this post was submitted on 29 Sep 2023
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I get it. When someone's a caregiver like a parent or a personal assistant they need the capacity to be responsible and give care. So if someone has to rely on harsh coping mechanism like booze or cannabis to the point it impairs their ability to give care, maybe they have too much responsibility.
So when we have a society in which 80% of the population live in precarity, I suspect that means there's more of us who need care (e.g. kids) than there are caregivers. Also people don't get points (money) for parenting, which means it's not regarded by a capitalist system as an essential responsibility. All our adults are expected to work full time which leaves them too exhausted to parent (or, for that matter, spend energy engaging in civic activity).
Both of my parents were heavy drinkers, and I suffered for it. But the attitude at the time (1970s-1980s) that each household was responsible for how they managed their kids, and any symptoms of abuse (sounds of violence, kids exhibiting dysfunctional) were willfully ignored. It's an intergenerational problem that perpetuates mental illness.
But those people I know who overused their various chemical copes didn't have kids, and often were disabled enough to question whether they could manage their own lives. (Adults needing caregivers are also underserved, and are not covered by healthcare programs.) So it's much like living in a post apocalypse where society doesn't really work anymore.