A very dear friend just lost her 30 year old son to drugs. I cannot even imagine how I would deal with the loss of my son. We give birth to them, they grow up and we must let them live their own lives, but they will always be that baby we held in our arms, changed our lives forever and taught us what real love is.
I am always trying to learn more about addictions. A close young relative was addicted to the computer. The family tried everything possible, including disappearing the computer to my warehouse. They eventually gave up, but I did not in my quest for knowledge. I came upon a great book. It was printed as two books in one. It is called Addictive Thinking and The Addictive Personality, by Abraham J. Twerski, M.D. and Craig Nakken.
This book answered many questions I had been asking for years, specially since my horrific divorce in 1996. My ex-husband came from an alcoholic family.
Addictions can be to food, sugar, salt, drugs (including pharmaceuticals prescribed by a doctor), alcohol, power, sex, religion, etc. Some people have an addictive personality, others don't, but if the drug is strong enough, the person is not able to shake it. The others require behavioral changes and the person becoming aware (sometimes by hitting bottom) and participating in therapy.
I believe education is a good way to start combating addictions. If we tell our children from a very young age, the perils of addiction, maybe they will grow up believing it. But even then, we can loose the battle, because basically life is hard and most human beings want to try anything that promises escape from reality.
To be alive is hard work. People are born to laziness, procreation, and avoidance of pain. One must fight to overcome those innate mandates.
I always told my Benjamine....Work first and then you will have more time to have fun. Business before Pleasure. Don't do drugs, because when everyone else around you is burned out, you will still have a brain that functions; a worthy commodity!