Fighting drug addiction - it sounds heroic, focused, and important to society for reasons that are both obvious and obscure. Can we fight this demon and win? The jury is still out regarding the final analysis...but does anyone really have all the facts about addiction? Who do we believe in this great debate?
It's easy to label individuals based on statistics and assumptions. We see the stories every day on the news and make sweeping decisions based on location and lifestyle. Is this enough information to be accurate in our conclusions about the causes of addictive behavior? If we have no first-hand knowledge regarding patterns of addiction, or the tendencies we may have inherited, then we may never realize how close we are to becoming snagged in the web of drugs and alcohol.
Addiction can be instantaneous in some individuals. Chances are, readers may recall stories of instant addiction after a single experience with crack cocaine or heroin. While in others, addiction can be ignored, justified or put at bay to the schedule-at-hand or the lifestyle of someone able to juggle the extremes. At some level, the addiction can be determined by the type of drugs and frequency of use. But what about those who have been daily pot smokers or drinkers, and get up everyday and go to work? Are they also addicted, or just smart enough to enjoy their habits after working hours? How many 12-packs or cases of beer are scanned at the local grocery store after regular business hours? The numbers might be alarming, especially if anyone reading this article thins back to their last trip to the grocery store between the hours of 6:00 and 8:00 pm. We have all seen the cashier complete one or more transactions for alcoholic beverages.
Those with an ax to grind may take issue with the argument that addiction is anything other than a choice. Articles and books have been written about the choices when a person becomes addicted. Ironically, a great majority of us can recall someone we have known who was addicted and either could not overcome, or went through treatment and later stumbled and resumed old behaviors. We sigh and assume they are simply weak.
Studies have indicated that the roots of addiction may be biochemical in nature. While this avenue of thought and theory is not as widely accepted, science is making progress about the nature and causes of addiction. What comes as a surprise is to know that the pattern of addiction is now thought to begin in the earliest days of childhood.