“There are all kinds of addicts, I guess”(Alexie 107). (Sascha)

This means that there are a number of different ways to make pain go away. In this case he is referring to his dad, who made the claim “I’m only an alcoholic when I get drunk”(Alexie 107). He relates this phrase to what Penelope is saying. She says “I’m only bulimic when I’m throwing up”(Alexie 107). These mean that everyone has a certain way to forget their worries and be happy. In the dad’s case, he has a lot of problems, but his way to make his pain feel better is to get drunk. In Penelope’s case, she is anorexic. She has a lot of problems, but she wants to feel as if she is no different as everyone else, and has pride in her anorexia. Being an addict, in this context is like escaping the real world, and just trying to feel better about oneself. Because of how people cope, Arnold remarks that there are various different coping methods, or addictions. This is why there are a number of ways to make pain go away.