You’re right, some chose dysfunction. They’d rather live out of the streets and in dangerous, unsanitary places. That’s dysfunction to me. Yes, it’s their choice and their right to be homeless but I think it’s indicative of something wrong. And I’m certainly not going to support their cause.
I’d just rather not give money knowing that it’s going to just go up someone’s nose, vein, etc. If you’re cool with doing that, well, it’s your money to waste so have at it. I prefer to donate my time to people who actually need it though and if that makes me a bad person, cool, I’d rather be be a “bad person” than blow money paying for people’s addictions.
I can’t really speak of acquaintances but my coworkers and acquaintances don’t know my personal life or things about me (I don’t like to talk at work) so in my mind, they don’t matter because they are not personally important or significant to me. So yes, I can safely say that no one I am close to is an addict. No abuse of alcohol, no cigarettes, no abuse of weed, no hard drugs, no sex addicts, no workaholics, etc.
Recovering addicts, I’d be a little wary of but depending on their history and how well I know them, maybe. Current addicts? No. No way José. I don’t think your brother, provided that he’s sober now and on a good path, is much like the scheming, delinquent crackheads I have the misfortune of dealing with in the city where I live.
Man, this thread makes me feel really lucky I don’t have to deal with addicts in my family. My boyfriend’s family is filled with addicts but I don’t want to meet them so I haven’t and won’t. Not my cup of tea.