Weaponising our lived/living experience

Hi Peoples

I thought I would post a thread about something a lot of you may of experienced to some varying degrees before which I defiantly have in the past with my lived/living experience being a PWUD and also as professional working in the AOD sector before and currently experiencing at the moment. In a way that has shocked me but also insulted my intelligence since they have been continuing this behaviour after I had been knowingly made aware.

I'm Talking about Weaponizing Substance use. I'm sure a fair few of you have experiences stigma as PWUD and what can result of that is having you voice taken from you and even in times when you need to be heard haven't been.

Even though I realised how I was being manipulated in this way it has been interesting how they are still trying to do it.

although I think they may have underestimated my street smarts and also how educated I am around this sort of thing from not only study but working in the AOD and other areas sector as professional.

I know some of you understand how ridiculous it can be to have some people push their negative views around drug use towards you one minute and the next use what they have contributed to to their advantage.

Lately I have stopped using some substances not because I was made3 to or influenced by anyone else but due to making the decision myself yet realised that I was being purposely set up to fail by some. even to the point of not being able to pass a drug test even if I knowingly hadn't knowingly consumed them and then be made to feel like they can continue to try and manipulate me while using that to even manipulate others which even with my knowledge had me confused for some time and still does in a way That I find hard to understand how they would continue that sort of behaviour towards someone when they understand how harmful it can be.

Although it isn't too uncommon for PWUD to be used as a scape goat at times is it...

Even as im writing this they are going on about how they may use it against me...yet me writing this on a anonymous forum about what I've been having to experience isn't really the problem here is it? even though they are trying to make me feel like it.

Coercive control and gaslighting can be something we have to put up with to varying degrees as PWUD unfortunately yet sometimes the level of it is not only ridiculous but also cruel and personally I have found at times hard to comprehend how some people aren't able to realise how harmful this sort of thing can be as well as how some can almost get some sort of joy from it, I feel i might not be alone in that.

Even though I have been experiencing it recently and knowingly made aware that they are wanting me to go back to using certain types of drugs even using at times gaslighting, coercive control which I have sometimes only realised after having it used towards me but a fair few times those things used by those who either want me to think they are doing it or they really are not so smart in how they do some of these things and what they say really doesn't match up to there body language for example.

from my experience it can be very isolating and confusing when you continue to feel you don't have a voice and are unheard or seen and to add to that then taken advantage of...

It has been something that has been very enduring lately and even though many attempts to make it known that any form of drug use is not the issue here if it was seen as not something that was knowingly being used as an advantage, one of the things that continues to amaze me is how I have even had certain 'protective factors' purposely removed which has been quite clear and also other things purposely made a lot more difficult even when I have asked for help with some at times.

I understand that there has been gaslighting going on and i may be being led down a path they may be wanting me to when it isn't best for my welfare and used to their advantage but that's the nature of gaslighting in some cases and I just choosing to try stay in the mindset of doing the best thing and making the right decision while continuing to try and be heard and made seen that once again someone who has used drugs before is having that used against them and the old analogy suits when it comes to those that are using it to their advantage ' when someone's pointing the finger, there 3 fingers pointing back (yes not including the thumb like how it was just commented due to them trying to make me second guess myself)

said also that if i post it that what ever i post is not what will be seen which i assume is just them gaslighting again.