Ben Cousins Jailed

[Inboltswetrust]

How old are you Dodge?

These people are addicts? Don't you get that ffs?

Do you grasp what an addiction is?

f'n unbelievable.

Addiction is a difficult thing.  I've been addicted to gambling now for 25 years.  It is a constant battle which often raises it's ugly head.  It's more than just not wanting to give up your addiction.  It is more about whether you mentally can give it up.  Not easy, just ask 2 million smokers.

[LP]

I realise this sounds callous, but regardless of the plight of the addicted, if / when there is a risk to the general public, family or friends the welfare of the addicted should clearly be secondary concern when it revolves around rehabilitation and liberty versus public safety!

If locking up a dangerous or abusive individual stifles, stalls or prevents their rehabilitation, then I'm afraid so be it because it's already too late if they harm someone, you cannot take back the harm even though you can still rehabilitate!

[Baggers]

We need a revolution in mental health care.

There is still so much ignorance around addiction and mental health / illness in general. Sadly, it's often not until our own lives are hit, personally or a loved one, that we begin the journey of understanding just how fragile 'sanity' is.

So important to understand that addiction is an illness which carries with it powerful impulses and compulsions which begin to rule our lives. And there is considerable truth in what you say, DODGE, there comes a time when we sufferers have to say to ourselves, "I have a problem." And then follow it up with relentless treatment/support etc. Many of us, sadly, reach that point when plenty of damage has already been done... to our bodies and the relationships of those around us.

And then there are some of us never reach the point of being fair-dinkum about asking for and accepting help. These folks often become dangerous to themselves and others. Woman tend to internalise these issues and turn on themselves, men lash out. This is a generalisation and there are exceptions.

One of the heinous problems is that, there was a time when folks with serious mental health issues and a danger to themselves and others were sent to 'asylums'... the community was protected but so many of these asylums were just awful in terms of treatment - drug 'em and shut 'em up. In some places -- and I worked in one in the late 80s -- the people with the keys were every bit as dangerous. Then, rather than fix the institutions, we closed them and sent the seriously ill home to be looked after by ill-equipped families... WTF!!! I only know of one psych ward in Victoria that I would trust with ill family members, but it costs a fortune unless you have private health insurance with strong psychiatric.

Until health care ceases to be a political football but rather the no.1 item (equal to education) for strong support, families and communities will suffer... badly.

[PaulP]

Top post Baggers. The sentiments you express don't buy votes unfortunately, so don't hold your breath.

Our leaders don't lead, they follow. So unless the population leans on them, nothing will be done - and that requires the population to be educated, invested and committed, and that is a very tall order.

[cookie2]

@Baggers
Spot on mate. The paucity of treatment centres and good residential care is no doubt a massive issue of neglect by our society, both of the ill people and of the general public. Allowing seriously mentally ill people to fend for themselves in what can be at times a very tough world is just asking for trouble.

[dodge]

This site is such a small sample of society, but in three pages there are several that are addicts and suffering because of them. If this is representative of our society then the problem is massive.  There have been a couple of posts that have increased my understanding (particularly Baggers & Flyboy) - thanks for that.

Two comments/questions - they are genuine and maybe simplistic, but maybe someone can help:
1) Are there more addicts just due to general awareness of addiction then say the 80s
2) Is the decline of face to face interaction - loss of human relationships, easy use of social media (ie generally showing your best, rather than vulnerabilites) and proliferation of, say, gambling sites factors that are increasing addictions?

Also, without wanting to be intrusive, is there anything a common person like me can do to help a person who is showing addictive traits or has an addiction?

[LP]

The cake is not big enough to deliver everybody a slice, unfortunately the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few!

Mr Kennett decided the less expensive thing to do was to close facilities rather than fix them up! Then years later someone like my Ex.personal trainer, who happened to be a Paramedic in training, herself with three small children living in the area one of them a junior cricketer, had to be first on the scene when a lunatic used a knife and cricket bat to kill his son and commit suicide by police officer!

How does sympathy and empathy help when a political bank balance always takes priority?

I'm pretty sick of the how could we know argument, the I'm so sorry this should have never happened, but that is all you get post fact!

[cookie2]

@ Dodge.

Unfortunately mate most of what can be done atm is help clean up the mess. There just doesn't appear to be the funding or the will to try to effectively prevent it. A lot of well meaning people are swimming against a massive tide.

[Baggers]

This site is such a small sample of society, but in three pages there are several that are addicts and suffering because of them. If this is representative of our society then the problem is massive.  There have been a couple of posts that have increased my understanding (particularly Baggers & Flyboy) - thanks for that.

Two comments/questions - they are genuine and maybe simplistic, but maybe someone can help:
1) Are there more addicts just due to general awareness of addiction then say the 80s
2) Is the decline of face to face interaction - loss of human relationships, easy use of social media (ie generally showing your best, rather than vulnerabilites) and proliferation of, say, gambling sites factors that are increasing addictions?

Also, without wanting to be intrusive, is there anything a common person like me can do to help a person who is showing addictive traits or has an addiction?

DODGE, you ask important and intelligent questions and I get that you're serious about learning more and 'doing your bit.' I'll try to help out a bit.

Your first question is a ripper and it's both mate. There is more reporting/awareness AND there is more and growing addictions/abuses of drugs.

I reckon you have realised that your first question in many regards is answered by your second question. You bet there is cost in the loss of 'community' which is being rapidly replaced by the 'instant gratification' you get from computers. I recall a forensic psychologist buddy saying to me many, many years ago that with the advent of the computer and 'push button results/pleasures' that human relationships will suffer. Drugs, sex, gambling, shopping, eating excessively, alcohol etc deliver 'instant gratification' big time.

So what's right at the core of so much trouble - your 2nd ripper question. We're communal creatures finding it very difficult to live in an economic model full of it's expectations and pressures. Then comes along the seductive ads promising distraction from our sadness and/or troubles with all these yummy drinks,  relationship fulfillments, computers, iPhones that just do everything and so many other things we can 'buy' for immediate pleasure.

There are things you can do to help someone who is an addict. But it's limited. You're really trying to help them to admit they've got a problem, because until they do that they may very well suck the life out of you before moving onto someone else. Sometimes the best things you can do is walk away from them! But rather than potentially bore everyone even more by going into further explanation... how about we PM each other and I'll try to help out? I work in this area and am always, always keen to help out in any way I can. And well done for asking.