Drug Addiction In The United States

What is addiction? A strong and harmful need to regularly have something or to do something (“Merriam-Webster”). Addiction can be associated with physical things such as drugs, alcohol, phones, or even coffee. It can also correspond with physical acts including sex, gambling, and shopping, as well as the feeling of approval or the feeling of adrenaline.
There are 23.5 million Americans who are addicted to either alcohol or drugs. That is an estimate of one in every ten Americans over the age of twelve (“Drug Free”). Drug and alcohol addiction are probably two of the most commonly known addiction problems in the United States, if not in the world. Addictions involving drugs and alcohol can end in death. According to the Center for Disease

Control (CDC) Newsroom there are more than 2,000 alcohol poisoning deaths in the United States each year. That is an average of six alcohol poisoning deaths each day (Arias, 2015). Stated by CNN producer Nadia Kounang, drug overdose rose 14% between 2013 to 2014. In 2014, 47,055 people died from drug overdose, which is one and half times greater than the number of people killed in car crashes the same year (Kounang, 2015).
Addictions can be harmful to a person's health, mental health, and their social life. People who suffer from drug and alcohol addiction may have one or more medical issues such as lung or cardiovascular disease, strokes, cancer, or mental disorders (Science Addiction.) Someone who is dealing with a gambling addiction can suffer from migraines, intestinal disorders, and other anxiety problems (Nordqvist, 2015.)
Drug and alcohol addictions can cause depressions, bipolar disorder, antisocial personality disorder,can cause one to become paranoid, and anxiety (Drug Facts.) Problem gamblers tend to suffer from low self-esteem, develop stress-related disorders, become more anxious, poor sleep and appetite, develop a substance misuse problem and also tend to suffer from depression more frequently than those who aren’t gamblers (Mental Health.)
People's addictions can put a strain on their marriage or their other relationships. The person who is addicted may have changed from a previously easy going personality to one who is prone to mood swings, violent outbursts, secrecy and other forms of extreme behaviour. This is difficult for their partner to deal with and is even worse if there are children involved. The whole family is affected. It is both distressing and confusing for children to see one parent (or even both parents) exhibit signs of their addiction. Someone in the grip of an addiction can become selfish, self-centred and oblivious to the concerns of other people. Things such as paying the mortgage and bills, or other day to day issues of running a home are no longer important to them. They may also have more difficulty performing well at their job.
Addiction is a chronic disease, people can not simply stop using drugs, gambling, or drinking alcohol for a few days and be cured. Most people need long-term or even repeated care to stop using completely and recover their lives. The first step for the addicted person is to acknowledge that there is a substance dependency problem (addiction problem). The next step is to get help. In most of the world there are several support groups and professional services available.