Addiction is something that ruins the lives of many and is the leading cause of many of the problems that people have with drugs and other substances in today's day and age. Addiction doesn't necessarily have to be with drugs, either. It can be towards different things. Some people can be addicted to gambling or video games, and others can be addicted to hedonistic pleasures. Every form of addiction is bad and harmful; however, in this blog, we're going to be looking at books about drugs and addiction. So, let's take a look at what makes drugs so addictive.
Drug addiction is caused by the fact that many substances can allow someone to feel something so strongly that they are unable to function properly or do anything at all. These drugs tend to make someone feel a certain way. This effect, or high, prevents people from being able to do much of anything at all aside from craving the drug and constantly going back to it. Drugs are addictive. They provide a high that people cannot get naturally. The high is what keeps people coming back to them, and the more people ingest these substances, the more they become dependent on them, and eventually, this makes it far more difficult for them to stop using them. Another aspect of drugs is societal conditioning. Oftentimes, drug addiction is caused by people being dissatisfied with their lives and not finding any joy or meaning from it, causing them to engage in the practice of taking drugs to feel better about themselves. However, it's a slippery slope that leads to a never-ending habit that can lead to a fatal end.
Let's have a look at some of the best books written about drugs and addiction. These books explore the topic in great detail and depth.
1. Vanilla Ice Cream‚ Strawberry Smoothies‚ and Lots of Drugs By Richard Caits
This is a memoir that critically takes a look at the US healthcare system, all the while trying to show some hopefulness while the author tries to take care of his ill mother, who's been hospitalized. A well-written and impactful memoir.
2. Beautiful Boy: A Father's Journey Through His Son's Addiction By David Sheff
This is a heartbreaking and intense memoir about a father who tries to save his son from his crystal meth addiction. The book shows how it can destroy the lives of even the most intelligent and gifted people, as well as ruin many relationships.
3. Junkie By William S.Burroughs
This is an autobiography written by famed author William Burroughs about his own heroin addiction and how it affected him and changed his life completely. It is one of the best books about drugs and addiction written.
4. Trainspotting By Irvene Welsh
A book about drug addicts and their lives, showing how the addiction completely ruins them and their friendships over time. A powerful book about drugs and addiction.
5. Go Ask Alice By Beatrice Sparks
This is a book about a girl who gets deep into drug addiction from an early age, and progressively, the addiction spirals as the people she spends time with also use drugs, putting social pressure on her to take more and more of them.
6. The Basketball Diaries By Jim Caroll
This is a memoir about a musician who became addicted to heroin at the age of 13 and how it affected his entire life.
7. Crank By Ellen Hopkins
A novel about how drug addiction ruins lives and causes people to make horrible decisions for themselves that harm them and the people around them. The protagonist of the story is a girl who gets introduced to crystal meth with a boy, and this later spirals into a massive drug addiction.
8. Chasing the Scream By Johan Hari
This is a book that looks into the war on drugs, which was the complete criminalization of using and selling drugs. The book critically looks at the problems of the war on drugs and its effects.
9. Teenage Degenerate S.C Sterling
This is a memoir about the author and his experiences getting deep into drug use at an early age and losing many of his friends until he eventually finds a way out of it and decides to become clean.
10. Scar Tissue By Anthony Kiedis
This is the autobiography of the frontman of the band Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Anthony Kiedis and his addiction to drugs, fame, as well as many of his life experiences.
Hopefully, you enjoyed reading this blog. Drug addiction is a serious problem in today's world. Much of it is caused by a whole host of societal issues and mental health issues, but hopefully, by gaining more awareness of the topic, people can learn to prevent themselves from going to the path of using drugs to numb their pain. The list of books we've presented in this blog are the best books about drugs and addiction.