Families & Friends Of Addicts Support Group

Addiction affects more than just the individual. This community is dedicated to the families and friends of individuals suffering from any form of addiction. Mental health professionals are increasingly considering alcoholism and addiction as diseases that flourish in and are enabled by family systems. Family members react to the addicted person with particular behavioral...

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Ignorance of Addiction

dmatt124
dmatt124
I was just at a lunch meeting, with about 5 beauty editors. You would think that these women being in the media would be a little bit more in tune on addiction! Wrong.... Someone started to discuss a pretty big artist in the industry, and someone said he really got it together, she proceeded to very vocally and loudly, say how she just doesn't get it, his father was an addict and you would think he wouldn't go there, the stupidity and desire for attention is more than I can handle some people are dying for the attention so they turn to drugs so they look like they conquered a mountain. Ding! Ding! Ding! boxing gloves on, and had to keep my head focused, because these are colleagues that could kill my brand. So I quietly and carefully, shared my knowledge on addiction. The part that was most astounding was that the entire table said, wow, I never looked at it that way. Suddenly, someone asked do you have experience with addiction and at for a moment I said nothing, then I looked up proudly and confidently and I said YES, I do. With the exception of my company owner, I have never told anyone at my company and now I decided to tell a bunch of clamoring beauty editors, and I will tell you this is felt freaking great!!!! Today has only heighten my quest to educate and share only with the people who really want to learn. The sad part, is I was once them. I just wanted to share with my FRIENDS...
cardinal39
cardinal39
Ahh,,, this brought tears,,, big standing applaud for you,, as always you handled that with class !!!,, until you have lived in our shoes,, so many are like those beauty editors,, that don't have an idea,,, it's goes to show the priorities of the war on drugs,,, today ,, dee you made a difference,,, unfortunately the only knowledge people of addiction is found on tv,,,, and what is shown is basically a manuscripts that are edited,,,,

Proud of you,,, you are a proud mother if a son, that happens to have an addiction,,,

Hugs
blueviolet725
blueviolet725
Good for you. No matter what happens with business...you have educated 5 women with seemingly big mouths. And you should be proud.
If addiction missed all 5 families, that would be statistically rare....so somebody (or more than 1 somebodies) was covering.

We need to be the change in the world we want to see.
You are a wonderful example of that.
Rock on!
kimpalmer
kimpalmer
BRAVO BRAVO!!!! Dee, how empowering that must have been... it is the ignorance that keeps such a stigma attached to addiction.. I applaud you for setting 5 more straight on the truths of this disease!
beantown
beantown
I was one of those people once...judgmental, clueless, insensitive, unkind. I so regret the way I thought about addicts because now I ache when I hear others speak about addicts and addiction the same way I once did. I wouldn't wish addiction on my worst enemy, on the most despicable and worthless human walking this planet. It is hell on earth for them, and every time I read or hear about another life changed irrevocably or cut short by drugs or alcohol, I can hardly contain my tears. It is so easy to forget that addiction is a disease; even those of us who have dealt with an addict and educated ourselves about addiction fall in that trap when we see our addicts repeating unhealthy patterns of behaviors. I hope I have your courage when I'm in a similar situation.
blueviolet725
blueviolet725
and by the way, you must be a hell of a woman to go into a meeting with 5 beauty editors...I would be they type to phone it in! :)
my idea of dressed up is clean clothes...and earrings.

5 beauty editors? what hell on earth is that!!!
dmatt124
dmatt124
Blue, you crack me up! that my dear is my world! so it's just another day at the office :D
jainlor
jainlor
congratulations. hoping i will too be at that point one day. you should be proud
deleted_user
deleted_user
You are amazing!!! I truly believe that each of us were placed in this situation for a reason and if it's to educate the blind then more power to us. It just may take some of us a little longer to grow into that role. To quote Kim, the ability to dance in the rain...
marg6300
marg6300
Love love LOVE this post! sometimes the smartest and most educated of people are the most clueless! I work in an office with a bunch of PHD's and even though I did not attend college I know I am worlds ahead of them in my knowledge of how the world works...
Thank you for standing up for all of us, it really is our duty to educate others of all that we have had to learn through our experiences....
You Rock girl!!
katrinka
katrinka
I think its great that you educated them on the truth about addiction, and for you it was another step in sharing your experience, almost like it was not the hidden secret in the back of closet that no one talks about. We need more people to take a stand and make changes in this field.... sure you don't want to switch careers? :)
Pen125
Pen125
Thanks for sharing this!
ihatewisconsin
ihatewisconsin
I think it's great you got the opportunity to inform them. You are lucky they listened and didn't say the usual things people say, criticizing anyone with an addiction.

This is just like when you have someone in prison, how people react, they say you should leave them, etc. Mine is in prison for his addiction to alcohol. And if anyone says bad things, I pretty much do what you did. If they don't say nice things after that, and get ugly, I let them know how uninformed and idiotic they are.
deleted_user
deleted_user
I so admire your courage - what a triumph!! I wish I had that kind of strength. i am very much in the closet at work, and do feel a certain amount of shame with all the other parents bragging about their kids' scholarships and getting into med school, and I'm just happy if my son stays clean. But I hope I would speak up if people were making those kind of ignorant statements. There are times when you just can't remain silent. It is a frontier of societal prejudice, and people need to learn the truth. Thank you so much for this inspiring tale.
deleted_user
deleted_user
When I hear people talking about addicts and what horrible people they are and what they would and would not do, I always wonder-would they feel that way if it was their son or daughter? This disease has taught me not to judge other people when I haven't walked their path. I know it took a lot of courage to stand up and educate these people-you go girl!