Addiction and Social Class: Bursting the Myth
By: Lakeview Health Staff
Published: January 20, 2020

Many correlate drug and alcohol addiction to a homeless person on the street, an out-of-control college student, or even an individual who is unemployed and using to self medicate and suppress their feelings. These types of substance abusers certainly exist, but it is also essential to understand not everyone who uses or abuses drugs or alcohol wears it on their sleeve. It is not uncommon for a doctor or a pilot who has the lives of others in their hands every day to become addicted to prescription drugs, or the soccer mom overwhelmed with caring for her three children to have a high dependency on alcohol. The disease of addiction does not discriminate, and anyone is susceptible to it no matter what their current living and financial status are.

In fact, there is evidence that the more money an individual has, the more dangerous their addiction can be. This is particularly the case when it is hidden, as professional addictions so often are. The longer and deeper one slips into their addiction, the harder it is to climb out.

The Importance of Seeking Help

That said, it is never too late to get help for drug or alcohol abuse. The choice to get help for addiction is a difficult one. Chances are, if an individual is even pondering the idea of going to addiction treatment, then they need help. It is common for the white-collar professional man or the mother of four to believe that they don’t have a problem with drugs or alcohol because they are high-functioning and able to provide for their family. Nothing could be further from the truth. There are thousands upon thousands of individuals who suffer from addiction that are still able to put food on their tables for their families.

Reach Out Today

If you or someone you know is thinking about getting help for addiction, it is important to remember that when it comes to decisions, in most cases, the harder one is the right one. No one ever wants to admit that they have a problem with drugs and alcohol. And even fewer want to undergo addiction treatment. That said, people who make the tough decision to get help and to practice what is taught to them lead lives that are free of substance dependency. And no one regrets that decision.

If you or someone you know is struggling to reach out for help, contact Lakeview Health online or call us at [Direct]. Addiction knows no bounds. But neither does sobriety.