Addiction is a hideous beast of a problem. It’s not just a “problem” like a broken refrigerator or an Internet connection that’s down for a while, either. It’s a disease that has ruined countless lives all around the world basically since the beginning of time. Addiction isn’t something that’s restricted to certain kinds of people. It’s something that affects individuals from all different walks of life. It can affect a homeless man who hasn’t held a job in years. It can affect a marketing executive who has won countless awards and gotten promotion after promotion throughout his career, too. Addiction is something that truly doesn’t discriminate.
The impact of addiction is intense. It can make addicts become people they really aren’t. It can make people act in ways they never even envisioned possible. Addiction can interfere with careers, friendships, romantic unions and families in general. It can make people less responsive. It can make them less responsible as well. The consequences of addiction to drugs and alcohol are so abundant that they’re hard to even summarize. It can make people essentially unable to recognize themselves. Addicts sometimes look in the mirror and can barely identify their former selves. People who know them often feel like they’re dealing with total strangers, too.
Further complicating addiction is the fact that everybody is different. As one leading treatment center for alcohol detox in Orange County, California puts it, “every person has a unique experience with addiction.” Behind every case of addiction is a complex story which led an individual to that point, and getting to the root of the problem is just the beginning of trying to treat addiction. That’s assuming the person has acknowledged the need for help and is willing to seek it, which many don’t.
The myth of manageable addiction is a major problem. Some people are under the misconception that they can keep their addictive patterns in check. This couldn’t be further from reality. Addictive behaviors always catch up to people. The saying “you can run, but you can’t hide” is 100 percent valid as far as addicts go. Addicts often think that they can juggle their problems and the rest of their lives. That’s not how reality works, though. It can be next to impossible to hold a full-time job while under the influence.
For instance, if you’re a public relations professional who regularly has to interact with clients on the phone and through email, you won’t be able to keep up your act for long with an addiction. Your clients will eventually be able to see right through you. Your colleagues will as well. Showing up to meetings late can be a telltale sign. Disappearing to the bathroom or elsewhere for extended stretches of time can be telling, too. If you’re addicted to alcohol, people will be able to smell it on your breath it the middle of the day. They’ll notice you slurring your words when you’re intoxicated. They’ll notice you behaving in uncharacteristic manners any time you’ve had a bit too much to drink.
Addiction is a dangerous thing in that it generally worsens with the passing of time. Its consequences tend to get a lot worse, too. If a parent suffers from addiction to drugs, alcohol or gambling, it may negatively impact his family members. His children may feel neglected and unimportant. He may not be able to help his children as he did in the past. Attentive parents aid their youngsters with homework duties, recreation, shopping and more. Addicts, on the other hand, are barely able to look beyond themselves. It isn’t atypical for addicts to take on highly self-absorbed temperaments.
Addiction has had harrowing effects on families all over the globe. It’s brought on all sorts of lasting consequences. It can lead to death, divorce, and loss in general. It can make people feel as though their familial bonds are weak and perhaps even nonexistent. Addicts need to do anything they can to recover in healthy and safe manners.