NinaB said:

Sadly I have had alot of experience with this re close family/friends . I agree with most of what u have all said..just want 2 add a few things...they dont call it the 'demon' drink 4 nothing... The way drink is such a part of the culture here (london) its harder in a way 4 people 2 stay clean because there's a pub/off licence on every corner. Also because its legal & everywhere u go its publicly acceptable not like weed , coke , heroin etc. It pisses me off when peep go on & on at me because I dont really drink & they cant get over it & practically force drink on me (or at least try 2) . It also pisses me off that drink , 'prescribed' drugs , porn , caffiene , shopping (etc) addictions are fine/legal but if u light up a spliff your a 'drug addict' - the hypocrisy/denial really irritaites me.

NinaB said:

Sadly I have had alot of experience with this re close family/friends . I agree with most of what u have all said..just want 2 add a few things...they dont call it the 'demon' drink 4 nothing... The way drink is such a part of the culture here (london) its harder in a way 4 people 2 stay clean because there's a pub/off licence on every corner. Also because its legal & everywhere u go its publicly acceptable not like weed , coke , heroin etc. It pisses me off when peep go on & on at me because I dont really drink & they cant get over it & practically force drink on me (or at least try 2) . It also pisses me off that drink , 'prescribed' drugs , porn , caffiene , shopping (etc) addictions are fine/legal but if u light up a spliff your a 'drug addict' - the hypocrisy/denial really irritaites me.

I saw an english documentary on tv a few weeks back

"Laura Hall: the drunkest girl in Britain"

http://www.mirror.co.uk/n...ter-222568

At just 20 years old, the bubbly girl who had a bright future ahead has the dubious honour of being the first person ever to be slapped with a nationwide drinking ban after notching up 27 alcohol-related arrests.

Three members of my family have died to alcohol-related issues (uncle and grandmother to suicides, brother in a car accident). All 3 were alcoholics. Also have an alcoholic sister and father.

Needless to say, I don't drink. I do puff, but I do not drink. An addict family member is very, very painful to watch.

Spinlight said:

Three members of my family have died to alcohol-related issues (uncle and grandmother to suicides, brother in a car accident). All 3 were alcoholics. Also have an alcoholic sister and father.

Needless to say, I don't drink. I do puff, but I do not drink. An addict family member is very, very painful to watch.

My uncle was an alcoholic, he died a horrible death - seizure in a full bathtub whilst completely drunk

Deadcake said:

Spinlight said:

Three members of my family have died to alcohol-related issues (uncle and grandmother to suicides, brother in a car accident). All 3 were alcoholics. Also have an alcoholic sister and father.

Needless to say, I don't drink. I do puff, but I do not drink. An addict family member is very, very painful to watch.

My uncle was an alcoholic, he died a horrible death - seizure in a full bathtub whilst completely drunk

For some reason, alcoholics never die peacefully. It's always something gruesome.

Sorting through my uncle's stuff in his apartment after he died was jarring. And even moreso going through my own brother's things. To this day, nothing comes close to how painful my brother's loss was for me.

I must believe that most people don't have addicts in their families because I see how people comment on celebrities who die to their addictions. Otherwise, I am certain they would not say the cruel things they do about people who are addicted. People seem to think that when you're addicted, you can clearly see the beginning and end. Or that 'help' is something so easily attainable. By the time my uncle killed himself, his life was in absolute ruins all from the booze. It was difficult to figure out where his problems related to the alcohol began and where his own personal problems ended.

Addiction, namely crack, heroin, or alcohol.... is a nasty, sad, tragic, and desparate disease more than any other (IMO).

Spinlight said:

Deadcake said:

My uncle was an alcoholic, he died a horrible death - seizure in a full bathtub whilst completely drunk

For some reason, alcoholics never die peacefully. It's always something gruesome.

Sorting through my uncle's stuff in his apartment after he died was jarring. And even moreso going through my own brother's things. To this day, nothing comes close to how painful my brother's loss was for me.

I must believe that most people don't have addicts in their families because I see how people comment on celebrities who die to their addictions. Otherwise, I am certain they would not say the cruel things they do about people who are addicted. People seem to think that when you're addicted, you can clearly see the beginning and end. Or that 'help' is something so easily attainable. By the time my uncle killed himself, his life was in absolute ruins all from the booze. It was difficult to figure out where his problems related to the alcohol began and where his own personal problems ended.

Addiction, namely crack, heroin, or alcohol.... is a nasty, sad, tragic, and desparate disease more than any other (IMO).

I would tend to agree

My sister had a friend who was a heroin addiction. She shook that (AMAZING!!!!) but other things took over, first alcoholism, then once she had a kid all sorts of bizarre compulsions. I truly believe that certain people are prone to addictive behaviours and that they have an extremely difficult road that is different to most others'.

Spinlight said:

Yes it is very very painfull , I dont want 2 put my family's story's on here but I will say I went thru traumatic & horrific things due to drink/drug addictions...i too puff but do not take hard drugs or drink & ive never trusted legal drug pushers - MD - More Drugs

On a lighter note Deadcake I really like u ! I always like your posts , your a sweetheart ! I dont post alot but have been constantly lurking since '09 & your one of my favourites

today it is a rarity to find some-one some-where

who is not directly or indirectly effected by some

alcohol or drug addiction. social denial plays a big

part in why so many die from these diseases.

some people really do believe they just PARTY HARD

some really do believe they're not hurtin themslves

with whut they do. A LOT OF PEOPLE think that pops,

uncle jimmy, and cousin joe are just good ole folks

that do funnily tragic shit sometimes.

"i knew a muthafukka that did coke every day

fo 15 years and he ain't hooked"

richard pryor

the truth is, a lot of y'all prolly look a prollum

in the face every day and don't even trip

because you have some preconsieved notion

of whut you think the prollum looks like.

alcoholics and dopefiends don't always

look like tore up, stinky, dirty people with

sad, painridden faces and snotty noses.

and when you throw granny in the mix

shit really gets difficult...

Spinlight said:

Deadcake said:

My uncle was an alcoholic, he died a horrible death - seizure in a full bathtub whilst completely drunk

For some reason, alcoholics never die peacefully. It's always something gruesome.

Sorting through my uncle's stuff in his apartment after he died was jarring. And even moreso going through my own brother's things. To this day, nothing comes close to how painful my brother's loss was for me.

I must believe that most people don't have addicts in their families because I see how people comment on celebrities who die to their addictions. Otherwise, I am certain they would not say the cruel things they do about people who are addicted. People seem to think that when you're addicted, you can clearly see the beginning and end. Or that 'help' is something so easily attainable. By the time my uncle killed himself, his life was in absolute ruins all from the booze. It was difficult to figure out where his problems related to the alcohol began and where his own personal problems ended.

Addiction, namely crack, heroin, or alcohol.... is a nasty, sad, tragic, and desparate disease more than any other (IMO).

I'm not so sure. I just think people are hypocrites, and that if their family member died of alcohol they will still make cruel jokes about Michael Jackson, or if their family member was addicted to pills that they would make fun of Kurt Cobain for using illegal drugs...

NDRU said:

Spinlight said:

For some reason, alcoholics never die peacefully. It's always something gruesome.

Sorting through my uncle's stuff in his apartment after he died was jarring. And even moreso going through my own brother's things. To this day, nothing comes close to how painful my brother's loss was for me.

I must believe that most people don't have addicts in their families because I see how people comment on celebrities who die to their addictions. Otherwise, I am certain they would not say the cruel things they do about people who are addicted. People seem to think that when you're addicted, you can clearly see the beginning and end. Or that 'help' is something so easily attainable. By the time my uncle killed himself, his life was in absolute ruins all from the booze. It was difficult to figure out where his problems related to the alcohol began and where his own personal problems ended.

Addiction, namely crack, heroin, or alcohol.... is a nasty, sad, tragic, and desparate disease more than any other (IMO).

I'm not so sure. I just think people are hypocrites, and that if their family member died of alcohol they will still make cruel jokes about Michael Jackson, or if their family member was addicted to pills that they would make fun of Kurt Cobain for using illegal drugs...

Addiction is one of the biggest problems facing society. Addiction is an escape, and to that extent we are all addicts of some kind, even if we are just addicted to our thoughts and having a fixed way of viewing the world.

The biggest lie that society peddles is that you have to do something in order to be a success in the world, when the basic fact is that we are whole and complete just as we are, without having to prove anything. Unfortunately, the society wants to mould us into producers, consumers and taxpayers so that we create an identity based on fear of societal failure, rather than creating a life of freedom and meaning from the viewpoint that we are whole and complete already and don't need to prove anything. This is where the imbalance and conflict is created which needs to be masked by addictive, substances, behaviours and thought processes.

KingBAD said:

the truth is, a lot of y'all prolly look a prollum

in the face every day and don't even trip

because you have some preconsieved notion

of whut you think the prollum looks like.

alcoholics and dopefiends don't always

look like tore up, stinky, dirty people with

sad, painridden faces and snotty noses.

True. There are a lot of high flying addicts. You could say functioning addicts. But there's nothing functional about the workaholic who is addicted to the office and never sees the children growing up and avoids any intimacy with the neglected wife/husband.

ConsciousContact said:

Addiction is one of the biggest problems facing society. Addiction is an escape, and to that extent we are all addicts of some kind, even if we are just addicted to our thoughts and having a fixed way of viewing the world.

The biggest lie that society peddles is that you have to do something in order to be a success in the world, when the basic fact is that we are whole and complete just as we are, without having to prove anything. Unfortunately, the society wants to mould us into producers, consumers and taxpayers so that we create an identity based on fear of societal failure, rather than creating a life of freedom and meaning from the viewpoint that we are whole and complete already and don't need to prove anything. This is where the imbalance and conflict is created which needs to be masked by addictive, substances, behaviours and thought processes.

I feel ya...

KingBAD said:

today it is a rarity to find some-one some-where

who is not directly or indirectly effected by some

alcohol or drug addiction. social denial plays a big

part in why so many die from these diseases.

some people really do believe they just PARTY HARD

some really do believe they're not hurtin themslves

with whut they do. A LOT OF PEOPLE think that pops,

uncle jimmy, and cousin joe are just good ole folks

that do funnily tragic shit sometimes.

"i knew a muthafukka that did coke every day

fo 15 years and he ain't hooked"

richard pryor

the truth is, a lot of y'all prolly look a prollum

in the face every day and don't even trip

because you have some preconsieved notion

of whut you think the prollum looks like.

alcoholics and dopefiends don't always

look like tore up, stinky, dirty people with

sad, painridden faces and snotty noses.

and when you throw granny in the mix

shit really gets difficult...

Different substances offer different results.

You can go a long time on coke without showing signs. Booze devours you much sooner. As does crack, as does heroin, as does meth. Nobody, and I mean nobody, escapes the ravages of the more crude substances.

Not even age can prevent it. Look at Lohan. She, by all rights, should look great, but alcohol and rock has made her look like an old lady.

ConsciousContact said:

YES! ESCAPE! - I had many conversations with my most beloved one (b4 they passed) about just that. I think some people go through trauma's etc during childhood etc & spend the rest of their lives running... I also think we r whole naturally from birth & that we are under mind control etc. People r easy 2 control if they r afraid , lacking self love etc etc. I dont believe half the shit the media/news/governments say.