It is a disease that tells you that you don’t have a disease.

An addict is someone who has a “compulsive physiological and psychological need for a habit forming substance”, (http://www.yourdictionary.com/alcoholism, November 7, 2010). And, although you would think that if someone has had a bad experience or several bad experiences surrounding their addiction, that person would recognize the connection of destructive behavior that occurs when drinking or drugging and avoid it. However, this thought does not occur to the addict as addiction is a habitual compulsion to use without any consideration of its harmful effects on the addicts mental, physical, spiritual, financial health, social well being or for anyone involved in the addicts life.

I only ever wanted my daddy to keep me free from harm and to protect me from the monsters under my bed. But that was never to be, you see, my daddy was the monster. Can it truly be that there are families without monsters? I know the truth: Yes, there is. I just didn’t happen to be lucky enough to be born into one. Defining the house in which the child is used and treated like the wife creates quite a stir in the mind of the child who lives in such a house and they carry that with them all their lives. They learn how to disassociate. Sometimes medication helps. In whichever form it can be found.

My definition of family includes beasts. At least you know that a beast may bite.

A child rarely believes that of a parent, until it happens.

...some young girl

Drugs, alcohol, gambling, sex, pornography, smoking, love, it doesn’t matter what the addiction is, if you’re an addict, you will be faced with a life long battle just trying to keep your head above the addiction. Ask anyone who has either suffered from this disease or has had someone close to him or her suffer, and they will tell you: Addiction is a disease that is real, in your face and deadly. It is “cunning, baffling and powerful”, (AA Book, pg 53, pp 3.). It can be as innocent as an addiction to purple pigs or as dangerous as injecting a needle laced with toxins into your body. In this blog I will be discussing the disease of addiction. I will share with you stories that explain how some lives are destined to land in this dank, dark hole. Finally, how the only the only way out is hope and recovery.

The old man opened the door with a smile. He let the 13-year-old young boy into the room. The man offered the boy a smoke. The boy followed the old man into the bedroom where he kept his stash. The door closed swiftly once the boy was were he wanted him. The old man's demeanour changed. He lunged at the boy. He slammed him up against the wall. The boy was stunned as the old man pressed his old lips against the young boy's neck. The old man grabbed the young boy's genitals as he shoved the boy into bed. There was a knock on the door. Another boy arrived. The old man distracted, the boy worked himself free.

She was only 5 when the abuse started. She didn't know it was abuse, she only thought she was really, really loved. And so began her story.