Addiction is a disease where someones lifestyle is altered by destructive behavior. Such as drugs, alcohol abuse, gambling, sex, tobacco, eating or any other obsessive behavior that may cause harm to the mind or body or that changes one's lifestyle negatively. According to the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse in 2005, "In 2003, nearly 20 million people over the age of 12 in the United States reported having used an illicit drug. Over 15 million people abused prescription drugs such as pain medication in 2003, more than double the number that did so in 1992. In addition, 119 million Americans over the age of 12 reported alcohol use of some kind."Addictions are learned and sometimes people judge others if they are not familiar with addiction. Most people with an addiction do not have the intention to want to hurt themselves or anyone else. Some researchers say our brains are primed for addiction and others tend to disagree and say that the conditions of addiction are learned or caused by or from depression or other disorders.
I believe the main issue here is how to help these people. Addiction will continue to be part of human life and there will be people who will need this continuous help. How can we help them? Many people may say rehab, but the main obstacle with rehab is whether or not they want the help. Most addicts aren't aware of their addiction "problem" and if they are aware they easily want to push the blame on something or someone else. Providing an intervention for someone may save their life. Here is a video clip on intervention, the affects of addictions and the steps it takes to become sober. This second video clip is of Alyson a drug addict who was faced with an Intervention by her family and friends on the A&E Show "Intervention."
Many people do not get the help they need. I think many addicts do not want help because they will then be faced with the issues they tried to drowned at an early stage in their life, usually where there addiction(s) began. I want to believe there is always some light to a person who needs help. I believe people never lose who they are it is just lost in the alteration and negative changes they make either consciously or subconsciously to escape the problems they were having. People with addictions need help and they may seek it in different ways and times to the people they love. If you know someone with an addiction or are interested in the subject visit this website(thank you Tom!) for helpful tips and helplines/sites. It is never to late to seek help or to learn about addiction and how to help in ways like an intervention.
