addiction

yes no sort of
before I learned what I learned, I was just as ignorant as the average person.

"JUST STOP"

As with all mental illness, unless you have one, it is a COMPLETELY foreign concept.  It is close to impossible to empathize with something that you have ZERO experience with.  And the more mental something is, with no physical aspects, makes them the idea even harder to comprehend.

PANIC ATTACKS are a perfect example.
You can have them without being addicted, etc etc etc.
But unless you have had a full blown panic attack, they seem like a crazy person JUST OVER REACTING. GROW UP.

But once you have had ONE PANIC ATTACK!! WOHOOOOOOOOOOOOO
You instantly have empathy and sympathy for everyone who ever has and ever will.

I have an asshole sister who thinks that all psychology is complete bullshit.  Strangely enough, she really needs a couple decades of DEEP therapy before she could even come close to empathizing with another person.

knock on wood, my family does not have the addiction gene. everyone has pretty much been able to quit whatever they were on, whenever they wanted. cigs, crack, bottle, meth, crack.  When they were done, it was done.

I really feel for people how cant.
I dont understand it. But I get it.

But that is the minority.