....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?

[thisisyesterday]

DBF, please don't assume that the rest of us are not strongly anti-drug and have not seen the effects of them close up.

[NormanTebbit]

OFGS

So is 'drug addict' acceptable? Or 'habitual drug user,' or 'chemical imbiber'

I don't think the term 'junkie' is some indicator of mass discrimination against those who use addictive street drugs.

[InFlames]

Dogbestfriend no we won't agree but thank you for posting, and for not rucking, and I'm sorry that you've had closer personal experience than me of this (,me's 95% professional, which also colours my views).

[squeakytoy]

There is legal medication, prescribed medication that people can use to treat pre-existing mental health problems, which is not as expensive as buying a fix. There is no excuse in my view for self medicating with heroin or any other class A drug.

Cannabis use does lead to long term schizophrenia, I agree, but again, it is self inflicted.

There is no excuse for it. Nobody can say they were unaware of the dangers.

[spiderpig8]

How come MNers have so much sympathy for addicts but not Fatties?

[InFlames]

'mine's' even...

[NormanTebbit]

Although I'd add that in some places the decision to take street drugs or drink yourself stupid is not difficult to understand .

The term 'junky' is the least of these peoples' problems.

[DogsBestFriend]

Thank you InFlames.

thisisyesterday, very fair point, my apologies.

[activate]

people choose to take drugs

people become addicted and choose not to work to overcome it

I don't care what term is used junkies, druggies, addicted - the "victim mentality" we ascribe to many things nowadays should shame us

A victim is someone who is subjected to something without a choice - an illness physical or mental, an attack physical or mental

A victim is not someone who chooses to take drugs

Amy Winehouse was an incredibly talented woman - but she chose her life - the outpouring of poor little victim is IMV one of the issues of modern society - outpourings of public grief, everyones a victim and nobody takes responsibility

[InFlames]

NormanTebbit yes I think those are more acceptable terms, just like I think 'person with depression' is more acceptable than 'miseryguts' for example, or other examples I've mentioned above.

squeakytoy - I agree that medication is more effective, for the vast majority, than illegal drugs cut with god knows what...but in my experience it is more complicated than that - for example, when someone has very little insight into their illness (which can be common in the first early stages of psychosis) then they by definition potentially not able to make a reasoned choice - psychotic symptoms can be absolutely tormenting. Similarly they may be frightened of mental health services, or even GP's, at that stage. Not everyone is able or ready to accept help when they 'should' in my experience, which leads to a whole heap of shades of gray in this argument!

[thisisyesterday]

ok, when i was a teen/in my early 20's I was suffering very badly from depression. I was self harming. I spent a lot of time looking for new ways of hurting myself,
that included trying to get people to get drugs for me. thankfully, despite hanging out with people who were too selfish to give me their cocaine, I did not manage to get any. Had I done so I have no doubt that I would have ended up addicted, because I have that kind of personality....

i was actively looking for a way to harm myself, and yes it was absolutely my choice... but it was a choice I was making due to a mental illness. Had I not been suffering from a mental illness (like now) there is no way on earth I would have even contemplated using drugs.

I didn't choose to suffer from depression. I didn't choose to want to hurt myself...

[InFlames]

Activate - I agree with your point about not making 'everyone a victim' BUT I do think issues of choice and blame are far more complex than 'take drugs / don't take drugs'.

[floosiemcwoosie]

thisisyesterday - thank you for sharing that with us, I hope you are better now

[CRS]

I chose not to eat when I was anorexic as a teenager and very early 20s. Was I not ill? I also chose to binge eat and vomit later on until I was successfully treated. Haven't name changed, although I thought about it, as these issues might be looked on in the same way, no?

[InFlames]

thisisyesterday thank you for illustrating my point - I'm so sorry you were in that situation, and it's SO common :-(

[SpecialFriedRice]

I use the term junkies. I'm afraid they deserve no better. Why do we tip toe around them? Feel sorry for them?

I also call alcoholics alchies...

Substance abuse is not an illness, people need to stop treating it as such!

[thisisyesterday]

yep, i am much better now thanks. having children saved me!!!

i was just lucky that I wasn't in an area where I had easy access to drugs, and despite having some friends who were fairly heavy drug users they actually refused to help me get any! (aside from sharing their weed)
it was luck, pure and simple really, but i'm incredibly glad of it now.

one of those friends took his own life after becoming increasingly paranoid/depressed/suicidal due to using drugs.

[greenplastictrees]

How many people here chose to drink alcohol? People don't know they will become addicted to things. They dont know what things will happen in their life that will impact upon them and make them become dependent on things.

[CRS]

Is anorexia? Is self harm? Is agorophobia? Just for examples. People choose to cut, starve and isolate. What do you call them?

[InFlames]

That's where we differ SpecialFriedRice - I think it IS an illness, and at the very least is often entangled with a variety of other mental and physical illnesses.

But I do sometimes wish I lived somewhere that was more black and white so I didn't get myself het up on MN!!

[CRS]

That was to SpecialFried Rice!

[NormanTebbit]

It's not a nice term but it's not indicative of some sort of oppression or discrimination.

It's just not the same as the language some people use to talk about someone who is black or Indian etc
It doesn't have the same power, itjustdoesn't and it's silly to pretend it is.

Afterall I don't recall junkie slaves, or junkies having petrol bombs put through their doors.

[SpecialFriedRice]

CRS not sure if that was aimed at me, but I'll reply anyway

Anorexia, self harm, agorophobia to me are all involved with mental illness. You can't control mental illness. It can strike anyone regardless of how good their life is, how wealthy they are etc. Nobody chooses to be mentally ill.

I do have genuine sympthy for people suffering from those and similiar conditions.

I'm overweight because I eat to much. I think about food too much and crave it in an almost addictive fashion. Do I expect sympathy for being fat? No I don't. I choose to eat too much.

[CRS]

Well whilst anrexic, I though amphetamine a terribly good way to lose weight. Was that linked to mental illness? Or was I a junkie?