Alcohol Control Drug and alcohol addictions can put a strain on your personal relationships and make it difficult to focus on what's truly important in life. Young people are the most common drug abusers we see today. According to information collected by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), approximately 22.5 million Americans over the age of 12 have used illicit drugs in the past month. Addiction is complicated and can affect the functioning of the brain in various ways. Alcoholism and drug addiction can affect all aspects of a person's life. Many people use alcohol or another substance to relieve pain, stress, or anxiety, some use it recreationally, and others use it medicinally. Many can use a substance without having any negative effects or becoming dependent on it, but in some the substance would affect their daily life. For example, teenagers can't behave well in school or stay focused, parents will start losing their jobs, abandoning their children, ruining their relationships and their lives. These substances seem fun and enjoyable, but they will make you feel helpless, isolated, heartbroken, and even ashamed. No matter how often or how little you consume, drugs and alcohol can still cause problems in your life, at work, at school, at home or in your relationships. Alcohol is the most commonly used addictive substance in the United States by 17.6 million people, or one in 12 adults suffers from alcohol abuse or dependence. According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), approximately 20 million Americans ages 12 and older have used an illegal drug in the past 30 days. Alcoholism and drug addiction can affect all aspects of a person's life. Some people are able to use recreational or prescription medications with... means of paper... drugs and alcohol. For these reasons, it is normal for them to continue using them, until they become addicted. Alcohol is considered a negative coping strategy (“Why People,” 2010). Many people turn to alcohol to deal with the stresses of life. Alcohol can only provide temporary relief. For the short time that the user consumes alcohol, he can forget about the problems, responsibilities of everyday life and escape into another world. Drugs and alcohol can change the way you feel and that is why people abuse them especially when they are stressed, unhappy, depressed, etc. Alcohol doesn't help you deal with anxiety, but it can make it worse. In most cases, people going through a divorce consume a lot of alcohol and may become alcoholics. If you drink to relieve emotional pain or if you can't stop drinking, then you are an alcoholic.