Sometimes it’s so easy to take things in life for granted. We’re given this one hand of cards in this game of life and it can be so easy to use one of those cards unwisely. The revelations of it really jump out when one sits back and thinks about how mortal of a being they are. Now this isn’t to instill fear or anything of that nature. Yes, we can all die at any second for any given reason. Whether it’s because of war, natural causes, or drug side effects– the reaper is never too far away for us still living individuals. So the idea would be to cherish every moment were given and live in the present, ideally speaking of course. Then why is it that addicts and alcoholics pick the deadliest drugs they can find and then proceed to play Russian roulette with it all?
Watch Your Back with the “Friendly” Drugs
Life at some point or another goes into some form of autopilot mode if one is not too self-conscious or aware of themselves. Eating, sleeping, and even taking drugs just becomes this monotonous affair that is second nature after some period of time. What a lot of people aren’t aware of or they are and just don’t care, is that the deadliest drugs in America are actually all right in front of your face and packaged with a smile. That’s right, the chemicals that are killing everybody in this country the most are sold legally right in front of our very own eyes. Even stranger is that nobody thinks about it twice or bats an eye at people self-harming themselves like we do. The media and government portray things with the right inflection and dialogue and make the evil in our world seem good as well as vice versa.
One of the deadly chemicals we so happily ingest, even in sobriety, happens to be cigarettes. Wait, cigarettes are a drug? Yes and no. Technically they’re not a narcotic, but they have nicotine and chemicals that are all mood altering when combined together. Cigarettes are one of the most addictive things in not just America but the whole world. They can and will indefinitely cause heart and lung damage but yet everybody continues to inhale the toxic fumes. The Center for Disease Control states that 1 in every 5 deaths in America is cigarette related, i.e.: heart disease, lung cancer, or even aneurysms. It’s brutal and recommended to switch to other nicotine alternatives if quitting isn’t an option as of current.
Then we travel on down to number 2 on our list which surprisingly to some is also a drug. Yes, were talking about alcohol. Alcohol seems like such a normal everyday thing, just like our friendly cigarettes. You can purchase alcohol in gas stations, restaurants, sports events, bars, liquor stores- I mean the list just goes on and on. To only need to be the age of 21 seems like an eternity when you’re under 21. The reality of it is that alcohol is so mind-altering and easy to obtain. As I’m sure most know who are reading this, alcohol can cause a person to lose control of their mind and body. Alcohol is not only deadly if you are to consume too much of it at a time, but it is also one of the most dangerous drugs to use. It’s so dangerous due to the way the beverage inhibits your motor skills and functions. Thinking becomes clouded and there are also so many by-laws around drinking yourself near to death. Now let’s throw DUI’s in the mix too. There’s not only danger possibly being caused upon ourselves but now other passing by pedestrians and cars are endangered. Alcohol can easily destroy your insides, particularly concerning your liver, kidneys, and brain. Eventually, organs begin shutting down and the body starts going into survival mode. Alcohol is one of the most addictive drugs out there as well because of its easy accessibility as well as being mixed with other intoxicants much of the time.
Then lastly we dart across to a crowd favorite, opiates. All sorts of pharmaceutical pills are abused in the United States, but today we’re talking specifically of opioid painkillers. These are distributed by medically licensed physicians and dentists across the country and done so in a legal manner. Painkillers, as one could guess, are brought to life by a written prescription at the doctor’s office. Fortunately for some, primarily addicts and alcoholics, painkillers are much harder to obtain than alcohol or cigarettes. As with the latter of the two, you only have to be a certain age to purchase and consume. With painkillers, they can only be obtained by a doctor’s order. Or they can be obtained illegally on the streets too, but regardless, they are one of the deadliest drugs out there. For years opioid painkillers were passed out by “dirty” doctors for reasons that we’re unnecessary, medically speaking. The result allowed the streets for years to flood with the nasty little pharmaceuticals until the DEA started cracking down on medical practices and such. Now they are still everywhere, but in a little more scarcity. Even with that lack of abundance, painkillers tend to kill more Americans every year than any other illegal drug.
There are tons of narcotics and different ways for people to numb themselves. If we were to have taken the illegal drugs route, we’d be discussing a few things here and there about heroin, cocaine, and crystal methamphetamines. In all actuality, not to sound like an old cliché Nancy Reagan ad, but just saying no is the best solution in some cases. All drugs kill in one way or another. That’s also being said in a generic way without taking addiction and alcoholism into consideration of the equation.
Love Life to Death
The idea is to love your life until death and not love drugs until death. What a lot of us don’t realize is how close death really is when were start playing around with all these deadly substances. It may seem harmless, but some of these things ruin and end people’s lives. If you or a loved one misses your life and are ready to take it back, please call 1-844-489-0836 or visit www.firststepsrecovery.com. We are ready to give you any suggestions possible and set you or your loved one on a path that we can all be proud of.
