Effects of Addiction - Social and the Society

Addiction is one of the most serious diseases of society. It destroys lives, tears relationships apart, and turns responsible and productive people into deranged and anti-social individuals who end up becoming a liability to their community rather than an asset. If you have ever heard of the phrase, “Opium destroys a nation”, believe it. No matter what form of addiction it may be, if it is not controlled or stopped, it will corrupt the country’s production, which will affect the economy, leading to the fall of the nation.

It is essential for people, especially to those in the government to realize the tremendous effect of addiction on a societal level. Addiction is infectious, like a virus that slowly invades every section of the body and destroys it from inside out. And like a disease, addiction is easy to catch yet very difficult to get rid of. Being aware of the devastating effects of addiction will help improve programs to stop it, thus minimizing (or if possible, removing) this bane of society that will help lead the country into a prosperous future.

The Individual: How Addiction’s Effect on a Person Affects His/her Community

It all starts with the individual. When a person falls victim into addiction, he/she begins to degrade and deteriorate in almost every area of his/her life – physically, mentally, emotionally, and morally. Addiction victims are socially inept; they avoid interaction with other people, and become self-centered. Addiction corrupts a person’s way of thinking and perspective, effectively disabling the person in all ways possible.

In most cases of addiction, people who fall victim to it become social outcasts, and are looked down by everyone else. People who used to be friends stay away for fear of what addiction victims might do, as addiction victims are often mentally unstable. Addiction has a tremendous impact in society, and people must be aware of how important it is to prevent this disease as much as possible.

The Impact of Addiction in Society’s Economy

It might seem that the connection between addiction and economy is small, but take a closer look and you will find just how great the impact is. Addiction causes an individual to become incompetent, rendering him/her useless to his/her community and thus becomes a liability rather than an asset. Turn enough people in a community into substance abusers, and you effectively cripple the economy.

Addiction not only affects the production through rendering the individual disabled physically and mentally, but it also contributes in wasteful spending; instead of being used for more productive purposes, a particular portion of the national budget goes into rehabilitating addiction victims. Thus, people who fall victims to addiction not only lessen the productivity of society, but also decreases whatever resources they already have.

The Relationship between Crime and Addiction

A large percentage of crimes committed nowadays are related to addiction in one way or another. The most common of these crimes involve theft, mugging, and in extreme cases, murder and homicide. Addiction causes an insatiable craving in an individual that would cause him/her to find whatever means necessary to obtain whatever he/she is addicted to. In fact, statistics show that most of the criminals in prison have traces of addictive substances in their bodies, which further solidifies the relationship between addiction and crime.

Public Health

Because addiction also directly affects a person’s physical health, public health institutions are also significantly affected. In fact, quite a percentage of people who are admitted to hospitals all around the country have been due to direct substance addiction, while a bigger percent is due to sicknesses in which substances such as drugs, cigarettes or alcohol, were a huge contributor.

Addiction is a serious issue in society, and there is no doubt about it. And as members of the community, it is important that we take part in erasing this dreadful disease in every way we can – whether in having concern for the victims of addiction, supporting anti-addiction programs, or simply raising our children in the right way they should go.

Effects of Addiction – Family and Relationships

Addiction is a very serious problem for a person who falls victim to it. Primarily, it destroys the individual’s physical body and mental health, but even more so, it greatly affects that person’s relationships – acquaintances, friends, and most of all family. When someone becomes a victim of addiction – and it does not matter what kind of addiction it may be – it puts a heavy strain in how people deal with that person, and this is the reason why it is important to understand what the effects of addiction are – in family and relationships.

Pride and Honor: How Families Are Torn Apart By Addiction

Most Asian countries like the Philippines place a great deal on honor, and this is why when a member of the family becomes a victim of addiction oftentimes what happens is that person becomes a “disgrace” to his/her family, and is often dealt with harshness and indifference.

Many families become indifferent to a family member who has fallen victim to addiction; while a few even go so far as to actually disown the individual. People who used to be that person’s friends start avoiding him/her, basically turning the individual into a social outcast.

Addiction Alienates Victims

Most addiction victims become socially inept and often find themselves alone due to that person thinking that no one understands him/her. In more serious cases, the victims develop intense fear and paranoia for the people closest to them, thinking that those people are out to deprive them of what they are addicted into. A lot of cases like this have resulted in violence and murder, which only added to the fear that people already have of addiction victims.

The Financial Effects of Addiction

Addiction and poverty are closely related. When someone becomes a victim of addiction, that person suffers insatiable cravings that cause him/her to spend all of his or her resources – at to a great extent, especially when the father falls victim to addiction – the family’s resources, greatly depleting the budget for the important needs such as food and payment of bills.

Finances greatly suffer when someone falls into addiction, and is quickly followed by the destruction of relationships, whether with friends or family. From the amount of money spent to satisfy the addictive cravings to the cost of rehabilitating the addiction victim, the family’s finances take a great hit, thus depleting it rapidly just to address the issue of addiction.

Health and Relationships

Ultimately, addiction destroys the victim’s physical and mental health which places a heavy strain on his/her relationships. In most (if not all) cases of addiction, friends and family members of the victim have a very difficult time of dealing with the individual; when trying to help the person by pointing out the negative effects of what he or she is doing, the victim often lashes out against his/her friends and family, causing them to stay away from him/her.

It is no surprise that victims of addiction suffer from mental degradation; while substances such as drugs and alcohol indeed have chemicals that cause the brain to become less effective, other addictions have psychological effects on its victims that greatly narrow the individual’s perspective and reasoning. This causes the addiction victim to spend less time with his/her friends and family, which only adds to the strain in the relationships that he or she has with them.

Dealing with addiction victims is very difficult, and a lot of times people would rather stay away and become indifferent rather than reach out and help; one really could not blame them, as it simply shows how serious addiction can affect a person’s relationships. Addiction destroys homes, alienates people, and makes it seem to the victim that the whole world is against him or her.

This is the reason why the family’s role is important in preventing addiction. Parents should always strive to teach their children the dangers of addiction, and must do everything they can to keep the latter from falling victim into it.