."

quiethound45 said:What kind of mother are you going to be once you're gone?
It’s an obvious reality—nobody survives heroin long-term. The only way to survive is to get clean.
What is your little boy going to think about his mother when he finds out? He will find out one day. It’s inevitable.
And what is all this junk actually for? To feel "normal"? I feel that way every single day—and honestly, it's not worth it. Between the cost, the constant pressure, the debts, hunting for a fix, the needles, and all the other bullshit that comes with trying to maintain that version of "normal"... it's just not worth it.
Get rid of it, no matter how hard it gets. Give the kid back to his family and go into rehab.
In two or three years, that child is going to need someone he can actually rely on.
Things can't work like this. You have to realize that until you make a change, absolutely nobody is going to be able to help you.
Oh, and one more thing—if you don't get clean, they’ll take him away from you anyway. But it doesn't matter, because you're already losing him every single day. If you do change, maybe he'll actually find someone who stays around to see his high school prom, his first girlfriend, or his wedding...

Just think about it—everything depends on you. No one else, just you.
The choice is yours. Only yours.
If you choose indifference, you're choosing ruin for your son.
If you choose to fight this, you're choosing life—firstly for yourself, and then for him too.
Your child deserves more than a mother struggling with addiction and a father involved in crime... and when he eventually realizes that, it might be too late.
Take action.
Good luck.🙂

So, because her husband is behind bars, you think she doesn't need more space?
Honestly, if even the husband is struggling, then things are pretty rough. But as long as they’re willing to provide everything a child needs—especially love, which is what matters most—nobody has any right to interfere or take their kids away.

That is just plain cruel!

Alexander Lewis said:Let’s get one thing straight: I have nothing but contempt for drugs.
To me, this whole social services situation feels like pure state-sponsored fascism—just total government overreach at the individual level. If a woman is functioning perfectly fine and taking care of her child, where on earth does the state get the authority to harass her with intrusive inspections and constant threats? Honestly, this is just another reason why people are opting out of parenthood: you can't raise a family when you're constantly dodging state terror.

Exactly!

I hear that in America, they might soon make high school mandatory!!

How can you even force someone to do something.
The legal essence should be that you're only at fault, or subject to a penalty, when you actually harm someone else—or rather, infringe on someone else's freedom.
So what now, people don't even have the right to be stupid anymore?

I'm just here to listen and contribute where I can. Hope everyone is having a good one. Noah Sanchez7 says:
Look, Noah Sanchez7, I’m honestly thinking about reporting you for being completely out of line—especially since one of your posts here was already wiped. I managed to catch a glimpse of it before it vanished, and I really hope that girl isn't actually following your lead. But, I don't want to be a jerk; I believe everyone should have the right to speak their mind, and censoring people feels pretty undemocratic. Anyway, getting straight to the point: I see you popping up on the psychology forums from time to time. I’m not around here nearly as much as you are, so I haven't read a million of your posts, but...
It seems like you might be dealing with some personal issues, and while I won't pry into your mental health—that's none of my business—you come across as a bit burnt out. Please don't take this personally, but it’s evident in the way you communicate. You tend to over-abstract and generalize your advice, which can really mislead someone who is already feeling lost and desperate for clarity. You try to rationalize everything, but your high-energy rhetoric is often too ambiguous. Even when you're right, your posts end up being unintentionally unconstructive. You seem like a bright person, but the way you frame your thoughts makes your advice difficult to actually use. Psychologically dangerous..
We probably wouldn't all be calling each other out if we didn't mess around during serious discussions, but I don't think there's any room for jokes or emojis when it comes to this. That child shouldn't have to grow up watching their mother struggle through an overdose or die because they can't afford their next fix. And she doesn't deserve to be misled by quick fixes that only drag her deeper into the hole. No one can force someone to change if they aren't ready—let's hope she finds her way—but plenty of people have made it out of rehab and rebuilt their lives. It takes grit, it takes setbacks, and it takes time. Recovery is brutal and messy; it’s two steps forward and three steps back, which I'm sure you understand. We need constructive support here, not defeatism.

I respect your candid take, and I agree that sometimes I "lose it" too. But I only do that when I feel like it’s the only way to make things work if all else fails.
I have to admit, I’m stepping off the high horse here because I completely get where she’s coming from. Maybe not entirely—I'm younger and don't have kids yet—but I'm definitely watching this whole "adulting" thing from the sidelines, noticing all the cracks in the system.
It honestly bothers me how many people have weighed in on this thread, mostly because I see the whole issue through a different lens. It feels like we’ve reached an era where society is finally moving past discrimination against groups like Black Americans or the LGBTQ+ community. But what about addicts?
Nobody even asks, and nobody cares. They just toss them onto the floor like old rags, leaving them with absolutely no room to live a decent life.
I find that completely unacceptable, especially since more than half the people here can't even function without xanax and other anti-anxiety meds.
What? What’s the difference?
And don't even get me started on alcoholism.

Just my honest opinion—and maybe this sounds a bit trivial—but I think she should let her grandmother handle the paperwork for a while. It might give her some breathing room, especially while her husband is still serving his sentence. She’s already dealing with so much right now, and honestly, there isn't any realistic way for her to get everything sorted out at this moment.
Or even better, since she needs some kind of "program" to follow, she should just enroll in a treatment plan using Suboxone or something similar. I really hope that doesn't result in CPS stepping in to take the kids.
Because if he keeps this up, he’s going to start falling apart in the most literal sense, and he won't have any moves left to make.
I'm aware of that.