If you use, or are close to somebody who uses drugs, how do you feel about the negative image presented in TV crime stories?

I've been close to drug users. I feel content about the image presented by TV shows. But i have opinions on it.

-The image is correct. We should not complain about how the image been presented in TV programs because it reflecting the reality. The image is certainly negative and it can not be translated to other images! The fact is someone who do drugs (without requirement of any medical advisory) they are careless about themselves. How can they possibly care about the person next to them? One way or another they'll end up losing everything they've got then doing everything to earn their daily drug fund and they start to show abusive behaviors so the image is pretty dark.

-But we have to make sure we also share this possibility that every drug addicted can change. They can return. The stories behind every drug user can go different. Thus we can not get our back on them and never consider them part of the society. They can be fixed. We must give them the opportunity, try to help and see who worth it, who want it or who don't.

And i just feel sorry and sad for every drug user who brought their lives to struggles. It's not a happy image at all.

Dear Didge,

I once spent a year going around Iowa with a slide projector, telling the real stories of such people...just my contribution to counteracting the destructive nature of that negative image.

TV stories that demonize any group of people are unwholesome.

Narcotics like meth, cocaine, heroine, often are made to look it is just ghetto rats using it. Often the ghetto rats started out in well-to-do or middle class homes. Many shows white-wash that fact.

As for marijuana, you see the stoners on tv and in the movies. What you rarely, if ever, see those that use it as many use as many use alcohol. Or people who use it to deal with the side effects of chemo, or other medical issues like anxiety. I know people who have been smoking for decades. They all have been productive, honest people.

I was a working addict for years didge. Yes crack anand heroin can put you out their in another world and i have been their for three yrs

When it comes to alcoholism, I've heard that for an alcoholic, one drink is too many and two are not enough.

So that implies that you can drink alcohol and not be an alcoholic.

And so getting "drunk" can be an accident or intentional, but it's an acute problem.

Being drunk AND an alcoholic is a whole different animal.

And being in the company of someone who is drunk is much less of a problem than being around someone who is drunk AND an alcoholic.

And if you stay drunk, those shows are pretty accurate about how one tends to live his life.

I know nothing about other drugs, so I will make no comment.

Most people use drugs. People have forgotten caffeine ;-;