Addiction is a chronic, relapsing brain disease. Addiction is a disease. That means that an addicted person isn’t just someone who makes bad choices, an addicted person is someone who is ill and needs treatment. Further, substance abuse is usually driven by an underlying psychiatric disorder. I’m no psychiatrist, but I have seen how this illness can destroy people, relationships, families.

My dad is a recovered addict. He went to jail for possession when I was a little girl. Although he isn’t perfect, he’s been clean since then. Yes, sobriety is possible.

Unfortunately, drug addiction is considered to be heritable about 50% of the time. It can be passed down in families. My brother is addicted to drugs. He has been for so long that I barely remember him without drugs. It turns him into a person I’m afraid of. A person I don’t want to know. He’s stolen from my family, threatened us, hurt us. And when you’re from a little place like Kaua’i, his addiction is no secret. Some people misunderstand and think that I hate my brother. I don’t. In fact, I love him so much it hurts to see him like this. It makes me so angry.

Why am I even sharing this? I just feel like I need to get this out. I bottle all of these feelings inside and I fear I’ll explode.

I see so many people who don’t understand substance abuse make assumptions about it. Don’t just judge and assume. Do your research. Addiction is a very real disease. And please, be kind.

He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds.
Psalms 147:3 NLT