Rush's admission

[vbhoutex]

I feel so blessed reading through this thread. Like Dennis, I have almost constant low back pain. As many of you know, last year I had injections in my spinal area three times to ease the pain and it has helped. I am able to maintain a "normal" lifestyle without much pain medication these days. Like Dennis, I also refuse to suffer though. I do not like pills, or needles or anything that is not natural for that matter, but at the same time I feel like I deserve to live as normal a life as possible.
I have had an addictive persoanlity all my life. I smoked for 12 years(3 packs a day at the end!!)and managed to quit for good after a year and a half. When I met my wife 31+ years ago I was very close to ruining my life with downers. She was my saving angel and I have told her that many times. That was not all I was doing at that time in my life, but it what had a hold of me then. That is long gone also. Last year I was taking Vicodin and Lortab and Skelaxin for the pain. Somehow I did not become addicted to either the Lortab of Vicodin, both highly addictive. When I did wean myself off of them the difference in my "lucidness" was like night and day however. So I guess what I am saying is I can understand where others are coming from and have some empathy, especially for a public figure like Rush who goes public with it(as long as it is not for his own personal monetary gain). I can also tell you that addictive personalities are genetic, at least in my family. Both my kids smoke-they never saw there Mom or I smoke until she started up again a few years ago. I still have that addictive personality but have managed to control it in every place except one-FOOD!! I do not know how I have been so lucky as to "conquer" to a point this problem, but I feel blessed that I have been able to. I must presume that some of it is due to my FAITH and GODS divine intervention. I pray that those that are still ensnarled in an addictive downward spiral may be as blessed as I have been and are able to find help.

[Stephanie]

Again, like many people have said, it doesn't make you a bad person because you have an addiction of some kind. My point has always been that I don't understand how some can crucify others for this malady without giving those under attack a way to defend themselves. I think that it was Ed that made a very good point though that Rush may have been lashing out at those with addictions because of his frustration with dealing with his own addiction.