What Addiction Is Not

Addiction is not fun! There are many young and old persons who started out partying, going to the clubs and friends homes. There they would participate in smoking of marijuana and it appeared to be fun, it appeared to make you down and cool. Everyone was doing it. as time went on the substances changed. One of the friends introduced the other to cocaine. And some hesitated but others took a blow and that was the beginning. One blow led to another blow. Now, cocaine is a little bit more expensive than marijuana. So, some people would chip in to get a gram or buy for themselves and share with the others. It appeared to be happening, the "In" thing to do. Substance Abuse is a phenomena that has taken off and taken on a life of its own. It does not matter what your color, creed or age. The old trying to be young and the young trying to be old.

What addiction is not, it first of all is not fun, it is not something you can start and stop as you please, addiction is an ongoing, progressive set of circumstances. It is on and on. Soon as time goes on, one of the crowd brings a new substance to the forefront. It is something that they were doing in secret and when they became unable to afford it they started to share it with their friends, so as to have help coping. The new and different substance was heroin. This drug, heroin is immediately addictive and causes the addict to do many things to get it. Such as, robbing, raping, lying, stealing, cheating and many other things to numerous to name. Heroin becomes the reason for living, it becomes the head of your life. Heroin will not take no for an answer. In the event you try to stop using it. You become physically ill or sick or just plain miserable. When heroin comes into the picture, the fun people who used to use substances together breaks up. The drug is now the only party and it alone decides what you do and who you see. The beginning was easy full of girls and boys who wanted to have a good time. The advent of this peculiar and particular use caused a break in the friendships and the partying together. It was a lonely downward spiral of use, be used and use some more.

What addiction is not, it is not the fun that powder cocaine brought to the party. The use of substance in any form is incredibly sinking. It causes you to only hang out with or relate to other people who are doing what you are doing. The arrival of "crack". A form of cocaine that is smoked. It is referred to as free base in some place and as rock in other places. Crack Cocaine is highly addictive and captivating.. The ritual of cooking the powder back to rock or when it is precooked and bottled up, coping the bottle is a journey in itself. There was one instance where a celebrity set himself on fire trying to cook-up.

What addiction is not, it is not real life. People start to look like the living dead, like the zombies seen in the movies. The attractive lure of cocaine and the seductive way it brings you in, is usually as a party animal having a few drinks with friends and that escalates to another level. Now that I speak of it, let's take a look at having a drink. Having a drink as become synonmous with the barfly and happy hour. This too is seductive and can cause an addiction that is difficult to break, stop, or go on with life as it use to be. Alcohol has a grip of its own and because it is legal and easy to obtain brings many cocaine and heroin addicts into the fold. For others, alcohol alone is enough but it to takes you on a downward spiral. It saps your strength and your will to be ambitious or industrious. As time goes on and you continue to drink alcohol, it is all that you live for, the next drink. Whether it is a forty or a half pint. Does this sound like fun?

What addiction is not, it is not a way to have a woman or a man in your life. Someone who cares and takes care of you. Addiction is not a cure all although some people use it to relieve the pain of whatever. Is there anything that can be done? Once starting to use, all morals and principals are long gone. The growth, the natural progression of time and psychic, physical and social growth stops. In the beginning, no one knows that this is the case.

What addiction is not, it is not the way to the good life, it is not even the enjoyment of life itself. What can be done? There are many things I can suggest. First and foremost, do not experiment with any substances. That would be called prevention for people who are at risk. After the addiction has taken hold, if you do not end up in prison, go to a alcohol and drug treatment center.

Treatment for addiction is available, although most addicts come in kicking and screaming trying not to be separated from their drug of choice. Addiction intervention with the family is one way to address this problem. The addiction has signs and symptoms so well addressed in the DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders). After consultation, it allows for a formal diagnosis to be made and a suggested mode of treatment.

In a treatment rehab, an addiction counselor will determine, what addiction is or is not and what form of treatment is necessary. Treatment for addiction has spread all over the country, in all of the fifty states. No one, and no place is exempt. There is something called recovery from addiction and it takes many forms this addiction recovery. I have spoken much about what addiction is not. I will later talk about recovery from addiction.