RAISE AWARENESS TO ADDICTION:
Addiction. What a taboo topic to talk about, right?
But why?
It is never easy to talk about sensitive and personal subjects such as drinking and drug use. When these conversations arise, it will put the addict on the spot and may cause hurt pride. The addict may become angry. But focus on the behavior and consequences, not the person.
Not talking about the problem, and not acknowledging the problem, makes us apart of the problem as well.
Addiction stems from two different dependencies.
Psychological dependence occurs when the person feels that they need the drug to function or feel comfortable. Meaning some people come to find they need a substance just to be able to cope with their daily life.
Physical dependence occurs when a person’s body has adapted to the presence of a drug, meaning a tolerance has developed. When a tolerance has developed a person finds the need to use more of the drug to get the same effect.
As I’m pursuing a major in strategic communications at Miami University, I want to reach out to people of all ages to talk about this sensitive subject. In a recent survey done for “Faces and Voices of Recovery” by Peter Hart Associates, 38 percent of adults have a family member or close friend (or both) who is in recovery from addiction to alcohol or other drugs. I am just one part of that 38 percent and my goal is to travel to schools, churches, union halls, youth groups, etc. to tell my story and to let people know they’re not alone.
Addiction is a chronic disease. Like diabetes, heart disease and other chronic medical illnesses, once you’ve got it, you’re stuck with it. Even when “in remission” and not actively using, you need to stick to your treatment plan and stay engaged with your recovery.
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LET PEOPLE KNOW THEY'RE NOT ALONE:
Addiction has become such a growing epidemic that it is hard to come by someone who hasn’t experienced it sometime in their life. My goal here is to let someone, whether it be the addict or families and friends of the addict, know they are not alone in this fight. There are too many people going through this alone. This is the time we need to come together. Too often this problem is pushed away because no one wants to talk about their weaknesses and family don't want to talk about their problems. But through this organization I hope to bring hurting families together so that we can help each other and share our stories.
Did You Know?
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One in four American children are exposed to an alcohol-use disorder in their own homes.
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Young people who start drinking before the reach the age of 15 are four times more likely to develop alcoholism compared with the who wait until they are 21 years old.
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Alcoholism and alcohol abuse are among the most common, devastating, and costly problems in the United States. In fact, recent studies have shown that approximately 53 percent of adults in the United States have reported that one or more of their close relatives have a drinking problem.
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In any given day, over 700,000 Americans seek treatment for alcohol or drug addiction.
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At least one-third of alcoholics fully recover.
Resources: www.reneweveryday.com