A growing problem in today’s society is drug addiction. Whether it be from pain medicine, sedatives, or even street drugs; many people are not left untouched by it’s devastating effects. It is seen in our homes, schools and jobs. The sad part is that substance use is usually glamorized in the media. Movies, TV shows, magazines, books, and the internet make it look cool, sexy, and fun. Addiction can affect people of all ages. An addict can start out in many forms: an innocent child who is exposed to inappropriate movies that have drug use in them, an impressionable teenager who has fallen under peer pressure to use drugs to fit in, a young adult who tries party drugs with friends to have a good time at a rave or …show more content…
It’s not an uncommon thing for an addict to struggle with keeping a steady job or staying at the same place of employment for a long period of time. Some reasons for that include showing up late several times or not showing up at all while on a binge, using illegal drugs on the job, failing a random drug test, and the inability to complete work related tasks while under the influence of the drug’s effect. These reasons force the addict to job hop and they greatly affect their ability to establish a good, solid career. Obtaining a higher education is almost impossible for an addict. Just as there are difficulties in keeping a job, there are difficulties with an addict actually graduating from college. This is mostly due to many absences, unfinished assignments, and not meeting the required deadlines. After failing many courses, an addict may give up or feel like it’s not worth the effort to continue the pursuit of receiving a higher …show more content…
A criminal record follows many addicts for several reasons. Some of those reasons are due to being caught with drugs or from theft to support their drug habit. Many times an addict will steal money from friends and family, or pawn his or her own items or stolen items, for quick cash to get his or her next fix. The saddest part of drug addiction is the rising number of deaths associated with drug use. Once the individual gets sucked into the downward spiral of addiction, they crave more and more of the drug, seeking to get that initial high. Consequently, it’s hard for them to quit due to the evident dependence of the drug. Long term substance abuse causes severe withdrawals that can last for several weeks when the drug is either abruptly stopped or even lessened. Some of those symptoms include body pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, restless legs syndrome, anxiety, insomnia, seizures, hallucinations, coma, and even stroke or death. Over time, the addict becomes so deeply consumed by the addiction that he or she may come to the point of taking a little too much and risk dying from an