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isn't the social stigma surrounding addictions counterproductive?
one of the major causes that leads to the development of addictions,is the feeling of isolation.an addict usually feels lonely,helpless and turns to the addiction as a way of filling up the void & to feel in control.
the social stigma that surrounds addictions borders on being a taboo.the feeling of being ostracised from society only ends up reinforcing the feelings that made the person an addict in the first place.
shouldn't society be more accepting?
Robert Winner 50+
I have watched medical personnel try to save a burnt out junkie and all of the veins collasped and were coming out with the needle. I have watch withdrawals, and all the horrors that go with it.
Everyone wants it to be legal .. and .. I would never be a addict I only use it recreationally ... BS.
I wish all kids picked up for drug use would have to work the emergency room for a month .... just pushing the gurneys ... nothing technical.
When you deal with it on a daily basis such as the police and medical people do ... all the glamor is gone.
I refuse to be more accepting for addicts ... I do grieve for those who are entering the cycle and could still be saved and that is where our attention should be directed.
carolyn mcauley 10+
greg dahlen 20+
Random Chance 30+
What about the addictions to profit, whereby, those who stand to profit, many times CEO's of large corporations,
are willing to degrade and pollute the environment, lie to the public and poison their water, also lie and sell medicines that are tainted and so on? They GMO your food, put HGH in your milk, sell you radioactive food and even meat from cancerous animals. All for profit. What about that addiction?
There are no obvious repercussions they have to face, except for possible guilt that they assuage with money.
They call it profit. They call it business as usual. And most agree with it!!!
And of course, the rest of the population goes along with it 'cause that's the lie they accept (hey, makes sense to me!), and they certainly keep buying their products, demanding more toys, and look for profit themselves.
The stronger the economy gets, the worse the standard of living, the lowering of living conditions, the increase in poverty, starvation, polluted water, land, and air and the faster use of natural resources. What about that kind of addiction?
We should ostracize those addicts and stop feeding their addiction. Educate your children to stop those things, to undo what corporations, military and government are doing in their abject corruptness. Don't teach your children how to try and profit in that system in order to survive. Teach them how to stop it!!
Of course it is big business that makes one feel powerless, unimportant and empty.
It is big business, along with the media they own, that teaches that it is "normal" to get loaded just to "get away from it all", and that is also telling them everyone else is doing it. But many do not. And they get ostracized.
Addiction is horrible. It isn't a disease, except in Native Americans, Aboriginals and Eskimos.
There may be others I don't know about.
But in most regular populations, there is a predisposition created in the human with all the stresses and pressures applied to survival. Too, lies are told
Barry Palmer 50+
I try to avoid them because my past experience with addicts was very negative. Addicts are harmful to themselves and the people around them. The stigma is certainly counterproductive in the fight against drug addiction, but it is a completely natural and positive response by a society attempting to protect itself from immediate harm. This is a case where our short term interests may be in conflict with our long term interests. That is one of many reasons why this problem is so difficult to solve.
Noah Crossfield
First, one must look at what causes some of these stigmas. Lets examine alcoholism. Alcoholism is commonly associated with drunk driving. Drunk driving accidents are horrific and very bad for society. Because alcoholism is a large factor in drunk driving accidents, society should stigmatize drunk driving. Society condemns actions that are harmful to the people of a society (it also condemns things that are different from the normal, but that isnt applicable to this conversation). This is why we praise good work ethics and don't like criminals. It encourages people to fit within certain limits of what is helpful to a society.
Addictions normally do not aid a healthy successful life. Drug addictions and alcohol addictions normally make keeping a job harder. Because we do not normally desire major addicts in society, the stigma against addictions is still useful.
That being said, I see what you are saying about society judging an addict. This seems to be a generalization though. I know of many different organizations and treatment options that are available for addicts. Counseling groups and rehabilitation centers are excellent examples. While society may condemn addiction, there are still havens which help with the very serious problem of addictions.
Personally, I know many people with addictions. I see the addiction in their life and the harm that addiction brings. I still see the addiction in a negative light. I still see it a stigma. However, I still love and care for these people. They are still people. I can accept a person while not praising every choice they make. That doesn't make their actions any less harmful though.
Theodore A. Hoppe 200+
Can you support this argument with some facts or is this just a belief based on media campaigns?.
Are there issues worse than drunk driving that get little or no attention but claim more lives?
sterling brewer