Addiction is alive and real, and to many hits close to home. We all know at least one person who is struggling with it. A friend, family member, somebody you went to school with or even just someone in your neighborhood. Addiction is stereotyped as only affecting the weak minded, the less fortunate people, the broken homes and mentally ill, dirty, homeless low lives, the miserable and rejected. Well if you think that, you would be wrong. It can affect our family, our best friend, our idols, our favorite athletes, our teachers. The ones we love the most.

We’re all human and we all make mistakes and have made poor choices. We have bent the truth to a friend or picked up a bottle or smoked a joint when we know we shouldn’t have. We feel guilt and we have to deal with the consequences of our actions, which isn’t so bad because they are temporary. Addicts don't get that choice, they don't get the choice to pick and choose. Addiction is a monster that rears its head into anyone in its path. Taking over the lives of those we love most.

Addiction doesn’t just hurt the addicts, it hurts their families as well. The simple action of a ugly facebook post, a mean comment can really mess with someone's head, when push comes to shove an addict's family is the one who faces most of the scrutiny. They are the ones who have to see those mean statuses and comments. They are the ones who have to hear people talking trash about their loved ones… They are the ones who have to watch their loved one go through court and seeing them in an orange jumpsuit, with hand and ankle cuffs in the courtroom and then go home and have to see the painful scene again on the news.

You would think that after going through all of that emotional pain that, maybe they would stop loving them or stop trying. That is not the case. Yes, they will continue to live their lives but you can bet that when their loved one is freed that, their family will be the first ones waiting for them to get out. To celebrate, to love, to hold and to cherish them. To support them to to tell them that its all going to be ok and that one day this will all be in the past.