What Addiction Is

WHAT ADDICTION IS Addiction, a brain disease, the inability to control use of a substance, like nicotine, drugs, alcohol. It can also be a behavioral problem, like gambling, eating, sex, kleptomania, shopping, working. Addiction takes over one’s self-control causing psychological and physical harm by continuously using the substance or indulging in addictive behavior, ruining lives, families, relationships, careers for neglecting health, family, friends, work and other responsibilities in exchange for feelings of lift, physically high or lofty. Addiction can also be caused by the environment, like growing up with smoking, drinking or using parents, or the cultural norms of the society or group where one lives or exposure to peer group pressure anywhere. I will never really know the mind of an addict. All I could do was researched how the addict feels and neglects everything and to understand and cope with an addict or how to take my stand in living with an alcoholic and be a supporter to kick the addiction and not be an enabler. Living with an addict is hard, difficult, tough, strenuous. There is uncertainty, unpredictability, life is precarious. It’s like living a double life, one day everything is fine, then everything is like walking in a very fine line. Life is a vicious cycle, there is normalcy when sober for being responsible, reliable and good mannered and then the slip or binging comes affecting judgments; neglecting family, work, commitments; being overindulgent with the substance that can lead to financial difficulty if under the influence or in possession, as well as legally. Addiction can be prevented, treated and managed. Do not let addiction ruin, ravage, wreck or damage your life, your career, your relationship or your family. Consider treatments that can help tremendously. You are not the only one affected by your addiction, for the ones, who love you suffer from your affliction. Addiction Poetry Rob Levasseur 12/27/20