Disclaimer: I expect to be eviscerated for what I’m about to express here:
I’m finding that I’m getting overwhelmed and irked by some personalities…here’s an example - I live in a city that’s flooded with addiction issues (huge opioid crisis here) and there are people literally screaming, yelling, dealing, hooking, overdosing and a whole lot of other things 24/7, on the street about a block from my house. I am torn between my utter heartbreak for them and my serious annoyance of them and the danger they pose to me, my car/property, etc. Selfish, I know.
I am also overwhelmed and a little irked at some personalities on here. We all have serious issues, that’s what brought us here, but this is a mix of many, many personalities, some more in need than others. The same happened when I was in AA for a long time. I have a really hard time taking in what I need and ignoring the rest. This is MY problem, not yours. Feel free to rip into me about this. I’m just struggling to feel compassion towards really one person in particular on here. It’s derailing me a little. Should I step away from this app for a little bit? I don’t know.
Another disclaimer: I’ve been on this app for 2 weeks. Maybe too obsessively!
I wouldn’t say this is selfish. You have every right to be concerned about your things. If you are noticing a lot of people overdosing you should get trained on NARCAN and keep a kit on you. This could be your way of giving back. You never know when you might save a life.
doooo tell in seriousness, i agree with @Englishd and the narcan. i wouldn’t say i was ever annoyed by addicts in my area (also a lot here) but i do volunteer in skid row - an area riddled with homelessness and addiction - and it’s my weekly dose of being in the trenches with these people. i got to know them, see them regularly. sometimes i think of how beautiful they were as children before trauma and addiction destroyed their life. its easy to be annoyed with the residents in your area, but see if you can volunteer in the food kitchen. there most def is one if its as bad as you write. this way you will get to know them, or familiarize yourself with them.
Welcome @NewEngland maybe message them like Derek said or you can mute threads or it is possible to mute a user as said earlier though I’m not sure it’s very effective. I don’t think you should leave though
I’d put money on it NOT being you … but there’s zero point in speculating
When I first joined TS, I thought every negative comment was about me. It’s the addict ego brain, I believe (of course I could have been right). Carry on dude
I knew I’d regret posting this thread! Totally regret it. There is just ONE person who I just don’t ever want to see or hear from or read their stuff because it’s damaging to me. That’s it. I’m allowed to feel that way, but I also wish I had a little more compassion for them.
No one is saying you can’t feel that way. I think most people are probably just giving suggestions on how to deal with it. The majority of the people here are solutions based. We see an issue and collectively work together to solve said issue.
Compassion isn’t like unconditional love. You either feel it, or you don’t, for some and not others.
I have a lot of maternal compassion for people at their worst, mostly because I lost my son to an OD.
That said, there are threads I open here, start reading, then say to myself, Nope. I just can’t right now.
That’s the beauty of this forum, because there are others who can.
I like Derek’s suggestion regarding taking a NARCAN class.
As for personalities on here, hell yeah, I totally hear you and understand.
There are roughly 20,000 users, most do not post. Generally, there are around 300 active users at any given time and 8,000 lurkers (who read and don’t post).
People on here are from all over the world, different cultures and languages…we have different genders, sexuality, issues, races, etc…some people are better at communicating than others. Some people are stuck deep in their addiction and having a very hard time getting out. Others have had success stringing days into months and years. We ALL want to heal.
The reality is, we all won’t mesh. We all won’t understand another’s path and some people will just rub us the wrong way. That doesn’t mean we cannot learn from them. Patience. Understanding. Learning to take a step back. Learning what is in our control and what isn’t. Learning about different resources. Tolerance. Honing our empathy and compassion for others. Learning how to take care of our needs (stepping away for a bit if necessary). And more.
I too have struggled with personalities here. And I know quite a few people also struggle with my ‘personality’ here. That is all okay. I don’t need to understand or agree with someone else’s process, nor they with mine. But the beauty is in learning how to care for ourselves and others. Making the forum stronger and more helpful by being inclusive and welcoming for everyone who needs help.
Gosh, I was prattling there…anyway
…I hear you @NewEngland and understand. I have many times taken small breaks and also used to mute threads back b4 I was a moderator.
I highly suggest you stick around. Learn how to use the mute and ignore features. And also ask yourself what are these feelings trying to teach you?
You feel how you feel til you feel differently. And that too is okay. I do hope you will stick around.
in seriousness, i agree with 
