Chris Herren Drug Addiction Essay

Addiction is everywhere, from television, to celebrities, family members, and maybe even a close friend is suffering from it. It is a chronic brain disease that causes compulsive substance use despite harmful consequences. Roughly about 23.5 million Americans are either addicted to alcohol or drugs. Sadly, only 11% of those people suffering from this chronic disease get treatment. There have been many celebrities that have been in the tabloids and over the news for either alcoholism or drug abuse. For example, Lindsay Lohan, Mary Kate-Olsen, Heath Ledger, Robert Downey Jr, Chris Herren, and many more are victims. Chris Herren was a professional basketball player in the NBA from 1999-2001, he played for the Boston Celtics and nuggets but his life took a turn for the worst when he started using and abusing drugs in his college years. Alcohol and drugs have a way of getting into people’s lives and completely turning their world upside down. Drug and alcohol abuse is a countrywide problem and is destroying many people’s lives and their families. It is an ongoing question how addicts can put themselves and their loved ones around them in so much pain. Nevertheless, addiction remains a growing problem. Some people just don’t know when to quit. Most don’t even expect to get addicted to drugs or alcohol; they only start using because of social situations. But there are also instances where people get high or drunk to get rid of stress and forget about all their life problems and when the “high feeling” goes away, they keep using it over and over, until it becomes a daily routine and a burden to their lives. After a while it gets harder and harder to get that high sensation again, so addicts just use drugs or alcohol at that point because their body depends on it. This is when addicts will do anything to get their hands on that drug again, by either stealing from their families, job, etc. it is important to note however, that there are also addicts who are “high functioning”. This is called the high functioning alcoholic, they are the ones who are able to maintain his or her outside life, like a job, home, family, and friendships. They have the same disease as the stereotypical alcoholic, but it progresses differently. These people have a very hard time seeing themselves as alcoholics because they do not fit the “image” of the stereotype people have, for example, people think if you are an addict you are unemployed, victims of a bad upbringing, high school dropouts, prostitutes, rob innocent people, go on binges and engage in high risk behavior. But not high functioning alcoholics, they do not fit any of that criteria. Therefore, since he/she does not see themselves like that, it can be very dangerous because they will not ever accept the fact that they have a problem and get help. They usually justify their drinking as a stress reliever. More so these kind of alcoholics are very good at hiding …show more content…
Chris Herren, the NBA player, had it all. A great family, friends, he was blessed with the great gift of being a great basketball player. But yet, even drugs took over his life. He almost lost everything because of it. This goes to show that anybody and anyone can be an addict. Chris like most started drugs because of a social situation. He said that his partying mainly started with just alcohol and marijuana but one day he went to a friend’s room and tried cocaine for the first time. Like most he said “I am only going to try it once and only once” but as usual one time turned into another and so on. After that Chris ended up doing coke from age 18-32. It took him about 14 years to get clean. While he was addicted to drugs he shot up heroin before his mothers funereal and left his newborn baby in the hospital so he could get drunk. This goes to show that when a person is addicted to something, that is the most important thing in their life, no matter what. Until the addict chooses to take control of it and go to rehab, the addiction will continue to control them and their actions. Chris has been