Don't feel sorry for me. I call 'em as I see 'em. I don't mean to be rude but that is how I see it. Don't be rude to me, I wasn't rude to anyone. Just agree to disagree and that's it. You are not going to change my opinion and I'm not going to change yours.

Sure, just ignore my post.

Absolutely, and I'm so glad the general public realizes it, it's hard enough to treat without the outdated notion of just blaming the addict/alcoholic and acting like it's a character deficit. Women still have more of a problem with the disease and treatment, because they are in so much denial and can't stand to admit to anyone they are an alcoholic. To anyone struggling with the disease, it isn’t your fault, and I hope you seek the treatment you need, there is help out there, and sometimes it can take many repeated treatments, but don’t give up. As they say it's a journey, not a destination.

Hey I'm sorry if my opinion upsets you but I am entitled to it. I am sorry that a life was lost too soon, I'm just tired of hearing when someone dies that we should feel sorry for them because they could have gotten help or they should have gotten help "so sad". I just want to know where are all these people who care for these people and stand by and watch them self distruct and then I'm supposed to feel bad. What kind of message are they sending to our youth? Yes I know drugs and alcoholism are diseases but they are treatable not like cancer ot so,mething. I say if they want to kill themselves with drugs then by all means go for it, but don't expect me to be sad.

Addiction is a proven disease that one is born with. I had an amazing upbringing with a picture perfect family. My parents drilled into me that "drugs are bad". At age 21 I laid homeless in the streets in the East Village of NYC. You better believe that I didn't choose that. I pray that none of your kids have to experience the disease of addiction. And I pray that if they do, you will not condemn them. I always cared about myself and my family. But once you are caught in it, you are stuck. I hope that you can open your eyes just a little bit more. One day you may be forced to.

So did my sister inlaw and she has a son who is a heroin addict. She had no idea he was using. He was a star athlete in high school, held a full time job, was engaged to be married~until he ran his car into the side of a cement mixer on his way to work after passing out behind the wheel of his car. He was missing for 4 days in a hospital while they searched for his family. We were all shocked to learn he had been using since high school. His mother is still devastation that he is unable to stay clean. It is not a reflection of her parenting skills. This is evident from his brother who is a very successful professional.

He was a good kid that made a bad choice while he was in his late teens. That choice will forever haunt him for the rest of his life. Addition is very powerful. It does not know things such as love or money and once you cross over it will forever hold you in its clutches. It is so much more than you seem to even understand about the power it hold.

Please never say never. :(

I didn't say never!! I don't know what the future holds so I would never say never.

I feel bad for you sister but he made the initial decision to take the drug in the first place. He made the choice.

It's not a choice. Nobody chooses to become addicted.

I do feel sorry for you, you think you know more than you do. If you have no exp with addiction or dealing with someone who has. I think it is rude of you to comment on someone that was an addict. I have someone very close to me that is in recovery and I take everything you said personal.

I also feel sorry for you if you ever have to deal with a person that has that disease. You apparently would not handle it well.

Wow, I had no idea, and how kind of you to share that with the people here, I'm sure you may have helped someone who feels too much shame to admit it. The disease is fast for some and slow for others, but most have no choice. I agree that people shouldn't be too judgemental, everytime I was, God taught me a lesson!

Making the choice to either take the drug or walking away the first time you are exposed to it is a choice. The addiction part comes after you have to have it. Then you need more and more that's all I'm saying. Everyone comes out of the woodwork and feels so sad and sorry for a "celebrity" that has died of an overdose. Are you really surprised??? Like I said before everytime I've ever seen her on TV she has been strung out. I do think it is sad that those close to her probably like her crew or something enabled her and that she had to die because of it, that I feel sad for. I am sorry that she didn't get help. but again if she didn't do it that very first time she could never have become addicted. that's all

Someone on here before said that they knew she did drugs but didn't think it was that bad to cause her to OD. What??
Doing drugs is not ok period.

I'm rarely public about it but figure what the heck. I was one of the lucky ones. I believe it's about 5% who win the battle when they choose to fight.

:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

I know the odds are pretty low, I didn’t know they were that low. For many, there are additional emotional problems that need solving and the alcoholism is only a symptom of a much larger problem. For some, it's a family disease, and the whole family needs treatment. So glad you were able to get the treatment you needed.

Sure, I suppose you are right. I did choose the initial testing. But it's pretty hard when you've got the addiction part of your brain begging you. I'd say impossible for those of us born with the disease. I would think that, god forbid if you found out that I passed away from a heroin overdose, even after knowing me on a forum, you would have a little bit more compassion than you do now. It's not about being right or wrong. It's about humanity. And like I said before, I really hope your children don't make that first innocent mistake.

I think you are being rude to me and I choose not to respond to you anymore. I am entitled to my opinion and you are to yours. I don't need your approval. I'm am sorry that you are dealing with this right now and I hope everything works out for the good.

I thought it was around 10%, that is for the people who go to rehab and work on the 12 Step Program. But I actually just looked it up and it says around 5%.

I had no choice in the treatment. My parents literally dragged me in.

Good for your parents! Yeah they use to think that the addict had to want to be helped and it had to be their decision, but now they’re learning that families interventions are very successful, and of course the younger the better.

Do you have the same attitude as when someone who smokes gets lung cancer? How about someone who gets a heart attack and was overweight? Kind of like, “I don’t feel bad for them; they knew what they were doing”. I don't mean to be rude, it’s just you seem so judgmental, humans are frail, we do bad things to ourselves. Personally, I believe much of it has to do with the parenting, and so many of us are raised to believe we are worthless. It seems like you are really rigid in your beliefs, and I think many of us are trying to say, we hope this never happens to your kids, because with your rigid belief system, it will be almost impossible for your kids to get the help they need.

In HS, I was a straight A student...until my grandmother passed away when I was 16 (she raised me). Then my aunt sent me back to live with my father who has severe gambling addiction (to this day). He was (and still is) below rock bottom, we often received eviction notices. He would never come home at night and I was afraid of the dark. Living with him made sink further into depression. To fill my void, I started doing drugs and drink alcohol. Well, I became scared for my life and told one of my uncle about what I've been doing. He stepped in and he often threatened me that if I do drugs again, he will call the police and get my "friends" arrested. I think it kind of worked, but I did still did it a couple times behind his back because I needed to fill that void...It all ended when I met my bf because his life was so normal that I wanted to be able to match him. Now, I don't do drugs or drink alcohol because I stay away from it. As for my father, he is in too deep that the family gave up on him...he is a clear example of how addiction can take away a person's like. Looking at my dad, I really don't know if living with addiction is better than being dead...:(

Here's a link to information regarding addiction. Dr. Jaffe's story is very inspiring. :)

You know you don't want to go there. Leave my kids out of this. I just can't believe you are saying that being overweight is the same thing as doing drugs. Drugs are bad... hello??? I am now upset that you have brought my kids into this and my parenting is in question. My kids are not brought up to feel worthless. How dare you?? How dare you?

Goodnight all. I'm done.

Oh and by the way I'm done with yt. I will just get my information straight from my vet and not bother with you people because you just thrive on driving people away. I will miss my friends. I'm too old for the drama. I used to have a nice fun time here but lately it has been just conflict after conflict. I wll be sad to not post pictures of my babies on here but that's ok. I will also miss very much the christmas card exchange. but you stepped over the line with me.

What happened to people having differing opinions? Oh we all have to agree or get pounced on.

Goodbye

There is a difference between having an opinion and just being rude.

I was never rude! never! I never once said anything rude personally about any of you. Not in one post. never.

I agree. It's all opinion. I'm so sorry you feel the way you do about YT. It would really be a shame for you to feel you have to leave became of a heated thread. I wish people can just voice opinion and allow others to be heard. I definitely don't agree with or see your viewpoint whatsoever on this topic but certainly hope that we can co- exist in the same forum.

I voiced my opinion and said many times to just agree to disagree. I was not rude to anyone and then my parenting gets questioned. My children get brought into the conversation. I'm sorry but I don't easily get upset, but this went too far. If you look at any of my posts here on yt I have always been thoughtful and never, ever attacked anyone the way that I've been attacked. I've seen some really nice people leave here because some people just don't know when to shut up. Just stop. Sorry if I hit a sore subject with certain people who are dealing or have dealt with this kind of thing but it was never personal, ever. They chose to take out on me their anger for their problem.

I'm sorry that you feel that you must leave YT over a thread regarding addition. I'd like to add my two cent for what it's worth. You might have made general remarks regarding a celebrity's possible drug overdose but with these remarks you touched many of the posters (including myself) that have been greatly impacted by this very subject. Your comments although you might not disagree with me were hurtful to those that have additions that have turned their lives upside down.

I love my nephew very much and just typing this post brings a huge lump to my thought so when I read your words they are like a punch to the gut. He was and always will be part of our family regardless of his terrible disease. I have many times thought about the very first time he tried heroine, what was going through his head at that moment. If he ever for one second thought he would end us like he is today. He's was a good boy and now he's become a shell of what I remember. But each time I see him I hug him as if it might be the last time I am able to do so. I always can see his smile but his eyes are just hollow now.

So when you say "how dare you" this is how I feel as I read your words. They cut me like a knife whether you realize it or not. :(

I'm sorry that you feel you must leave but if that is how you feel then all I can say to that is goodbye.

I am sorry if what I said hurt you. I was just meaning that all of these celebrities are all glorified. I said that I sorry that a life was lost too soon. But I feel like what they do gets pushed under a rug. How can us parents try to get the message through to our kids not to start doing drugs when you see the media making it seem like it's ok. That's all I meant. I do hope your nephew does better and gets clean. I will pray for him.

I am leaving because I was personally attacked and that's not cool. I've seen it done to many good people here. Like I said before some people don't know when to just stop. They have to argue their point just to be right.

I have been attacked more times that I can even remember from others on this forum but it has never made me want to leave. Nothing has been off limits to some of these "former" members of YT. They have attacked me, my children, my husband, my dogs and even created places to gather to attack me. But it sure the heck hasn't run me off.

Wow I just have so many thoughts running through my head right now I don't even know where to start. Nancy in no way was questioning your parenting. All she said, which was what I was thinking, was what if someone in your life that you cared about so much started doing drugs? How would you cope? Your attitude in this thread makes it seem like you would not cope well with it. I'm very happy to hear that you have a good family, your kids are keeping out of trouble, but not everyone has a positive family network growing up. And I agree with Nancy, that in MANY cultures and here in America, many kids are brought up to feel worthless, they have to EARN their parents respect. When you fail, not only are you a disappointment to your parents but also to yourself. The shame can be so hard to deal with. Add on top of that an addictive personality, it's a recipe for disaster.

Doing drugs for the first time is not like in those after school specials. "Hey kid, you wanna try some of this?" Everyone's story is different, but everyone KNOWS drugs are bad. No one is arguing that. People with mental and/or emotional problems don't see reality as it is, with or without drugs. Just as an anorexic looks in the mirror and all she can see is fat, when in reality, we all see skin and bones. Addiction is a disease, it is a fact. If an addict has emotional problems and they don't have a family or friends to help them, they will look to something for comfort. Some are addicted to cigarettes, some people are addicted to coffee. Just bc some addictions are legal and some are not, does that make the person any better or worse? (You know cocaine and extacsy used to be legal. People started abusing it when their doctors prescribed it to them. That's when it became illegal.) Some are addicted to cutting themselves. That's not even a drug! It's just finding that "comfort" that they lack in their spirit. Then after they do it, more shame, that they let themselves and their family down again, and so it continues. Glad to hear that you or your family have never been in such a dark, lonely, and desperate period in your life to ever have to even think about drugs. But for some it is very real and very scary.

Also what Nancy was saying, if someone died of lung cancer bc they were addicted to smoking, would you have the same attitude towards then as you do with Ms Winehouse? A morbidly obese person who dies of heart failure bc they chose to continue to eat fatty foods? People that eat like that are emotionally troubled as well. They eat bc they are depressed, and they are depressed bc they eat. It's a horrible cycle.

And my initial point to you, which you still didn't address, why you even posted in this thread to begin with? You obviously were not a fan, and came on here just to say you weren't sorry she passed. Now really, none of us were really all that surprised she died, but for you to come on here and say you don't give a flip bc she was just a junkie. Well that really hit close to home for many of us--not about Ms Winehouse but to some of us personally or our close family members. Many of us have dealt with addiction, and for Nancy to just ask you "what if" you get so riled up, that you want to leave YT. You're leaving YT over a thread about someone you don't give a hoot about. Why did you even post here in the first place? I dont' go into the Americal Idol thread and start saying all kinds of stuff bc I don't care for the show. I just stay out of it. Sheesh.

Bc you know the dogs need you to be here. :thumbup: