Portrait of Addiction

A Broken Culture. A Criminal Illness.

Addiction is a relentless, compulsive dependence on a mood altering activity or substance. It is a life-threatening illness. It negatively effects a person’s job, family, health, relationships and happiness. It is referred to as a “family disease” since the people around the addicted person can be deeply negatively affected by the dependency and behaviors. Addiction changes the brain. It alters the way the brain registers pleasure and then corrupts other areas of the brain responsible for learning and motivation.

At the turn of the last century Alcoholics and drug addicts were considered morally flawed and weak-willed. It was believed that punishing them for their behavior would motivate them to change. Since then, science has recognized that addiction is a chronic disease that changes the structure and function of the brain, much like heart disease damages the heart, or Alzheimer erodes the brain causing dysfunction and death. Intense cravings and the compulsion to continue to use takes over normal brain function. The obvious sign of addiction is a person who continues to use despite serious negative consequences. No one ever chooses to become an addict. Crossing the line from abuse to addiction is marked by the lack of choice or control.

The consequences of being addicted are many and varied. They tend to worsen over time as the disease itself worsens over time. Emotionally, an addict may feel ashamed, confused, angry, self-loathing, desperate to stop, desperate to use, fearful…