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Hi all,

I just wanted to put some thoughts out there after reading quite a few threads containing the term 'junkie'.

I suppose the impetus for this comes more from the absolute disgust some people seem to be expressing towards the 'other', namely the junkie in this instance.

I am not what most people would describe as a junkie, nor have I ever been, but I do know a little about the situation.

For one most junkies, as many people on the forums would term them, have had serious abuse in their past, usually during or throughout early childhood.

Many develop a drug habit early on to deal with the massive ramifications early abuse has for their lives. I am fairly sure none of them would like to be in the positions they find themselves in.

Their drug use, more often than not, stems from their need to ease their suffering.

Whether or not they extend that suffering out to others because of their habit is kind of missing the point, and to be honest I don't want to see this thread turn into a "Well I saw some junkie trash selling their baby!" type scenario, where we continue bashing fellow human beings for their lot in life, and perhaps the poor decisions they have made in light of their situation, or the harm they might have perpetuated onto others.

They are our brothers and sisters. They are all someone's child. They suffer like we do, perhaps more so, and until that suffering is somehow checked they will continue to suffer, and cause suffering. Labelling them trash, throwing them in gaol and casting them out will do nothing to help them.

And they, and people like them, need the most help.

I'm certainly not saying that law breaking and the requisite sentencing shouldn't apply to those highly dependent criminals out there, I'm just saying our words and thoughts have reall power, particular when they manifest into action.

Many people WOULD label me a 'druggie', 'druggo' or 'pothead' even. That doesn't phase me so much becasue I am not suffering. I may suffer from that exclusive labelling, but I am not in a state of such permanent suffering that it could well severley impact on my already sketchy health, like the junkie.

If I am you and you are me, the perceiver and the perceived are one, what are we saying about ourselves when we label another so?

/endrant

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Interesting thoughts.

I'd like to add that while I've never had a serious addiction problem, the term 'junkie' has never held bad associations for myself. Quite the opposite. Some of the biggest influences of my youth; literary, artistic, musical, have been people termed as junkies. I'm thinking William Burroughs, Jim Carroll, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Brett Whitely, Kurt Cobain...it's a huge list.

Not sure what my point is and I don't mean to sound glib towards people with this issue. Just saying junkies are not some human trash, they've been some of the biggest contributors to humanitie's cultural and artistic devopment.

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I think people tend to wear their heart on their sleeve too much sometimes and take words way to seriously. I mean honestly at the end of the day, it’s just a sound that humans make, it’s not like it’s a slap in the face or a beer bottle to the head.

Personally, I throw the word “junkie” around all the time. Like anyone who uses more drugs than me, I have been known to call a junkie. Or if someone goes way overboard, gets so messed up on any drug (including alcohol) and does something stupid or makes a fool of themself, I would refer to them as a junkie. Damn, I wouldn’t even hesitate to call myself a cannabis junkie when I’m smoking way too much or get smashed when I have something important I should be doing.

I guess it’s just because there’s not one single word that anyone could say to me that would really offend me, so I sometimes just forget that people can be petty and superficial and take that stuff to heart.

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Ive never heard the term "Junkie" used at someone who doesnt use needles. In WA the definition of a Junkie is someone who injects daily.

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edit: fuck it. i'm as sick of my opinions as everyone else probably is

Edited by gtarman
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Yeah man I see what you mean "responsible choice" (I like you profile name) but unfortunately this sentiment falls on deaf ears when it comes to making most of society understand that there is more than meets the eye when it comes to people with harmful habits, I don't have much to add to this topic other than this but it does piss me off when narrow minded people think that all heroin addicts are just waiting for an opportunity to rob their fellow man , add to so called soaring crime rates, responsible for all assaults ,

I was once working at a café in Collingwood (just east of melb) when my self righteous ex employer said to the café owner " fuckn junkies will ruin your business round here mate" he's reply was along the lines of that most of his problems were with vandalism committed most of the time by the usual drunks that are in abundance in inner suburban Melbourne after dark.

I think its going to be one of those terms that just can't be erased , Iv referred to people as being junkies when they spend to much time on their Xbox or eat to much chocolate or blow their pay on the pokies all the time , I regularly meet with an old school heroin user and never see this chap as a junkie and likewise his friends as I guess he lives a very balanced lifestyle......

All the best

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edit*double post

Edited by gtarman

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The term 'Junkie' originally came from the fact that most down and out heroin addicts would collect and recycle cans/metal/rubbish or 'Junk' - in order to earn some money. Very resourceful if you ask me.

I also recall a statistic (but can't remember where or when) that said less than 9% of heroin users were your media sensationalised 'sit in the gutter begging for a dollar' type person. The other 90% or so were casual users, weekenders, judges, mothers etc...

The term 'Crackhead' now seems to get used a lot for people smoking ice - by association with the crack pipe I would assume. Far worse than heroin IMO

In relation to your opening post: I have no problem with Junkies - most are lovely people, they know they have a problem, and they're stuck in a rut. The people I take most offence to are your average judgmental Joe's that spend 100's of hours glued to the television, pump 200kg's a minute at the gym, suck back greasy food and soft drink - and then have the ignorance to say 'look at that junkie over there - how disgusting' - at least a junkie is aware they have a problem.

Edited by IndianDreaming
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For one most junkies, as many people on the forums would term them, have had serious abuse in their past, usually during or throughout early childhood.

Many develop a drug habit early on to deal with the massive ramifications early abuse has for their lives. I am fairly sure none of them would like to be in the positions they find themselves in.

Their drug use, more often than not, stems from their need to ease their suffering.

Interesting that you say this. In my experience, most if not all of the IV drug users ("junkies") that I have known have actually had quite good upbringings by what only could be described as loving and supportive families.

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All the speed/heroin junkies i have known, know they have a problem and coudnt care less. What are you actually trying to get at? personally i wouldnt let anyone I call a junkie anywhere near my house or my family for a hand full of reasons.Have you ever actually met a full blown "junkie"??

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'Full blown' junkies, sure - probably not the friendliest of folk to invite over for coffee - my comments above are about people labelled as junkies that aren't 'full blown' - I find it hypocritical of an average Joe to label a recreational drug user a 'junkie' - when most people I've met in my entire life are addicted to one thing or another. It's the pot calling the kettle black.

Yes, I've met full blown junkies, and even watched as one of my school friends went all the way down, past stealing from his family, robbing his friends, bashing people for money and eventually into the grave. I have a few ex-friends that are on the same path with ice now. The fella on heroin knew what was happening even though he couldn't or wouldn't stop it, the ice heads are oblivious to it even happening, they think they're fine, even when they have boils on their face, scabs all over their bodies, twitches and teeth falling out - they appear not to notice.

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Even if one has what is seen as a good upbringing, our culture is not showing much hope for providing a happy future for our children, so it might be hard for some to have any positive feelings exist inside without assistance. My opinion is that people use substances because of the absence of any good feeling.

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i was not aiming at you Indiandreaming. just the OP

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We're all humans and should be judged by the integrity of our actions and the impact we make on the world around us rather than what drugs we take and what drugs we have taken.

I know a several people who have, as Responsible Choice suggested, suffered from severely traumatising experiences, and have used needles to cope with the past, and some of these people, through momentous commitment and effort have overcome this addiction, and others have not.

Some of those I know who have not been able to overcome their addiction have showed some despicable behaviour at times, but realistically, so do almost all kinds of people, especially those who have had less than pleasurable lives.

When you have had a fucked up life, you do fucked up stuff sometimes.

I think drug-users of all descriptions should still be considered as unique people, with intrinsic faults and talents and patterns of behaviour just like any other human being.

It's of course up to all of us to decide who we want to get to know, who we want to have in our lives and who we don't, and I can understand the aversion, but if we generalise someone before we get the chance to know them, they will not want to show their true nature, their humour, their talents and their positive attributes.

One of the most amazing humans I know is a recovered "junkie" (i use the term cause he refers to that period of his experience as being that) and I would not ever consider him a lesser person for his experiences with drug use. Sure, it was the biggest regret and the biggest obstacle he has had to overcome in life, but beating his addiction makes him (in my eyes at least) stronger and wiser than 95% of the other people I have ever met.

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i think the main thing in life is to love. its so hard to do i admit, as i always find myself angry at such bullshit things. Could you imagine finding love in another human killing you?? wow i wish i could. i guess that's enlightenment and everyone should at least try.... right?

We all get caught up in this shit where we work for the bank and the tax man, I thought people into growing spiritual plants would totally be into peace love and understanding, and i wish i could just be that and not have to try. But it s hard and most give up or forget that trip they had..

I see many on this forum who seem genuine and so many who are generous. So many want to help.

I also see so much intolerance as well. ( like when someone posts in caps and gets ragged on.... wow).

This makes me wonder about peoples motives sometimes. why into entheogens? ??? For the high???

Anyway the same guy calling the heroin user a junkie in high school is proably a tax accountant on oxycodone now.... or worse... codeine :(

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When i stop to think about it I really have to consider myself a hard core junkie, if i go more than 12 or 14 hours without coffee i get blinding headaches & shake, another couple of hours & i'm vomiting. Am i in control? Nope not at all, that would be the coffee 100%

Illicit drug users fulfill the same now role as witches did in Europe during the 16th century, providing an internal enemy which the society can be mobilized against. Ya gotta love a good burning, dont ya?

Junkies are created by the state! They provide the imagery needed to justify the war on drugs.

If people with addictions were treated as a health issue instead of being a legal problem & the substances themselves were regulated rather than banned few of the problems we see now would exist. Users wouldn’t be hiding out of sight in the first place, so the would be far more like to receive help early on before the addiction gets as far it it often now does.

So the long & the short of it. The government has hoisted this misery upon these poor souls, and at a cost of billions (with compounding interest) upon the tax payer.

The question is, Who are the demons here? The addicted? or the bureaucrats and politicians?

Although to be fair the bureaucrats are just as addicted to the funding & the power as a junkie is to an opiate.

Edited for pre coffee spelling

Edited by shortly
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Being a junkie ? would a junkie know he is a junkie . Would he refer to his fellow addicts as junkies "yo what up fellow junkie"

It is a derogatory term used by people who think they are upper class (as the wash there oxy contin down with a scotch ).

MY opinion is we all have our vice's and heroin is a bad one but only because of the way it is bought . If it was sold

at a chemist legally it is not that expensive . Heroin needs to be treated as a medical issue not a criminal

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Being a junkie ? would a junkie know he is a junkie . Would he refer to his fellow addicts as junkies "yo what up fellow junkie"

It is a derogatory term used by people who think they are upper class (as the wash there oxy contin down with a scotch ).

MY opinion is we all have our vice's and heroin is a bad one but only because of the way it is bought . If it was sold

at a chemist legally it is not that expensive . Heroin needs to be treated as a medical issue not a criminal

I'm surrounded by junkies where I live and they argue and fight in the street on a daily basis. Whenever there is a fight it always involves a lot of name calling. It seems like calling the other person a junkie is the ultimate insult for them even though the one using that term is a junkie himself or herself. Sometimes they will put each other in hospital and then be best mates again 2 days later only to repeat it again a week or so down the track.

I don't class anyone as junkie because of their drug of choice, I make that differentiation based on their lifestyle choices and the way they conduct themselves. I've known heroin users that are fully functional members of society and are genuinely good people so I wouldn't class them as junkies.

The house next door to me is a 24/7 drop in center/shooting gallery for every dead shit criminal lowlife scumbag cunt the in the district. Why the police let it flourish has got me fucked. A good percentage of these people are known to have done multiple sentences for violent crimes and robberies etc. I see shit being rushed into the house at all hours of the day and night. It's normally wrapped in blankets and the people carrying it are always behaving very suspiciously. Then when the drugs are delivered it's normal to see 30 - 50 people turn up in an hour until the supply runs out.

I've caught them shooting up while sitting in the gutter out the front after they've scored their drugs many times and had to clean up their discarded syringes more times than can remember. Sometimes the stupid pricks come and knock on my door or get all the way to the veranda when they mean to go next door even though my house is brick and the junkies house is weatherboard and they've been to that house hundreds of times.

I've got no sympathy for them. I've been through more shit in my life than many and most of the time I have no money but I don't choose to rob the servo, break into houses or rob people at knife point in the street. They're the type of people I consider junkies, they're scumbags in every sense of the word because of the way they choose to live, so I think they deserve the moniker.

Edited by Sally
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doublebenno, on 25 Nov 2013 - 9:51 PM, said:

i think the main thing in life is to love. its so hard to do i admit, as i always find myself angry at such bullshit things. Could you imagine finding love in another human killing you?? wow i wish i could. i guess that's enlightenment and everyone should at least try.... right?

We all get caught up in this shit where we work for the bank and the tax man, I thought people into growing spiritual plants would totally be into peace love and understanding, and i wish i could just be that and not have to try. But it s hard and most give up or forget that trip they had..

I see many on this forum who seem genuine and so many who are generous. So many want to help.

I also see so much intolerance as well. ( like when someone posts in caps and gets ragged on.... wow).

This makes me wonder about peoples motives sometimes. why into entheogens? ??? For the high???

Anyway the same guy calling the heroin user a junkie in high school is proably a tax accountant on oxycodone now.... or worse... codeine :(

Sometimes it's hard to maintain the conversation at the debate level, where valid equal and opposing views are presented with supporting evidence in a non-derogatory manner, especially when it's a topic that may hold personal value for someone, emotions can run high and quick regretful posts can flow fast and furiously. Sometimes I feel that posting controversial topics only serves to divide and conquer the community and causes arguments, but without healthy discussion of touchy issues, nothing would get done I guess.

It's interesting to see why people think the things that they do, it's like an entheogen in itself, it makes you consider your own views and gives you a 3rd person perspective to chew on.

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I prefer the term 'heroin enthusiast'

Edited by Anodyne
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bayer-and-heroin.jpg

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