Appalling!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Marce4]

I just found out that Beachtowel has been banned from the forum.  I have been here since Feb. of this year and I was a truly in a very bad place!  He was a bit rough around the edges but I found that he spoke from his heart.  He HATES addiction and wants us all to hate it as much! It changes us as human beings and causes us to truly hurt to the depths the one's that we cherish the most....how could anyone not hate this!  His approach may have seemed harsh to some and I have told him as much at times but to have someone banned because a few were so upset by his rudeness is absolutely ludicrous to me! How many of you have been rude and abrasive to friends, family, innocent bystanders during our addiction!!!! You are being so hypocritical!!!!!!!!!!!  Beach shoots from the hip and tells it like it is...you don't like it...don't listen....Ignore! Don't get someone banned because your feelings may have been hurt! Oh well...this is life and we only get one shot at this!  This is my last post here because I am so tired of the self-righteous ******** that I have been hearing from so many posters!  NONE OF you are above this and you know it!  Go ahead...have at me because I really don't want to be affiliated with a place that bans people for speaking their mind and form their heart! I hope you canb all find some peace in your lives and be able to look in the mirror and know you are a good person! I know I can!
Peace Out!
Marcie

[troubleinohio]

what?? he was banned?? for what?? I didnt see any posts from him that would cause him to be banned. and btw I agree with you Marcie.  Beach can really tell it like it is. I know some people here dont like him, and to be honest, when i first came here I didnt like him much either and I told him so, LOL. But i explained to him that the reason I didnt like him was because he was TELLING ME THE TRUTH ABOUT MYSELF and i was NOT YET READY TO FACE THAT OR ACCEPT IT!! thats WHY i didnt like him. He made me take a good look at myself!!!!! He has helped me (and so many others here as well) so much in my journey.

can you (or anyone here ) private message me if you have his email address so I can write to him. I want to stay in touch with him. It will be a great loss to this forum if he is not allowed to return. a HUGE loss.    

[4tolive4]

Gee, Beach was here last winter when i was a frequent. i've seen his name posted so often here, it's become a staple. i dont know the details of this ban but i truly am sorry to see him gone. i do know one thing for sure......he certainly does hate addiction. he's been on here forever. sorry, beach, i hope to see you back.

[erbub1]

Well I, am new to the forum as far as participating , did my first reach out today, but I have had the pleasure of reading Beachtowels thoughts and advice over the weeks and like you said he shoots from the hip and how refreshing that is in this time of lies and sugar coating, I am with you we all need more people like that to keep us focused on what our problem truly is and not get lost in the hoopla of what we call life, As far as me, when I am dealing with a problem, I wish more people would talk with a straight tongue instead of telling us what we want to hear, especially when we are needing to toughen up and face our demons....IM WITH YOU

[flmagi]

I have had some deffinate disagreements and run ins with beach recently, but I would never ask for him to be banned.  He has certainly helped some people.
I really don't think any particular person on this forum could get him banned. I  don't believe anyone has that power.  I do think whom ever monitors this forum is the one who makes those decisions.
I have heard that he was called on the carpet on other occasions.  Just a rumor.
I'm sorry about the outcome. I know many will surely miss him.

[MICHAEL_777]

Is there a way we can find out from the forum monitor what has happened and let them know our own thoughts about the decision?

[hillary5]

hey there .. i also got a msg from beach about being banned .. i basically said the same thing to him about it being hypocritical ... to the ones who feel beachs approach wz too tuff, abrasive, condesending, etc ... what happened when your were out there doing your DOC and got jacked around by your dealers .. shorted you on something, stole your money, beat the **** outta you .. who did you complain to then?  their managers - their forums? what happened when you were treated like **** by friends or family members who thought you were scum or treated like scum because of your addiction .. who did you go to then and complain to to get something done ... i mean really ... if you come no here and you are new you need not to take things personally .. you got yourself in this position to come on here in the first place but because you don't agree w/one persons OPINION then don't read it or listen to it, skip over it .. he's just trying to help ppl and let them know this is  not an easy thing to do .. if it was you wouldn't be here in the first place ... and you have to understand that he had a what 20+ yr drug addiction.  that just doesn't turn off over nite .. and from what i've read and he's said to me ... he's lucky to be alive! he's showing you the real side of addiction, recovery, sobriety ... its not simple .. it is a work in progress everyday! i congratulate him for 2 yrs of sobriety .. i have plans to go see him get his 2yr medallion on nov 30th - i've never participated in the program or really believed in the program .. what helped and saved one person is not always going to be the same for the next person .. i'm on suboxone .. i remember coming on here in the beginning .. he wasn't  much of a supporter for that .. at least thats what i got out of his msgs .. but did i tell him he's wrong  .. no .. seems to be alot more supportive of the suboxone option now ... you can't always please everyone .. but all this arguing about his 'approach' being right or wrong is nothing but a bunch of wasted time where there are other posts being ignored because of it .. i would hate to see someone who really really needs the help right now and it goes untouched and lose that person ... this web-site is wonderful ..

i had a disagreement w/someone when i first came on here and really didn't get a open armed welcome like a lot of ppl i've seen have .. but i never complained .. but the thing about our little spat was that this person was going to have it removed .. why? .. its good to disagree to agree .. alot of ppl stuck up for that person and i got alot of sh*t because of it .. i never went and complained to anyone .. i took as 'oh well' .. they don't agree w/me, that's fine .. my opinion is just as worthy as theirs .. but i wasn't going to let that intimidate me and not come back .. i love this site .. there is a lot of drama on here sometimes .. but hey .. whatever works! .. if we're aloud to work things out on our own like adults w/out having others involved to say who is right and who is wrong and ban someone .. i think its wrong! totally wrong!   ppl need to toughen up and realize that we are all in the same boat here .. we are addicts who are looking for help ... i would rather someone slap me w/words than someone being all 'oh, it's okay .. you just need to take a deep breath '' and be coddled .. thats my opinion .. hope everyone else here has a WONDERFUL HOLIDAY!!!! gobble gobble!!!  PEACE - TRACI

[david0263]

I don't know if you can still read this but I want you to know that it was you that got me to go to NA.  I owe you for that.  Take care and email me sometimes.  I would love to share my recovery with you.

David

[LIZZIE LOU]

when i first came to this forum...9 months ago...beachtowel was one of the first ppl who reached out to me.  our friendship soon developed...but not without a few "time outs".   i have gotten soooo p*ssed at him...many times...but what i have found is that the reason i was p*ssed was because he was right and i was wrong...and i did NOT like excepting this.

i have to say that i think this is wrong...if for no other reason than the knowledge he brings to this forum.  he admits that his words are sometimes misunderstood and what some view as a rude remark...i see as his "weird" sense of humor...ie...come to detroit and buy drugs cheaper.  he would NEVER advise someone to do drugs.

i thank michael for what he has taught me.  i thank michael for the countless hours he has spent with me on messenger...private message...and even the phone.   when i've needed a friend...support...my @ss kicked...he has always been there for me...and he is the first person i call on.  when my son was first diagnosed with hiv...michael was the person who sat up with me...listening to me cry...trying his best to console a blubbering mess.   thanks michael...i will not forget the compassion you have shown to me.

recovery is what michael is about...learning to live clean and sober.  i see the results he gets from many of the posts...and i have never seen as many ppl going to and asking about NA/AA as i have lately.  this is what he is about...

there have been many, many posts that i have not liked...not agreed with...thought were rude...over the last 9 months...and they have been from members other than beach.  what i had to learn to do was to ignore...everyone has the right to have their say.   this is an open forum.

i'm sorry that medhelp thinks that this is best for the forum.  the two or three ppl who had a problem will be gone one day soon...but michael, who has been here a year...would still have been here trying to open the eyes of the next addict.  those who usually "hate" his approach at first...come to understand his honesty and brutal truth.  there are many who can attest to this fact.

sorry michael...

kim

[Greatgreebo]

I am shocked, dismayed and horrified that beach would be banned for speaking his mind on this forum. I haven't been here all that long but for the time I have been I have not seen anything written by him that would warrant a 'banning'. This is ridiculous. He is entitled to his opinion. Can he still post on the Addiction Community side? It isn't monitored by doctors. I appreciate his honesty. Drug addiction is a nasty, ugly little secret we all would have like to kept hidden. His frankness is a breath of fresh air
Does anyone know who we can contact to appeal this hypocrisy?!?

Greebo

[Greatgreebo]

PS....I don't always agree with everything beach says but that's the nature of the beast and what makes us all unique!!  Wow! Isn't this how it started out in Nazi Germany...?

[justlikeyou]

beach is a priceless asset to this forum

its a big loss if hes gone.

[Calzy]

I would not leave this forum until the facts on in. Beach may be a bit of a dr. House from the TV program but he knows what he's talking about with his own past and now new career. Addicts only want to hear what they want to hear and when someone is a  Sh*t or get off the Pot kinda person, some ppl get offended. This site has more addicts that dont know what to do to stay clean then long term recovering addicts here that can help, but we do have some. We addicts that are going though w/d or are a few days, weeks or a few months clean, as myself, encourge each other and give advice to help but we also enable each other at times. When you first come here the kind words and knowing other ppl are hurting like you are is such a God send but at some point you need to get to the meat of the problem and start talking recovery. It's the ppl that have been clean awhile longer and give in detail a recovery plan to follow or the ppl who print out what to take to help heal the parts of the brain that are affected with drug abuse, are the ppl we need to spend time with and read and re-read those posts.  

[shelby74]

You were one of the first people to reach out to me here, and I think this is an awful thing to happen to you.  I hope that medhelp re-thinks this whole idea and the person who complained does also.  I always look forward to reading what you posted Beach, even if it was a kick in the @ss that I needed at the time.  Addiction is so very hard to overcome but you go out of your way to help people.  We miss you already!

[girlybuff]

It's insanity to me that he has been banned when so many on here are really so self serving and selfish.  I don't undertand it at all.
Those who look for an easier softer way will inevitably fail.
If you didn't like that he had to say it's probably because you weren't being completely honest with yourself about your addiction or your plan of recovery.
It's a shame that so many will lose out on the hard truths of this disease because he isn't here anymore.
A lot of us who have been here for a long time and who have substantial clean time are sickened by this.  

[GA Guy]

Beach and I had it out about a week after I started here. I disagree with a lot of what he says. That being said, I respect the heck out of him, I believe what he says is as valuable as anything said on here, and it will be a loss if any of his posts are censored..much less MedHelp banning him. (By the way..I believe every post on here is valuable..and we should be all allowed to express the good and bad of our addictions) I don't know what happened, nor do I really care. If he did something against the rules, then ban him a day. Keeping him off this forum is not punishing him, it's punishing the rest of us. Beach, you know I'd do anything for you, and I hope MedHelp reads this and reconsiders. The fact that you've stuck around here for over a year to help others when others have since long gone is a testament to your need to help others. I truly hope that it's not silenced. Come on Medhelp..look at these posts, reconsider, and do the right thing.

[lonote]

There will always be s--- we don't care for, you've spoken your piece how you feel and quite frankly I agree with you, but please DON"T LEAVE. You are giving them total control to run people off. Don't go!!!               Cathy

[Med Help]

We can't comment on specifics regarding any action taken against a member, that is between beachtowel and us. He can share if he'd like, via email, but we need to respect his privacy here.

We will say, we're sorry we weren't able to come to a resolution. We realize beachtowel helped many here. With all of our regulars, this is a decision we don't take lightly.

MedHelp - Harry & Cindy

[Calzy]

And a Happy Thanksgiving to you Medhelp!!!

[Marce4]

This is all political rubbish!  I guess I'm gone too for speaking my piece!  Sorry but while you don't take this lightly.....nor do I! You have just lost another "regular"!  I have so much appreciated the help this forum has provided me but this feels a lot like censorship to me!  I can see if he came here like those I have seen that try to sell drugs or with consistently nasty or malicious intent....I'm sorry but that is not the case with Beach!  What a shame!

[Marce4]

Sorry.....I lied in my original post...... it was my THIRD to last post! (At least I still have a sense of humor!)

[NautyOne]

Someone out here is doing house cleaning.  I do not believe that it was a med help decision.........some a-hole is out here doing this.  I don't know who you are but you SUCK........I am sure I am next.  To whoever did this whether is was one person or a few.  Hope your happy............I am disgusted.  Karma..........what else can I say...

[Yoda99]

   Usually when someone gets banned, it's because someone has reported them or made a complaint against them (as Nauty states in her post).  This is a low blow, and I hope Medhelp takes this into consideration.  Beach is honest and to the point; sometimes almost brutal in his approach.  But that's his way.  Anyone that's been here any length of time would realize that.  When I first came, he told me to stop having a pity party and what color of posh puffs would I like?  I needed a good swift kick in the rear to make me stop feeling sorry for myself.  I am now almost nine months clean from a bad oxycontin habit.  Beach was someone that was always here, and it would be a shame for him to have to leave this forum.  
   Only someone insecure and not capable of holding their own would turn Beach in.  Whoever you are, come on out and show yourself.  Maybe you are the one that should be banned.
   Marce, you gave the appropriate title to this post.  This is the most appalling news I've had in a while.
Yoda
(an old-timer)

[Yoda99]

I just now read your answer.  I cannot imagine Beach doing anything bad enough to be banned.  Is this the US or are we suddenly under communist rule?  (Somebody please wake me up.)
Yoda

[IBKleen]

MedHelp has been here since 1994. They have established a set of rules and regulations for us to follow. When we don't, we get warned. After several warnings, we get banned.

No one is powerful enough to get someone banned. MedHelp monitors these forums. They decide what material is within their rules and regulations.

Although I don't wish anyone banned, once we get a warning...we need to take a look at ourselves. By all rights, we are representatives of this forum every time we post. I am no angel, I know that. But, I do try to have the community at heart when I post. Believe me, I fall short.

We have to respect MedHelp's decision in this. I am certain it was not an easy one for them.

I wish everyone a Happy Holiday!