Addiction

Over the years people through out history have at some during their lives had an addiction. What is an addiction? You might ask, according to Medicalnews.com defines addiction, as “People with an addiction do not have control over what they are doing, taking or using their addiction may reach a point at which it is harmful. Addictions do not only include physical things we consume, such as drugs or alcohol, but may include virtually anything, such abstract things as gambling to seemingly harmless products, such as chocolate - in other words, addiction may refer to a substance dependence (e.g. drug addiction) or behavioral addiction (e.g. gambling addiction).” The definition stated that some addiction are harmless however in this essay I will focus on the addictions that are harmful and I will use real life examples to illustrate my point that no matter what kind of person you are or what is your social standing in life addiction can and will cripple and destroy a persons life. Addiction comes in many forms but most of them can cause a person harm physically and psychologically. Also I will look at theories on why people allow addiction to take over and destroy their lives. The first example I will use of people affected by addiction is the writer Edgar Allen Poe now remembered and widely renowned for his literary works such as The Raven, The Tell-Tale Heart, The Pit and the Pendulum and many others. He lived a very dark and turbulent life that destroyed his life at a relatively young age. Fueled by alcohol and narcotics such as heroin and opium went on a downward spiral until he was found dead marking the premature end of a literary genius. Now I will use a more recent example of talent being taken away too soon. Amy Winehouse was prominent singer from England known for her amazing voice and her jazzy flare was found dead earlier this year at the young age of 27. However, over the last few years of her life she wasn’t known for her voice but for her losing struggle against addiction. Rising to fame in 2006 and continued rising in 2007. She fell in addiction in mid 2006 her family believes that the death of her grandmother is what triggered her addiction of Alcohol and drugs. At one point the addiction had gotten so bad that in 2007 she cancelled a number of shows and also was also hospitalized for overdosing on heroin, ecstasy, ketamine and alcohol. And she never fully recovered from that ordeal. Not making any more new music, appearing intoxicated during concerts and getting booed offstage. On the day of her death two large and one small bottle of vodka were found in her room. My final example is Winston Churchill who led the United Kingdom during World War 2 was known for his alcoholism. He once while arguing with Lady Astor who accused him of being drunk replied with "And you, Lady Astor, are ugly. But I shall be sober in the morning.” however some historians and psychiatrists like Anthony Storr believed that it was because of Churchill’s Alcoholism that Britain were able to prevail in World War 2. His words on Churchill were "Had he been a stable and equable man, he could never have inspired the nation. In 1940, when all the odds were against Britain, a leader of sober judgment might well have concluded that we were finished." Later in his life Churchill would go on and call his addiction “my

black dog” Churchill would later go on record saying that he once had eleven whiskey and sodas during one meal. In the twilight years of his life some therapists diagnosed him with bi-polar depression. Some former addicts claim that craving about the things they were addicted to caused psychological pain and they felt an itch until the got what they were craving for followed by deep regret. Some theorists claim that an addiction can be passed down from parent to child. Some claim that that people are addicted to things to fill some sort of emotional void. But all theorists whatever a person’s addiction might be it has the power to break a person completely.