Would it change your perception about a person if you discovered he/she was a former drug addict?

Everyone is a former everything and anything.
I am going to deal in the today.

I ran into this exact situation the other day. this was a homeless person that admitted he was a recovering drug addict.....for the past 21 years.

I shook his hand and said "good for you".

He needed a ride to a shelter and i provided it.

no, if they are a former drug user id think they were a very strong person. but i dont judge people on thier past anyway, its who they are now that would matter to me.

No, because that would be hypocrytical of a former drug addict like myself.

No way...those people gets stars in my book. I know first hand about drug addicts and the hell they go through in trying to kick it, and the ones who can't have my prayers for a better life.

Not at all :)

If it would, it would probably be in a good way. I like it when people are honest enough to admit they've made mistakes. It shows that they have a humble side to them. Is there anything wrong with humility? In my opinion, there is not.

Yes, it would make me think that they are a strong person to make positive changes in their life and break free from hamrful substances.

The only thing I would be concerned about would be IV drug use because the AIDS factor is very real and scary. If this was just a friend and not a potential love interest, I would not be concerned.

I am a former addict, and no it wouldn't change my perception about myself, or anyone else.

Yes but mostly I would be supportive.

NO IT WOULD NOT, BUT IF THEY GOT CLOSE TO ME AND MINE (FRIEND/ FAMILY) I WOULD ASK IF THEY HAVE HAD AN AIDS TEST AND WHAT WAS THE OUT COME OF THAT. AND I WOULD SUPPORT THEM IN STAYING OFF THE DRUGS THE BEST WAY I COULD. I WOULD ALSO BE HONEST WITH THEM IF I HAD ANY CONCERNS TOO.

i would probably find them more endearing :)

"former" sounds like "ex" and that being the criteria, I would say..... let's forgive... but not FORGET!...If that former is on the "PRESENT" then... let that person go....

MY HUSBAND WAS A "FORMER" HEROINE ADDICT WHEN I MET HIM, I DIDNT KNOW ABOUT HIS PAST SO HAD NO REASON TO JUDGE HIM WHEN HE TOLD ME. BUT NOT LONG INTO OUR RELATIONSHIP HE STARTED USING AGAIN. AND ALL THE USUALL THINGS WENT ON HE WAS SORRY WOULDNT DO IT AGAIN AND ALL THAT CRAP. MANIPULATED ME STOLE FROM ME AN EVEN GOT VIOLENT TO GET HIS FIX. PREGNANT WITH OUR 2ND CHILD I GAVE HIM 6 MONTHS TO CLEAN UP OR PISS OFF... WENT INTO DETOX 5 COSTING NOT SHORT OF 6 GRAND 10 MONTHS LATER HE IS BACK ON IT...


DO YOU THINK HE SHOULD BE GIVEN ANOTHER CHANCE WHEN I DIDNT JUDGE HIM ON HIS PAST ?????

I DONT PITY HIM, HE MAKES HIS OWN CHOICES...

MORE THE FOOL HIM

ONCE AN ADDICT ALWAYS AN ADDICT IT'S IN YOU WEATHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT

Former, means WAS past tense he/she went through a rough time folks should be praise God for former addicts who have freedom from this instead of judging them.

nope, we all had our bumps

If they over came that, I would view them as a stronger person actually.

Not at all. I have a lot of friends who are former drug users. More power to them for getting off the stuff.

i find deep respect for those who have been able to overcome something so difficult. shows character and determination in my book.

If I thought they were a good person and knew them well, I'd see no reason to feel different. I've known some people who had very disturbing early years and they changed and I think that is wonderful:-)

Yes, I would have a new respect for them. They beat the odd's and did something to overcome the problem.

It would probably give me a degree of admiration for her or him for having overcome such a serious problem.

I am a former drug addict . now what ?

No ~ it makes no difference to me :)

Yep, I'd think more of them, someone who has been thru that hell deserves support, and they would have mine :-)

Yes, I would think that they have a lot of willpower and determination to overcome the addiction. I would be impressed (at their determination etc.). But I wouldn't treat them any differently or think badly of them in any way for it.

No....former being the key word.

In mot cases no. What is in their past is their past It would not make me care for them any less than I already did however if the drug use was through needles and it was a love interest I would be a bit concerned about my risk factor for contracting Aids or Hepatitis. It however would not make me suddenly stop loving them.

Yes it would, for the better. The mom of a friend many years ago was a drug addict and smoked cigarettes as well as if there were no tomorrow..she was also an alcoholic. She kicked all of that before I met her and I admired her strength for being able to do that. But all the years of abuse took their toll and she died a few years ago. Her name was Wendy and I'll never forget her! :)

No, because we all have done things in our life we shouldnt have done, or regreted.

2nd Answer.

Yes.

In law enforcement for many years, i have witnessed many drug addicts that have made the effort to become clean of drugs, but have failed. a drug addict will always be a backslider, if the right situation presents itself.

The key word here is trust.

Never give a former drug addict cash money.

No- I would give the person credit for having the strength to get clean. We all have our own personal problems of some kind. Just because yours aren't the exact same or as severe as another person doesn't really give you good reason to judge.

No, I don't judge by the past, only the present.
+5

No, not all. Everybody has a pass. That was then, this is now.

Everyone has done things in their past maybe they were not proud of but people do change and if someone has I dont think they should be judged from the past, the things a person did does not make them who they are today. So give them a chance

No but thats because i'm a drugy and an acoholic

It depends how that person acted. Of course it they were snobby and truly believed that they were better than everyone else than it would be a problem but if they were humble and honest I would appreciate their wisdom more.

Being a recovering drug addict and alcoholic I am better able to understand just exactly how hard it can be to quit. I can also know the pain involved with the past. Most importantly I know you reach bottom when you quit digging

only positively!

It depends if he/she is in recovery. Adiction is a hard thing to live behind.I'm a recoveringadict and i have seen thousands of man and woman relapse if they do not have a support group.some times they find recovery through religion. but in many casess is best that adicts find a recovery room in order to recover. Working a 12 step program requires that u change from the inside out.any body can stop but not every body can stay stoped.

Yes.

It would take years before i had confidence that this person was indeed cured of illegal drug addiction.

I have seen too many people backslide in my profession.

Never give an ex-drug addict cash money.

Its too much of a temptation to rekindle an old drug habit.

Its like dangling a bone in front of a hungry dog and telling the dog to stay.

It never happens.

I would think highly of them for gaining control back over their life. Changing your life like that is no easy road-it isn't done over night. EVERYONE...& I mean everyone...no one escapes this one unless you are the POPE! And I bet even he has a couple things on his list of not so happy with his choice of behavior or his thinking on certain subjects. Everyone has things they have done in their past, present or in their future they really aren't too proud of. we hopefully learn by our mistakes. there are fan's and there are the people who are the player's in life. The fan's take the easy road, sitting and observing the player's action's. The player's get injured and are also given bad press along the way for being more the leader types than the follower types (the fan's). Only a narrow minded person, or one with no self-esteem themselves would think badly about a reformed drug addict living an upstanding life presently. It is successful people who recover from things like drug addiction that encourage other addicts to get clean too. Someone who isn't a doctor, teacher, or caregiver that is your average joe citizen who never had children yet decides he is going to write a guide book on having, and raising healthy, happy, successful children into adulthood. Isn't going to be selling to many book's.

NO..IF ..HE/SHE IS ALREADY CLEAN...

It would a little, but I would look at them as being a stronger person. :)

perception is a funny, thing youd be suprised how easily someones opinion of you can change, regardless of what they tell you or themselves.. being a recovered addict myself at the age of 24 i can tell you to look for someone who can undewrstand the past is just that

No, you liked them befor you knew so why would anything be different? they are still the same person inside. I would like them more for kicking the addiction!!!

'former' drug addicts draw us to a conclusion that they have learned from their mistakes of being addicted to drugs in the past. As long as they have changed their ways, you shouldn't have to change your perception about them. Accept them for who they are, the significance of, and why they are a part of your life today.

yes, I would respect them MORE for overcoming.

Any new knowledge about a person changes your view of them slightly but not in a bad way for me. I have quite a few friends who are (former) drug addicts but they are no less my friends than any of the other people I know. I can almost respect them more because they are trying to get out of the addiction, it is an amazing achievement in it's self to make that decision and to stick with it.
Also, a person's past is exactly that, their past. It should stay in the past so they can be forgiven and they can move on to better things.

I'm a former heroin addict and have been for almost 6 years. I never say I'm in recovery. That word is WAY over used. The last time i was in recovery was when i had my gall bladder removed.
Anyway..kind of hypocritical to judge people on their past mistakes I think being none of us are perfect...well, I'm getting there, but still have a ways to go. ;)
It really depends on your level of trust in a person too. It's real easy to say you're a former this or former that then get 10 bucks from someone to go cop dope. I let actions speak louder than words because talk is cheap and lip service is even cheaper.
I live with and care for an elderly woman who trusted me and she knew I had only been in treatment a few years. We're best friends now and i could steal from her all day and make off like gangbusters, but i would as soon starve a slow agonizing death first. She trusts me with her life quite literally now and nothing will ever make me betray that trust. It's all I have in life now...my word.