venger thank you. I do tend to justify myself - part of my low self esteem issues etc. I tend to be really hard on myself.
Personally I don't agree when the disease model is used to justify behaviour, for example "I had to steal for my habit I had no choice". In reality you always have a choice, however difficult that may be. Saying addicts have no choice is further victimising them. And many addicts are victims. Many aren't, and many have created their own victims.
It's particularly used in na by mainly men, to justify abuse. "I was in a bad place, the drugs made me, the courts are involved, poor me." I hate that. I really hate that no one calls them out on it.
Many addicts, particularly women addicts, have suffered trauma in their past. It was physical and emotional for me. For others it was sexual abuse, domestic violence, and other horrid experiences. We're victims of those things. We're not victims of our addiction.
For me, drugs aren't the problem. I suffered some horrible things and the way I manage those things aren't good. I developed unhealthy coping strategies, only one of which was substances. Just because I've stopped using doesn't mean I'm OK. Quite apart from the drugs and the obsession, I've also got to keep an eye on my other behaviour and coping strategies and be careful. Drugs aren't the problem for me. My ways of coping, my self esteem, etc etc, are a problem.
And to posters who feel addicts have no Value to society. Not all addicts are unemployed and homeless. Some of us function quite well, externally at least. I know I did. So, if I failed to exist, benefit claimants wouldn't have been supported or given advice. I worked on pip but often did more than my colleagues to try and help claimants, to the extreme. I did more than I should have probably. Would it have been best if I didn't do that?
Rant over! My unpopular opinions -
Bags on seats on quiet trains or buses are fine. If its busy I'll move my stuff of course. I'm not going to pile my things on my lap for an hour journey when the carriage is half empty.
The focus on vsganism /perfect bodies / excluding food groups with no medical needs is actually really restrictive and promotes unhealthy ideals, particularly to teen girls.
Being happy within yourself is important and great. But let's not pretend that weighing 20 stone is anywhere near healthy for most people
Chip shop chips are the best, but curry should be dipped into not poured on top.
Commuter trains should have more than 3 bloody carriages
Harsher penalties for animal cruelty offences
Parents who avuse their partner should ha e supervised contact only with the child. Regardless of abuse done to the child, merely being in a DV household is a safeguarding concern.
Gender neutral toilets are not good and it does impact women's rights. In training this week and gender neutral toilets were lauded as progressive.
Yes, female - male DV happens and yes of course its awful. However the number of male-female violence is greater and I don't see the issue with highlighting male - female violence more. Statistically it does affect more women than men, and while it's terrible that men are affected too, that's a different fight. Crying "well it happens to men too" can devalue the experience of women.
Money needs to be poured into services such as drug and alcohol, homelessness teams, instead of applying sticking plasters such as pip money
Uc is a awful, flawed system. I read the poor side of life blog. Some parts are good, but in some bits she describes claimants shouting at people or sleeping late for appointments etc, as though being aggressive to staff is acceptable. No it isn't. Being angry with the system is fine. Being a twat to someone doing their job isn't fine.
Police, probation, dwp workers are not the devil and actually want to help people.
Big bows on babies look daft.
There are far more functional addicts about than people think.
Working ft is normal.
Uc is awful but let's not pretend it's akin to the workhouse, it's not
NA and AA really help some people but it's a very strict inflexible programme not suited for all