How has your life been affected by addiction?

[LSN80]

I dont expect the saucy details here, but its something to think about. Id hazard a guess that all of us here have been affected by addiction in some way, either directly or indirectly. It could as simply as having a loved one being troubled by addiction. Addiction is not just about the drug use or drinking in the alcoholic or addict. It also profoundly affects their thinking and behavior. Ultimately it affects every aspect of their lives including you, thSeir loved one. Over time it gradually affects one's thinking and behavior until they reach the point where you wonder how you got to be the person you've become.

Addiciton hs indirectly and directly affected my life. I grew up in a very conservative home, with many rules and restrictions. I rebeled against the basic rules, such as curfew and who I could date. My twin sister, however, was a different story. She began to use cocaine and heroin at 16 years old with her best friend. Im not even sure how they got the drugs, and I don't really care. But the way it affected my life was enormous. My sister became paranoid, impulsive, with no regards for the feelings of other. She got pregnant at 20, and one would think that would have been enough to get her to stop, but it wasn't. She continued to use, and between her hormones due to being pregnant. and drug use, she took eerything as an insult. My parents, being traditional, told her sje needed to marry her fiancee before she gave birth, or they wouldnt pay for the wedding. My mom told my sister in her drugged out state when she was 3 months pregnant, and my sister came at my mom with a knife. I heard them screaming and came downstairs to see my sister wielding the knife, and with no concern for her pregnancy, I tackled her and we fought over the knife. My sister has scared the crap out of me since we were kids, and as we fought, I kept picturing her stabbing me impulsively if she won the battle. Fortunately, she didnt, and she got clean after that, and has been for 9 years. I used to fool around with prescription medications from time to time when I partied, but my sister's actions scared me away, and I thank God for that.

As you can imagine, addiction had a profound effect on me. It got to the point where I had to cut my sist6er out of my life for some time, even though I knew the waay she was addicting was all drug related. But I couldnt handle who she had became, and even when off the drugs, it took some time for her to return to normal. Im not expecting a detailed story like mine, but I am curious as to how all of you have been affected by addiction and alcoholism. Hopefully the questions will help spur discussion...

Have you been affected by addiction, be it directly or indirectly in your lifetime? How so?

How would you handle a loved one who was an addict or alcoholic when the spiraled out of control? Is there some point where you would cut said loved one out of your life?

Do you believe addiction is a choice, a genetic disease, or some combination of both?

This is a topic with a broad range, so any thoughts or further discussion of this that I haven't mentioned are welcome and encouraged.

 

[Poop Master Flex]

Have you been affected by addiction, be it directly or indirectly in your lifetime? How so?

Indirectly yes. By that I mean I've known quite a few people that have suffered from some sort of addiction, the 2 that came to mind were crack and alcohol.

With crack, this person was in a relationship with a close family member who I lived with and it caused a lot of issues and headaches. There were numerous times where this person found themselves in jail (once for over a month), would often disappear for days (sometimes weeks) on end, and once even broke into this persons house (after we decided to not be roommates anymore) and stole their television and other possessions. The thing is when he was clean he was actually a pretty good person, a dumb ass yes but a good person nonetheless. It really affected myself because I was so close to the situation and was often the mediator between both parties, not only that because the addict is still in the former roommates life, it greatly affects her on a daily basis. All you can do is convince the person to get away from the addict and situation, unfortunately you can't make anyone do anything and to this day I often deal with the addict. It's not so hard on myself but I can see this greatly draining the person who has to deal with this, almost to the point where it causes her physical harm and years of emotional and mental anguish.

The alcoholic was a parent figure I didn't live with. Mostly I wasn't affected because I wasn't around it but I will say there have been nights where it got frightening, even a few nights where it became a matter of life and death because the drinking got so bad (1 incident the person stopped breathing and the other they threatened to kill their self). Over the years this person has recovered GREATLY but its always in the back of your mind, especially when things in their life aren't going well, it makes you extra cautious about the person in question.


How would you handle a loved one who was an addict or alcoholic when the spiraled out of control? Is there some point where you would cut said loved one out of your life?

Its hard to cut loved ones out of your life, no matter how much BS they put you through. Luckily for myself, in both cases above we got both parties psychological help and got both to go to rehab for a certain amount of time. The crack addict has functioned much better but still has issues of relapsing from time to time (luckily its been a while since the last one). The alcoholic on the other hand has done much better as it was discovered the reason they drank was because of deep past issues and the alcohol was a way of coping with the demons. When the demons were uncovered this person was able to stray away from getting drunk constantly because they were finally able to find the source of their drinking and finally confronted their demons. This person still will drink from time to time, even get a little drunk once in a while but the alcohol no longer controls them, which is the most important thing.

Do you believe addiction is a choice, a genetic disease, or some combination of both?

At the end of the day its a choice not a disease. The reason I say it is because in order to get addicted you have to at least try the addictive substance to be addicted, that's 100% a choice not genetic. In my experiences addictions are often psychological, as in its something you think about constantly. There is always a reason to be an addict but in all cases in my life at least every addict I know their addiction was tied to some type of issue or problem they are having in life or some psychological battle they've been dealing with for years.

Since addiction is often tied to that I find it all comes down to how you deal with your issues in life, you can become a drunk/addict or you can decide to handle your issues in a much better, healthier, more productive way. At the end its a choice on how you handle your issues, you can handle it in a constructive way or a destructive way but the choice is yours.

 

[H33LTurn]

Have you been affected by addiction, be it directly or indirectly in your lifetime? How so?
I wouldnt say addiction. I know one person who everybody considers an alcoholic but truth is they dont drink any less than he does. Maybe he does it more often but I understand he uses it to deal with situations. Everybody says that addictions are just another way to ignore your problems instead of dealing with them but some people arent going to have a miracle at that point of their life. Its better that they drink and forget than they keep their frustrations bottled up until they decide to take it out on someone else. Besides that its just frequent pot and cigarette smokers. Not much addiction there.

How would you handle a loved one who was an addict or alcoholic when the spiraled out of control? Is there some point where you would cut said loved one out of your life?
I would encourage them to seek help but theres not much I will do past that. People use drugs and alcohol to mask other deeper problems, and just getting rid of the substance wont do much help. If someones troubled the one thing everybody has to do is get to them before they get to the bottle or the pills. If they do reach that point its all about support. I wouldnt cut that person out of my life. Their addiction is part of their personal life. It has nothing to do with me. I hate people who abandon others simply because they want to ride their high horse instead of minding their own business. Nobody wants to be a junkies best friend, so people run away. I say screw what people say, I'm going to have someones back as long as they have mine.

Do you believe addiction is a choice, a genetic disease, or some combination of both?
Thats hard to say. Obviously people make a choice to take the substance but I dont believe they make a conscious decision to have a physical or mental dependance on it. We can call it a disease because addiction is when something goes beyond the point of a one time thing or a habit. Its a point of no return for most and its something that the affected person has to deal with every day of their life.

 

[LSN80]

The other thing I wanted to discuss here, and failed to bring up, is the Hardy's. I always saw Matt until two years ago as the more reliable, responsible one, but it's clear he's just as bad, or possibly worse then Jeff. His mugshot was scary bad, and his tweets were indicative of a man who's in denial about his problems. His second tweet said this:

"When the side windows glass smashed into my face, arms, and neck, some of the blood that did felt almost angelic. I went from being afraid to die to feeling like I was almost being reborn with some sort of an ABSOLUTE PURE LIFE-FORCE. It was the most amazing thing I've every experience, I felt like I'd just received the blood of an angel flowing inside me-I know this sounds crazy! Due to these, I only have urges to help people. And miraculously, all my vices are gone."

As much as I try to keep an open mind about "miraculous transformations", it makes me wonder how long Matt will keep his word about the "vices" being word. I just sense a man in denial about his personal issues and trying to save face. Im just very skeptical of Matt, as I think he's an addict just as much as his brother, and unwilling to deal with his problems. Just my opinion, I could certainly be wrong.

Over the years this person has recovered GREATLY but its always in the back of your mind, especially when things in their life aren't going well, it makes you extra cautious about the person in question.

Sadly, I find this to be incredibly true. Its so extremely hard to trust an addict or an alcoholic, even if they show they've recovered. The thought it always there of "If things go badly for them, they'll relapse, and I can't handle this anymore." Is that the best way of thinking? No. But it's true of so many of us. We have the logic of once an addict, always an addict. After all, that's what NA and AA tell people!


In AA or NA, people introduce themselves with "My name is _______, and Im an alcoholic/addict." Do you believe someone can fully recover from addiction/alcoholism, or are they forever an addict?

So many people Ive seen on this board have suggested Matt get help and go to rehab. Do you believe rehab can be an effective tool in helping others overcome their vices? Why or why not?

 

[JWGunslinger]

Have you been affected by addiction, be it directly or indirectly in your lifetime? How so? How would you handle a loved one who was an addict or alcoholic when the spiraled out of control? Is there some point where you would cut said loved one out of your life?
Yes I have, both directly and indirectly.
Indirectly my Uncle Dave has had a somewhat serious drinking problem recently, he's always been a regular drinker but never at the alcoholic level until he lost his job a few months ago. He was the rector at an Episcopal church up in Fortuna as well as a professor at College of The Redwoods, but unfortunately the college cut down his classes from 4 to just his theology class and the church thought that he was getting "too much money" and they got rid of him. The worst part of all that was losing the church position because that was his career and he and his family have given that church everything they have, they have given so much of the little they have and the money he was making there was not a large sum by any means. But he has been having a very difficult time and when I visit I try my best to help but it's difficult to figure out what to do. I do know that I would never cut my Uncle Dave or any family member out of my life, family is much too important to me.
Directly I had a drinking problem for about a year. A very close friend of mine killed herself in Sept. 2008 and it hit me hard, I started drinking and it got to the point where I couldn't go a day without at least getting buzzed. Fortunately I got some help and quit that, but it definitely changed my opinion on addiction and people who deal with it, which was pretty harsh I would say that addiction is a choice, but a very difficult one to deal with.

Do you believe addiction is a choice, a genetic disease, or some combination of both? In AA or NA, people introduce themselves with "My name is _______, and Im an alcoholic/addict." Do you believe someone can fully recover from addiction/alcoholism, or are they forever an addict? I would say that addiction is a choice, but a very difficult one to deal with. Different people's addiction's can vary in how serious they are of course depending on what they are addicted to but one thing I believe is that in cases with addiction one of the most helpful things is having one person who can be there to help you.

So many people Ive seen on this board have suggested Matt get help and go to rehab. Do you believe rehab can be an effective tool in helping others overcome their vices? Why or why not? I don't know enough about rehab facilities to make a decision about that, and obviously Hollywood makes a mockery of it. But I would say if the person who needs the rehab actually wants to get better and is motivated to get better then it could definitely work. In Matt's case I hope he does get help and I hope that he can get over it, but just guessing I would say that he will get "better" and be that way for about 2 months and then go back.

 

[LilacFray]

Have you been affected by addiction, be it directly or indirectly in your lifetime? How so?

No, never. And I know it's going to be that way.


How would you handle a loved one who was an addict or alcoholic when the spiraled out of control?
Is there some point where you would cut said loved one out of your life?

There WOULD be a point I'd finally lose it, but I really wouldn't go as far as cutting them out of my lives..
Cos that's when they want you the most. You just gotta be there for them.


Do you believe addiction is a choice, a genetic disease, or some combination of both?

I believe addiction is a choice.


In AA or NA, people introduce themselves with "My name is _______, and Im an alcoholic/addict."
Do you believe someone can fully recover from addiction/alcoholism, or are they forever an addict?

I firmly believe in willpower. If you want to do something bad enough, especially something like recovering from addiction/alcoholism, you CAN.


So many people Ive seen on this board have suggested Matt get help and go to rehab.
Do you believe rehab can be an effective tool in helping others overcome their vices? Why or why not?

Like JW said, I don't know much about Rehab and what exactly happens there. And Hollywood DOES make it sound pretty useless. But trying wouldn't hurt, right?
So I believe Matt should get some help like that.

 

[Mustang Sally]

At the end of the day its a choice not a disease.

Possibly, but it seems clear that some folks are more genetically disposed to certain types of addiction than others. They may try hard to beat it, but have a harder time doing it than others.

Of course, the problem with that is it gives a built-in excuse for people who don't really want to try to overcome their addiction. They'll say: "Oh, it's in my genes. There's nothing I can do no matter how I try." And, after all, give some people an excuse to fail and they'll take it every time.

The other major problem is that a person has to want to stop using addictive substances before they'll be able to. Yes, you can try to help them by sending them to rehab (or prison) to dry them out, but that's society wanting them to stop......which is a hell of a lot different from the addict wanting get clean.

Take Jeff Hardy (please!). He's spent a few months at home, allegedly "recovering" from his damn drugs. Only heaven knows what he's actually been doing while away from TNA, and I give him all the credit in the world if he's been able to get off drugs without outside help. I have my doubts, though, and they stem mostly from the notion that Jeff doesn't want to stop using. In my opinion, he quit WWE because he didn't like his employer interfering in his chosen lifestyle, which included drug use......and so, he changed things, not by quitting drugs, but by switching employers. He likes using; therefore, he's unlikely to kick the habit unless he comes to an epiphany in his own mind.

Yes, we want to help people who want to be helped....and heaven knows society loves the concept of sympathy: feeling sorry for others is a national pastime, even if they're people we've never met. Why sympathy is considered such a virtue is beyond me. Better to take action, and in the case of substance addiction, when repeated efforts to help the addict have failed, you've got to stop concerning yourself with helping him.....and start to worry about protecting society from what an out-of-control addict might do that could hurt the rest of us.

Too often, we do this on a "reaction-to" basis. Only after the addict has hurt (or killed) someone else, do we look to separate him from society. At that point, all the sympathy for the addict has run dry.....and people are more concerned with suing anyone they can find for allowing this terrible disaster .... but wouldn't it be better to stop the disaster before it happens?

 

[Poop Master Flex]

Possibly, but it seems clear that some folks are more genetically disposed to certain types of addiction than others. They may try hard to beat it, but have a harder time doing it than others.

Of course, the problem with that is it gives a built-in excuse for people who don't really want to try to overcome their addiction. They'll say: "Oh, it's in my genes. There's nothing I can do no matter how I try." And, after all, give some people an excuse to fail and they'll take it every time.

The other major problem is that a person has to want to stop using addictive substances before they'll be able to. Yes, you can try to help them by sending them to rehab (or prison) to dry them out, but that's society wanting them to stop......which is a hell of a lot different from the addict wanting get clean but still, its a choice to get clean.

Take Jeff Hardy (please!). He's spent a few months at home, allegedly "recovering" from his damn drugs. Only heaven knows what he's actually been doing while away from TNA, and I give him all the credit in the world if he's been able to get off drugs without outside help. I have my doubts, though, and they stem mostly from the notion that Jeff doesn't want to stop using. In my opinion, he quit WWE because he didn't like his employer interfering in his chosen lifestyle, which included drug use......and so, he changed things, not by quitting drugs, but by switching employers. He likes using; therefore, he's unlikely to kick the habit unless he comes to an epiphany in his own mind.

Yes, we want to help people who want to be helped....and heaven knows society loves the concept of sympathy: feeling sorry for others is a national pastime, even if they're people we've never met. Why sympathy is considered such a virtue is beyond me. Better to take action, and in the case of substance addiction, when repeated efforts to help the addict have failed, you've got to stop concerning yourself with helping him.....and start to worry about protecting society from what an out-of-control addict might do that could hurt the rest of us.

Too often, we do this on a "reaction-to" basis. Only after the addict has hurt (or killed) someone else, do we look to separate him from society. At that point, all the sympathy for the addict has run dry.....and people are more concerned with suing anyone they can find for allowing this terrible disaster .... but wouldn't it be better to stop the disaster before it happens?

I still think its a choice at the end of the day and not genetic. I know I can't speak for everyone else in this matter I can always look at myself, my entire family has a long line of alcohol abuse, My parents had it, my mom's parents had it, my dad's grandparents had it but alas I don't have it, neither does my sister. I know some people can see it as genetic but from what I've seen (and believe me this situation I can speak for many others as well from in my life) it all comes down to choice. When your parents constantly do something its only natural for the kid to think its ok but somewhere along the lines the kid has to make a choice to whether they will make the same mistake or whether they will not.

Take what you said about wanting to get clean. With that I agree 100%, I think its impossible for ANYONE to get clean unless they make the conscious decision to get clean, if they don't then they won't, they may stop for a while but they will always do it again because they don't realize why they stopped in the first place.

I also agree that when a person needs help you should NEVER give up on them and take action. Its nice having sympathy but its better to fix the issue instead of being sympathetic to it. I think most are sympathetic so they don't have to deal with the issue personally, its an easy out saying "I'm here for you" then five minutes later watching TV like it never happened. I know better than most how hard it can be but giving up on people is never the answer, its extremely difficult not to do but if you love someone (friend or family) you should NEVER give up on them under any circumstances.

I think it all comes down to choices, the choice to help an addict, the choice to ignore an addict, the choice to become an addict and the choice to not become an addict. At the end of the day it could be harder growing up around it but that shouldn't suggest its not impossible, a person always has the choice, its just harder to make for some than others which could be contributed to many life factors (horrible life experiences, close family members who are addict, ect.).

 

[Hyorinmaru]

Have you been affected by addiction, be it directly or indirectly in your lifetime? How so?

Wow. My mother is a recovering alcoholic, My younger brother is addicted to Roxies and my grandfather recently died of lung cancer due to smoking for 30 years and a friend of mine ODed on pills and passed a few years ago.

How would you handle a loved one who was an addict or alcoholic when the spiraled out of control? Is there some point where you would cut said loved one out of your life?

When my mother was drunk she would take her shit out on my so I stayed away from her. My brother started doing pills after I moved out otherwise I would be kicking him square in the ass on an hourly basis until he got his shit together. I can't remember my grandfather smoking at all but if I had and I was old enough to know what he was doing I would have asked him to stop. As for my friend I did ask him to stop and he obviously didn't listen.

Would I cut them out of my life? Not a chance, I love my family & friends and would do anything to help them get better.

Do you believe addiction is a choice, a genetic disease, or some combination of both?

Starting is a choice but after you get addicted it's a disease. Alcoholism is a disease that runs in my family just like Heart disease and Diabetes which is why when I do drink I only have 1 or 2 and refuse to touch another one for a month or so. I've seen what it does to people and I do not want to go through that.

 

[Dr. Mantis Toboggan, M.D.]

Have you been affected by addiction, be it directly or indirectly in your lifetime? How so?

Yes I have. My Mother was a drug addict and my Father was an alcoholic. Both have been to jail multiple times because of this. My Mom went to prison when I was 13 years old and was released last year when I was 20. My father has had countless run ins with the law. I've had a very rough life but I wouldn't change it because it's made me into the person I am today. So I would say that addiction has had a big big part in my life. Good and bad.

How would you handle a loved one who was an addict or alcoholic when the spiraled out of control? Is there some point where you would cut said loved one out of your life?

If it came down to it, yes, I would cut them both out of my life. But I don't see that happening because they have both changed. Especially my Mom. My Dad still has his moments, but nothing like when I was growing up.

[QUOTEDo you believe addiction is a choice, a genetic disease, or some combination of both?][/QUOTE]
I believe drug addiction is a combination of both. Once you ingest certain things in your body, your brain will go crazy wanting it again. Alcohol, in my experience, is genetics. My father's side of the family is riddled with alcoholics. My grandpa was one, all three of my Dad's brothers are alcoholics, and a few cousins are too. None at all on my Mother's side. I know for a fact that I have an unnatural taste for alcohol, but I don't get too close to it.

 

[Notorious718]

As I promised LSN, I'm finally gonna post in here. Better late than never, I say.

Have you been affected by addiction, be it directly or indirectly in your lifetime? How so?

I'm proud to say that I've never had a problem with addiction as far as drugs or alcohol is concerned. My late grandfather had a nicotine addiction since I was a young kid and would smoke a pack of cigarettes every day. In a way, it affected me because my mother had taught me that smoking wasn't good for you so I would do everything I could to help gramps overcome his addiction. Fortunately, he eventually quit smoking which I believe helped extend his life even if only for a few more years.

On a more personal level, while I don't smoke or drink or any of that other stuff, I guess I had a food addiction. I love to eat and for most of my life after elementary school, I've been overweight and now I'm a borderline diabetic. I think this addiction to food really reared its ugly head the most last year when I finally started college. I think people have a name for it (Freshman 15 or something like that). I was under a lot of stress. I couldn't afford to live on campus so I had to commute from home. I also had to meet a lot of deadlines that I otherwise didn't have to in high school (in particular, deadlines for financial aid). I was also under a lot of stress in picking certain classes on certain days that ended at certain times because I didn't want to get out of school late since I lived two hours away from school. Eating helped relieve my stress and since I was stressed a lot, I ate A LOT. By the end of my first year of college, I had gained 25 pounds. Since then, I've made a lot of adjustments to my diet and given up a lot of foods I used to eat as well as limiting my sugar intake. I'm also exercising every day which is something I didn't really do much since PE in high school. When I think about it, I guess food and overeating have been my vices for pretty much my whole life and I'm really trying to turn that around.

How would you handle a loved one who was an addict or alcoholic when the spiraled out of control? Is there some point where you would cut said loved one out of your life?

This is a hard one. Besides my gramps, I've never been in this type of situation and I've always been under the assumption that this would be the thing I'd deal with in college. Perhaps it's because I haven't been in college long enough to really have this problem but I digress. I don't know if it would ever get to the point that I would sever all ties to the addict in question, especially if he/she was family. As with gramps, I believe what must be done first and foremost is to get them help. On a personal level, I don't know if I could ever stomach the idea of cutting a loved one out of my life if he/she was an addict. If your loved one is an addict and is making a genuine effort to turn his/her life around, then that is when they need you the most in supporting them instead of leaving them to deal with it alone.

Do you believe addiction is a choice, a genetic disease, or some combination of both?[/B]

I do think addiction is a choice but I'm not fully sure about it being genetic but that's mostly because biology has never really been my thing. Then again, diabetes does run in my family so perhaps my overeating and food addiction could very well be attributed to my genes. If that is the case (which is a possibility I definitely would not rule out), then a combination of both choice and genetics would be the answer in my case at least.

 

[El Rev sXe]

I've been affected by addiction in every way possible. I was an alcoholic, a drug addict and addicted to cigarrettes. In my lowest point, I was all of those three and often at the same time.
I saw realtives and friends going on the same path and sometimes beyond. I'm not sure why, but at some point I decided that I needed to stop smoking pot.

Today, since part of psychology is to study addiction, I am aware of how much pot screw my brain.

Doing a bit of hindsight, I had two options: or being sober, being 100% drug free (wich I am today) or be one of those guys that has tasted every drug and needs his regular dosis. I did the right choice in the end.

To some extent the murder of one of my best friends is related to alcohol/addiction, since his muderer was drunk. I can't help but think that maybe if the fucker was sober, my friend could be alive.

Addiction, is both, a disease and a choice. I'm sure you know it LSN, there are persons who are predisposed to have some kind of addiction. Addiction is unfortunely part of being human, but not many can overcome it. While it may be a choice not everyone is aware of destrucitve is that addiction.

 

[Sheamus' Suntan]

Have you been affected by addiction, be it directly or indirectly in your lifetime? How so?

How would you handle a loved one who was an addict or alcoholic when the spiraled out of control? Is there some point where you would cut said loved one out of your life?

Do you believe addiction is a choice, a genetic disease, or some combination of both?

Weirdly I avoided this topic, more because of the ranging issues I've faced with addiction but...I shall share all now.

1. I would say I've been affected by addiction in a very large way, directly. Directly being an impacted upon my family and people I have loved.

My first blow with addiction came at the age of six, when I found out my father was a sex addict. This may/may not be the initial sort of addiction people will think of but it IS a dangerous one in my mind, because it leads to the splitting up of a family.

It goes on with my aunt dying at the age of 38 due to an overdose of "bad" cocaine. I assume it was mixed wrongly, but to me, all cocaine is bad, therefore, there's no need to call "bad" cocaine bad at all.

Finally, a close friend of mine was battling a lot of demons recently. She went through some major issues and when things got bad she turned to weed. Her weed troubles then escalated through to heroin and cocaine. I adored this girl, some might say I was in love with her, and every time I had her saying all of the things she had done in a night or what she was going to do because I wasn't there with her, etc, I felt terrible. My heart wept for her and I tried directly to get her to stop.

Addiction has caused me a lot of heartache which is why I refuse to even so much as smoke a cigarette. I refuse anything stronger. I occasionally enjoy a drink but never more than a few. I've pretty much created a limit on every aspect of my life that could be deemed addictive.

2. See this has actually happened and I can't just cut people out. I wanted to and I tried, but with my friend, I found myself wanting to help her. I was desperate to stop her from doing anything stupid and it was finally when I turned my back that she ended up killing herself...so yeah, I blame myself for that, and I could have tried so much harder. I would not cut people out because of addiction though.

3. I think it's a mix of the two but I hate the notion of it being a "disease." I think the wording is a genetic disposition, where there is a greater chance of something being true because of your geneology. I remember studying this as I studied psychology and found it to be something I was really interested in - addiction does not happen in my mind without a trigger object. Something MUST trigger the addiction but whether or not you get addicted is not down to your own personal choice. IE, in my whole life, I have smoked one cigarette and that was when I had gone over my own limit with alcohol. To be honest, I had a drag on a cigarette, hardly smoked the whole thing, and I knew I didn't want to. My mum smokes, but my nan was against it. My aunt also smokes. But another one of my aunts is against it. Logic SHOULD say I should be inclined to be addicted, but the trigger object never set me off. So I follow the geneological trait of non-smoker from my nan, and therefore am dispositioned to NOT be addicted to smoking.

However (and this is a bad thing, I know), I have been suicidal for a few years. Now...I could say that this is a geneological thing - my nan wanted to, my mum has severe depression that has led her to be the same. So therefore, me being the same was no surprise.

I do believe a lot in the notion of genetic dispositions and think that addiction is in part controlled by a genetic disposition towards addiction, but it is only fulfilled when there is a desire toward a trigger object, and it is the persons choice as to whether they "like" the trigger object, and whether they choose to use the trigger object more than once.

For instance here; I had an addiction to caffeine. I would buy energy drinks by the bucket load and it all started when I had my very first one. While not particularly dangerous, I had a bad moment where I thinned my own blood with the use of the caffeine and managed to create nose bleeds and bruising from nowhere. This all led to me stopping and going "cold turkey." Now...I CHOSE to buy the energy drinks time and time again, allowing the trigger object to become an addiction, but perhaps had I not have had a disposition to addiction (my mum smokes 20+ a day, thus she would have passed her addictive nature to me, as well as my father), then I perhaps would NOT have gotten addicted to begin with.

Wow. Long post...but yeah, addiction is something that has heavily affected me. Again, great, great post LSN, you're becoming the master of the potluck forums with these posts!

 

[poppycock]

Addiction is not a choice or a disease. Well it is not as black and white as those choices anyway. It depends on a situation, person, intentions and surroundings. I personally do what I do (not going to type what because it doesn't matter) but I do it mainly for a good time because I enjoy it..which is a choice obviously, I am not an addict but have friends who are in the same situation as me and have become addicts. They started out with the same intentions as myself but for whatever reason (either false romance or the fact they have different genetic make ups) they pushed it further and ended up in a place in which was no longer enjoyable, fun or even useful but instead a place of need..so this could be seen as a disease but in every case you could conclude that it was an accident. Nobody wants to get to that stage..they do not choose to become that dependent..it just creeps up on you if you are not sensible about what you do. So in my opinion addiction leans more towards disease out of the two choices you gave but ultimately I see it as a mistake or lack of judgement that is obviously very hard to turn back around. It's a path that nobody willingly wants to take because it takes any fun out of what you are on at the time and makes it useless apart from needing it to just get by. Taking drugs is a choice with huge risk of addiction but the actual addiction..well nobody chooses that.


I can only speak about substance addiction and that is what my comments are about.. sex addiction or anything along those lines are not something I have experianced directly or indirectly but I can't see that being a choice either.

 

[This Is My Name Thank You]

Have you been affected by addiction, be it directly or indirectly in your lifetime? How so?Yes I have actually. My father done every drug there is in the book. He smoked crack in front of me snorted coke, sniffed dope (heroin) along with even getting stoned with me. I watched his buddy shoot up in front of me. Hell, I watched my dad drink two fifths of vodka in front of me like it was nothing. My ex girl friend and I were drugs addicts along with my best friend. We use to blow perk 30s like it was nothing. Smoke and drink and just get fucked up. She has done a ton of ecstasy I done it once. I tried coke, heroin, pills, mushrooms (which are amazing) weed and that’s all. I lived on drugs for a good 8 years. I smoked more weed than probably anyone on these forums. But I can say my dad has 2 years sober and goes to meetings every day. His friend has 3 years sober and goes to meetings every day. I have a few months off weed and almost 2 years since I touched a pill. My ex started shooting dope with her junkie bf that she cheated on me with. So yeah my dad and I are doing well whilst she fucks up her life.

How would you handle a loved one who was an addict or alcoholic when the spiraled out of control? Is there some point where you would cut said loved one out of your life? I used to get fucked up with them. Hell we would get so fucked up that we had to get fucked up again so we wouldn't feel like shit. It took my dad to put the fire under my ass to want to become clean. I tried to get my ex to stay clean but she shoots dope now so I failed. It really affects you in so many ways it can make you sick. I don't judge or look down upon anyone who has done drugs as the recovery takes forever and one little thing can make someone relapse. Drugs are fun won’t lie but they don't better your life they ruin it.

Do you believe addiction is a choice, a genetic disease, or some combination of both? I believe it is a disease that runs through the genes. It is in the personality of the one doing it. I have an addictive personality and also like the feeling of being fucked up. It is a coping mechanism to rid the world of the depression and misery. My father was an alcoholic for 33 years so he was an alcoholic before I was even born. He was also doing pills and smoking weed at those times too. I believe addiction is a disease as he tells me every day he feels like he can relapse as it becomes all you know in life is getting fucked up. I know people who tried smoking weed and never done it ever since so it’s all on the person and your bloodline.

 

[Paralyzer Z]

1. yes actually. But in a very positive way. I would be addicted to finding anything and everything about a certain topic ( ex: dragonball and godzilla). It started with absessions over obsecure topics and grew to great knowledge and advantage. None of my family has ever been addicted to anything so I cant comment on that.

2. Im not the type of guy who will stick through with someone till the end and unless it is a famliy member (intermediate family) that i grew up with like my mother, father, and brothers I would likley cut them of wether a friend or girlfriend as long as it is not biological family.


3. addiction is a choice, always has been always will be. YOU CAN overcome it if you have the will power ( my dad helped a friend get out of addiction and he became wealthy.) Anything relating to addiction can be defeated with effort and support.