I have so many questions, but the first one is... why? Why do we argue if addiction is a disease or a choice instead of putting that time and effort into helping them become clean? Why do we get angry that narcan is free to addicts because other necessary drugs are expensive to people with other conditions when we should be getting angry that health care, in general, is so expensive? Why are we blaming the addicts instead of going to the root of the problem? Why are we on standby when we should be taking action?

Understanding addiction is something nobody will ever completely do. Whether one has studied it or has lived it themselves, they only fully comprehend their own addiction or the ones of those around them. Unfortunately, addiction is something that affects millions of people. These people come from all walks of life, and thus their addictions are equally unique. Though understanding the problem is usually the first step to fixing it, this situation is entirely different.

Now, think long and hard. Do you personally know somebody that has faced addiction? Did they like it? Would they ever truly want to go back to those times? I bet I can guess all of your answers. That is because no matter how unique the individual situation is, every addict is judged the same.

Now I know I'm diving into some hot waters here, but bear with me. If somebody smokes their whole life and they get lung or throat cancer, is that cancer a disease or a choice? If somebody goes to get a tattoo and it's not completely sterile and they get Hepatitis, is that a disease or a choice? That's what I thought.

Now, I'm obviously not speaking for all situations, but many, many addicts don't wake up one morning and decide, "Hey, the sun is shining, and the birds are chirping, and I'm going to leave track marks in my arm," or "I bet my family would love if I stole something from them to get drug money." Addiction overcomes the addict, and that is what the world is failing to realize.

Not every addict is raised in a bad environment with drug addict parents who don't pay any attention to them. The stereotype of addicts being "dirty" or "scumbags" needs to end now. Right now. These people are somebody's mother, father, daughter, son, aunt, uncle, etc. If one of our friends' children is sick, we are so quick to post on their wall: "Tell little Jimmy to feel better! xoxo," but yet when a child is struggling with the illness of addiction, all of a sudden we forget about little Jimmy and avoid him like the plague.

It is time that we show the addicts around us support, and not the enabling kind. We need to stop treating them like they are some kind of off-breed that should be shunned, yet expect them to get better on their own. We are so quick to fight when innocent people in Syria are dying, but what about those in our own country?

Every morning I wake up and hear another person has died of an overdose. It is becoming more common for headlines to read, "Cops in ____ responded to 25 heroin overdoes in the last 48 hours." Again, why are you just scrolling past this without a care in the world? Before you know it, it could strike your own home, and maybe then you'll be ready to fight this long overdue war.

Sadly, by then it will be too late. Do I need to say it again? PEOPLE ARE DYING. Whether you personally believe that addicts have a disease or are facing consequences of their actions, why are you okay with just letting them die? To this day, some states still don't allow death sentences for things like pedophilia, which is an awful crime, but yet being a drug addict is supposedly worse than that... and subsequently, people are okay with the death of these so-called criminals.

Have you ever looked at a really skinny person who eats super healthy even when there are donuts in the room and thought, "Man, I wish I had that will power?" Well, that is likely the same thing an addict thinks when he looks at somebody coping with a problem in a healthy way. Your judgement only makes it worse.

No matter what you believe, or how you feel, the judgement of an addict is never okay. It happens more than you think, to more people than you think. Addicts don't have to look, act, or dress a certain way. We all struggle with demons, so why are they criticized so severely for them?

Look out for your friends, your children, and those in the community around you. Know the warning signs of addiction, and reach out when you see them. Like any other disease, catching it early on ensures a quicker, easier recovery.

If you personally are struggling, reach out to those closest to you. You should never feel embarrassed and should only surround yourself with the best, most supportive people. A strong support system is the key to everything.

If you feel that you or somebody you know needs professional help, please contact the Free Addiction Hotline at 1-855-315-4766 or go to their website, http://freeaddictionhotline.com/, and chat or email someone for free.