For many people, alcoholism and other drug addictions result in a pattern of chronic relapsing, even though they may have had long periods of abstinence. Addiction can affect all aspects of an individual’s life – physical, emotional, spiritual, social and mental. Its impact can be devastating to not only the individual suffering from chemical dependency, but to all of the people around him or her.

The path to addiction begins when a chemical is first introduced into a person’s system. Whether that first time is with alcohol, an addictive prescription medication or an illegal drug; over time, for some, the ability to choose not to continue using is lost. Because of the effects of prolonged drug use on brain functioning, seeking the drug becomes compulsive.

This compulsion to use alcohol, or any other drug, can take over an individual’s entire life. Behavior changes. People who become addicted often abandon everything that was once important in their lives. They compromise their own values and belief systems, and engage in activities that they never dreamed they’d become involved in. Addiction is powerful. It can interfere with family relationships, friendships, employment, and, it has implications for the whole community.

Addiction can also place people at increased risk for a variety of other illnesses – some because of the toxic effects of the alcohol or other drugs on a person’s system and some as a result of behaviors related to life as an addict.

When we say that addiction is progressive, we usually mean that the road from casual use to a full-blown addiction is a process. There are several stages in the process in which people find themselves moving from experimentation or social use, to abuse and eventually to dependence.

It’s never easy to explain addiction, especially when trying to understand why people are affected differently. Because addiction has so many dimensions and disrupts so many aspects of an individual’s life, treatment for this disease is never simple either.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, three decades of scientific research and clinical practice have yielded a variety of effective approaches to addictions treatment. The most effective substance abuse treatment programs typically incorporate many components, each aimed toward a particular aspect of the disease of addiction and the consequences chemical dependency has had for that person.

> How do you know if you are addicted?

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