TELL US: How Has Addiction Affected You And Yours?

For the week of May 5-9, HuffPost Live is airing a special week-long series about the social impacts of drug addiction. From the stigma of addiction to the high cost of rehabilitation, the human toll of mandatory sentences and controversial treatment methods, "The War On Addiction" series will discuss the social ramifications of addiction and expose some of the misconceptions of being an addict. The series will bring together lawmakers, rehabilitation specialists, advocates, celebrities, and real people who struggle with addiction.

Since the 1970s, America has been aggressively fighting a War on Drugs and as a result launched an unspoken war on addicts. We've treated addicts as criminals and treated addiction with prison sentences. But with prison populations at an all-time high, drug sentencing reform a rare bipartisan issue, and public opinion now in favor of treatment, is this obscure war coming to an end?

Addiction is a debilitating disease that affects 23.5 million Americans. Have you suffered from addiction? Have you witnessed a friend or family member struggle with recovery? We want to hear from you. Share YOUR story here.