Chris first experimented with prescription opioids as a teen, when he discovered a bottle of pills in his mom’s medicine cabinet. He continued to experiment and use throughout his teens. So years later, when Chris got hurt on the job while working as a plumber’s apprentice, his doctor wrote him a prescription for opioids—the drug he had experimented with as a teen.

When Amy was 14, a knee injury on the soccer field put her in the hospital and resulted in a prescription for Vicodin. Over the next five years, she endured several surgeries on that knee and received a flood of opioid prescriptions.

Your addiction can be mild, moderate or severe. No matter your diagnosis, getting treatment is important for recovery.

Watching a friend struggle with a drug addiction can be overwhelming and heartbreaking. You want to help, but you’re not sure how to. Different scenarios of how to approach your friend’s drug addiction may run through your mind: what if you say the wrong thing? Is it the right time to say something? What if it ruins your friendship?

Anger addiction is real. If any of this sounds like something you’re experiencing or a loved one is experiencing you’re not alone. Counseling is available for anger addiction and has helped many people suffering get their life back into a healthy place.

Children who live in a home with conflict and substance abuse problems are often frightened and insecure. It’s easy to forget how adult behavior affects a child.