• 🇬🇧󠁿 🇸🇪 🇿🇦 🇮🇪 🇬🇭 🇩🇪 🇪🇺
    European & African
    Drug Discussion

    Welcome Guest!
    Posting Rules Bluelight Rules
  • EADD Moderators: Shambles

Why is addiction so discriminated against by society?

hexagram

hexagram

Bluelighter
Joined
Dec 27, 2012
Messages
1,712
The word 'junkie' (often accompanied by 'scum') is common and perfectably acceptable in society, and if someone is a user (particuarly if homeless) they are seen as having less worth than non-addicts.

But it is completely counter productive. Lots if people struggle with addiction problems, from all walks of life and backgrounds. Many can overcome it. Most just need help and support. And most are not bad people, and want to get better. Many also have other mental health issues that they struggle with. So why is there this stigma of addiction in society?
 
Guess it has to do with people thinking 'junkies' brought it onto themselves by making bad decisions, repeatedly.

IMO it indeed is absolutely counterproductive to judge someone as such and I believe that people that say addicts brought it onto themselves are really shortsighted
 
i think things are getting better, but there's still a lot of stigma. i don't think that it helps that some users of hard drugs commit crimes, lie, manipulate people etc. to fund their habit. i've done all of these things, and there's a lot of guilt there. i even consider myself a fairly decent person now i'm doing something about my drug use.

however, a recent relapse saw me manipulating and lying to people yet again.

people need enlightening and need to show a little more empathy, but ultimately being a drug addict is a bad thing and needs discouraging as well as understanding.
 
If someone comes out with 'junkie scum', I'll normally try and set them straight. People just don't understand, because they've never been through it (generally people who are addicted to fags and drink too much, but that's all legal, eh?)
 
We can also function as a 'mirror' for those who haven't experienced the difficulties of addiction. They look away as they don't want to look of what they could have become. Or a family member, friends etc.
It's easier to look away and to label addicts as junkies so they feel distant to this reality.
 
R1ickV2.jpg
 
I think it should be said that it's possible that MOST people are addicts, in broader terms. Though drug addiction is stigmatized, and it certainly does have criminal and unethical correlatives, it's possible to be addicted to any number of things, and I think, if people truly and objectively analyzed themselves, they'd see their own addictions, whether they're to social media, sugar, or anything else. The majority of people are extremely ignorant of drugs, their use and their reality; people use the word "drugs" as a pejorative term to describe exogenous chemicals that have an effect on a persons perception and consciousness that THEY judge to be "bad." This phrasing of things as being "bad" is influenced by popular culture and what people see in their daily lives, not necessarily on a decision they've made for themselves. And these things change.

So, I guess, in short, I would say that addiction is stigmatized due to the ignorance of the populace and the desire to be herded into the generally accepted way of viewing the world. But I also feel that a factor in such discrimination is the age old bully rationale: putting other people down in an effort to bolster one's own self-esteem and security.
 
Regular people have responsibilities. They must get up at 7am, work all day and have their wages garnished to pay taxes. Watching people who are addicted get paid to stay home and do drugs, no matter how miserable their life may be, is insulting for those whose life is just as hard. Add to this the perceived notion that all burglaries and assaults are performed by drug addicts and you can appreciate the need for addicts to employ a better PR representative

The same disdain is thrown at non addicts who use social welfare less as a safety net and more of a luxury.

No one gives a shit about addicts who support themselves and continue to fit into society.
 
^^true dat.

maybe except that part about the self supporting addict. no matter how well an addict (or even casual user of drugs) is seemingly doing in their lives, a lot of employers, friends or family would try and intervene and look down on that person greatly due to the way drugs are stigmatised.

media vessels with political agendas or who like a nice sensational drugs piece have a lot to answer for, too.
 
Dunno am addicted to fit birds...dolce and gabanna shopping sprees...addicted to jaeger bombs never felt looked down upon..least the birds seem to love it
 
People like to feel better about themselves by looking down on others - look at someone slagging off users of illegal drugs and you'll often see someone who is addicted to either booze, junk food or television.
 
Lack of education and demonisation in the media. Also the need for certain groups of people to dehumanise, to make them feel part of a clan and reaffirm in their minds they are doing the 'right thing'
 
Lukasz said:
Dunno am addicted to fit birds...dolce and gabanna shopping sprees...addicted to jaeger bombs never felt looked down upon..least the birds seem to love it
Click to expand...
'Birds' you are probably looked down upon by most women!
 
Because the addiction is seen as an absolute waste of your life - a total abuse of the body and mind. It is looked down upon because the addiction is taking the place of what could have been a far more productive use of your energy - Doing good, helping the community, getting a career, saving lives, getting educated, earning money, providing for family etc etc
 
I think it's just basic pig-ignorance. Just like back when homosexuality was illegal they were all scum of the earth and Oscar Wilde would get spat at in the street.
 
Pig ignorance is ignoring that drug addiction does actually cause problems though. If no one lost their jobs, disappointed their children or occasional died, the rest of society would probably ignore your habit. It's when your problem becomes our problem that the rest of society demands change.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top