Defined

‘Addiction’- a word we hear commonly in our life. But what really is addiction? According to MayoClinic.com, “Drug addiction is a dependence on an illegal drug or medication.” Dependence, or rather over-dependence on some substances in our life is commonly termed as addiction. When a person is addicted to something, they cannot control how they use it, which increases their dependency on it to cope with daily life. A habit may eventually develop into an addiction. Put simply, in a habit you are in control of your choices, but with addiction, you are not. A person can become addicted to many substances-really harmful ones like drugs, alcohol, gambling or even simple things like video games or the television. But whatever is the addiction, it is harmful to us if it is in excess.

It is also possible to have a psychological dependence on drugs, instead of an addiction. According to Mayoclinic.com there are symptoms for this as well. Some of them are: “Problems at school, Physical health issues, Neglected appearance, Changes in behavior, and Spending money.” Don’t underestimate a psychological dependence on drugs, it is just as harmful as a typical addiction. Regardless of the type of dependence, if you think you know someone with an addiction to drugs, get help right away!

How Can We Help?

Treating addiction seems like the hardest job in the world for an addicted person. Every turn they take leads to a high and steep cliff, and there are no simple decisions. But the most basic job for addicted people to do is to take heart and never give up. Relapses happen. But one should never lose heart. The first thing that they should do is admitting that they have a problem. This is half the battle won. On our part, we should take pains in relieving people around us from addiction. Most importantly, we should sympathize with them, understand their problems and remain calm ourselves, because an addicted person can lose his/her cool in these situations very quickly. Talking to them and counseling them about their addiction is also a very good idea.

We have to understand that an addicted person needs support. Supporting them emotionally can go a long way in healing their addiction. Through these simple techniques, we can hopefully eliminate addiction from our society and ensure that everyone leads an addiction-free life.