People who take narcotics why should you be respected if it's a clear sign of a personal weakness?

Question

If you take drugs you either are addicted, want to get high (meaning you can't find better things to do ), can't control yourself, or peer pressured (I may be missing a few other reasons but there all mental weaknesses of not being able to stay away)

Why do you deserve respect (Excluding those who take it for medical reasons). If you can't stay away from it why should you deserve it?

Answer 1

Answer to question:

No one really deserves respect. Most people earn respect. If a drug user is respectful to me, he/she has earned my respect in return. I do not have to like that they use illicit drugs, but I can still respect the person. If the person is disrespectful, then I do not feel that they have earned my respect and I do not give it. Personal weakness is no reason to not respect someone. Everyone has some weakness. It just shows in some, more than in others.

Answer 2

I take one narcotic at night. If I did not I could not sleep because the pain is too bad. I can handle it in the day because I never relax or try to sleep. I have actually had doctors tell me that if I need more they will give me a prescription. I have actually had 2 doctors tell me they could not believe how well I have learned to live with pain. Not all of the abused illegal drugs are narcotics. Not all of the drugs that are addictive are narcotics.

Answer 3

Addiction can happen to anyone!  That doesn't help when your best friend just ripped you off to score some more, or your Mom got killed by a drunk driver.

Some of the guys that came back from WW2 came back addicted.  These were disciplined Troops, not weak willed numb-nuts! They took the morphine that was standard issue for bullet wounds and broken bones.   By the time they got back to the States they couldn't function without it, even when their wounds were healed.  The ones that survived made it through withdrawl with little help.  I have no disrespect for these Vet.s and nothing but sadness about the ones who died from the devastation drugs wreck on body, mind and soul.

Addiction happens the same way with prescriptions and socially acceptable drugs like alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine as with street drugs.  First you think you won't get hooked; you keep taking it cause it makes you feel different and escape your life;  then the stuff alters your brain chemistry so you eventually can't live without it.  Withdraw from coffee and you get severe headaches and the first thing that comes to your mind is another cupa Joe!  Withdraw from Crystal and dopamine, a brain chemical that lets you feel pleasure, takes years to recover. Pot is also a set up for long term depression.  The brain can actually go into seizure from suddenly being taken off some addictive drugs.  We all have brains in a delicate chemical balance. When that gets altered, the person gets sick.   Maybe it would help if you thought of the addict as person with a physical illness, a disease if you will.  

Then see if you can get help for your anger and loss of this ill person through Alanon Family Groups, a grief or family counselor.  

Only a recovering addict can understand and talk to an active addict.  So if you know some one who is clean and sober ask them to help your addict.  But respect, once it has been lost has to be re-earned.  If this addict hurt you in some way you can't be expected to trust again without change in their behavior. You don't have to hang with them, or talk nice or even talk to them at all.  Just take care of yourself.

Answer 4

okay then.. what if your a religous person do you still deserve respect:?

God is the same thing...it make the weak minded feel safe .. becasue cant except the fact that we might just be some random event

( and i am sorry if i offend anyone but its my opinion just the same as yours might be)

Answer 5

People become chemically addicted to substances for different reasons. I'm just wondering when the last time a pot smoker or crackhead asked you for respect.

Answer 6

Using your rationalization, you must include those that use alcohol. It would follow then, that most do not deserve your respect.

Answer 7

Please accept that every individual has some weakness or the other. If possible we should respect their positive aspects and trends. If you try to ignore soemone for whatever reason it hurts.  Better try to respect anyone irrespective of their weakness and help him come out his weakness.  This will give him a second thought.  Some day he will be back to normal.