Drug
abuse ruins lives: the addict's friends,
family and associates are often embroiled into the upsets caused
by the addiction. The addict can't always see or understand how
others suffer because of her actions or inactions. Or, when the
addict is painfully aware of the devastation his drug use results
in, he is too trapped in the cycle of addiction and forced into
continued drug use by painful withdrawal symptoms or the pressures
of life when drugs are not numbing his unwanted pains, sensations
or emotions. The person uses because drugs prevent unwanted
feelings, pains, emotions and sensations. The suffering of others
can be unfelt or even unperceived by the drug user. "Other people
just have to get used to my drug using lifestyle", believes the
user.
The
addict and his/her sympathizers may say the solution is coping with
the users out of control life or discarding certain drug laws or
morals to make addiction acceptable. The past 150 years of drug
tolerance, promotion and more drugs to address the problems of life
and drug-use have brought society to epidemics of drug addiction
and devastation.