tumblr in general – outside of the other addicts i know – has kind of a bizarre perception of substance abuse in general
everyone needs to realize that YOU KNOW ADDICTS. there’s a 99.99% chance that everyone on this website knows an addict. and i’m not talking about abusers. not every addict is an abusive parent. that is a myth. i’m talking about your nicest friend, your cousin, your friend’s mom who is always so friendly, i’m talking about your younger siblings and your friend’s friends, your teachers and coworkers. good decent people who are addicts behind closed doors
there needs to be a lot more discussion about addiction on this website in general. the way it disproportionately affects mentally ppl, abuse victims, LGBT people, homeless people… addiction is common. addiction isn’t just the meth addict you saw on television last week
and u know what? the meth addict you saw on television last week isn’t some circus freak for tlc to profit off of. they are a real, living human being and still deserve love & respect
at the end of the day outside of “abusive parents who are addicts” there’s little to no discussion about addiction on this website and it’s frustrating and tiring for me bc there’s so much mischaracterization of the experiences of addicts
addicts can be shy, we can be soft and sweet, we can be anxious, we can be friendly, we can be responsible and hard working
we all need to work harder to dismantle the myths of addiction & build up addicts and create a world where addicts are given respect & patience instead of disdain and outright mockery when we choose to be open & honest about our addiction
bc the way things are? a lot of the addicts i know – myself included (all of whom are marginalized ppl, btw) – still have trouble opening up and talking honestly about our struggles because it can be so incredibly alienating and scary. even in the supportive & understanding environment that tumblr has created most addicts i know are still largely silent about issues that literally affect us day to day
we as a community have to do better