RIP Philip Seymour Hoffman

[SteveSmithOwns]

there's an element of irresponsibility to addiction and there's an element of predisposition for it.

 

Some people can take one hit of a drug at a party and be jonesing for another taste for weeks.

 

Meanwhile people like me can snort coke off a stripper's ass at the annual huddle admins christmas party and not feel the need to do it again for a long time.

 

Both kinds of people have to take the first plunge to see what their level of addiction is.

 

I absolutely agree with you here. The question behind the argument is if it is a choice to take the drug, which I think it is. Will it be harder for a predisposed person to stop using? absolutely. but if we as a nation say there is no way to treat drug addicts because you as a person don't have a decision to make because it's a disease and you can't control it, then there is no hope of them ever recovering. 

 

This goes against all of those who have had hard core and predisposed addictions and were still able to stop.

[MadHatter]

Well again, I would love to see some articles/data to support your theory.

 

In the PSH case atleast, it seems as if he was clean for two decades. for those two decades was he 'cured' of his disease or was he making a conscious choice to abstain?

 

All you will get is snide remarks and quips....that is his contribution.

[MadHatter]

there's an element of irresponsibility to addiction and there's an element of predisposition for it.

 

Some people can take one hit of a drug at a party and be jonesing for another taste for weeks.

 

Meanwhile people like me can snort coke off a stripper's ass at the annual huddle admins christmas party and not feel the need to do it again for a long time.

 

Both kinds of people have to take the first plunge to see what their level of addiction is.

 

Exactly.

 

No one is disputing that some people have a greater predisposition to addiction....whether it be drugs, cigarettes, caffeine, etc.

 

And, no one is disputing that once you are adicted, the symptoms and treatment takes on the say you would treat an illness.

 

But, it is ridiculous to say that drug abuse at its core is an illness.  One has to make a conscious decision to take drugs....plain and simple.  You don't make that choice and you can NEVER become an addict.  That is the personal responsiblity aspect that is missing when you call it an illness (which basically saying that it is not your fault and there was nothing you could do about it).

[TheRumGone]

Exactly.

No one is disputing that some people have a greater predisposition to addiction....whether it be drugs, cigarettes, caffeine, etc.

And, no one is disputing that once you are adicted, the symptoms and treatment takes on the say you would treat an illness.

But, it is ridiculous to say that drug abuse at its core is an illness. One has to make a conscious decision to take drugs....plain and simple. You don't make that choice and you can NEVER become an addict. That is the personal responsiblity aspect that is missing when you call it an illness (which basically saying that it is not your fault and there was nothing you could do about it).

It sucks ppl make that choice. It sucks even more when they can't stop. I'll admit to taking drugs. Some would even say hard drugs. It was easy for me to quit. I just focused on other things. It was a phase for me, others never grow out of that phase

[Zod]

All you will get is snide remarks and quips....that is his contribution.

 

You are arguing you know more than the entire psychiatric community. Its not worth much more than the few sentences I have written.

[MadHatter]

You are arguing you know more than the entire psychiatric community. Its not worth much more than the few sentences I have written.

 

I am arguing that you are wrong.

 

Bottom line is...........if you don't take drugs, you can't get addicted.  Therefore, drug use at its core is a decision....not an illness.

 

Now, once you are addicted......it is very much the equivalent of an illness.  But, you can quit drug abuse by chosing to do so.  You can't quit cancer, or AIDS, or diabetes just because you decide to.

[MadHatter]

Having abused and been addicted to a number of thing over the years I'm more inclined to come down on MadHatters side of things.

 

Ive legitimately been addicted to blow, alcohol, pain killers, and -the hardest of all to kick- nicotine and abused more addictive substances than I care to recount.  At the depths of my cocaine days I was into 3 or 4 8-balls a day.  Ive been through stretches of my life where I wasn't sober for weeks on end and not falling back into drinking too much is still something I fight.

 

BUT

 

At the end of the day it was all a choice I made.  I decided to buy the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th 8-ball of the day.  I worked at inventing methods and excuses and the just-in-case-stories if someone mentioned the smell of alcohol so I could drink on the job.

 

 

And most importantly I just got up one day and quit.

 

 

As Hatter said, you cant do that with cancer.

 

Glad to hear that you were able to beat those demons.  Can't imagine how hard it was and the hell you went through.

 

Wish my brother could finally stop as well....he continues to be off and on.  Off when he does not have the money to buy it and very on when he does.

[Inimicus]

Claiming that an addicts continued use is not a choice is proof that you've never faced the issue yourself.

 

Lots of people out there that want to make excuses for why addicts do what they do. Those excuses are centered around making the families and loved one of those addicts feel better about the addicts choice to put the drugs ahead of them.  Its easier to tell a mother that her son is sick than it is to tell her that her son would rather steal to score crack and sleep in a an abandoned house.

 

 

Every addictions counselor and NA sponsor will tell the addict the truth.  Its a choice - and today you need to choose not to use.

[g5jamz]

How does an addict stop.

 

Death or he/she CHOOSES to stop. 

[Jangler]

there's an element of irresponsibility to addiction and there's an element of predisposition for it.

 

Some people can take one hit of a drug at a party and be jonesing for another taste for weeks.

 

Meanwhile people like me can snort coke off a stripper's ass at the annual huddle admins christmas party and not feel the need to do it again for a long time.

 

Both kinds of people have to take the first plunge to see what their level of addiction is.

 

I'm so glad I could never find anybody to get opium from, I think I would love it too much

[frash.exe]

I have a health degree and have studied addiction. It's a disease. It's tough and sadly it sometimes wins no matter what resources the sick person has available. You idiots on here sitting on your high horses preaching that it was a sick person's "conscious" decision to continuously inject heroin in their arm are probably the same morons who think being a homosexual is a lifestyle "choice".

But but but appeal to BOOTSTRAPS

[4Corners]

 

 

Bottom line is...........if you don't take drugs, you can't get addicted.  Therefore, drug use at its core is a decision....not an illness.

 

 

 

Hey there Bill Nye - people get addicted to things besides drugs and alcohol. 

 

Too bad your daddy KT isn't around anymore. 

[MadHatter]

Hey there Bill Nye - people get addicted to things besides drugs and alcohol. 

 

Too bad your daddy KT isn't around anymore. 

 And in EVERY one of those cases, they CHOSE to put whatever they became addicted to into their bodies...whether that be drugs, alcohol, caffeine (which I am addicted to by the way), etc.  This makes it a CHOICE...not an ILLNESS.

 

 

 

Thanks for playing....you win the Biggest fuging Idiot of the Day award.

[4Corners]

 And in EVERY one of those cases, they CHOSE to put whatever they became addicted to into their bodies..

 

babies born with chemical dependencies did not. You need to look in a mirror before you call someone an idiot.