I've seen the saying, "we're all addicted to something that takes the pain away," circulating throughout the internet practically since I've been on it.

I wanted to take some time to break it down.

Before I type all of this out, let me first and foremost say: I am not excusing or normalizing drug addiction. I am merely going to point out that we are all addicted to something.

Drugs, alcohol, food, love, gambling, shopping, that song you have on repeat, the show you're binge-watching, that one movie you watch over and over again, money, church on a Sunday morning.

We are addicted to things that make sense to us—that shape our reality.

Our life begins to revolve around these certain things, and we do not see these things as addictions because (a) most people are victim to these addictions and (b) these addictions are not seemingly harmful to anyone.

I think people also often forget that the opioid crisis is still alive and well here in the United States — and it's not just the 'scary,' 'grimy' people on the streets using them, either.

People often start off on these prescriptions, sometimes prescriptions administered to the mentally ill, I might add, and then turn to harder drugs on the streets when they can no longer legally get what they want. They become desperate for anything, victims of their addiction—usually turning to heroin or meth because it's the cheapest thing they can find.

We all know by now that most drugs are laced, not pure. One of the most notorious of these is fentanyl, and the most minuscule amount can be fatal.

Born addicted, growing up around addiction, poverty that makes slinging and/or doing drugs look more and more appealing each and every day (I am not saying this is true in every case).

On the other hand, people do not tell you how love or money are bad addictions because it is their sense of reality, it is seemingly normal.

We often forget we are born into a society, therefore, influenced by a society—a world—that views money and love as positive power—in the same way, some victims of addiction are already normalized with drug culture growing up.

People often forget that drug and alcohol addicts are often fighting to find their way back to the "real world."

Drugs are their reality.

People do not address them walking down the street; they become their own community.

Love and money can be just as blinding, people just do not want to admit it.

Our society revolves around love and money, but it is not viewed as abnormal or deviant so it is not seen as a problem.

Money has a hypnotic power over mankind. People kill for money—if I had a dollar for all the murders over life-insurance policies that have even been committed, man, I'd be rich (the irony).

Love has a magical, hypnotic element as well, blinding us in ways we could have never imagined, making us forget there are problems bigger than minor relationship ups and downs (I'm not referring to abusive, unhealthy relationships… and yes, all relationships are hard, but also, blinding).

A hard thought to stomach is that with enough money and love, we could really change the world, but mankind does not use either power to do so.

If we remain hateful, indifferent, and greedy with these two powers—the world will never see change.

That sad reality is mine. I cannot let myself live my life every day without thinking of all the bad transpiring in the world, every second of every day, and I refuse to become complacent.

We all have addictions. Why don't we all come clean and look at each other as what we are—human beings.