Question for Substance Abuse Professionals?

Published January 24, 2014

Question by ebizartistry: Question for substance abuse professionals?
Where does personal responsibility fit into the argument that certain groups are, perhaps, justified in their addiction?

Best answer:

Answer by **ask linda jo….**
they do not admit they are addicts and use every excuse to be high and not want sobriety they justify using and have grandiose behavior like i can quit any time and they don’t the saying i do not have a problem is a big lie they tell them selves to continue using.look up the N.A. website or get the book and read the stories or attend an N.A. meeting for more information.

Answer by muchlove4tink
It’s very difficult to show responsibility when an addict is in what we call “active addiction” (using)
Aside from the drugs (or whatever the addiction is) nothing else matters. I think what you are saying though is do some people feel like “my mom was a junkie and I started using- this is just the way it’s gonna be”. I’m not sure if that’s what you mean but I think it’s kind of a cop out. I used for years and years and I was truly an addict. I always looked at it in a similar way- “this is just the way it’s gonna be” so I never thought about stopping… then the consequences got great enough and I saw something had to change… it really is a matter of the pain from continuing out-weighing the fear of change- when that happens- then change may occur. But let’s be real- nobody who knows they have a problem is justified in not seeking help- I mean they are- but they have no right to complain about the situation you know? once they are told/shown that there is a better way to live they make a choice- for some it is harder than others- some get it the first time and some try all their lives and never get it… I guess I’m sort of rambling but the bottom line is that there is a way out and NO- I don’t think anyone- especially generalized as “any groups” are justified in their addiction…. maybe I need an example or I just misinterpereted the question- but no I don’t think so.