It’s a simple yet tragic fact that people we know, some we are close to, will suffer from addiction or other compulsive, harmful habits at some point during their lives. Unless they do something about it first, and unless they get help.
Addiction is a tornado that can destroy the lives of people affected and those around them. But there is hope: people can recover. Better yet, first-time addiction and relapse can be prevented!
How big has the addiction epidemic become?
- Substance addictions strike 1 in 7 people, and almost half of all families will deal with it at some point.
- 30% of adults suffer from some form of alcohol abuse, and 10% of adults are recovering from drug and alcohol issues.
- More than 75% of people with alcohol issues are employed full-time. They are 33 % less productive than co-workers, and they make up nearly half of workers’ compensation claims.
- 75% of high school students have used addictive substances, and 90% of people with addiction started before age 18.
- Drug overdose is the leading cause of accidental death, and opiod addiction is driving an epidemic of overdose deaths.
Sadly, 90% of people who are in danger don’t get help for their problem. If they do, it’s normally after they have crashed, and they must go through extended recovery in order to rebuild their life.
Why don’t people do something sooner? Because they are not aware of the depth of their issue, or they are in denial. For many others, they just don’t know what to do. In addition, they are embarrassed—ashamed—about their problem, and they don’t want to talk to anyone about it.
So they do nothing.