I have been reading numerous posts on Facebook and have become hurt and irritated at the lack of empathy from the respondents. Before commenting on a post I think you need to think – is it true? is it necessary? is it kind?

Do your research and be educated before you make a post. Don’t be rude and cruel. Some responses just show either you have no idea what you’re talking about or you are just a mean person that wants to condemn anything that doesn’t fit into your view of the world. Not everyone fits into a cookie cutter view. In fact we are all individuals and we need to treat each other with compassion.

Everyone seems to have an opinion about what you are doing or aren’t doing and of course they all know the right way to do things. You see everyone condemns the addict as having made the choice on their own. It’s their own fault. Seriously? Do you truly think a person dreams of growing up to be an addict? Do you think parents dream of their children as being an addict? This life, this disease is hard enough without an uneducated opinion being posted on social media.

I wouldn’t wish this on anyone. I never planned to raise an addict. He was a normal boy doing normal boy things. He played baseball, soccer, was in the band, attended Sunday school, sat down with his family for dinner, had family game nights, went on vacations, was on the honor roll and was a happy polite kid. All of these things were part of his life along with part of his sisters lives. So it’s hard to be judged for being the best parent you could be. It’s hard to be judged for having a disease.

Addiction is unlike an other disease. It doesn’t receive the treatment it should. No one understands if there is a relapse. People think you must not care, you must not want to stop. Why? Addicts need help and treatment not blame and condemnation from others. Think about this when someone develops Lung Cancer do you treat them? Even if the cancer returns? Of course you do and it doesn’t matter that they smoked for 30 years, you still treat them for whatever length of time is necessary. Sometimes the first treatment doesn’t work but you keep on trying.

So please stop condemning the addict and their families. What they, what we need is support. A friendly smile and maybe a shoulder to cry on. If you can’t help then please don’t be judgemental. You have no idea what it is to walk in our shoes and I pray for your sake you never have to.

Time Flies by