There Is No Such Thing as a Harmless Addiction
What is addiction? It is a condition in which a person engages compulsively in certain kinds of behaviour despite knowledge that such behaviour is detrimental to himself. Addictions can come by way of alcohol, drugs, or certain types of behaviours. Regardless of the behaviour in question, there is no such thing as a harmless addiction. Just ask any worker at one of the nation's drug and alcohol rehab clinics.
The mistaken belief in a harmless addiction can be observed in a number of ways. For example, consider an individual who regularly abuses alcohol by binge drinking on the weekends. When confronted about his excessive drinking, he might respond by saying his drinking is harmless. He does not engage in drink driving, he does not get violent, and he recovers in time to go to work on Monday.
Alcohol Addiction
Alcohol addiction is also known as alcohol dependence or alcoholism. Like any other drug, alcohol creates an addiction gradually rather than immediately. Unfortunately, alcohol is the most abused drug in the UK by a long shot. Moreover, when abuse is ignored by the abusers, it's only a matter of time before they find themselves checking into rehab centres.
According to the NHS, 9% of adult men and 6% of adult women in the UK show signs of alcohol dependence. When you combine both men and women together, you get an overall rate of 7.5%. Each of these individuals is suffering the harm of alcohol addiction that can include medical problems, lost jobs, marriage breakups, and loss of children. Alcohol is not a harmless drug that can be used with impunity.
Drug Addiction
The nation's drug rehab clinics also find themselves filled with individuals who mistakenly believed they could use prescription medications or illicit drugs without any harm. However, they all found out too late just how harmful drugs can be. What started out as recreational use eventually escalated to the point where drugs were in control.
As you know, some drugs can be even more damaging than alcohol to one's physical health. For example, have you seen the pictures of methamphetamine addicts used in anti-drug campaigns? These are scary pictures indeed. They show addicts before they started using and after addiction was well established. You can clearly see that methamphetamine use is not harmless.
The big lie of drugs and alcohol is that you can use them without losing control. Nevertheless, it is simply not true. Drugs and alcohol are psychoactive substances that alter the way the brain works. And once those brain changes begin, it's nearly impossible to fix them without a complete and total separation from whatever substances are being used. Do not be fooled; there is no harmless addiction. Drug and alcohol rehab clinics are proof of that.
