Drug Abuse And Addiction: Common Misconceptions

Growing up my older brother Tyler and I were the best of friends, referred to by my mom as ‘attached at the hip’. We went everywhere together, making fun out of the smallest things. He was one of the people that made my childhood so great, always happy never worried about a thing. As I began to grow older however, I began noticing subtle changes in Tyler. He began coming home later, detaching himself from the family, and excluding me from everything he did. I would’ve never guessed that these changes were the very start of his addiction, and everything that came with it. Uncommonly thought of as a complex disease, drug addiction is the exact opposite of simple or easy to deal with. With the effects ranging from tearing apart households and …show more content…
A common misconception about addiction is that it mostly affects just the user themselves, however, this disease affects everyone close to the user including siblings and especially parents causing a spiraling downward effect through the whole …show more content…
People who haven’t dealt with or know anything about the disease commonly assume “that drug abusers lack moral principles or willpower and that they could stop using drugs simply by choosing to change their behavior” (Understanding Drug Abuse and Addiction ). However, addiction does not work this way at all. For many people, the first time trying the drug is a voluntary decision usually around other drug users. After becoming addicted though, there are many changes in the brain which over time will “ hamper his or her ability to resist intense impulses to take drugs” (Understanding Drug Abuse and Addiction ). Saying no or turning down a drug is not an easy decision for users, nothing comparable to simply turning down an unhealthy snack. Many addicts begin changing their behavior and establishing bad character traits throughout their journey. Some traits associated with the disease are “lying, irritability, disregard for others, and lowering of the whole moral tone” (Wallace 348). The user will pass all boundaries in order to get their hands on their drug of choice, and do not care about anyone they harm on the way. They also tend to lie excessively trying to cover up their growing drug habit, causing a snowball effect of lies. Aside from all of the hurt and pain these users may put the people around them through, many do have “the best intention to remain