Addiction: No one decides this is what they want

Due to the ongoing lack of education or the unwillingness to understand this neuropsychological disorder, stigma in addiction is still a prevailing societal attitude. People do not decide one day, "Im going to be an addict", but society thinks it's a choice. Addiction comes in many forms: substances, smoking, the internet, shopping,eating, sex, work and religion as examples. The images that some people think of are dirty people living in the parks , young people that like to party or 'junkies' with marked up arms. In reality, a solid number of successful people, family oriented people are managing the disease of addiction. Added to this stigma is only ''hard drugs' are addictive. Addiction can impact all ethnic, religious and socioeconomic groups. There is always a root cause to addiction: prescribed addictive medications without education, mental illness ,many times undiagnosed, past live events that were traumatic and other social and environmental factors. Addiction needs to be accepted by the person along with guidance, therapy and sometimes medication treatment, environmental change and a solid support network.