Drug addiction impacts tens of thousands of people every year. The malady can have numerous significant, potentially life-impacting consequences that not only affect the addict but their circle of friends and family, as well as society in general. In fact, drug addiction can also influence:

Health Care Costs

Addiction to any type of substance may precipitate deleterious health manifestations that lead to increased health care expenditures. Drug dependency can exert an adverse impact over major organs such as the lungs, liver, heart, kidneys, brain and central nervous system. Chronic ailments of these organs and systems can have significant costs.

Crime Rates

Research conducted has shown that almost half of all serious, if not violent criminal offenses were committed by addicts. Those dependent upon various substances often have clouded judgment and need more of the substance to satisfy the body’s craving for it. When those two facts are combined, the direct outcome can be a major increase in crimes like murder, assault and armed robbery.

Accidents

Individuals under the influence stand at an increased risk of causing various accidents. Though such unfortunate events can occur almost anywhere, these mishaps often take place on streets and highways by addicted motorists. Information compiled by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), suggests that anywhere from 10 to 22 percent of all automobile accidents are attributable to the negligence displayed by a motorist operating their vehicle under the influence.

Extended Personal Impact

The families, friends and co-workers of drug dependents often suffer undocumented burdens. The emotional, mental, economic and social toll of caring for an addict can have unintended consequences like divorce or separation. Furthermore, caregivers could miss significant work time that ultimately leads to their dismissal. Such action may result in significant financial hardships.

Child Neglect

Unfortunately, child neglect can be one of the more dire outcomes of drug dependency. Research compiled by NIDA declares that anywhere from 50 to 80 percent of all cases of neglect or abuse can be attributed to drug dependency of some form. In some cases, the children of substance abusers fall into the vicious cycle of substance abuse or end up placed into the foster care system. 

Many of us know the troubles alcohol can bring to our home lives, work lives, and relationships. Laying off the liquor, though, might seem like a daunting step. The first thing you should recognize is that taking action to curb your alcohol consumption doesn’t mean that you have to identify as an alcoholic. That means that you don’t necessarily need to jump straight into Alcoholics Anonymous or rehab.

All that probably comes as a relief, but what should you do? The process usually begins with community. Whether you find that community in an in-person group like AA, in an online program, in a group of like-minded friends, or even in a single person like a significant other or sibling who can hold you accountable, a community centered around healthy, sober living will give you a strong basis for your journey towards sobriety.

Recognize that it is a journey, not a single step to success, regardless of whether or not you waver along the way. Even those who pull the plug on alcohol and never let another sip pass through their lips are constantly working to reaffirm their commitment to sober living. They are on a journey, just like you. Keep the moment that you chose to start your journey close to your heart, and remember that you are working towards sobriety for important reasons. When you’re tempted to stray, note the form of the temptation. If you do stray, don’t beat yourself up about it. Recognize it as a step on the journey, recommit, and move forward.

While you’re on the road, take the time to reaffirm your beliefs and values, and consider practices that will leave you on steady ground to move forward. Some popular practices include meditation, yoga, reading about others’ journeys, and keeping a journal. All of these practices offer you a chance to touch base with yourself, helping you to constantly reaffirm and re-envision what you believe is best for you. It’s also important to pay attention to self-care and self-love, which will help to further strengthen the ground beneath your feet.

Through all of these practices, you will gain greater self-awareness and inner strength that will allow you to succeed on your path to sobriety.

This is an example post, originally published as part of Blogging University. Enroll in one of our ten programs, and start your blog right.

You’re going to publish a post today. Don’t worry about how your blog looks. Don’t worry if you haven’t given it a name yet, or you’re feeling overwhelmed. Just click the “New Post” button, and tell us why you’re here.

Why do this?

• Because it gives new readers context. What are you about? Why should they read your blog?
• Because it will help you focus you own ideas about your blog and what you’d like to do with it.

The post can be short or long, a personal intro to your life or a bloggy mission statement, a manifesto for the future or a simple outline of your the types of things you hope to publish.

To help you get started, here are a few questions:

• Why are you blogging publicly, rather than keeping a personal journal?
• What topics do you think you’ll write about?
• Who would you love to connect with via your blog?
• If you blog successfully throughout the next year, what would you hope to have accomplished?

You’re not locked into any of this; one of the wonderful things about blogs is how they constantly evolve as we learn, grow, and interact with one another — but it’s good to know where and why you started, and articulating your goals may just give you a few other post ideas.

Can’t think how to get started? Just write the first thing that pops into your head. Anne Lamott, author of a book on writing we love, says that you need to give yourself permission to write a “crappy first draft”. Anne makes a great point — just start writing, and worry about editing it later.

When you’re ready to publish, give your post three to five tags that describe your blog’s focus — writing, photography, fiction, parenting, food, cars, movies, sports, whatever. These tags will help others who care about your topics find you in the Reader. Make sure one of the tags is “zerotohero,” so other new bloggers can find you, too.