Drug and Alcohol Addiction
The majority of individuals who consume alcohol are social drinkers; the same goes for the majority of individuals who use drugs. Individuals who drink and use drugs socially consume the substance just to enhance the pleasure of typically pleasurable experiences. These individuals do not have any kind of issues relating to drinking or using drugs. In addition, they never feel as though they have lost their self-control or that they have drank too much liquor or used too much drugs. They do not think about how much or how often they consume; it's not an issue for them. They never receive complaints regarding how much or how frequently they drink or use drugs. The way they see it they are not suffering from drug or alcohol addiction so they have no problem.
Some individuals who consume alcohol and/or take drugs end up abusing them. These individuals consume alcohol or drugs to assist them in changing how they perceive themselves or some area of their lives. These individuals may experience some issues relating to their alcohol or drug use; at the same time they use those experiences to set limits on how much and how regularly they drink or use drugs. They often know their limits and drink or use drugs within those limits—unless they find a good reason not to. They also receive complaints about their drinking or drug use; they know these complaints are concerns for their well-being.
A few individuals who consume alcohol or use drugs become alcoholics and/or addicts. Individuals who suffer from drug and alcohol addiction undergo adverse consequences relating to drinking or using drugs but still do so in spite of these consequences. They also set limits on how much or how frequently they will drink or use drugs but exceed those limits unpredictably. They make promises to themselves and to other people, vowing to drink or use drugs in moderation or abstain but end up breaking those promises. They undergo feelings of guilt or remorse about their drinking or drug use but fail to permanently change their drinking or drug habit. They receive complaints about their drinking or drug use, but resent or dismiss those comments and complaints.Social drinkers and drug users, substance abusers, and individuals suffering from drug and alcohol addiction often handle their relationships with alcohol and drugs in different ways. To the social drinker or drug user, there is no problem. If it does not affect them or those around them in an adverse manner, then to them, there is no problem, so they need to do nothing. Substance abusers often end having to deal with the issues that make them want to change how they feel. This often means receiving professional help. Alcoholics and addicts have no choice but to refrain from all addictive and potentially addictive substances if they want to lead a healthful life. Seeking professional help and support is a must in achieving that goal. Drug and alcohol addiction is a potentially life-threatening disease, all addicts and abusers should take all measures to overcome.
