Soul singer Witney Houston's career spiralled downwards when she became involved with drugs; many put this down to the meeting of her husband Bobby Brown. The list is sadly endless…Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss, Robert Downey Jnr, Tommy Lee have all hit the headlines. These of course are people in the public eye.

If celebrities can't refine from the temptations of drugs then what hope is there for our average Joe's? I wander just how many people are actually in the grip of this infectious disease and that if anybody took the time to count them all up, just how shocking would that end figure really be.

Films for which, portray the evils of this addiction are 'Train spotting' 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas' and 'Blow' and anybody thinking of walking down this abusive path of vulgarity really need to rethink the worth of their lives, e

We live very much in a society where addiction is no longer about the will to resist temptation, but how much we ask of it in the process of finding true satisfaction. My question therefore, asks if there is such a thing as being that bit - just ADDICTED?

There are two main points to addiction in my opinion, which are seemingly buried deep within our psyche as people. The first and most important is that anybody who finds themselves at the mercy of addiction, is more than likely suffering from low self-esteem. This is evident when addiction takes complete control over everything we do as we unconsciously grant it full permission to dominate our existence. Suffering at the hands of a different fate through external forces with little thought to the real consequences just to feel normal, is far removed from the original plan GOD had intended for us, I'm sure. Although there are much more subtle addictions available for which, some of us are not even aware controls our lives – these are sometimes more frightening than the more obvious forms of entrapment. The second is that unfortunately there will always be low life dirty rotten scoundrels, lurking in the background, eager to profit from someone else's misery.

These are the two basic facts about addiction and as hard as it appears to be, the truth always hurts.

So, exactly what types of addiction are there available for us to unwittingly sacrifice our souls for? I have composed a few examples alongside my opinion in the bid to understand the curse that our society has become victim to.

DRUGS addiction: My train of though stems from a memory of a Star Trek episode concerning a spieces called The Gem-Hadar. They were enslaved by their so called Gods with the desperation to consume a substance simply known as 'White', in order that they didn't die, sound familiar? Just how far is fiction removed from reality? The storyline ended more or less when six or so were stranded elsewhere, unable to survive without their beloved drug, they thought they were going to die. But they didn't. Going back to their homeland to set the rest of their race free, they were stunned when the others refused to believe their miracle in the making and the hierarchy had them killed off anyway.

Unfortunately drugs still prove to be one of the most dangerous of all addictions available to those who seek out its pleasures. We have all heard of the life of rock and rollers in bands and on tour and in particular well known people who have had to battle the evil of drugs. I found it interesting that Aerosmith frontman Steve Tyler and guitarist Joe Perry, back in the 1970's were given the nickname of the 'Toxic Twins' due to their rampant use of drugs (and alcohol) both on stage and off. The nick name referring to the 'toxic' combination which almost ended their careers and although they cleaned up their act they are sometimes still referred to as this twenty-five years later.

There's a whole list of British actors and actresses renowned for drug abuse and offences. Daniella Westbrook famously lost the septum of her nose and appeared on several television shows much the worse for wear, alongside celebrity nobody Tara Parma-Tomkinson – Who? Exactly. A children's presenter for the BBC Richard Bacon was famously sacked from Blue Peter in 1999 after the newspaper caught him in the act of drug abuse.

Soul singer Witney Houston's career spiralled downwards when she became involved with drugs; many put this down to the meeting of her husband Bobby Brown. The list is sadly endless…Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss, Robert Downey Jnr, Tommy Lee have all hit the headlines. These of course are people in the public eye.

If celebrities can't refine from the temptations of drugs then what hope is there for our average Joe's? I wander just how many people are actually in the grip of this infectious disease and that if anybody took the time to count them all up, just how shocking would that end figure really be.

Films for which, portray the evils of this addiction are 'Train spotting' 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas' and 'Blow' and anybody thinking of walking down this abusive path of vulgarity really need to rethink the worth of their lives, ev

nded for us, I'm sure. Although there are much more subtle addictions available for which, some of us are not even aware controls our lives – these are sometimes more frightening than the more obvious forms of entrapment. The second is that unfortunately there will always be low life dirty rotten scoundrels, lurking in the background, eager to profit from someone else's misery.

These are the two basic facts about addiction and as hard as it appears to be, the truth always hurts.

So, exactly what types of addiction are there available for us to unwittingly sacrifice our souls for? I have composed a few examples alongside my opinion in the bid to understand the curse that our society has become victim to.

DRUGS addiction: My train of though stems from a memory of a Star Trek episode concerning a spieces called The Gem-Hadar. They were enslaved by their so called Gods with the desperation to consume a substance simply known as 'White', in order that they didn't die, sound familiar? Just how far is fiction removed from reality? The storyline ended more or less when six or so were stranded elsewhere, unable to survive without their beloved drug, they thought they were going to die. But they didn't. Going back to their homeland to set the rest of their race free, they were stunned when the others refused to believe their miracle in the making and the hierarchy had them killed off anyway.

Unfortunately drugs still prove to be one of the most dangerous of all addictions available to those who seek out its pleasures. We have all heard of the life of rock and rollers in bands and on tour and in particular well known people who have had to battle the evil of drugs. I found it interesting that Aerosmith frontman Steve Tyler and guitarist Joe Perry, back in the 1970's were given the nickname of the 'Toxic Twins' due to their rampant use of drugs (and alcohol) both on stage and off. The nick name referring to the 'toxic' combination which almost ended their careers and although they cleaned up their act they are sometimes still referred to as this twenty-five years later.

There's a whole list of British actors and actresses renowned for drug abuse and offences. Daniella Westbrook famously lost the septum of her nose and appeared on several television shows much the worse for wear, alongside celebrity nobody Tara Parma-Tomkinson – Who? Exactly. A children's presenter for the BBC Richard Bacon was famously sacked from Blue Peter in 1999 after the newspaper caught him in the act of drug abuse.

Soul singer Witney Houston's career spiralled downwards when she became involved with drugs; many put this down to the meeting of her husband Bobby Brown. The list is sadly endless…Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss, Robert Downey Jnr, Tommy Lee have all hit the headlines. These of course are people in the public eye.

If celebrities can't refine from the temptations of drugs then what hope is there for our average Joe's? I wander just how many people are actually in the grip of this infectious disease and that if anybody took the time to count them all up, just how shocking would that end figure really be.

Films for which, portray the evils of this addiction are 'Train spotting' 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas' and 'Blow' and anybody thinking of walking down this abusive path of vulgarity really need to rethink the worth of their lives, e

They were enslaved by their so called Gods with the desperation to consume a substance simply known as 'White', in order that they didn't die, sound familiar? Just how far is fiction removed from reality? The storyline ended more or less when six or so were stranded elsewhere, unable to survive without their beloved drug, they thought they were going to die. But they didn't. Going back to their homeland to set the rest of their race free, they were stunned when the others refused to believe their miracle in the making and the hierarchy had them killed off anyway.

Unfortunately drugs still prove to be one of the most dangerous of all addictions available to those who seek out its pleasures. We have all heard of the life of rock and rollers in bands and on tour and in particular well known people who have had to battle the evil of drugs. I found it interesting that Aerosmith frontman Steve Tyler and guitarist Joe Perry, back in the 1970's were given the nickname of the 'Toxic Twins' due to their rampant use of drugs (and alcohol) both on stage and off. The nick name referring to the 'toxic' combination which almost ended their careers and although they cleaned up their act they are sometimes still referred to as this twenty-five years later.

There's a whole list of British actors and actresses renowned for drug abuse and offences. Daniella Westbrook famously lost the septum of her nose and appeared on several television shows much the worse for wear, alongside celebrity nobody Tara Parma-Tomkinson – Who? Exactly. A children's presenter for the BBC Richard Bacon was famously sacked from Blue Peter in 1999 after the newspaper caught him in the act of drug abuse.

Soul singer Witney Houston's career spiralled downwards when she became involved with drugs; many put this down to the meeting of her husband Bobby Brown. The list is sadly endless…Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss, Robert Downey Jnr, Tommy Lee have all hit the headlines. These of course are people in the public eye.

If celebrities can't refine from the temptations of drugs then what hope is there for our average Joe's? I wander just how many people are actually in the grip of this infectious disease and that if anybody took the time to count them all up, just how shocking would that end figure really be.

Films for which, portray the evils of this addiction are 'Train spotting' 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas' and 'Blow' and anybody thinking of walking down this abusive path of vulgarity really need to rethink the worth of their lives, e

. I found it interesting that Aerosmith frontman Steve Tyler and guitarist Joe Perry, back in the 1970's were given the nickname of the 'Toxic Twins' due to their rampant use of drugs (and alcohol) both on stage and off. The nick name referring to the 'toxic' combination which almost ended their careers and although they cleaned up their act they are sometimes still referred to as this twenty-five years later.

There's a whole list of British actors and actresses renowned for drug abuse and offences. Daniella Westbrook famously lost the septum of her nose and appeared on several television shows much the worse for wear, alongside celebrity nobody Tara Parma-Tomkinson – Who? Exactly. A children's presenter for the BBC Richard Bacon was famously sacked from Blue Peter in 1999 after the newspaper caught him in the act of drug abuse.

Soul singer Witney Houston's career spiralled downwards when she became involved with drugs; many put this down to the meeting of her husband Bobby Brown. The list is sadly endless…Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss, Robert Downey Jnr, Tommy Lee have all hit the headlines. These of course are people in the public eye.

If celebrities can't refine from the temptations of drugs then what hope is there for our average Joe's? I wander just how many people are actually in the grip of this infectious disease and that if anybody took the time to count them all up, just how shocking would that end figure really be.

Films for which, portray the evils of this addiction are 'Train spotting' 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas' and 'Blow' and anybody thinking of walking down this abusive path of vulgarity really need to rethink the worth of their lives, e

Soul singer Witney Houston's career spiralled downwards when she became involved with drugs; many put this down to the meeting of her husband Bobby Brown. The list is sadly endless…Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss, Robert Downey Jnr, Tommy Lee have all hit the headlines. These of course are people in the public eye.

If celebrities can't refine from the temptations of drugs then what hope is there for our average Joe's? I wander just how many people are actually in the grip of this infectious disease and that if anybody took the time to count them all up, just how shocking would that end figure really be.

Films for which, portray the evils of this addiction are 'Train spotting' 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas' and 'Blow' and anybody thinking of walking down this abusive path of vulgarity really need to rethink the worth of their lives, even if it seems impossibly bad at the time without drugs.

In the mean time drug rehab centres are profiting from people trying to come clean alongside the ones who got them in that position in the first place – the dealers. All those who still don't understand that we live in a dog eat dog world, need to seriously reconsider their place in it!

ALCOHOL addiction: This is much more subtle than drugs because alcohol isn't illegal but it should be. I can certainly understand how someone may get addicted to this substance because it's easy to get hold of when your underage and it's cool to get drunk when you are experimenting with your social life, during your early teens and twenties. Infact, if you didn't get absolutely hammered every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday night then there was clearly something wrong with you and if there was a bank holiday then bring it on! Oh my poor kidneys. This new fad which hit the 1980's with a passion lead to grave warnings of binge drinking and how dangerous this seemingly social commodity really was in the cold light of the day. The day-after- the-night-before hangover was simply a reminder, rather like that of a post-it-note to yourself, to never go that far EVER again. However, most of us out grow this irresponsibility by the time we reach our mid-thirties, when all we want to do is settle down and have a family and maybe down the odd glass of vino (not bottle) or can of ale after a hard day at the office. However, some continue and this is when the addiction really bites you up the jacksy.

Apparently whilst visiting a relative in hospital, a nurse was talking to me about the drunks that regularly visited her in her work place. She said you can't die from 'Cold Turkey' withdrawal from drugs, although you feel like you are dying at the time, but you can from alcoholism. She was actually writing out a prescription for a resident for 'White Lightening Cider' as we spoke. Crazy I know.

Alcohol abuse is probably the first thing we turn to when life seems difficult but what a lot of people don't realise is that this particular drug attaches itself to how you feel at the time of consuming large quantities of it. If you are happy and on a night out to get 'smashed out of your face' then it will accelerate this abundance in ways that are magical. However, if you drink to lose yourself in the depths of a bottle through despair it will pull you further down with potential hazardous consequences if your will is already low. And that's why alcohol is gravely misunderstood.

Celebrities who have battled with the booze are Mel Gibson who in 2006 was famously stopped for drink driving, whilst being literally tossed in the can his behaviour became unbearable and alas headlines were made when he made anti-Semitic remarks. Britney Spears went off the rails after the break-up of her marriage to Kevin Federine in 2006 and proceeded to find comfort in a bottle and this time it wasn't water. She dramatically cut off all her hair in 2007 and has apparently checked herself again into another rehab in the bid to straighten herself out. Angelina Jolie's father john Voight and Diana Ross have both admitted themselves to be long-term suffers of the disease and again the list is endless.

Just goes to show you can have all the fame and money in the world and still be searching for something else?

Th