Addiction
Dictionary.com defines addiction as the state of being
enslaved to a habit or something that is psychologically or physically habit
forming, such as narcotics, to such an extent that its cessation causes severe
trauma. Over the past couple years of my life I have witnessed the power
of addiction and what it can do to someone. However, I do not understand
how someone can turn their back on so many things just to fulfill their need
for something. When does a want become a need? And when does that need
begin to consume someone’s life? Through my personal experiences I have
learned how addiction can change someone’s life completely upside down, how the
addict affects everyone around them, and how society might play a major
role.
My parents have been divorced for the majority of my life
and I had split equal time with both of them. During my sophomore year of
high school I began to notice many differences with my mom. She wasn't
acting herself at all. She began to take consecutive days off of work and
would stay in her room for a lot of the time. This prompted my brothers
and me to move in full time with my dad. I didn't know exactly what my
mom was going through, but I knew it wasn't normal. A couple months later
I had found out that she had an alcohol and prescription drug dependency.
To this day she still uses drugs and alcohol despite going to rehab
twice. How could an addiction turn someone who was once normally
functioning and turn them into a completely different person? My mom was
once very successful and had been for a long time. It seemed as though
she had a perfect life. She had a great job, three loving kids with great
futures, and many friends. Now she had lost everything. She has been
unemployed for at least two years and barely sees my brothers and me.
When does an addiction become more important than a family and career?
Can someone ever truly get rid of the demons of an addiction and return
to normal? The turning point of my mom’s addiction to me was when I
caught her trying to steal money out of my wallet to feed her addiction.
From then on I realized her addiction would not only be affecting her,
but my entire family.
When someone is addicted to something, do they realize they are
addicted? Or are they too lost in their own world to know?
Addiction does not only affect the person addicted, but also everyone
around them. The addict steals to get what they need. They lie and
manipulate to satisfy their desires. They do everything they can to get
their next high. If an addiction becomes stronger than you, wouldn't you
want to get help? When I look at people around me who I might not know
very well, I will always wonder things about them. If my mom was once
normal and functioning, could the same things happen to this person that
happened to my mom? It is scary how quickly a life can become so
dependent on one thing. When I think about addiction I automatically
think about drug and alcohol abuse. However, couldn't someone become
addicted to anything, whether it’s good or bad? For example, if someone
was addicted to working out would it have just as negative effects as drugs and
alcohol? I used to think that people who had addictions were weak or had
nothing going for them. I have now realized that I was wrong and that it
can happen to the strongest of people. As I look at the society around
me, could it possibly be responsible for some people making bad habits and
becoming addicts?
Drugs and alcohol are seen heavily today in society.
Whether it’s on T.V shows, in lyrics we listen to, or on social networks,
drugs and alcohol are exposed to us. People post pictures of themselves
on Twitter and Instagram using drugs and alcohol. It’s also heard in almost
every rap song on the radio. Can you blame someone, especially a teen,
for wanting to experiment these types of things? They just want to look
cool, right? The world is full of pressures and temptations. One of
my best friends began to use drugs just for fun. She was an honor roll
student and two sport athlete. She was the last person I would imagine
who would become addicted to a drug. My other friends and I were shocked. She too
went to rehab, but has still not stopped using. Can these bad habits form
from just wanting to have "fun"? When did it turn into an addiction?
I wish there were more signs before a person became completely consumed
by an addiction. Normally it starts off as innocent, but then turns into
something very, very serious. I am not saying there is anything wrong with
wanting to drink alcohol or maybe try something new, but knowing your limits is
important.
As I am trying to grasp how an addiction might work I have
concluded that most people who have an addiction are trying to get rid of pain
in their life. They are trying to escape something. The addiction
takes their mind off of reality, even if it’s just for a small amount of time.
There is normally always a source that starts an addiction. What are the
roots of an addiction? Where does this dangerous path start? Thinking
about my mom and one of my best friend’s addictions has really opened my eyes
to the world around me. Anything can happen to anybody. What types
of pain could they be going through where addiction was their only answer?
Through my personal experiences I have learned a lot about addiction, but I
will never fully understand it. It is not easy to break an addiction.
One thing I know for sure is that you cannot help someone with an
addiction who does not want to be helped or help themselves. And you can
only hope that they want to be helped.
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