Holy crap you're old...you fly the P-51 too?

Aeris, your logic is sound. Unfortunately, what medical science is increasingly finding is that certain people (and yes, it's hereditary) are predisposed to have a tendency towards addiction (because of the previously mentioned DNA markers, imbalanced brain chemistry, blahblahblah).

Can they "choose" or even "control" their tendencies? Maybe, but it's an uphill fight all the way. This poor UPS pilot may have fought it as hard as she could but ultimately lost the battle, who knows. As others have said, we can't judge what her situation was.

But this is also why people who beat one addiction like gambling, often just turn to another addiction like alcohol. It's a tough road for anyone to deal with, and in many cases like this one, sadly, it ends tragically.

First it was the man keeping us down, now it's not enough gamma-aminobutyric acid. No need to blame yourself for bad decisions anymore.

I thought all the world's problems were due to global warming?

Dear Dr. norskman2,

I was Ok with your ph.d. level scolding until you called me "son." I have no problem being called numerous curse words (I probably ask for that?) but son and junior are off limits.

FYI ... I've had family members that suffered from mental illness (the drug addicts and alcholics seem to always be thrown into the same counseling sessions), and have become quite an authority on the subject. In fact, I'm writing a book for families on the subject.

There are numerous psychiatrists that totally discount the "therapy" method of treatment and choose instead to treat folk with drugs only. Seems to work ... maybe you're the one that could do "some learnin."

It doesn't matter if you "buy it" or not. Addiction is a physiological disease. What you seem to have a hard time understanding is that it is (obviously) a choice when someone starts. However, the addiction is not at all a choice. Like heroin or even something legal like lithium, one needs to seek medical attention to stop using meth. One just can't think their way from being an addict.

What? Do you think that everyone that has made a bad choice should be condemned to a lifetime ofconsequences? Even when they make the choice to stop using? Why does that first bad choice have to be what "ultimately matters" when an addicts decides to get help?

Haven't you ever made a bad choice?

P.S. and you fly airplanes???

No, no. You are wrong. Its climate change. Thats the new buzzword these days.

FWIW, addiction is not a choice, thats why its called addiction. There is plenty of medical evidence to show that.

Sad Story...

You pro addiction guys live in a very black and white world. No gray areas.

Some people just like crank.

Yeah too bad we've turned it into a typical blowhard pilot discussion replete with over the top hard-line declarations and a discussion of competing medical treatments, huh?: