I suppose the term "addict" has a subjective as well as objective component and it's a complicated issue. Especially when the waters are muddied by things like chronic pain or a mental health condition.
I can sort of see where your coming from since while I was dependent on prescribed opioids I didn't personally see myself as an addict. However if one has become total dependent /addicted to illegally purchased mind altering, physiologicaly and mentally habbit forming drugs to the point where one requires long term opiate substitution prescribing then most people would define that as being an addict.
I do agree with you though that labels are not always helpful and it's how we address and deal with our problems that define us as people more than any particular label.....
What I love about my recovery group is that they are so incredibily different to those people I talked to in the recovery forums (unless it's me that has changed). They don't go forcing you to say you're an addict.
I really love trying to help people n because I was still on opiates they would not let me do this n had a go at me each time hence me exploting n demamdong they ban me. Yes kind of immature in a way but that's what I love about Bluelight. We've all our difficulties but we still try to help n support one another. No one is told "how DARE you try to help when you're an addict!" People can imagine my response to this. Almost fell out with an online friend (j the one I met in Manchester) over it.
I always say look at the person - not the label. Judge the person for THEM n THEIR ACTIONS TOWARDS YOU - not amy rumours, their background, their addictions n so forth. Everyone has something to give n something to offer. Everyone is able to do that no matter how big n how small n no one should be stopped from helping others as that little bit of support may be the difference between someone failing or succeeding. An example of one of the places I tried help - I spent six days comforting someone through withdrawal to oxy i think(?) i forgot the drug now. Anyway this person was grateful n she got through it. Because i was not wanted on dau 6 she said "Evey I know you've given me support but please don't speak to me as no one else will." Well that was the end of there as I totally lost it with the lotta um n disrupted it until they banned me.
With my recovery group we offer one another support n companionship. We listen. We go on day trips. We have pics on Facebook. And NO ONE is excluded unless they're highly intoxicated, which is understandable due to the nature of the group. However, if someone taken sonething n wants to overcome an addiction we welcome them, for many reason. For example, instant alcohol can kill someone. I hated n feared recovery from addiction for a long time due to above, stated reasons - but since going to my recovery group I realise that not everyone in recovery use hypocracy as their first language and not all of them are into abstinence n understand that some people chose to abstain from their drug of choice only n not from all mind-altering substances. Some are of the first but don't try forcing their views / choices on others. They go to NA conventions but are lovely.
Also I think that Bluelight is the best, most ace forum on the whole of cyberspace. The recovery section here is excellent. Neversickanymore (NSA) is extremely intelligent, in my opinion. He's created a few threads with vast amount of information (taken from some good studies that I've read so it's accurate) n they are incredibly supportive. They listen. People are allowed to help one another. Vent. They even have suicide n self-harm threads so people can talk without feeling guilty or afraid of doing so. They helped me tremendously when I came here (stardust.hero, aq etc) not just with my addiction but with other stuff too. They really care n its real not artificial or forced.
It's weird because I came across Bluelight so often but only knew of the mobile version, which doesn't allow multi-touch, so often went elsewhere for information like CWE etc - it was quite by accident that I discovered there was another version of Bluelight - the PC version. And when I did, it was like "eh-up what do we have here? WOW a massive forum. Let's go!" Eh that could be a thread in it's own if someone's wants to make one?! ---- How did you come to join Bluelight (waits for the sarcastic answers of "well drugs, of course!" :D )
Sorry mods - I understand this isn't necessarily an angry post so please feel free to move it wherever you think it appropriate.
Evey
![:\](https://bluelight.org/xf/BL_Images/Orig_Emoji/wrygrin.gif "wry grin :\")
