Growing up, despite not hanging out with the "best crowd", I was nonetheless sheltered enough from the world of addiction that I never personally witnessed drug use, and was extremely shocked when I found out 3 years ago that some schoolmates of mine from high school were busted for running a drug smuggling and money laundering scheme in my hometown. Then I heard from my kids recently about the drug and alcohol problems that some of their classmates and social circles have, and it gets very concerning. Even if you think addition isn't something you need to know about, it is. People get much wrong about addiction, and it is important to be educated about it to keep you and your loved ones safe. Here are 10 myths about addiction that you might have heard.
Addiction and Dependence Are the Same Thing
If you’re talking about drug or alcohol dependence vs. an addiction, you should know they’re similar, but they’re not the same thing. If you’re dependent on a drug or alcohol, you’ll have a hard time functioning without it. If you’re addicted to something, though, you will go into physical withdrawal if you are deprived of it.
Only Poor People Become Addicts
There’s an enduring myth that only people who are lower down on the economic spectrum can become addicts. In reality, anyone can become an addict, regardless of how much money they have or their social status.
Once You Go Through Rehab, You’re Cured
If you go through rehab, that can sever a physical addiction you have to a particular drug. That does not mean the drug no longer has any power over you, though. Any addict, even a recovered one, is always just one bad day from using their drug of choice again.
Only Bad People Become Addicts
It’s also a myth that only people who are inherently bad or amoral in some way can become addicts. Many people who become addicts are “good,” according to how society normally defines the word.
You Can Easily Spot an Addict
You might see someone smoking crack on a street corner and easily identify them as an addict. Just as often, though, there are people who are able to conceal their addictions, even from those who are closest to them or think they know them best.
Some People Have Too Much Willpower To Become Addicts
Even individuals who have an impressive amount of willpower can become addicts under the right circumstances. Someone who injures themselves and is dealing with chronic pain, for instance, can easily become hooked on pain medication.
Drug Addiction is a Choice
Drug addiction is seldom something that an individual chooses voluntarily. Many times, someone will gradually develop a drug habit, and that habit will become an addiction over time, even if the drug user never intended for that to be the case.
If You Can Hold Down a Job, You’re Not an Addict
Some addicts are able to hide their addiction well, and they can hold down the same job for years without anyone knowing about it. They may slip up eventually, but if they’re careful, they might go for decades while concealing the extent of their drug or alcohol use.
Drug Addiction is Worse Than Alcohol Addiction
Although alcohol is legal, and many drugs are not, that doesn’t mean you can’t mess your life up with alcohol just as easily as you can with various illegal drugs.
Legal Drug Addictions Are Not As Bad As Illegal Ones
There are numerous legal drugs that can be just as devastating as illegal ones if you let them take over your life. Alcohol and nicotine are just two examples.