Addiction

Every six months to a year I have a talk with my son about using drugs, smoking or drinking.  We started talking to him at a young age about these things because in our little town kids seem to start with these things early.  So I’ve had one of these talks with my son within the last six months, but about a month ago I realized I needed to have a different kind of talk with him.  One about addiction.

See I grew up with an alcoholic as a father & as with most alcoholic’s he’s gotten worse over the years.  When I was at home the addiction hadn’t taken over his life like it has now.  He had two older brothers & both of them where alcoholic’s also.  Before one of them passed away he was a recovering alcoholic, yet still an alcoholic.  Their father was also an alcoholic, he passed away when my father was a teenager.  So I don’t know anything about my Great grandfather on this side of my family.  I suppose he probably had some type of addiction also. 

Addiction to me is something that is inherited & you have to do everything you can to keep from becoming an addict also. I’m sure there are those that say no way addiction is not something you inherit, but I can tell you one thing.  There are so many things that a person does inherit, that the scientific community says in not possible.  I believe addiction is one of those things that every person in their blood line is going to have a real problem with.

Addiction is something my husband grew up with also.  His was some the same as mine & some different.  See his mother is addicted to pain pills/prescription pills, of course like my father this has just gotten worse as the years have gone by.  The part that is the same as my exposure to addiction is that he has a couple of brothers & a sister that are also alcoholic’s.  Some of his sibling’s are addicts in other ways.  Of course my husband has his own addiction, not as bad as most cause it’s caffeine.   So that’s much better than cigarettes, alcohol or drugs.

Now that you see some of the back story about addiction in the family, you can see why I needed to have a different kind of conversation with my son about cigarettes, alcohol & drugs.  So the conversation went something like this:  I know we’ve talked about cigarettes, alcohol & drugs.  But I think we need to have a talk about the family history & what you will be in for if you try any of these things just one time.  See with your family history of addiction on my side of the family & your dad’s side of the family you have it worse than most people.  So if you ever try anything just one time you are going to be more likely to be addicted than what most people will be. 

We talked about what his grandpa is like & if he wants to be like that when he grows up.  We also talked about what his granny is like & would he want to be like that either.  Plus we talked about the rest of the addition in the family, he said he didn’t want to be addicted to anything like how any of the family is. I’m like okay then, but you’re going to have to work at it.  If you try it one time, that is all it takes to get ahold of you & not let you go, to become an addicition.  That it will take a miracle to be able to get out from under whatever addiction wither it be alcohol, cigarettes or drugs.  So the best thing is to never ever try in the first place.  My son seems to have got it & completely understood.

I hope that he will follow his dad & his only addiction will be caffeine or video games.  Right now my son’s addiction is video games, he likes a soda pop ever now & then but he’s just fine without also.  So if video games is his only addiction in his life time I can deal with that.

I just hope that when he has kids he will remember to have this same kind of talk with them.  Maybe in a few generations of no addictions it won’t be has hard on my great great great grandkids.  I don’t really know how long it would take of non addict’s in the family to get rid of the additive personality.

So if you’re reading this & you’ve had the drugs, alcohol & cigarettes are bad for you talk.  Don’t forget to talk about addiction & how hard it is to give something up once you’re addicted to it.