Drug Addiction

It is shown that people that tend to be involved in the use of drugs do so after making a voluntary choice (Heyman, 2009). The major use of drugs for social and non-medical preferences can lead to dependence and further addictions, it is a choice that people tend to make and from that it can lead to wanting it more, do it more with friends and further it becoming an addiction, that then effects the brain and body. When drugs are used in the wrong way they can cause many health issues but some people still tend to refer to drug addiction as a disease. Yes, There has been compelling evidence that addiction is a disease, however the result shown are weak and inconclusive. Results of different brain scans are shown by The National Institute of Drug Abuse (2017) are used to back up that addiction in fact is a disease, however the brain scans used in this research are not symbolic of any abnormal changes. The research by The National Institute of Drug Abuse do point out that changes in an individual’s brain is shown as evidence that addiction is a brain disease, however this argument can be shown as mistaken as changes in many human brains can be seen as not exclusive in addicts, although they can occur when a person is normal (Branch,2011). To top it off the information that is stated by the NIDA however doesn’t show evidence of the behaviour of addicts being involuntary or

Millions of people throughout the world are taking drugs on a daily basis. If you were to ask someone why they take prescription drugs, most people would be taking them for the right reason. However, it’s estimated that twenty percent of people in the United States alone have used prescription drugs for non-medical reasons.1 Prescription drug abuse is a serious and growing problem that often goes unnoticed. Abusing these drugs can often lead to addiction and even death. You can develop an addiction to certain drugs that may include: narcotic painkillers, sedatives, tranquilizers, and stimulants.1 Prescription drugs are the most common abused category of drugs, right next to marijuana, cocaine, heroin, and

The United States currently faces an unprecedented epidemic of opioid addiction. This includes painkillers, heroin, and other drugs made from the same base chemical. In the couple of years, approximately one out of twenty Americans reported misuse or abuse of prescriptions painkillers. Heroin abuse and overdoses are on the rise and are the leading cause of injury deaths, surpassing car accidents and gun shots. The current problem differs from the opioid addiction outbreaks of the past in that it is also predominant in the middle and affluent classes. Ultimately, anyone can be fighting a battle with addiction and it is important for family members and loved ones to know the signs. The cause for this epidemic is that the current spike of opioid abuse can be traced to two decades of increased prescription rates for painkillers by well-meaning physicians.

Through my observations of the Narcotics Anonymous meeting I believe that my analysis could be beneficial to the realm of medicine. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2014) released a study that displayed, “health care providers wrote 259 million prescriptions for painkillers in 2012, enough for every American adult to have a bottle of pills.” Considering the mass amount of prescriptions being written nationwide, it is not surprising that one of the members in the NA meeting I attended was able to easily obtain painkillers from her doctor. The specific interaction I encountered during the Narcotics Anonymous meeting where the woman described that her addiction was being supported by the constant prescriptions written by her doctor

Statistics for the growing prescription opioid abuse problem are alarming. Prescription analgesics are the second highest dispensed drug in the healthcare system. (Younger, et al., 2011). In 1991, approximately 76 million prescriptions were written for opioids. By 2011, that number had grown to 219 million (Jamison & Mao, 2015). Around 63 million people in the U.S. have used nonmedical prescription

Most people are familiar with prescription medications; almost everyone has taken them at one point or another during their lifetime. Not all prescription drugs are addicting, but a large number of them are. Prescription drug abuse is a disease that has become a major problem in the United States, which affects over six-million Americans. Prescription drug abuse not only affects the individual, but can additionally have far-reaching consequences that affect family, personal health, employment, communities and society as a whole. Research has shown that at least 10% of people prescribed an addictive medication will become dependent on the medicine. Due to prescription drug abuse, states are beginning to monitor doctors who prescribe certain medications, more closely, which may scare some physicians away from prescribing helpful medications to people who truly need them.

Gambling addiction also know as compulsive gambling is a type of impulse control disorder. (Healthyplace.com, 2008) It is a progressive disease that can wreck havoc on relationships, work, and finances.

One thing contributing to the high usage of opiates is their ability to have strong pain relieving effects. The availability of prescription medications containing opium contributed to the misuse and abuse of the substance as well (Chen, Humphreys, & Shah, 2013, p. 60). Since opiates were easy to possess from medical personnel, it became clear that it was contributing to issues related to the misuse and abuse of opiates (Chen, Humphreys, & Shah, 2013, p. 60). Therefore, over the past few years, prescription drugs which possessed addictive qualities such as opioids, has been closely monitored to avoid nonmedical usage (Chen, Humphreys, & Shah, 2013, p. 60). Nonmedical prescription drug use and disorders are pervasive in the U.S. population, it also tends to be highly comorbid with other psychiatric disorders (Huang, et al., 2006, p.

In the United States, more than 2 million people suffer from substance abuse disorders that correlate with use of prescription opioid painkillers. Over the past 15 years, overdose deaths due to prescription opioids have more than quadrupled. One of the underlying causes is the over prescription of pain relievers by physicians. This was demonstrated in 2013, with the writing of 207 million prescriptions for opioid pain relievers.

This Research Project will be on the effects of Prescription Drug Abuse, and the affects it can have on the lives of those abusing them. In the report I will go into further details on the difference between what it means to be physically dependent to prescription drugs, and what it means to be addicted to the prescription drugs. Questions will be left to ask as to why there are so many overdoses to prescription drugs, and what ages groups are more likely to abuse them What can we do to stop the easy access there is to most of these drugs? How do most of these prescriptions become so easily abused and What can the adverse side effects be? Out of 52million people 20% of those aged 12 and older have used prescription drugs for non-medical reasons, many would say it is because of them been so easily accessible, but I would argue and say it is because nowadays many of the younger generations are following what they see on t.v such as

According to a federal official, the ongoing scourge of prescription-drug addiction is beginning to reach epidemic proportions, ballooning about 75 percent in the United States within the past five years (“Prescription-drug Abuse Escalates”). Prescription drugs have become extremely overused due to the pain killing aspects, along with a sort of “high” when they are being abused. This high has been something people chase and will do anything to get. A report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration indicated that there were more American adults using prescription painkillers than cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, or cigars combined (Ingraham). The over proliferation of prescription drugs has become a major problem with adults.

It's scary to think that we live in a world where drug addiction is a growing epidemic plaguing families on a daily basis. One of the most common drug abuse problems to date is that of addiction to prescription medications, but more specifically opiates. Opiates are used to help treat chronic and severe pain, but the drug can become highly addictive. In recent years, more people have overdosed as a result of prescription medications than both heroin and cocaine combined.

When one feels that they are experiencing pain, anxiety, or sickness whether it is mild or severe, one quick and easy solution is to head straight to the doctor’s office. A patient will describe his or her symptoms of pain to the doctor and more likely than not that doctor will prescribe the patient some type of prescription drug or pain reliever. Writing patient prescriptions and taking drugs for pain has become a socially acceptable standard in society and has also become an essential part of medicine. Today, Americans are spending millions of dollars every year on drugs, both illegal and legal, and both for medical and often non-medical use. However, what many do not realize is that the widespread increase of drug using in America

The purpose of this report is to show the major problems we face in America if we do not address the misuse of prescription drugs. America’s pain pill and heroin addiction exceeds that of all other countries in the world, statistics from the UN office on Drugs and Crimes show. This report will show emphasis on the misuse of prescription drugs and some of the causes.

They speed up the action of the brain. They make people feel more alert, more confident and less tired.