What am I missing on Josh Hamilton?

[Lsufan]

No addict chooses to use the drug or be addicted. I totally disagree with you there and dont know what addicts you may have been talking to cause 9 out of 10 will tell you otherwise. Once you are addicted there is no choice at all. You need it survive until you learn the tools to avoid it, learn how to deal with life on lifes terms, learn to talk about your feelings and face problems at the moments in which they occur and only at that point to you really have a choice like I do today only after been clean for an extended period of time and applying the tools and knowledge in which I have gained and learned. But when one is in full blown active addiction they DO NOT HAVE A CHOICE! Choice for help yes, choice for an attempt at a better way of life yes, but choice to stay clean for that day without any knowledge of tools and how to deal with daily living, handling feelings and emotions without the use of drugs or alcohol at that point they DO NOT!

Blah, blah, blah, blah ... I can tell you went through those classes .... They teach the stuff you just said. Almost sounds like you got that from the class book. They make you out to be a victim of the drug, and the drugs made you continue. Bullshit!!!! I disagree.

What makes a person truely and addict? At what point do you become an addict? After the 1st time, the 2nd, the 100th time? No one can truely answer that question, and the reason why is because we were all givin the free will to choose. "Addicts" can choose to quit or continue.

But don't get me wrong here Chado ... I'm happy for you that you quit. But it was your choice to, and no one elses.

[KazDog]

Funny how many people will look at Josh Hamilton and say they are tired of his story or that he isn't a hero. Instead of looking at it negatively, why not look at it positively?

In other words. Kids are going to idolize Josh Hamilton because of his star status in baseball. They look at him as a young man, much like themselves. There are a million temptations in this world. They come at teenagers from all directions for all kinds of reasons. He succumbed, as many teenagers do today. Instead of allowing it to ruin his life, he has become an inspiration and success story of what you can do with your life by having strength and courage to first admit you have a problem and second, to overcome it and make something of yourself. That's why ESPN has aired it so much. It's really a positive story which MANY people claim the media never talks about.

Nobody is perfect. We all make mistakes. There are many reasons to think of him as something special. His athletic gift, him sharing his problem with the world and him overcoming a serious addiction in which most people do not.

Is he a hero? That could be debated. Is he someone that did something extraordinary? Yes. I've spoken to more than one therapist who has dealt with addicts. 9 times out of 10 there is a high rate of recidivism.

Calling him garbage because he fell for the temptation is why adults have trouble relating to the younger generation.

Josh Hamilton made a mistake in his life. Why crucify or vilify him? Those who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. I chose to see the positive that his story can do.

KAZ

[Chado1]

Blah, blah, blah, blah ... I can tell you went through those classes .... They teach the stuff you just said. Almost sounds like you got that from the class book. They make you out to be a victim of the drug, and the drugs made you continue. Bullshit!!!! I disagree.

What makes a person truely and addict? At what point do you become an addict? After the 1st time, the 2nd, the 100th time? No one can truely answer that question, and the reason why is because we were all givin the free will to choose. "Addicts" can choose to quit or continue.

But don't get me wrong here Chado ... I'm happy for you that you quit. But it was your choice to, and no one elses.

I guess we agree to disagree because in active addiction we DO NOT HAVE CHOICE TRUST ME I HAVE BEEN THERE WOULD HAVE LOVED TO HAVE HAD A CHOICE BACK THEN. It wasnt until I had the opportunity to get help and learn the tools and practice the principles of the program that AT THAT POINT gave me a choice but no I did not have choice back then. Woke up everyday saying not today not today and did anyway cause I needed it to survive. Also thanks for the nice words. Most appreciated.

[Chado1]

Funny how many people will look at Josh Hamilton and say they are tired of his story or that he isn't a hero. Instead of looking at it negatively, why not look at it positively?

In other words. Kids are going to idolize Josh Hamilton because of his star status in baseball. They look at him as a young man, much like themselves. There are a million temptations in this world. They come at teenagers from all directions for all kinds of reasons. He succumbed, as many teenagers do today. Instead of allowing it to ruin his life, he has become an inspiration and success story of what you can do with your life by having strength and courage to first admit you have a problem and second, to overcome it and make something of yourself. That's why ESPN has aired it so much. It's really a positive story which MANY people claim the media never talks about.

Nobody is perfect. We all make mistakes. There are many reasons to think of him as something special. His athletic gift, him sharing his problem with the world and him overcoming a serious addiction in which most people do not.

Is he a hero? That could be debated. Is he someone that did something extraordinary? Yes. I've spoken to more than one therapist who has dealt with addicts. 9 times out of 10 there is a high rate of recidivism.

Calling him garbage because he fell for the temptation is why adults have trouble relating to the younger generation.

Josh Hamilton made a mistake in his life. Why crucify or vilify him? Those who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. I chose to see the positive that his story can do.

KAZ

Great post Kaz...

And just so you guys know the low percentage of people who actually really make it heres something for you all.

Out of approx 30 people in my treatment centre (rehab)program that I went to in April of 2007 I have only heard of 1 other person than myself who has NOT fallen off the wagon ONCE. That is approx 6.6% success rate of course this is a small sample but is just a statistic to show you that people I have been around drop like flies and this is a daily battle that I maintain to stay clean every day and is the hardest, but yet most rewarding, thing I have overcome in my entire life.

[GrandPa]

Funny how many people will look at Josh Hamilton and say they are tired of his story or that he isn't a hero. Instead of looking at it negatively, why not look at it positively?

In other words. Kids are going to idolize Josh Hamilton because of his star status in baseball. They look at him as a young man, much like themselves. There are a million temptations in this world. They come at teenagers from all directions for all kinds of reasons. He succumbed, as many teenagers do today. Instead of allowing it to ruin his life, he has become an inspiration and success story of what you can do with your life by having strength and courage to first admit you have a problem and second, to overcome it and make something of yourself. That's why ESPN has aired it so much. It's really a positive story which MANY people claim the media never talks about.

Nobody is perfect. We all make mistakes. There are many reasons to think of him as something special. His athletic gift, him sharing his problem with the world and him overcoming a serious addiction in which most people do not.

Is he a hero? That could be debated. Is he someone that did something extraordinary? Yes. I've spoken to more than one therapist who has dealt with addicts. 9 times out of 10 there is a high rate of recidivism.

Calling him garbage because he fell for the temptation is why adults have trouble relating to the younger generation.

Josh Hamilton made a mistake in his life. Why crucify or vilify him? Those who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. I chose to see the positive that his story can do.

KAZ

Good for you KazDog for being one of the few who view the Glass as Half-full. Because of his status as a widely publicized public figure, there exists a real opportunity for a message to reach further than any NA class, or high school classroom. A parenting tool to enlighten children to the dangers of drug abuse.

People will always abuse alcohol and drugs, so any chance to provide a positive take on a case study is worth exploiting, if it can steer anyone down the right path.

[Chado1]

Good for you KazDog for being one of the few who view the Glass as Half-full. Because of his status as a widely publicized public figure, there exists a real opportunity for a message to reach further than any NA class, or high school classroom. A parenting tool to enlighten children to the dangers of drug abuse.

People will always abuse alcohol and drugs, so any chance to provide a positive take on a case study is worth exploiting, if it can steer anyone down the right path.

God forbid a positive story being displayed regularly....

[Lsufan]

I guess we agree to disagree because in active addiction we DO NOT HAVE CHOICE TRUST ME I HAVE BEEN THERE WOULD HAVE LOVED TO HAVE HAD A CHOICE BACK THEN. It wasnt until I had the opportunity to get help and learn the tools and practice the principles of the program that AT THAT POINT gave me a choice but no I did not have choice back then. Woke up everyday saying not today not today and did anyway cause I needed it to survive. Also thanks for the nice words. Most appreciated.

"Active Addiction" .... Now here's my point about the classes. At 1st is was called an additction, now they are calling it active addiction. LMAO .... Either you're addicted, or not ... PERIOD!!!

So now in "Active Addiction" you do not have a choice? Bullshit Chad. Society has become so relied on classes and therapist that people are taught that they can't do it alone.

So, you woke up everyday saying no, but still went out and did it. And that you needed it to survive. And then one day you decided to go to a class, and now you have been clean for over a year now.

Come on Chad ... It wasn't the class that made you quit, it was YOU. It was YOUR CHOICE!!!! Not the class.

Take some credit for yourself. That's why I say I'm proud of YOU for quitting, and not proud of you class, or your teachers ... It's YOU Chad, and YOU alone that quit.

[Chado1]

"Active Addiction" .... Now here's my point about the classes. At 1st is was called an additction, now they are calling it active addiction. LMAO .... Either you're addicted, or not ... PERIOD!!!

So now in "Active Addiction" you do not have a choice? Bullshit Chad. Society has become so relied on classes and therapist that people are taught that they can't do it alone.

So, you woke up everyday saying no, but still went out and did it. And that you needed it to survive. And then one day you decided to go to a class, and now you have been clean for over a year now.

Come on Chad ... It wasn't the class that made you quit, it was YOU. It was YOUR CHOICE!!!! Not the class.

Take some credit for yourself. That's why I say I'm proud of YOU for quitting, and not proud of you class, or your teachers ... It's YOU Chad, and YOU alone that quit.

Its kind of hard to explain. By active addiction I mean that when I was using on a daily basis for a regular period of time I really did not have a choice. I had no where to turn, needed it to feel normal, also If I didnt use I would go into severe depression from withdrawl symptoms and I guess my choice would have been to suck it up as much as possible and pretty much lose my mind and go psychotic. Pretty much have a physical and mental breakdown without it. Once you are fully "detoxed" and given an opportunity at that point you have a choice and out of active addiction. When you are using regularly you need it its very hard to explain to a non addict but most addicts will explain this about the same way.

[Lsufan]

Great post Kaz...

And just so you guys know the low percentage of people who actually really make it heres something for you all.

Out of approx 30 people in my treatment centre (rehab)program that I went to in April of 2007 I have only heard of 1 other person than myself who has NOT fallen off the wagon ONCE. That is approx 6.6% success rate of course this is a small sample but is just a statistic to show you that people I have been around drop like flies and this is a daily battle that I maintain to stay clean every day and is the hardest, but yet most rewarding, thing I have overcome in my entire life.

See, you you say it yourself ... only you and one other person out of 30 have stayed clean. Others fell off the wagon at least once.

What does that tell you Chad? What it tells me is that you and the other person CHOSE to stay clean!!! The others CHOSE not to. It also tells me that the class is a failure for having a sucess rate of 2 out of 30.

So, did the class only work for 2 people, or is it your CHOICE not to go back to drugs? Answer, it's your choice, not the "class's" choice.

Once again Chad, congradulations ... Cause it was you that quit, not some teachings from a class. It was YOU and only YOU!!! Good job!!!

[Chado1]

When the drugs ran out we had either of two choices only:

Either find the means and ways to get more or suffer through the ultimate pain of withdrawl. That is active addiction and a much harder place to have warped and unbeneficial decision process of choice. Once detoxed and in treatment learning tools of how to cope with life in general our feelings, and how to handle them in a responsible manner at that point are we given a fair choice. Maybe that makes a little more sense.

[Chado1]

See, you you say it yourself ... only you and one other person out of 30 have stayed clean. Others fell off the wagon at least once.

What does that tell you Chad? What it tells me is that you and the other person CHOSE to stay clean!!! The others CHOSE not to. It also tells me that the class is a failure for having a sucess rate of 2 out of 30.

So, did the class only work for 2 people, or is it your CHOICE not to go back to drugs? Answer, it's your choice, not the "class's" choice.

Once again Chad, congradulations ... Cause it was you that quit, not some teachings from a class. It was YOU and only YOU!!! Good job!!!

Yes fair choice is granted once detoxed and in treatment it is then total choice I agree 100%. When in active addiction and prior to this there is no fair choice withdrawl symptoms are HORRIBLE!!!

[Chado1]

edit: double post

[Lsufan]

Its kind of hard to explain. By active addiction I mean that when I was using on a daily basis for a regular period of time I really did not have a choice. I had no where to turn, needed it to feel normal, also If I didnt use I would go into severe depression from withdrawl symptoms and I guess my choice would have been to suck it up as much as possible and pretty much lose my mind and go psychotic. Pretty much have a physical and mental breakdown without it. Once you are fully "detoxed" and given an opportunity at that point you have a choice and out of active addiction. When you are using regularly you need it its very hard to explain to a non addict but most addicts will explain this about the same way.

I hear ya Chad ... But my point is this ... An Addict is an Addict and an Addiction is an Addiction. An "Active Addiction" is just a new politically correct word they use these days to teach the "victims" of drugs. See my point?

YOU and only YOU made the choice to quit, and choice to stay off of the shit. YOU Chad, not some teacher or therapist.

[Chado1]

I hear ya Chad ... But my point is this ... An Addict is an Addict and an Addiction is an Addiction. An "Active Addiction" is just a new politically correct word they use these days to teach the "victims" of drugs. See my point?

YOU and only YOU made the choice to quit, and choice to stay off of the shit. YOU Chad, not some teacher or therapist.

That is correct. Once the drugs have fully detoxed your system and you have learned the tools you are back at 100% choice of your own I totally agree Jimmy. But when you are using you dont have much of an option because I would not wish withdrawl symptoms on my worst enemy and the only way to avoid it is to continue the use.

[KazDog]

Good for you KazDog for being one of the few who view the Glass as Half-full. Because of his status as a widely publicized public figure, there exists a real opportunity for a message to reach further than any NA class, or high school classroom. A parenting tool to enlighten children to the dangers of drug abuse.

People will always abuse alcohol and drugs, so any chance to provide a positive take on a case study is worth exploiting, if it can steer anyone down the right path.

Thanks G Pa.....That's exactly what I meant.

KAZ