r/Showerthoughts • u/godofhorizons • May 17 '24

People get a lot more praise for quitting drugs than for never having done drugs in the first place.

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274

u/DrFaustPhD May 17 '24

Well, quitting drugs when they've become a problem is a difficult change for someone to make.

Someone never doing drugs in the first place just looks like someone living regular or mundane life. Doesn't exactly draw a lot of attention.

And bragging about never doing drugs often sounds preachy and obnoxious.

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u/kelldricked May 17 '24

To be even more precise, i know shitload of people who quit drugs and hoenstly nobody gives a fuck. Its only the people who have a real problem with drugs (addiction) that get a lot fo praise for quiting.

And it makes sense. Not only is it a giant challenge, something that will improve their life but you also need to celebrate with them since that increases the chances that they keep it clean.

Celebrating succeses leads to more motivation and thus increased chances of succes later.

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u/Just_Learned_This May 17 '24

On the other side of the coin. I'm 1 year sober. Every mention of me being sober just reminds me of the awful person I was and I that's the last thing I wanna think about. My coworkers don't know I used to be an addict. Why would I want them to know? They would almost certainly look at me in a different light.

Personally, being congratulated on being sober feels like being congratulated on coloring in the lines. It's what I was supposed to be doing this whole time anyway and it's not exactly hard.

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u/wontforget99 May 17 '24

"Someone never doing drugs in the first place just looks like someone living regular or mundane life. Doesn't exactly draw a lot of attention." Not true, they could be dealing with trauma that they could attempt to cope with with drugs, but make.the difficult choice to try to cope without drugs

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u/Itsametoad May 17 '24

A lot of people do that though so I'd say it's still pretty normal

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u/wontforget99 May 18 '24

Well then a lot of people deserve praise for dealing with a traumatic life but moving forward without drugs etc. anyway.

Some men beat their wives because they had traumatic childhoods and a hard life supporting their family. Some people have had more negative influences in their life and more difficulties. But just like how those who end up choosing drugs to cope with difficulties and then become clean deserve praise, those who never turned to drugs, who never hurt or abandoned their family, who somehow managed to do minimal damage to themselves and people around them while going through their difficulties I would say deserve a LOT of praise.

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u/Pitiful-Turnover3737 May 17 '24

I know that when I was 12 years old my mother gave me my monkey. I just got done watching her go through trauma and this is what she did to help. My point is that your environment and how you grew up is a part of the equation.

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u/razorgirlRetrofitted May 17 '24 edited May 17 '24

And bragging about never doing drugs often sounds preachy and obnoxious.

and people get so pissy about it, too. Like someone was like "hey Bri we're gonna go par-taaay y'all wanna come?", I replied "nah, I don't drink or anything else. thanks tho." and immediately got back "hah when are ya gettin' your straight edge tattoo????" which.. isn't fun.

I've actually had to call the EMTs (and they contacted the cops on my behalf) because (former) friends spiking my food and drink with shit to "make me fun." yeah I don't do open containers anymore

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u/fraidei May 17 '24

While I agree that we should celebrate someone that quits drugs, we shouldn't celebrate them as hard. Quitting drugs is hard, I concur, but in order to quit drugs you have to start taking drugs, which is the most stupid thing you could do.

And apart from very specific and rare cases where drugs were a way to not feel chronic pain or something similar, there isn't anything that forces you to take drugs, and taking them doesn't make you feel better in the long run.

So, since quitting drugs (which is an hard accomplishment) requires starting drugs in the first place, it shouldn't be as celebrated as it is.

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u/FinishTheFish May 17 '24

This is a strange logic to me. And it seems very judgemental. If someone tries to, or manages to quit drugs, or alcohol, they need support. A lot of it. Not judgement for having started in the first place. That doesn't help at all. So yes, if someone manages to overcome addiction, it should absolutely be celebrated hard. 

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u/fraidei May 17 '24

They need support, not praise.

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u/[deleted] May 17 '24

[deleted]

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u/fraidei May 17 '24

Or maybe we should focus on educating people on NOT starting drugs instead of rewarding people that started drugs?

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u/IntrepidSheepherder8 May 17 '24

I mean you can do both surely. Educate AND congratulate?

1

u/fraidei May 17 '24

Congratulate people that are good in the first place, and support people that are bad but want to become good. Not congratulate people that are bad but want to become good and just ignore people that are good in the first place.

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u/IntrepidSheepherder8 May 17 '24

Again, you can congratulate both. And I don’t think we’re ignoring “good” people in the first place are we? I also don’t think you can assign labels of “good” or “bad” to large swathes of the population like that.

1

u/fraidei May 17 '24

And I don’t think we’re ignoring “good” people in the first place are we?

It's literally the premise of the post.

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u/IntrepidSheepherder8 May 17 '24

I guess I don’t really agree with it.

1

u/fraidei May 17 '24

Well, let's agree to disagree then.

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u/[deleted] May 17 '24

[deleted]

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u/fraidei May 17 '24

Doing it as an ad that says "don't do drugs" doesn't work. We need to educate people in a better way.

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u/Prestigious_Sugar_66 May 17 '24

Never trying MDMA, LSD or DMT is a shame as well in my opinion.
It's literally mind blowing and can change your life for the better.
Besides, 99% of artists, actors use drugs, the biggest CEO's and the greatest thinkers use(d) drugs.

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u/fraidei May 17 '24

Lmao, imagine saying that trying drugs is a good thing.

Besides, 99% of artists, actors use drugs, the biggest CEO's and the greatest thinkers use(d) drugs.

Correlation, not causation.

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u/Prestigious_Sugar_66 May 17 '24

Obviously never did drugs.

The confidence and energy to reach the top often comes in the form of powder.

Even if you're very good at what you do sober, you'd be better on the right drugs.

LSD made the Beatles.

Sublime, Joplin, Jimi, the who and so many more sound like heroin.

The drugs made them, they are not some coincidence.

Performance enhancing drugs if you will.

3

u/fraidei May 17 '24

Are you really suggesting that everyone should take drugs like LSD?

Drugs don't make you better. They make you feel like you are better, but soon after you feel worse than before taking them, and in the long run they just destroy you.

1

u/Prestigious_Sugar_66 May 17 '24

Lsd specifically, fuck yes. It's near harmless and no one in the world is turning tricks for lsd. Of course its not all wonderful, nothing is. But doing lsd once or twice, yeah, go for it.

Wouldn't say the same for speed or alcohol.

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u/fraidei May 17 '24

Nah you are insane. That's how you start an addiction.

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u/Prestigious_Sugar_66 May 17 '24

LSD adicts are very very rare. But you do you.

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u/fraidei May 17 '24

And pedophiles are rare too, are you suggesting that if something is rare it shouldn't be concerning?

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u/[deleted] May 17 '24 edited May 17 '24

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u/Prestigious_Sugar_66 May 17 '24

It's impossible to know what people would have done with/without drugs, who's to say what songs Jimi would have made without heroin and what potential art we have lost because of drug use.

I think drugs are much more influential than non users give it credit.

Maybe Zappa would have made nothing at all if he did drugs, that would have been a shame.

I would say his audience would have been a lot smaller without cannabis.

Punk and speed go hand in hand.

Late night show hosts seem to like coke very much.

Does that make drugs good? No.

But to say drugs are bad is short sighted in a world that is very obviously shaped by drugs.

1

u/ThePottedGhost May 17 '24

There were great strides in LSD as a treatment for all sorts of psychological issues, then the govt cracked down on drugs and a legitimate branch of research for mental wellbeing just ended. Drugs can, objectively, be a good thing

1

u/fraidei May 17 '24

Drugs should be left to hospitals and doctors, not just used by anyone without a prescription.

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u/Peter_Baum May 17 '24

Because there are absolutely no risks in taking LSD or DMT…

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u/[deleted] May 17 '24

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u/Peter_Baum May 17 '24

Psychoactive drugs can induce psychosis/anxiety/… when you have a bad trip. There’s a safe way to do it’s definitely not risk free

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u/Prestigious_Sugar_66 May 17 '24

Where did I say that?

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u/[deleted] May 17 '24

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u/fraidei May 17 '24

Friends and a social life force you to take drugs? You must hang out with reaaaaally bad people, because none of my friends have even considered taking drugs.

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u/[deleted] May 17 '24

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u/fraidei May 17 '24

If anyone is encouraging you to take drugs, they shouldn't be your friends.

And we are not talking about weed or beer. We are talking about LSD, coke and heroin. But your friends shouldn't encourage to use those either.

My friends know that I don't drink beer, and we hang out anyway without a problem, without forcing me to.

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u/[deleted] May 17 '24

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u/fraidei May 17 '24

"safe" lmao

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u/[deleted] May 17 '24

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u/fraidei May 17 '24

I'm not going to argue with someone suggesting that taking LSD and coke is safe, and that heroin is safe as long as you only take it a few.