With the recent rise of the opioid epidemic, drug abuse in our society has become increasingly common. As of 2017, thirty-eight percent of adults have battled addiction related use of illicit drugs. Today, drug addiction is not an unknown. Alcohol abuse is very likely even more common. Why is this so? What are the effects of such a thing?

Prescription drug use is an ever growing problem as well. Due to the brain-chemical warping nature of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI), physical dependence on such substances is common.

While not addictive in the same way that alcohol and certain illicit drugs can be, SSRI’s can harm the user in the long term just as much as the former. Physical dependence on certain antidepressants and serotonin inhibitors can become very real, very quickly.

The way chemicals react with human brains varies, but certain individuals are more prone to addiction due to their genetics, mental health, or even plain physiological reasons. Addiction is an ever burgeoning problem, both in the United States and around the world. It’s a nasty pit to fall into, and not exactly a casual conversation topic.

The real tragedies behind drug abuse are the stories of people who have seen family members or friends fall into that aforementioned pit. “Some people are addicted to chasing the high, and others are so absorbed in the habit that they can’t stop.,” said one anonymous student. For the purposes of this article, I will call her “Rose.”

Addiction is rooted in the belief of the addicted that they absolutely need a certain substance for their well being, for their survival. Now of course, addiction is addiction. It’s not a need, it’s not a savior. And that fact -along with the belief of the addict- is the problem.

Where substances exist in excess, medical or not, there will absolutely be a problem. Addiction doesn’t mean the end of a person’s well-being, but it is certainly a problem, one that absolutely must be addressed. “If someone is far enough along in their addiction that they don’t care about anything but being high, [then] it’s extremely dangerous.” This statement from Rose is exemplary of exactly how impactful addiction can be. The dangers to the addicted are often very high and quite present at face value, but what is perhaps not so present is the danger to those around any addicted persons.

The sheer presence of addiction in a family member or friend is a serious destructive force. It can ruin people’s lives. It very often can disrupt families, and crush relationships. Addiction is a dangerous pitfall, an impassable wall, and a divisionary habit known all to well to the modern generation.

The presence of addiction will continuously act as a defining factor in the tragedies of today. It will remain a destructive force, a somber truth, and an ever resplendent tragedy

But despite all that – with help – there will always be hope for recovery. There will always be those with the will to better themselves, and to better the lives of the people they affect with their addiction. For even though there is destruction and division within the world, there will always be another tomorrow.