Tomorrow, readers in the United States will be celebrating Independence Day (the Fourth of July), a day commemorating the independence of the United States from Great Britain in 1776.

Many people ignite fireworks to celebrate Independence Day. Seeing the lights and hearing the sounds in the sky are good indicators that the holiday is occurring or going to occur. But other times, we don’t receive such clear indications. Major events in our lives could be on the horizon or going to happen, but sometimes, they’re just hard to spot.

Take drug and alcohol abuse. People might think that drug addicts are out-of-it, toothless, homeless, but the truth is, many drug abusers appear to look, act, and live just like everyone else. Why?

• The drugs themselves. While, yes, people are addicted to heroin, cocaine, and other illegal drugs, they are also addicted to drugs that doctors have prescribed them. They also abuse alcohol, which adults over twenty-one can purchase legally at many places.
• The stakes. People who abuse drugs and alcohol are often afraid that if other people discover their problems, they will punish them. They’re afraid of losing their jobs, custody of their children, and other things, so they take great pains to conceal their abuse.
• The stigmas surrounding substance use disorder. Some people still think that other people abuse drugs and alcohol because they have moral failings or other weaknesses. Addicts are reluctant to disclose their problems because they don’t want to face such criticism or judgment. They might hide their addictions or delay seeking much-needed help to avoid such condemnation.

So, while drug and alcohol abuse might not be readily apparent, that doesn’t make it any less dangerous. In fact, hiding things can be worse, because it tries to minimize them and avoids the help of people and entities that can help solve such problems.