I don’t think I’ll ever understand a lot of my fellow addicts’ attitudes towards their pre-rehab behaviors.
For me, it seems like a lot of them glorify it – as it’s a competition. Who’s been in prison vs. jail vs. both, for how long, breaking into homes and stealing because he/she was owed money, fighting and even kidnapping.
I know that in support groups people share their stories to try and help other addicts looking for hope and help and that we’re not alone in the addiction but it feels different during breaks between group sessions and meal time, to me anyway. During those times when just “shooting the shit” and sharing individual stories everyone is laughing about it like it’s a joke or a badge of honor. There seems to be no remorse or guilt over it.
If it were only addicts who are here via court order, I could probably understand better. But most here in in-patient are here by choice, at least they say. Where during group and in front of the facilitator(s) it’s talked like bad behavior but out of group it’s like a competition that they’re proud of.
It just seems weird and two-faced to me.