English 101 (BC3)
Essay #1 Word Count: 842
Lost to Addiction: Strengths Through Struggle
On November 9, 2010, my best friend was pronounced dead due to asphyxiation caused by a drug overdose. Desmond Miller Harris was one of the thousands of people in the United States who died in the year 2010 from a drug overdose. Depending on the person and the situation, losing a loved one to drugs can impact people in several different ways and on multiple different levels. Some people move on quickly and are not affected in any way while others are stuck in a deep depression. This depression can cause some people to spiral out of control and lose who they once were. Others assess the situation and improve themselves as individuals. Watching my friend deteriorate while feeling hopeless to help him is something I will not likely ever forget. This traumatic happening is beneficial to me due to its effects on my life, which made me realize the impact that drugs have on us, who my true friends are, and what I want to do with my future. In my eyes, Desmond was someone whom I could always reach out to for support. When I moved to Hatfield in the year 2005, he was one of the first people I met. My friend and I had a bond that was unbreakable. We called each other brothers and stuck with one another till his last breath. Desmond died in 2010 from an Oxycontin and heroin overdose. It was a shocking experience to have gone through because I never thought that someone so close to me would die from drugs. I began to recognize that no one is infinite and this type of life-changing event could happen to anyone. Desmond's death made me realize the impact that drugs have on individuals and their families. People tend to lose their original personalities when they turn to drugs because they have this overwhelming feeling of guilt or remorse for their actions. In the past few years, I have watched many people fall