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Originally Posted by jolinar of malkshor
A lot of times mental illness is the direct result of substance abuse and the consequences of such. Addiction is usually the direct result of someone CHOOSING to snort, puff, inject or consume a substance that they know darn rights will effect them in a negative way but they think addiction wont happen to them. Again lets not throw the blame were it doesnt belong (ie: society, upbringing, video games). We are the only creatures on this planet with a sense of choice and in this country the freedom to act on ones choice. You have to live with your decisions.
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First of all, I appreciate the fact that you have continued to make your arguments in this thread while remaining calm.
As for the points above, I would dispute your claims about mental illness being a result of substance abuse. My understanding on the matter (and by no means am I an expert) is that substance abuse can exaggerate pre existing mental illness. In other words - it can make it worse, but I'm not sure if it can cause it.
As for the rest of your post- its a fair position....that we all ultimately choose our path and have to be responsible for that. By in my opinion one's situation and surrounding can go a long way to determining whether or not they turn to substance abuse. Things like being abused, or being a son/daughter of an addict have been shown to have a direct relationship with someone's likelihood to develop their on addiction. Can someone break this circle? Of course. But its tough.
Often people make one bad turn, one bad decision and it sends them down a road with disastorous results. I can look back at my own life and identify certain moments where if I had gone a different way, I could be in a very different place right now. The line between success and failure in life is a very thin one in my opinion.