Welfare Reform suggestions

[donnashuggy]

Who should they target first? Or last?

[buzzlightyearsgirlfriend]

---

@silverfaun wrote:

Ever tried to quit smoking?? I did and it was hard, the hardest addiction to ever overcome, more addictive than heroin, psychologically addictive,  and that drug is legal.

---

I've never heard of any case where a person whose sole addiction was smoking abuse their wife/husband/partner and children; lose their job and end up homeless and on the streets with a mental illness because of their addiction to smoking. 

[izabsmiling]

ask an addict if they are addicted and very few will acknowledge it ....which needs to happen before anything else.

Even when they can and want to address their addiction the long waiting lists often prevent that happening 'when' they are ready and able to acknowledge their addiction and wanting  to do all they can to try to help themselves .imo it's a strike while the iron is hot kind of situation ...the help needs to be there at that time.Waiting and waiting isn't good for the individual ,their family /friend's or the wider community .Things go down hill and by the time their name may come up there is a possibility that they may be in a worse state and/or not wanting to do rehab any more. 

and it has to be their choice,it can't be forced and forcing it would be pointless in any case 

just following on Buzz .My post isn't to you

[ca04]

maybe our governments have missed the boat on this one?

http://au.finance.yahoo.com/news/swelling-oil-fund-makes-every-101214862.html

[purple_haize]

---

@silverfaun wrote:

Never being an addict or the recipient of welfare was my decision in life.

I decided I'd work and educate myself to rise up in life and not go the easy way out and hit the bottle or drugs or worse, have a couple of children to see me through life without ever having to work.

I found it rewarding and fulfilling to be that way and I have seen what sit down money does and I've seen the destruction of families who never worked from one generation to the next.

Propping up the lifestyle choices of addicts is the soft option of governments instead they should take an altogether different option and not keep enabling this lifestyle choice.

Getting well and being a productive human being is better than anything else. The victim status placed on addicts is enabling them to continue their destructive lifestyle.

The poor me I'm an addict is pathetic.

Ever tried to quit smoking?? I did and it was hard, the hardest addiction to ever overcome, more addictive than heroin, psychologically addictive,  and that drug is legal.

 So you have been on heroin have you and you know how hard it is to give up?

---

[icyfroth]

---

@buzzlightyearsgirlfriend wrote:

---

@silverfaun wrote:

Ever tried to quit smoking?? I did and it was hard, the hardest addiction to ever overcome, more addictive than heroin, psychologically addictive,  and that drug is legal.

---

I've never heard of any case where a person whose sole addiction was smoking abuse their wife/husband/partner and children; lose their job and end up homeless and on the streets with a mental illness because of their addiction to smoking. 

---

And this is on-topic because...?

[boris1gary]

---

@icyfroth wrote:

---

@buzzlightyearsgirlfriend wrote:

---

@silverfaun wrote:

Ever tried to quit smoking?? I did and it was hard, the hardest addiction to ever overcome, more addictive than heroin, psychologically addictive,  and that drug is legal.

---

I've never heard of any case where a person whose sole addiction was smoking abuse their wife/husband/partner and children; lose their job and end up homeless and on the streets with a mental illness because of their addiction to smoking. 

---

And this is on-topic because...?

---

on topic because suggestions were made that those with drug addictions should be targeted first, which of course led to discussion on drug addiction, some seem to think it's a lifestyle choice when the facts confirm it is actually a disease.

[izabsmiling]

An expansion of a suggestion of who should be targeted first in regard to Welfare Reform (see the title,OP and posts in the thread)

[izabsmiling]

Snap Boris 

[poddster]

---

@alexander*beetle wrote:
So much anger Poddster. In the scheme of things, no I don't have an issue financing the healthcare needs of someone with an addiction.

Sadly, you have misinterpreted and twisted my comments.
Nowhere did I say that the only way out of people's problems is addiction. I simply said that for people with an addiction, it's not always cut and dried as to why they have an addiction. I didn't say there was no way out at all. I do agree that many people rise above their problems but not everyone can for reasons psychologists, psychiatrists and most in the medical profession grapple with every day. Worldwide.

Let me give you an example. A young girl grew up in a violent alcoholic family. Bashed by her violent mother, abused by her father. ridiculed by the nuns for having an alcoholic mother. Abused by two of her fathers friends. Somehow it was her fault. All this experience before she was 8 years old. Her mother dead when she was 11 with the nuns telling her it was her fault for not praying enough for her mother. Kicked out of home at 14 when her father remarried, living on the streets and all that entailed. She does have more guts and determination than most but her rejection by her family and the abuse she experienced led her on a path of destruction because the pain of just living was more than she could bear.

Are you going to tell her to just pull her socks up and forget about it all? She had no idea the road her drinking would take her down. She just wanted to block the pain she lived with every minute of the day. Her health costs have cost the taxpayer thousands. I don't begrudge a cent of it. Similarly, a politician, on retirement, even a backbencher most have never heard of, will receive 100's of thousands yearly on retirement. A wealthy business person with a clever accountant will avoid thousands in tax, which costs us all. I know where my $ is well spent.

Nothing is black and white. By your assertion, we shouldn't spend any money or have any empathy for anyone who struggles in life. They should all just 'deal with it' and get on with it. I sincerely hope you are not in one of the caring professions.

---

After having lived in that environment for most of her young life she had no idea??

Astounding !!!

[izabsmiling]

she was the victim of other people's addiction ...if she grew up seeing that those with the addiction hurt others but didn't get hurt themselves...she could think that if she did the same she  would be safe (not the victim) ?