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Originally Posted by TragicallyUnhip  I've been a drug addict and a sister. The best thing my parents ever did for me was cut me off when I was an addict. Of course they let me back in when I was ready, but it was ultimately my choice. Listen to the ex-addicts on this one. We know what it's like. |
Not that I know your sitch Aud, and I'm not trying to start shittle with you, but from what I understand you're either an addict or you're not. I think people tend to get periods of their (usually young) life where they're going overboard with something confused as being an "addict". There's a stark difference between juvenile experimentation gone awry and having what is a genetic predisposition to being hopelessly unable to control oneself in the presence of their vice(s).
I was labeled an "addict" when I was 15 and busted for smoking pot and doing inhalants (lolz) when I was 15 and forced to go to all these AA/NA meetings where I encountered people who were cut from a completely different cloth than I am. I can safely say that while messing with the inhalants was profoundly stupid and dangerous, in retrospect I was not addicted. I haven't since touched inhalants, but did move on to other substances, which admittedly led to catastrophic life changing events, and later in my young adult life after I got my shit together and left home led to some profound psychological breakthroughs where I bonded with my friends and aided in learning who I am as a person.
I'm no stranger to drug use, and no stranger to addicts either having participated in drug culture for half of my life, but I can safely that to this day I am in complete control of what I put in my body. I've had spells when things were just full on crazy time in my younger days, and I've had spells where I backed off of everything. Now that I'm getting older and have a lot more responsibilities and a clear plan of where I want to take my life I mostly just drink (usually not to excess but sometimes I get drunk), smoke pot maybe a couple of times a month if that, and use psychedelics a handful of times a year. I'm secure with my occasional recreational drug use. I don't condone what I do but I don't think there's anything wrong with it. It's all about priorities imo.
And Shade as far as you and your brother go, have you considered holding an intervention for him? I think "tough love" exaserbates an addict's will to continue doing what he's doing in most cases and feel that an honest, loving confrontation can help steer them to making the conclusion that they need to make a change in their lives. Ultimately it's really up to them when they decide to cut the shit and shutting them out doesn't do anyone any good.
Just my buck fiddy.