How to Cope with Drug Addiction

Left untreated, drug addiction can ruin lives. It has been charged with having people lose their homes, their families and their lives. Drug addiction is an epidemic in many parts of the world, often swept under the rug by simplistic campaigns like "Just Say No" and other lucrative but hollow attempts at understanding the issue. Instead, grasping the real problem of drug addiction requires patience and real education.

When most people think of a drug addiction problem, their minds go automatically to old movies. A junkie shivering on a street corner, selling her body for her next fix, or a tragic old man lying in a gutter with a needle in his arm, or even a college girl snorting a line of cocaine in a frat house bathroom during a wild party. These images are powerful to be sure, but drug addiction generally creeps up slowly and insidiously. Months or years pass, during which time the addicted person is still able to hold a job, maintain a place to live and keep relationships going. A drug addiction problem usually passes slowly through several phases. Just because someone you know has not lost everything he or she owns to drugs does not necessarily mean that he or she does not have a drug addiction problem.

Possibly the most insidious drug addiction is prescription drug addiction, followed closely by alcohol drug addiction. We are a nation of pill poppers, taught since childhood that if something hurts, we should take a pill to make the pain go away. Children are being prescribed drugs such as Ritalin in record numbers, as parents and doctors blur the line between healthy, active kids and those with a true Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. We are constantly bombarded with advertising for pain relievers, sleep aids and a litany of other medications, both prescription and over the counter. Prescription drug addiction is easy to understand from this perspective. We do not question the doctor thoroughly about the risk of dependency on any medication, since medication as a whole is so widely accepted. We simply take the drug without question and before we realize it, we have developed a prescription drug addiction.

Alcohol drug addiction is a problem that many more people have than they'd like to admit. It is a high probability that you know someone with an alcohol problem or that you have one yourself. An alcohol drug problem can slowly spiral out of control and can provide the same problems of addiction that any other drug can.

The best way to guard against drug addiction of any sort is to carefully monitor the things that go into your body. Every pill, alcoholic beverage or recreational drug that you consume is a choice. Monitor yourself to make sure that you are making good choices. Only you know your personal level of tolerance for each item, but be sure that you are fully informed of all risks, including the risk of dependency, before consuming any drug item. If you feel that you or someone you know already has a drug addiction, seek professional help and advice.