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bunchie 07-15-2018 11:03 AM

The alcoholic gets no respect
 
I feel where I live anyway that alcoholism gets no respect compared to the opiate crisis. I know it is probably based on drunk driving tragedies, but it seems that the heroin addicts are getting all this feel good press, it's like the heroin addict is not at fault for his condition but the alcoholic is judged harshly , society created both and they are both a public health problem , but it seems to me the alcoholic gets jailed , get devices put .in their vehicles , lose their jobs because of the consequences. I know it's the alcoholic's fault , but society has shunned the alcoholic while embracing the heroin addict. For example, my state has looked into legal places for heroin addicts to shoot up, how is this helping society, I know it's because of the alarming overdoses but it just seems to me the drug addicts get embraced with programs , while the alcoholic is told to go to meetings and are treated very harshly in the courts, I think it is because of the drunk driving deaths where alcoholics kill innocent people, whereas the heroin addicts are usually just wandering around cities and methadone clinics asking people for money. They both deserve respect , it just has me confused as I seek help for my drinking problem .I called a place for help and the counselor or whomever, listened for a minute and abruptly told me to go to a meeting and then hung up.Where I work a person was drug and alcohol tested failed the alcohol test he had .02 alcohol level , drinking from the night before, they would not let him drive a truck for 6 months he had to stay in garage and work, he never lost his license does not have a drinking problem, but was treated very harshly. Three weeks later a heroin abuser crashed his truck , went away to program for 6 weeks paid and is back now driving a truck, where is the fairness there?

Laura3 07-15-2018 11:30 AM

Heroin addicts have a much more difficult time stopping their addiction. They always need medical detox, whereas alcoholics can just see a doctor and detox at home. It might seem unfair but opiate addicts are in a tougher situation and usually on long waiting lists for treatment

BlownOne 07-15-2018 12:09 PM

whereas alcoholics can just see a doctor and detox at home
This statement is simply not true. There are many instances where alcoholics need to detox in a controlled medical environment ie; detox facility, hospital etc. I have a very good friend who just this past week had to go to a medical detox facility while coming off a two day bender.
I understand the OP's position, tho. It does seem a little bit out of balance in some situations comparing opiate addiction resources vs alcoholism treatment resources.

bunchie 07-15-2018 12:37 PM

I'm more or less talking about the way an alcoholic is looked at in society , it seems there is no compassion whereas the opiate addicts are getting sympathy in the press , it's probably due to the alarming rate of overdoses to young kids in the prime of their lives.Death by alcoholism is not as frequent it's a longer process , as far as detox I read alcoholic detox can be deadly without medical supervision. I'm not talking about the problem drinker who kills himself for 2 or 3 days and takes 2 or 3 days off. The chronic alcoholic can die without medical supervision.

MindfulMan 07-15-2018 12:45 PM

Opiate detox will make you want to die. Alcohol detox can kill.

That being said, I don't think that heroin addicts are exactly being coddled. Nearly everyone I met in rehab that was a recovering opiate addict had been jailed. It's getting a lot of attention now because so many people are dying from overdoses. People do die from alcohol, but it's generally a longer, slower process and alcohol related deaths are more often from accidents and misadventures than overdose.

As far as societal acceptance, I'd far rather be an alcoholic than a junkie.

Laura3 07-15-2018 12:48 PM

I was addicted to opiates and it was a much more serious issue than alcoholism. If I didn't get detox right away I might have never escaped it

eyes99 07-15-2018 12:59 PM

Alcohol detox is the only substance detox that can kill you.

However, it is much easier to overdose on heroin than alcohol, making acute heroin deaths, especially in young people, an issue.

I think the difference in perspective comes from:

1) the age of the people dying. Alcohol abuse usually kills you when you’re older. Teens and 20s are dying from heroin overdoses, making folks more sympathetic.

2) the perceived addictiveness of either drug. Most people still feel like alcohol is a choice, but believe that street drugs are so addictive that one use can make someone addicted.

3) the perception that heroin users started out as legitimate prescription drug users and accidentally got hooked, making it their doctors fault and not their own.

That’s all I got as far as theories.

dcg 07-15-2018 02:40 PM


Originally Posted by eyes99 (Post 6955350)
Alcohol detox is the only substance detox that can kill you.

Benzo withdrawal can potentially be fatal, as well, and has a far worse and longer protracted withdrawal syndrome than booze.

doggonecarl 07-15-2018 02:56 PM

The alcoholic gets no respect

True. And don't expect a parade when you finally get sober.

August252015 07-15-2018 03:02 PM

I have enormous respect FOR MYSELF - being a recovering alcoholic is choosing the path of the warrior.

what kind of addict I am or someone else is simply doesn't matter. What matters is service to all who suffer from the deadly disease of addiction, as I work at in various ways.

eyes99 07-15-2018 03:06 PM


Originally Posted by dcg (Post 6955409)
Benzo withdrawal can potentially be fatal, as well, and has a far worse and longer protracted withdrawal syndrome than booze.

Oh yeah, forgot about those. They function similarly to alcohol on the brain.

MindfulMan 07-15-2018 03:42 PM


Originally Posted by dcg (Post 6955409)
Benzo withdrawal can potentially be fatal, as well, and has a far worse and longer protracted withdrawal syndrome than booze.

I doubled the pleasure and fun by withdrawing from both. Klonopin withdrawal was horrific and lasted for weeks, followed by waves of PAWS.

No bueno.

Forward12 07-15-2018 03:51 PM

I remember a recent court case when an alcoholic blamed it for his reason for drunk driving.
The amount of help for alcoholic is next level. The problem is ego. Like AA or not, this is why the first step is so important to admit you are an alcoholic. Once you stop pointing the finger everywhere except to where it needs to be, yourself, is when recovery happens.

bunchie 07-17-2018 04:21 PM


Originally Posted by eyes99 (Post 6955350)
Alcohol detox is the only substance detox that can kill you.

However, it is much easier to overdose on heroin than alcohol, making acute heroin deaths, especially in young people, an issue.

I think the difference in perspective comes from:

1) the age of the people dying. Alcohol abuse usually kills you when you’re older. Teens and 20s are dying from heroin overdoses, making folks more sympathetic.

2) the perceived addictiveness of either drug. Most people still feel like alcohol is a choice, but believe that street drugs are so addictive that one use can make someone addicted.

3) the perception that heroin users started out as legitimate prescription drug users and accidentally got hooked, making it their doctors fault and not their own.

That’s all I got as far as theories.

I agree whole heartedly, but when an alcoholic who has worked for 30 years loses his job because he loses his license for an oui ,where is the compassion. One thing I would like to add liquor is legal in our society,( America) drugs are not. Drug addicts kill , to , steal , at every street corner , but we are suppose to hug them now. Messed up world.

Mango212 07-18-2018 12:11 AM

Law of attraction.

As I embrace and look for solutions, new ways of seeing life and good things around me, I find them.

Taking new actions has again and again changed my thinking, in many good ways.

Many paths to recovery. Choosing one and following it can require great focus on looking at the good in life. Other matters can be returned to once healing is far underway, if drawn back to them. Just my 2 cents. Take what you like.

DontRemember 07-18-2018 12:18 AM


Originally Posted by bunchie (Post 6957412)
I agree whole heartedly, but when an alcoholic who has worked for 30 years loses his job because he loses his license for an oui ,where is the compassion. One thing I would like to add liquor is legal in our society,( America) drugs are not. Drug addicts kill , to , steal , at every street corner , but we are suppose to hug them now. Messed up world.

Drunks also kill people with fights,guns,driving drunk,blah,blah,there's no difference. Once people start owning their problem(s) they can get better with work.

tomsteve 07-18-2018 12:55 AM

i can see wbere youre comin from, bunchie, but blaming peopele, places, and things for youre drinking problem isnt the solution.
you made a call. you were told to go to a meeeting. did you go? have you looked into rehabs? called rehabs?

society didnt create me. it wasnt societies responsibility to fix me.

entropy1964 07-18-2018 05:20 AM

Drug addicts kill , to , steal , at every street corner , but we are suppose to hug them now.

I don't have much to say about the premise of this thread. I do think however that drunk accidents cause far more death than drugs combined. And I think many of the killings are more about street level gang warfare, turf warfare, than addicts killing for drugs. Its the dealers. I could be wrong.

One of the things I struggle with with street drugs is the collateral damage they cause. The drug and cartel warfare in Mexico and Columbia is horrific. Innocent people caught up in a complete lose lose....all to fill the insatiable need of the Americans. Juarez is a war zone and literally thousands of civilians have died in the cross fire. I wish we could find a way to just legalize the whole lot. Control the potency (rid the world of fentynal laced heroin that is at the source of so many of the overdoses), tax the heck out of it, provide clean needles to minimize the spread infectious diseases. But I obviously have no idea what the real world implications of that would be. I just know what is happening how, spending billions trying to balance the power of insane cartels, is not working.

brighterday1234 07-18-2018 06:15 AM

Get recovered and let your actions speak for themselves living in a positive way with a grateful heart. This type of alcoholic gets a lot of respect in my experience.

dcg 07-18-2018 11:05 AM


Originally Posted by doggonecarl (Post 6955424)
The alcoholic gets no respect

True. And don't expect a parade when you finally get sober.

That's about the crux of it.

Declaration: "After decades of drinking, I'm finally a month clean from booze!"

Here: "Great - good job!"
The real world: "So...?"

bunchie 07-18-2018 11:38 AM


Originally Posted by doggonecarl (Post 6955424)
The alcoholic gets no respect

True. And don't expect a parade when you finally get sober.

Good luck with your sobriety Carl, you misunderstood what I was implying,

newhope01 07-18-2018 12:27 PM

The reasoning behind providing clean needles and places to inject illicit drugs is to reduce harm to the addict and society as a whole.

Where I live in the Bay Area, California, its a huge issue. A lady sat down in a BART train (electric train system) and felt a ***** on her bottom to discover it was a hypodermic needle. Needless to say she was terrified for good reason.

Needles are being found all over the streets, in front of frequently visited shops, playgrounds, and even elementary schools. Its scary to think of a little child picking one of these needles up and accidentally pricking themselves.

Alcoholics have places they can go to consume alcohol in society. One can go to a restaurant, a bar, hotels, fairs and do so safely. Also, because its legal and some folks don't seem to have issues with it, its hard to understand why its hard for some folks who have issues with it to just stop.

But, I understand where you are coming from. In my humble opinion I feel all addicts should be treated the same as in they all have a addiction that is destroying their lives and the substance shouldn't matter.

newhope01 07-18-2018 12:30 PM


Originally Posted by bunchie (Post 6958155)
Good luck with your sobriety Carl, you misunderstood what I was implying,

Carl has been a contributing member here for awhile and has some good experience/advice to share on living a sober life. He didn't mean any harm toward you just when us addicts get clean, normies aren't as quick to applaud our efforts quitting the heroin or booze etc.

awuh1 07-18-2018 12:59 PM

I think you may indeed have been misunderstood bunchie. You used the word "respect" but I think you may have intended to convey a meaning something closer to "consideration"?

Note the many people saying thanks to Carl. Respect is the wrong word to use in connection to our drinking. Period. Full stop.

doggonecarl 07-18-2018 01:02 PM


Originally Posted by bunchie (Post 6958155)
...you misunderstood what I was implying,

Probably.

Here's what I understand though...Resentments are recovery killers. So resenting that alcoholics don't get the respect that those afflicted with other addictions get serves no purpose. I understand wanting to vent. Don't let it take up too much space in your head.

As for the parade comment, I meant I hope you don't resent the world when they (the normies) don't make a big deal about your sobriety.

newhope01 07-18-2018 01:06 PM

Not that its important but I didn't mean to use profanity in my post, I meant she felt a sharp sting on her bottom when she sat down.

Dee74 07-18-2018 05:01 PM

I hope you feel a little better today Bunchie.

I have no idea whether drug addicts are treated better than alcoholics but I know both are things I wouldn't wish on anyone.

I'm actually glad noone made a fuss of me when I quit because the screwed up guy I was then would have milked that for all it was worth.

I might even have use the excuse that I was sick to drink some more.

Instead, I started an incredible voyage of self discovery.

I hope you will too Bunchie - I think you'll see it's all about our journey - not someone elses? :)

D


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