Originally Posted by
AVRT 
I believe that much of the disdain towards addicted people results from the fact that very few ever do this, even after quitting. If they did, I suspect that much of the resentment would be alleviated.
I think that, statistically speaking, very few ever quit. So, in my view, it's not really about apologizing.
I've been reading this forum for several years, and from what I can tell, apologies, even sincere ones, don't make all that much difference.
I've seen posts by loved ones wondering "when will I get my amends," and feeling resentful about not having gotten an apology. I've also seen posts by loved ones saying now that the alcoholic has quit, they still cannot let go of the past and move on, no matter how many apologies they get. So, we want our apologies, but then when we get them, it's still not enough!
FWIW, I think much of the disdain toward addicted people is a result of the behavior they exhibit during active addiction, not a lack of apology afterward.
L