#As for war and genocide and all the other human ills that we can't seem to solve how do you think the atomic bomb worked out

[the-busy-ghost]

"Oh it would have been more satisfying if the humans had invented a technology which defeated the Martians rather than have them killed off by accident just when humanity's impotence in the face of disaster seems to be confirmed". I

To me that's just a fancy way of saying "Yeah but humans could totally handle the Martians and the writer has a duty to reassure the audience of that!"

Sir we cannot even handle climate change and I'm sorry to tell you that it's not entirely due to a lack of technological expertise

[saltysciencesixer]

Aren't you a little concerned about bringing plagues and illnesses from other dimensions to your family after your travels? Or did you come up with some kind of sterilizing solution?

"During my interdimensional travels, I was far more concerned with staying alive than considering the impact my unique biology would have on a dimension and planet not accustomed to it. Even when I learned that a few things added to my interdimensional criminal record included biological war crimes and plague-induced genocide, there wasn't really much I could, well, do about it. I was being hunted, I was hunting, I was just trying to survive. Besides, you can't trust the Dimensional Authorities. They're known to have biased attitudes and a tendency towards using propaganda to achieve political ends. So, for all I know, it could've been a gross exaggeration. I try not to think about it too hard. There were a handful of times I nearly died from diseases and conditions I would later learn are equivalent to the common cold for some species."

Ford's frown deepened. "It didn't really hit me until I was involved in a gun trade-off at a bar. Later, I accidentally spilled my drink and plate of Fidarian leech-rolls all over another patron which they apparently took as me flirting with them unlike the usual bar fight that would usually occur."

Ford's face turned red. "I, err, was becoming acquainted with their six mandibles and sucker-tongue and suggested we go somewhere more private when they suddenly let out the most agonizing wail of pain, and their ten eyes melted out of their head. I asked one of the other patrons if this was normal for their species to do after kissing someone, and I was informed it was not. Actually, I was informed about many things which I won't care to repeat here while the entire bar cleared out in a mad dash of fear and panic. Something needed to be done."

He held up a finger. "I snuck into one of the best interdimensional medical hospitals I could find information about."

He lowered his finger and looked away. "Well, I mean, I tried. I was quickly caught, quarantined, and underwent a decontamination process that took literal days. The Dimensional Authorities had swarmed the area by then, and I was in danger of spending a very, very long time in interdimensional prison. I had to think fast."

Ford rubbed the back of his neck and held out his hand. "I maaaaaaay have managed to convince an entire medical hospital I was an accomplished medical surgeon."

He held up a finger and looked stern. "I am NOT, by the way."

There was a pause. "And I maaaaaaay have actually been shoved into a surgery room and made to perform surgery on a completely innocent, unsuspecting medical patient with a very complex condition. A medical patient with utterly baffling alien biology and with utterly baffling medical tools and technology. I want to emphasize that I had NO idea what I'm doing. Sure, I have a Ph.D in Biology and Cryptozoology, but I don't even have a medical degree meant to take care of human beings - let alone beings from across dimensions."

Ford seemed to zone out a moment. "The doctors were impressed by my hands being the steadiest they had ever seen largely due to an extreme level of disassociation, focus on my intellect, depersonifying the sentient creature and viewing it as a science experiment, my spite for the Bill voice in my head telling me a few of the usual things - "And you call me a psychopath! Do you even know what it means to be human anymore? Have you ever?", my sheer hatred for all things triangle-shaped, a fascination with all things biological, and the dawning horror that I was drifting into serial killer territory."

He'd been having the multiverse's most deranged panic attack while performing life-altering surgery on an innocent alien in a desperate attempt to buy time to escape the Dimensional Authorities.

He laughed suddenly. "I don't even remember half of it but I was told I nearly killed the patient five times, brought them back from death twice, and by sheer astronomical coincidence... I succeeded in performing the surgery and saving their life. I was in such a state of disbelief that for a split second I legitimately considered the possibility that a god exists."

Ford shook his head. "Fortunately, I came back to my senses and realized - no, I'm just that insanely talented and brilliant, and I'm a well-educated SCIENTIST who doesn't need a primitive belief system!"

He breathed. "Anyway, the celebration that occurred at the hospital due to my pioneering a most unorthodox surgical technique was enough of a distraction for me to steal a few dozen medical supplies and medication from the hospital's pharmacy and escape the Dimensional Authorities."

Ford smiled. "And all of this to say that I can freely walk into other dimensions and be around my family without worrying about infecting them with dangerous pathogens and parasites. I've also taken the liberty of inoculating them with an interdimensional wonder powder which I slipped into all of their drinks without them noticing and made sure they consumed. Just in case they happen to come across any interdimensional beings carrying pathogens or parasites."

[hellyeahsickaf]

You seem kind. But that's all genuinely really unfortunate to have happened to you and is sad to hear. Addiction is a mental illness and the mentally ill shouldn't be dehumanized. The thing is those people like any severely mentally ill person, needed help. Also statistically speaking you're more likely to be targeted by a non addict than an addict as far as violent crime goes

I'm not denying that addiction is ugly and has in instances contributed to people doing horrible things. There are many other mental illnesses that could cause the same poor judgement and they don't deserve to die either. I've been harmed severely by people who were addicts. They sucked and many also hurt me before they were addicts too. I've been hurt by non addicts just as much. It's not like people choose to become addicted for fun. And don't even get me started on the war on drugs and how the American government intentionally set people up for drug addiction

And you're missing the point of my post and ignoring the important statistic I mentioned. 80% of people on drugs like heroin started with legally prescribed painkillers. A lot of disabled and chronically ill people rely on them. I rely on stronger painkillers because I'm deathly allergic to most alternatives and they would not likely help anyway. Should my condition worsen and I need higher doses or something even stronger, I'm at higher risk for discrimination because doctors and pharmacists often treat disabled people like criminals for needing pain meds. And I'd be at higher risk for addiction because god forbid I want to be out of pain enough to eat or sleep. A lot of addicts, that's all they wanted, and it can get out of hand fast even taking it as directed. However limiting these drugs and side eyeing people like me while we writhe in pain has unsurprisingly done nothing to help addiction either

The thing is there are ways to reduce the severity of which addiction affects society in many parts of the world that some regions have adopted and seen positive results from. Portugal decriminalized drugs back in 2001- yes decriminalized. Criminalizing them has done nothing to help anyone. Then safe consumption sites, where people can safely use drugs with supervision and be assisted and kept safe has also been adopted in some places. And free resources like rehab and housing also have been implemented. And every single one of those things decreased the amount of drug addicts and helped many reclaim their lives. Portugal saw a severe drop in HIV cases after decriminalizing drugs. They actually drastically improved the issue by humanizing them. Who knew!

And it's not like the (US, at least) government can't afford this- I mean it can afford to pay even more to assist in a genocide than it would cost to address things like homelessness and hunger and addiction and healthcare and other factors that play a role here. Los Angeles has more empty houses and apartment units than homeless people by far. Finland has seen success in housing many homeless people. They had a problem and fixed it, just like that. It costs more to keep a homeless person on the street than it would to house them- by about 50%

It makes me sad to see people treating addicts like they're subhuman monsters when they deserve better and there are many ways it can happen. It only makes the problem worse to mistreat them when giving resources and compassion to them has proven to be the most effective approach. And the stigmatization as I said, affects the disabled community as a whole (and addiction can be disabling). It's not helpful to anyone to treat them like animals

The way addicts and chronically ill people are dehumanized is so exhausting

The normalization of this shit in medical and casual settings is genuinely mind boggling. Addicts and disabled people go through so much bullshit. I've dealt with many fucked up doctors when I just needed help

I had a kidney infection, some months back. This is always extremely medically urgent, and I was likely only hours from sepsis. I went to the hospital reporting my pain to be a 9/10. 9 because my 10 was gallstones. I experienced severe malpractice at the hospital and the doctor reported exams that never occured and false information while making me wait with nothing more than tylenol to hold me over (didn't touch the pain) and bring my fever down but that's a whole other story

They did however, deny me the pain medication I needed until it was time to go home. I'm deathly allergic to NSAIDS, but that's something an addict might say so they witheld pain relief because they'd rather me suffer just in case I'm a different kind of sick. An entire night, maybe 6 hours in the ER and they couldn't give me anything, not a small dose of morphine or one norco even a few hours prior to take the edge off of the pain while I was curled up shaking and crying. Just in case I was an addict looking for my fix, and my suffering was just withdrawals and good acting. In that case maybe I deserved it and should be denied my humanity. God forbid in that case I'm so desperate to alleviate unbearable withdrawals that I spend all night in the ER crying. Not the first time I've experienced red tape just to get relief from excruciating pain

But whatever. As per protocol I was asked to follow up with my pcp. So a few days later I called to set an appointment, but I'd also run out of norco and desperate to relieve the pain I asked if I could be filled even enough for a few days, until the pain was bearable. I had difficulty walking, laying down, and I again, can't take most pain relievers. The receptionist was nice and understanding, actually got me in touch with the doctor because she wanted me to be able to get my refill. Probably heard the pain in my voice even. She believed me

She transfers me over to the doctor and I tell him I'd like a follow up and ask if he could fill my painkillers. I would've acceped a no from him, I just needed my follow up. He asked about my condition, I told him my diagnosis and how much pain I was in

And he laughed.

Got a real hoot out of it, like he had me all figured out. Like he caught me trying to cheat the system. I must be trying to get high or make some money with a few days worth of norco as i'm nearly in tears from the pain even while calling

He tells me through his laughter "I don't prescribe painkillers for 'kidney infections'" saying it with a mocking emphasis on those words, as if I'd said "stubbed toe". Follows with "Yeah haha, bye." and hangs up on me. No follow up like I called for. Needless to say I no longer have a pcp but truly if he thought I was an addict trying to take advantage of him he should have still treated me professionally. Maybe not cackled when I said my pain was excruciating for a start

I just don't understand why the hell so many doctors can be so apathetic to people's suffering. Addicts deserve better and so do disabled people- whether you think they're addicts or not. The assumption that we're lying, trying to trick them and are feigning pain to do it is disgusting, listening to your patients is so important. And if that were the case they could have some sympathy and ask themselves what it would take for someone to go those lengths, take such drastic measures and go through that trouble to obtain those substances.

Addiction is not a moral failing. Many disabled and chronically ill people unfortunately rely on medications that have addictive properties. About 80% of heroin addicts first misused prescription drugs. However only about 4-6% of those addicted to prescription drugs switch to things like heroin. And instead of help or compassion for people who just need help (addicts or not), they just figure we're one in the same and treat us like subhuman degenerates, leeches on society. And I think people need to change how they view addiction. Doctors need to change how they view addiction