Every family has experienced the heartbreak of losing a loved one and laying them to rest, but it’s a whole new world of hurt watching them wither away while they are still alive. This is the sad reality for anyone who has lost someone they cared for due to substance abuse.Growing up, children are always told of the dangers of drugs such as, how they can kill you or get you hooked after just trying it once. However, no one tells you about the lifelong effects substances can have on family members and loved ones.

The first thing that goes is the mind when someone abuses substances. The charisma, humor and memories that make up the person that you once adored start to slip away from them. In most cases, it gets replaced with lies or deceit to hide their addiction. The traits that once made up that person for are slowly being tarnished from the repeated abuse to their mind and body.

As this poison starts taking over, those abusing the drug began to isolate themselves. Whether it be from shame or protection, many don’t seek help with this disease and depending on the drugs more, putting it before relationships, jobs, self care, etc. And that’s just the beginning.

Once their mind is gone, next in line is their morals. The beliefs and wills that make up that person are now non-existent and in their place are drugs. Regardless of what their poison is, it now has control of their mind and spirit. They will spend their days chasing that rush, earning money for their habit and hiding it from other. They are either helped into rehab or isolate and indulge themselves completely.

There are millions of people all over the world that struggle with this disease, many of  receive no help to battle it. Those who get trapped in this circle of self abuse typically have an event that sent them down this path. To anyone struggling with addiction, or watching a family member head down this path, make sure they know they are not alone and that there are facilities to help them get healthy.