[fireman15]

Thanks for the ping! I have been working really hard on the old house that we have been restoring and have been fooling around on this thread for the past couple of days when resting. I feel bad that some people were offended by my comments and that I let myself be sucked into a nasty conflict with fr_freak.

I think that it is great that you were able to dump the stuff that was holding you back and get on with your life. Very few people are actually able to do that.

Unfortunately my extended family has had a lot of problems with addictive substances. My grandmother on my mother’s side was half Sioux Indian and half Norwegian Eskimo (Sami). My grandfather emigrated from Northern Norway and he had a problem with alcohol despite being a genius who could figure out anything and a very successful small businessman. On my father’s side there have been a lot of problems as well.

So I was raised from an early age with stern warnings from both of my parents that our family has bad problems with addictive substances. We never had alcohol at all. I have no doubt that if I had started drinking or smoking pot that substance abuse would most likely have killed me by now. Instead I have had a fabulously rewarding life and consider myself one of the luckiest people in the world.

I went on so many suicides during my career. Most of them were young people with substance abuse problems. Some of them were incredible people. What a heartbreak! And what a waste.

[little jeremiah]

I can related a bit to your history. One parent was an alcoholic, and may have had some kind of pill habit. Everything was very secretive. Aunt was too. One of my siblings smokes mj daily for years and has retreated to a tiny circle of behavior and associates and won’t speak to me or open mail; although I have never berated or even criticized this person for anything, but since my views are known, I am persona non grata. I have known others habituated to mj, and have a old friend who is an alcoholic and goes on/off wagon all the time. I have been to Al Anon and Narc Anon with this friend.

I was freed from all drugs and alcohol right around when I turned 20; I cannot imagine what kind of life I would have had if that had not happened.

I don’t hate people who are fettered by drug or alcohol use; I am sorry for them. There is help. But to those who promote it, grow it, sell it - I am angry because they harm others and create more users.