The financial and emotional cost of addiction on families

Our Take: From your pocketbook to your relationships, addictions can negatively impact your family life. Jessica Bosari at Forbes breaks down the costs:

There's a reason why addictions are often associated with poverty. Many addictive behaviors begin as a method of escapism and pleasure seeking, and people who suffer financially are often drawn to them as a means to avoid serious problems. Addictions provide instant gratification, which is something sorely lacking in most low-income households that struggle to survive from one paycheck to the next.

The relationship between addiction and poverty travels both ways, however, and addictions can often lead to financial ruin or make maintaining healthy finances impossible. Simply put, addictions are expensive to maintain, and their cost increases the longer a person has them.

Read more about the cost of addiction on Forbes.com.