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
Copyright © | Year Posted 2020

Poem

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Koplin Avatar
January 1, 2021 at 11:19 AM
My wife is a social worker for foster care. She sees addiction first hand with the parents. It's very sad. Great ink Marilene!
Evans Avatar
January 1, 2021 at 2:01 PM
Thanks, Mark. It is really sad, especially if its carried down from generation to generation.
Y. Avatar
December 27, 2020 at 8:43 AM
WoW! Marilene, This is so true. I've seen both aspects of addiction. I've been addicted, and I've also seen a family member battle addition as a child. Addition affects the whole family unit. I agree; there is help. It's not easy; one must seek help and take their recovery one step at a time. Well done. Best wishes in the contest-Alexis
Evans Avatar
December 27, 2020 at 11:03 AM
My second husband was an alcoholic, disappearing and leaving his business and I was forced to handle while having a full time job. So I had to go because he did not want to be helped.
Evans Avatar
December 27, 2020 at 11:01 AM
Thanks so much, Alexis! I watched by parents gambling, leaving the children all alone from Friday night to Sunday night. Only to come home for a few hours to get sleep. They borrowed money with interest just to gamble and never cared about having their own place... continued living in my grandparent's house. Happy Holidays!!!
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