....to think the term 'junkie' is hugely offensive and ignorant....

[InFlames]

...following on from the Amy Winehouse thread...this will either take off or I'll be slammed for bad nettiquette won't I?


I think the term 'junkies' is really offensive. Would you refer to people experiencing psychosis or schizophrenia as 'psychos'?

AIBU?

[InFlames]

controlleddemolition - every single day of my working life I battle the use of the term 'psycho' in relation to psychosis and schizophrenia. I KNOW it is often used as shorthand for psychopath, antisocial personality disorder etc, but it's VERY often conflated with schizophrenia esp in the media, and by many sufferers too.

[InFlames]

Why Lying? I think it's an interesting area for debate?

[catgirl1976]

if you don't drink alchohol you won't become an alcholic. If you don't play the lottery you won't become a gambling addict.

[cookcleanerchaufferetc]

Well done cat girl .....

If you don't do drugs you won't be an addict. The first step is the persons choice.

People can't chose to be schizophrenic.

[LyingWitchInTheWardrobe2726]

Is it really so difficult to understand that if you choose to use a term such as 'junkie' then you can't really deem it that offensive? Incongruous, no?

[Wallissimpson]

Alcohol and the lottery are enjoyable, socially acceptable and above all, LEGAL pursuits which are easily sourced.

Taking illegal drugs, not so much.

[catgirl1976]

They are very enjoyable Wallis and often socially acceptable. Hence lots of people doing them

[SnapesPlaything]

Agree entirely with scottishmummy

[InFlames]

Depends on context of use?

[thisisyesterday]

hmm but i am not sure that those who are maybe inclined to become addicts (and certain people are more inclined to do so) choose drugs because of other issues

your average person wouldn't choose to do drugs (at least not things like heroin/crack etc)
I think that the vast majority of those who do are doing so because of other issues that are NOT their fault. mental health problems perhaps?

so i don't think it's fair to say that in all cases people choose to take drugs and thus choose to be addicted, because it simply doesn't work like that.

that said, Junkie is one of my favourite books. if William Burroughs doesn't have a problem with labelling himself (and everyone else) as junkies then I don't have much of an issue with it either tbh. I am taking a rather simplistic view of it though.
I'm not sure junkie necessarily has negative connotations does it? other than just referring to people who misuse drugs?
tho i thought it generally referred to heroin (junk) addicts? so can't be used across the board

[Wallissimpson]

Depends on your social circle, Catgirl. Can't quite imagine shooting up at the Rotary Club dinner parties we go to.

[LostMyIdentityAlongTheWay]

ewww, not so sure that the lottery is acceptable, actually. IMO (humble? you decide ) I think it's nothing more than licensed gambling.
Which I also happen to think is total shit.

All one can do in a situation like this is make one's own mind up and not use certain phrases. I do this a LOT in my parents' home, where I often hear words like 'negro', 'neaderthal' (in refererence to Welsh people - my neighbours... sigh) and other such lovely terms.

Making a catsbum mouth about it (not that you are, necessarily, but if one is likely to do that sort of thing) is going to get a reaction one way or the other.

Each to their own!

[EggyAllenPoe]

well, op, what do you make of the use of the word 'junkie' in the book 'The Naked Lunch'..???

because i don't that's ignorant at all. People who are slagging off La Winehouse for being a junkie are ijits though...it was her problem, her families problem...not theirs.

[catgirl1976]

Rotary club is NOT socially acceptable.

[LostMyIdentityAlongTheWay]

LOL@Cat. With you all the way. Good, too much pearl necklaces for my liking.
(take that any way you like, Rotary friends)
(sniggers at her own childishness...)

[catgirl1976]

[floosiemcwoosie]

Oh god you have awoken a sleeping giant.....The Rotary Club

[catgirl1976]

Oh and also - it doesn't really depend on your social circle. From sink estates, to university to the aristocracy, drug use is pretty common.

[InFlames]

That's a really interesting point about Burroughs - I also love that book and have written extensively on it. I think there were lots of terms in the 1950's and 60's which were acceptable then but are (rightly) not now.

Is it ok to use pejorative terms in relation to oneself? Not sure I have an answer to that one (for once :-) )

[smoggii]

Street name for Heroin - Junk. People who use it - Junkies

I say ask a Junkie if they think the word is offensive they probably won't give a shit they'll be too busy looking for their next fix

[scottishmummy]

what is rotary club?

[thisisyesterday]

fair point, maybe it was more acceptable when he was writing his books

i don't know. IS it offensive? is it/was it used in an offensive way? I have always just taken it to mean what it does... a heroin addict, because junk is slang for heroin and I guess it has then widened to mean any kind of addict
in the way we might call Americans yanks, or we get called Pommies or whatever....

does anyone else use it to refer to other stuff? cos I have in the past used it to refer to myself as such things as a "cake junkie" etc etc!

[catgirl1976]

I do think the use of the term has become more derogatory since Burroughs was writing. For example (and I am using this word as an EXAMPLE so note the context). The Spastics Society changed it name because Spastic became unacceptable as a word as it had been used in a perjorative way. Junkie orginated in the second world war when users would sell scrap metal (junk) to buy drugs, but the word has gradually become more offensive.

Definate intersting point about using perjorative terms in realtion to oneself. For example (context alert again please) a lot of black rappers use the word nigger but I would not use that word myself and am still unsure that it is acceptable for anyone to do so

[cookcleanerchaufferetc]

Junkie is in the Oxford dictionary ....

[thisisyesterday]

i think that people should also realise that it only takes one shot of something like heroin for you to become addicted..

so while those people do choose to do it that one time they may not be doing it totally willingly, and they may (as i said before) have other issues that mean they do it when they wouldn't "normally"..... once you've done it once you're addicted.
that isn't choosing addiction is it?