By Carlos Solis |Staff Writer|

Addiction can range from the constant abuse of a substance to any activity that may harm your health or your mind.

I believe society doesn’t treat or care for any kind of addiction in a proper manner, and it is slowly killing our humanity.

“Addiction is a condition that results when a person ingests a substance or engages in an activity that can be pleasurable but the continued use/act of which becomes compulsive and interferes with ordinary life responsibilities, such as work, relationships, or health,” according to psychologytoday.com.

In the United states, fourty-four people die from overdose of prescription pain killers every day, according to the Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

You never know who might be dealing with a drug problem. One of your fellow classmates could be one of the 44 people that dies every day.

I think that as humans, we search for activities or substances to escape from the realities of our responsibilities and relationships, and we fall in so deep it affects our quality of life.

Recently, medical professionals and law enforcement members met together at the New Hampshire Medical Society (NHMS) annual conference to find solutions regarding the growing problem of addictions and substance abuse related deaths across the state.

“There is no one face of addiction. This was very relevant this year with the numbers staggering across the country and in our state as a standout,” said Dr. Lucas Kolm, president of the New Hampshire Medical Society.

Doctors concluded that the state needs to optimize funding and train staffs to deal with the addiction crisis.

Society has placed a taboo on the word addiction. We only focus on substance addictions and define those kind of people as junkies, losers or weak — I think we like to avoid being labelled as addicts.

I don’t believe we should treat the word itself lightly, or the people dealing with addiction because it can lead to disease, mental disorders, and even death.

“Addictions are a complicated topic, because when you are addicted to someone or something, you don’t notice, and try to justify why you are addicted and don’t realize what you are doing is wrong,” said medical student Arturo Padilla of Universidad Autónoma de Baja California.

I believe we all have a certain kind of addiction, even if we are not aware of it.

We live in a time where people never let go of their cellphones. Our technology today keeps you close to those who are far, yet keeps you detached from those who are close.

Others may spend every day in front of a computer screen watching pornography, destroying their minds.

We fill our bodies with caffeine from coffee and energy drinks, to keep ourselves up on a daily basis. However, Red Bull doesn’t always give you wings.

Some people are even addicted to getting their hearts broken, changing their relationships status more often than they change their underwear.

Everyone finds their own way to escape from reality.

People are drowning in alcohol, getting lung cancer from smoking, and overdosing on drugs all just to cope. We are suffering, but at what cost?

We all struggle with various difficulties. We find activities or substances to escape what we are going through, but I just don’t believe that harming ourselves is why we are here in this world.

Trying to quit your addiction is easier said than done. You can be determined to stay away from addictions, but our bodies can be weak—it’s a hard fight to win with yourself.

Seeking help and staying busy with useful activities are critical first steps, but most importantly, always remember that you can win the fight.

If you are fighting a severe addiction, please do not hesitate to call Counseling and Psychological Services at (909) 537-5040 to talk to a counselor—you are not alone in this.