I’m a drug addict. I am an extremely talented living series of contradictions. There’s actually two of me. Which one you see depends entirely upon one thing—sobriety. I am always one decision away from being thrown back into complete active addiction. You can never truly understand what it’s like to be a drug addict, unless you have been one. I would rather you never know, than to have your understanding.
Addiction: It is ruthless and unyielding. It’s stolen good people that for whatever reason had battles they had a hard time enduring. It’s stolen addicts who decided they needed one more hit. It’s eaten at families and torn them apart. It’s laughed as they lowered their bodies into the ground. It’s unbelievably heartless and without remorse. It’s beyond cruel and wicked in its ways. Preying on the weak when they are suffering through tortured emotional pain. It’s by no means a friend. It doesn’t lift anyone up. It instead makes them numb, careless and hopeless. It ruins the good in people. Just one more hit. It never tells them if it will be their last or not. It never asks if they are ready to leave their loved ones behind.
In every post or video I’ve seen online about someone dying from addiction, the comments are filled with ignorance, cruelty and utter hate. The lack of compassion I’ve seen on these posts literally makes me feel physically sick. I cannot stress enough that It’s so essential to acknowledge the grief these losses (all losses) bring along with the gravity of these situation’s before you vomit your opinion. A human being lost their life, leaving behind a void in the lives of their family and friends. It’s a moment to reflect on the shared humanity we all possess. Addiction is a complex struggle that goes beyond mere choice, requiring empathy and a deeper understanding. Let’s cultivate compassion rather than perpetuate judgment. Everybody was once someone’s somebody. Be kind, especially so in the face of something you can’t and I pray, you never do understand.
Pretty miserable and pathetic, people who are obviously so self hating and ugly on the inside this is what they do. If you’re looking for the good in humanity, you’re really gonna have to look hard. If you’re looking for the bad, unfortunately all you have to do is open your eyes. This is why besides this site, I don’t do social media. Do yourself a favor, and don’t read or acknowledge those responses, it’s what feeds these fuckin parasites. You’re doing great buddy.
Dude it’s so gross and bizarre that grown adults find this appropriate in any way! Though it truly doesn’t bother me in regard to myself. I usually just clown them right back and go about my day.
I’m more worried that a struggling addict who is already feeling defeated is going to see them and be thrown five steps back and feel hopeless or be harassed which I’ve seen so many times! Literally an addict crying out for help in the comments and being brutally attacked! I wanna rock some of these fools so bad.
Damn… I know it’s probably near impossible but I just wouldn’t respond to the haters. What a miserable human… I can’t say what I really think. Just keep on doing you, I’m sure your sharing has helped many, many people.
I’m so sorry you’ve been subjected to this. I’m astounded that people behave this way.
You should be incredibly proud of yourself and everything you do to help others
Genuinely shocked reading this. Makes me almost sad that people go about their lives living that way. My heart breaks for you or for anyone being subjected to that, it can be really detrimental for most who need help! Baffles me people can go around treating people like that!
Trolls will always be trolls. The internet gives cowards courage.
One thing I’ve come to discover is that anyone with this level of hatred, has a lot of fear in their life. They truly can’t handle even for one second understanding the other side of their own perspective. Allowing or accepting someone different then themselves is beyond their capabilities.
I’m honestly blown away by it too. I think it’s so bizarre because our video got shared on a fentanyl awareness page and it went viral and so these people had to like actively seek out and go to a page that they weren’t even following on Facebook and literally just start harassing addicts and people who were mourning the loss of someone they loved to addiction. There’s like struggling addicts in the comments reaching out for help, and they are getting bashed so badly that I cried last night. Its grotesque!
I can only assume that it comes from a lack of knowledge and understanding. But to actively seek out the page for that purpose is upsetting. Perhaps it is indicative of their own personal struggles, which they themselves are yet to tackle.
As Dan says, rise above it and keep doing you.
Strength and love to you always X
That really is awful. I’m so glad you seem to be rising above it. People who want to insult others and try to drag them down, have their own issues for sure.
This is why I quit using social media 5 years ago. I actually believe that social media is an addiction for people like those who berated you. My life has been so much better since I quit social media I connect with people who really care about me and I connect more personally with people. I don’t consider this place social media even though I guess it’s sort of a group type social setting for like minded people. I’ve seen people on here lash out from time to time also which is unfortunate but it’s few and far between and the mediators are quick to jump in and course correct things because this is a valuable and loving community. I do use LinkedIn for work related things and job searches when necessary.
I’m really sorry you had to deal with this. Social media is a breeding ground for so much negativity and hate. People waste hours of their lives they could be actually being productive and compassionate human beings. But instead they sit around and gaze into other people’s lives and look for a way to feel better about how theirs is not what they hoped it would be. I often wonder how much better things would be if we didn’t have social media and all these things that blind people and bring out the worst in them. People just look at a screen and don’t see people when they look at things, they just see an opportunity to engage in something and not have to face the damage they do to someone else. As a veteran it’s heartbreaking because I went out and did my job to come back and see people in the free world just treat each other like garbage. It makes so many veterans wonder (excuse my language) why the fuck we bothered to stand up for people who treat others this way. Just know that you’re loved and this place is always here for you.
You are so incredibly brave for putting yourself and your story out there. Not gonna lie, that level of online poison would probably break me and that’s why me and my recovery stay hidden in this safe corner of the internet. People online can be truly awful and Facebook is a breeding ground for vile humans.
It’s not even personal, some people just enjoying letting their worse traits out into the world by being horrible to innocent strangers online. I’ve seen similar comments made to someone who expressed a different opinion on pasta cooking or something inconsequential as that.
You are doing important work, however, in sharing your story of grief and strenght. I’m glad you’re not letting internet morons dissuade you from it.
Very brave and courages to tell your story. There a lot of sick people out there with a very narrow view. If you even can call it a view. No compassion and empathy and only concerned about themselves. Putting others down to make them feel better themselves. They even don’t reach to your ankle (it’s a Dutch expression, don’t know if it’s one in English).
I only once expressed an opposite opinion on Facebook on a matter. Will never do it again, people fell over me like a bunch of ……. Got rid of social a while ago……
Thanks girl! people are so foul sometimes. It honestly makes me so sad for those who desperately want to feel not so alone yet are met back with this. I believe humanity to be mostly good but damn there is some shit people out there too.
I’m extremely thankful for your service. That you dealt with discomfort, trauma, tragedy, sleepless nights, time away from the ones you love etc, so that I didn’t have to. So that I can sit in my warm home blissfully unaware of the terror that so many face. Thank you and I’m so incredibly sorry for the pieces you probably don’t talk about, that it no doubt took from you. Much respect to you sir
Yeah I really don’t talk about my sobriety except on here. It is a topic that people generally find uncomfortable, slander or run away from. It’s sad that the world is like that…
That’s exactly why I talk about it. I could care less if my life and what I lived through makes them uncomfortable. I believe in a society that tells us to keep our mouth shut and hide, there’s a humanity that is crying out for a brutal, real rawness, for somebody to connect with them and say “hey I’ve been there. I get it. It’s shitty but you can survive this. Here lemme show you how.” I’ll take their hateful ignorance any day if it allows somebody who’s still stuck in the darkness to feel comfortable enough to reach out to me, so they don’t feel so alone. There’s also a freedom that comes in airing yourself out. Nothing they can really say to me is that hurtful because I’ve already done aired it all out in mine and Dan‘s story, like down to the dirty details. That’s why I say them calling me a junkie doesn’t bother me because I done stated I was a junkie already lol
Though I do completely understand, and respect, people who aren’t ready to open up about their battles, because yes, the world can be very unkind.
X
People who want to insult others and try to drag them down, have their own issues for sure.
