8 Things No One Told You About Addiction
Addiction—nobody expects it to happen, nobody wants it, and certainly, nobody signs up for it. If there were a sign-up sheet, it likely wouldn’t mention the downsides. But there are downsides, a lot of them—perhaps more than one realizes. Here is a list of the most common downsides of addiction everyone should be aware of:
1. It’s fun until it’s not
Using drugs often starts with just having a good time, or perhaps it is to escape from something, be it pain, people, life or the world. But as one continues to use, it becomes less fun. It is no longer a choice, but an imperative. You can’t stop, you don’t want to, or you don’t know how to. It takes over your life and it becomes the only thing you can’t go a moment without thinking about.
2. You play Russian roulette every time you use
Unless you are making your drugs, you never know for sure what you’re getting, what it has been cut with, or how much you’re getting. It is a roll of the dice. Perhaps you know people who got “a bad batch,” or perhaps even died. When you start using more and more, your chances of survival become less and less.
3. All the lies you have to keep up with to cover up your addiction
Whether they are little lies or big lies, they are constant and your survival begins to depend on it. With it comes the anxiety, the depression—consistently experiencing that awful feeling of almost getting caught. It’s an unpleasant way to live, always sitting at the edge of your seat.
4. It’s degrading
Say you did get caught, as most addicts do, family and friends might not trust you anymore, they will always be watching your every more. They might even start excluding you from family gatherings, holidays and birthdays. You can become the outcast.
5. You affect others, not just yourself
Drugs are not just a personal choice, they affect everyone around you. Lying and stealing hurts those around you, it damages relationships, it hurts those you care about.
6. How it affects you
Drugs affect you both mentally and physically and in negative ways. They inhibit your ability to think, sometimes long term. They affect your ability or desire to perform physically. Besides being open to the possibility of physical illness, drugs also affect your brain functions. Many individuals actually reported an increase in depression, anxiety, and other mental illness after they started abusing substances.
7. Addiction strips you of yourself
You lose interest in things you once enjoyed. You lose touch with friends or family. You seclude yourself from everyone and the only thing you start working towards is your next high. Nothing else matters.
8. Addiction can lead to illness
Viral diseases such as Hepatitis, HIV/AIDS, are potentially life-threatening and can lead to lifelong illness. Diseases such as these are commonly spread by needle sharing or sexual interaction with those already infected. Most people think that alcohol is safe, but in reality, long-term use can bring about severe liver problems among other physical and mental issues.
There are no upsides to addiction. If a few of the points above resonate with you, perhaps it’s time to pull out of the downward spiral. There is something that can be done about it, change is possible.
Can you recall a time before you got involved with drugs, when you enjoyed life?
It is possible to enjoy life again. There are many graduates of the Narconon Program that can attest to that. People who were exactly where you are and managed to turn their lives around. We offer hope and the possibility that things can be better. We are here to help.
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