Just When You Think You Know Someone...

[Harold]

A dear friend of mine, who I've known for several years swiped my digital camera (my guess is she's back on the stem). Arrrrgh! Guess who won't darken my door again? That's why I haven't been posting for awhile...I won't have a camera 'til my next disbursment, and I've been bummed to the point of just going through the motions at the bench. I have, however, been able to graft the front frame crossmember from AMT's '65 Galaxie to the MK '71 T-Bird. I'm slowly getting my groove back, but I'm still ticked.

[MrObsessive]

I would've called the police friend or no. Maybe that'll shock her into getting off whatever she's on.

An old Rabbi once told me a liar is a thief and vice versa. She'd deny it all day long that she took it-------maybe cutting off friendship is the thing to do. (NO contact! Not even a note!)

[LDO]

Blah blah. She needs some self-discipline. A trip to the slammer might wake her up. This is the real world.

[Harry P.]

Drugs make people act in ways they normally wouldn't. Don't know what your relationship with this chick is (was), but for what it's worth, I agree with what Ken said.

[Harold]

I've been no angel myself over the years, and I have probably too much empathy for people. My thing was booze (20 yrs sober) and when I drove cab, I got to see the devastaion caused by crack first hand, so I understand addiction. I can only hope things get better for her- I don't want the next time we meet for her to be in a coffin.

[lordairgtar]

No one likes to just toss a friend to the cops in a case like this. I have had some experience on either side of the problem. I used lotsa drugs before I got rehabilitated. I also worked eight years in rehab helping those who were in the same situation. Ken raises a valid point with the availability of things behind bars. Addicts are most likely to steal from friends and family because of that misplaced sense of loyalty. They know they usually won't get busted by people close to them. I guess everyone will have to deal with this situation as their heart leads, but I have seen and talked with people who ripped off their own parents, grandparents, or other relatives to get high. Guess what, people? An addict who will rob family and friends are not loyal to them, they only are after the "high". They know that "family" is an easy mark. I never did that myself as I was away from my own family and I was closely associated with musicians, so the drugs and pot was easy and free usually. I did see my youngest sister put my mom in debt to the tune of 40,000 bucks because of her habit. Mom wouldn't kick her to the curb, and suffered for it. Mom had to sell her house and everything else she had. If you don't want to involve cops, get them into a rehab situation.

Edited December 6, 2007 by lordairgtar

[scubadiver411]

Well, I personally have never been hooked on drugs.... but in my line of business, I see first hand what meth, pot, crack, coke, etc... can do to people. I work at a Federal Prison as a Correctional Officer, and I can tell you from my experience talking with the inmates that drugs control the people, they don't control the drugs. Even though most of these guys have been away from drugs for 3, 5, even 10+ years, you can tell, just by talking with them, which ones are going to go back to drugs when they get out, and which ones won't. The people that are going back to the drugs are those that DIDN'T want to quit and DON"T want the help (we'll be seeing them again soon). But, those that WANT the help to quit drugs and GET the help that they need are the ones we won't be seeing again. People that want to quit and get help, can quit if they have the support of friends and family, but without the support, it is a lot harder to quit on their own. I guess what I'm saying is... if she is a friend, SUPPORT her and HELP her quit the addiction, and be with her through the whole process, it will be alot easier for her. You have an edge, you can speak from your own experiences from your past addiction, so you know what she is going through.

STEVE ALLEN

[chris coffey]

man, this is a deep subject here folks!! but hey, i see how easy it is to "just throw her in the slammer and forget her", but as ALOT of real wisdom has been spoken on this subject, i really admire you all who have battled and won this evil addiction monster. I am currently battling a lesser demon, but is still a powerful but still deadly addiction, and it is chewing. I really understand that with most addictions, it seems to be a "mind over matter" type of deal. When i was in the ARMY, i developed a ferocious drinking habit, but i put mind over matter, and dropped it, but not without a small fight. Right now, i am 50-50 on trying to kick chewing, as i have been doing it for over 20 yrs. I go on the perverbial wagon for a week or so, then i get a weak moment, and before you know it, i am back into the copenhagen. To me, it also is alot about self disapline, and if you don't want to help yourself, then it makes kicking the addiction 100 times harder. I really hope your friend gets some help. don't turn your back on her.

[sidewaze]

There is a time to be soft and hard either way there is no right decision for any person. You have to do what you personnally feel is right. I myself is call the cops and disown. Is that right or wrong can't say but for me it is. A friend of mine who has no end of money recently lost his 26 yr old daughter to heroin and against his family requests refused to enter into rehab again. He said i have to cut the strings sometime. Well she od'd last month he now feels terrible but as i said to one of his family members it was a decision he couldn't win. I wish you the best with your friend and hope all works out. Some people have addictive personalities and no matter what is done they will keep using because of their own personal demons. I have used many types of drugs and still enjoy a smoke but I don't have that addictive trait. I ran a bar for 5 years and never abused boose or drugs and both were at my disposal for free but all I can say for the people that can't control it I feel for you and hope some day you can conquer your demons.

[LDO]

Right. Just toss her into an environment where drugs are as prevalent and are as easy to get as they are on the streets. That way, when she gets out, she'll be just as addicted as when she went in. That'll work!

So we should let people steal from us because we feel sorry for them? None for me, thanks. I work hard for everything I have. No sympathy here.

[scubadiver411]

Well, I retract the first line of my last statement I made earlier... As I sit here reading what chris coffey is saying, with a big dip in my mouth right now, I agree. I have been chewing Copenhagen/Kodiak for 20+ years, and even went thru a study conducted by the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN to try and quit this nasty habit. I did quit for about a month, then I was back at it again and WISH I could quit again, but it is my stress reliever from work, kids, financial set backs, etc... which are all excuses to keep chewing. So, I know what chris and other's are going thru with this "legal" drug (nicotine). Someday soon I do hope to quit this habit, for my kids and for my own health.

STEVE ALLEN

[bob paeth]

Chris, don't kid yourself into thinking nicotine is a "lesser" addiction, because it isn't, not by a long shot! Surely you've heard of the results of recent studies that have found it's as addictive as heroin!

I KNOW what you're battling, too, because I was hooked on spit tobacco (snuff) for better than 25 years. I went cold turkey six years ago and haven't touched it since, although, believe it or not, I still get the occasional craving!

Trust me on this ... kicking that nasty habit is the best possible thing you could do for yourself! You'll feel better, your teeth won't have brown gunk all over them and you'll have a bunch more money in your pocket, which, of course, can always converted to more models ... an addiction in and of itself, but that's another story entirely!

Best of all, though, is the feeling that comes with knowing that if you're down to your last $5, you don't have to buy a can of snuff with it! It is a GREAT feeling to not be nicotine's bitch!

Here's a suggestion if you don't want to go cold turkey ... a smoking-cessation specialist once told me that nicotine gum actually works better for chewers and dippers than it does for smokers because chewers and dippers are already used to absorbing nicotine through the linings of their mouths.

Good luck, amigo, and if you need moral support, feel free to holler at me!

Chris, I might just add to these posts, my own experience with the smoking habit. I smoked for 52 years before I finally gave up the habit. The patches worked for me. But if you try this method, it is not fool proof. First you can never have a cigarette with you, you know, for "emergency" purposes.?

Also don't expect miracles. The patches help the physical addiction but not the mental. Try to avoid those situations where under normal circumstances you would have a smoke. My two most difficult times were just after a meal and when I got into my car after a days work.

You can break the habit. I have been "clean" for almost 5 years while saving over $5000. And it is also true, as has been pointed out here, this gives you unbelievable money for buying models.

bob

[dub]

Chris, I might just add to these posts, my own experience with the smoking habit. I smoked for 52 years before I finally gave up the habit. The patches worked for me. But if you try this method, it is not fool proof. First you can never have a cigarette with you, you know, for "emergency" purposes.?

Also don't expect miracles. The patches help the physical addiction but not the mental. Try to avoid those situations where under normal circumstances you would have a smoke. My two most difficult times were just after a meal and when I got into my car after a days work.

You can break the habit. I have been "clean" for almost 5 years while saving over $5000. And it is also true, as has been pointed out here, this gives you unbelievable money for buying models.

bob

Thankfully I quit before I gave the extra 40 years to tobacco. I only smoked for 12 years, but it wasn't any easier to quit. I did it cold turkey and I have been without one for 10 months now. What surprises me is how much willpower I really have! I enjoyed cigarettes A LOT and didn't think I could do it without help. In fact, I guess you could say I did get "help" in the form of this hobby. I wouldn't be here if I didn't quit smoking. If I had enough willpower to do it, anybody does. I hear you, Bob, on the "habit" of having a smoke certain times or places in the routine. I haven't been in a bar for 10 months due to all the smoke. (still legal in PA) I think I'm ready now. While the smell still can ignite a craving, the bars are overkill and winds up turning it off.

As for the original post... I've had plenty of my hard earned belongings stolen from me in the past by so called "friends" to better fill their wallets. None of them were addicts looking for a fix. They were just thieves looking for an easy target. I wish I could relate to the situation but I've never been there...

Edited December 10, 2007 by dub