Michigan's Substance Abuse Case Study

Many people may not realize this but multiple states, including Michigan, are facing an epidemic. It is not a disease, however, it is a heroin epidemic. In a country where addictive opioid pain-killer prescriptions are handed out like candy, it not surprising heroin, also known as smack or thunder, has become a serious problem. The current heroin epidemic Michigan is facing, as are dozens of other states, has spiraled out of control in recent years. In Michigan, some of the areas hit hardest by this drug are in the southern portion of the state, like Wayne, Oakland, and Monroe Counties. The connection between painkillers and heroin may not be clear, but this is because both are classified as opioid drugs, and therefore cause many of the same positive and negative side effects. As a country, we are currently the largest consumer of opioids in the world; almost the entire world supply of hydrocodone (the opioid in Vicodin) and 81% of the world’s oxycodone (in Percocet and OxyContin) is used by the United States (Volkow). Along with consuming most of the world’s most common opioids, we have gone from 76 million of these prescriptions in 1991 to 207 million in 2013 – constantly increasing except for a small decrease starting in 2012 (Volkow). This widespread use has caused numerous consequences from increasing emergency room visits – for both painkillers and heroin – to sky-rocking overdose cases all over the country (Volkow). Michigan, unfortunately, currently has one of the

Michigan is one of the fifty states within the United States of America and is favored with having the largest shoreline within the U.S. It is characterized by two peninsulas, the upper peninsula (which is obviously cooler) and the lower peninsula which holds a vast majority of the land and also a big chunk of us, Michiganders. The name Michigan comes from the Chippewa Indian word Michigama which means great or large lake. Lake Michigan was called Michigama by the Chippewa Indians. Our unique state is luckily surrounded by four of the five Great Lakes. The Great Lakes in our region have vastly influenced our state and those around us. Without Lake Michigan, Lake Superior, Lake Huron, and Lake Erie, we would not have the large fresh water sources we currently are blessed with, many jobs would not exist, recreational activities would be slim to none, and we simply wouldn’t have the gorgeous views all around us. To say the very least, the state of Michigan is

Cenla Chemical Dependency Council Bridge House/Phase II - This facility offers a full slate of treatment options for men, women and pregnant/postpartum women. When applicable, residential living quarters can be made available for a patient's dependent children. This is a long-term inpatient facility with traditional programs ranging from 60-120 days. After the completion of treatment, patients are eligible for aftercare programs in affiliated sober living homes and halfway houses. Great care is provided by licensed clinicians to all patients as they begin their adventure down the road to recovery. Payment options are restricted to self-payment or loan financing for qualified

As a result on this alarming phenomenon, deaths related to drug overdose saw a material spike upwards as recently as 2013. The number of deaths (13.2 for every 100,000 residents) earned the state the dubious honor of being ranked #19 in the nation for said deaths. In order to keep these numbers from getting worse, residents and their representatives need to start working together to develop prevention programs while making sure those who are suffering from an addiction have reasonable access to treatment and

Individuals with a mental illness often turn to drugs or alcohol to reduce their symptoms, as opposed to or in addition to seeking treatment for their illness. This problem is much worse than previously imagined, with experts estimating 65 percent of prison inmates suffering from a dual diagnosis. The prevalence in the general population is likely very high also, thus anyone with a mental illness or substance abuse problem may find they need specialized care.

Did you know that 19.9 percent of adult Americans had some sort of a mental illness, according to the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (samhsa.gov, 2015, Para. 3). This is a total of 45.1 million adults in America suffering with mental health disorders (samhsa.gov, 2015, Para. 3). There are also currently 20.8 million adults in America who suffer from substance use disorder ever year (NAMI.org, 2015). Both of these are alarming statistics of the wellbeing of the American citizens. To make matters worse, these two groups intertwine to a population of people known with a co-occurrence of mental illness and substance use or, more commonly known as, dual diagnosis.

Opioid and heroin addiction and poisoning is on the rise in Michigan over the past decade. In Michigan, the number of prescriptions for opioid painkillers has quadrupled over a seven-year period (180 million in 2007 to 745 million in 2014) and the number of deaths due to overdoses has risen to 1,745 in 2014 (Hall, 2016). Michigan currently ranks 10th

The United States healthcare system has undergone a wide variety of changes over the past few years. As the overall health of its citizens continues to deteriorate and people live longer, certain aspects of healthcare are costing an increasingly large portion of the healthcare budget. Problems such as obesity, diabetes, cancer, and substance abuse have become the most pressing issues facing healthcare providers today.

The results of the government’s efforts to assimilate Aboriginal people throughout Canada’s history has effected multiple generations of families and continues to have devastating effects on First Nations communities today.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse is a government-based organization that makes it their goal to understand the causes of drug abuse as well as other factors that contribute to complete comprehension of the issue. On past studies in substance abuse regarding specifically mental health, the Institute states that “...people with severe mental illness were about 4 times more likely to be heavy alcohol users… and 4.6 times more likely to use... drugs at least 10 times in their lives” (“Severe mental” 1). These shown statistics prove that the chances of someone dealing with substance abuse are relatively higher if that person has a severe mental illness, rather than not have one at all. It can be concluded, in conjunction with these findings, that victims of the illness use these substances as a means of coping with their disorder. If McCandless had as severe of a mental illness as DID, it would be safe for one to assume that he would also abuse alcohol and drugs, as well.

There are many beautiful locations in Michigan, urban to rural, wild to serene… Picture this reader, majestic buildings, looming high, streets packed with cars of every shape, size and color. An immense stadium off in the distance, a tremendous roaring coming from it. This is Detroit, largest city in Michigan, Car Capital of the world and

Substance abuse involving drugs and alcohol remains a worldwide crisis and Canada too is not immune to it. While alcohol and the traditional drugs such as cannabis/marijuana, heroin etc are the top contributors to this crisis, what affects Canada specifically are alcohol, cannabis/marijuana, non-prescribed use of prescription pain relievers (codeine, percocet, percodan, demerol) and tobacco. And of these alcohol remains by far, the most abused substance by the largest number of people.

People living with severe mental illness and have substance use disorder are considered to have Co-occurring Disorders (COD) and need an intervention method that can provide treatment for both conditions simultaneously. In recent studies, researchers have found that in order to help increase the success of treatment for people with COD, they should receive treatment for both their mental health symptoms and substance abuse issues at the same time as this also helps to reduce fragmented treatment in the mental health system. A report was prepared for the President's Office that discuses fragmented treatment in mental health system and the need to addressing this issue (The President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health, 2003).There was

In 2012, the National Survey on Drug Use and Health reported an estimated 9.6 million adults in the United States had a Serious Mental Illness. Of this 4% of the population, 4.9% were female, 3.2% male. Race varies greatly with about 8.5% of the population being American Indian/Alaska native. Hispanics, whites, and those identifying as two or more races make up about 4.3% each. Black is 3.4%, Asian 2%, and Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander is 1.8% (Serious Mental Illness (SMI), 2012.). Of the individuals that have a mental illness, not all experience disparity in treatment access..

Substance abuse complicates almost every aspect of care for the person with a mental disorder. When drugs enter the brain, they can interrupt the work and actually change how the brain performs its jobs; these changes are what lead to compulsive drug use. Drug abuse plays a major role when concerning mental health. It is very difficult for these individuals to engage in treatment. Diagnosis for a treatment is difficult because it takes time to disengage the interacting effects of substance abuse and the mental illness. It may also be difficult for substance abusers to be accommodated at home and it may not be tolerated in the community of residents of rehabilitation programs. The author states, that they end up losing their support systems