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Opioid Abuse Case Study

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The United States is currently under an opioid epidemic where the abuse of opioids has increased significantly within the last 20 years. It is important to understand that relapse for opioid users is common. This problem has been around for a while; studies have shown that “higher recidivism proportions were found for shorter tenure clients” (Joe, Lloyd, Simpson, & Singh, 1982). Specifically, from 2002-2007 “nonmedical use of prescription pain relievers grew from 11.0 million to 12.5 million people in the United States” (Meyer, Patel, Rattana, Quock, & Mody, 2014). This trend shows that opioid abuse is a growing issue and it requires direct action. Research has disclosed that in 2011, 2.2 million Americans were in jail/prison, and “[o]f those …show more content…

A sick patient wants to be seen as a ‘human,’ and not for their illness; accordingly, I think an addict should be treated with the same belief. Singer & Page (2014) stated, “[w]hen human behavior involves the illicit ingestion of mind-altering drugs, the discourse about that behavior tends to accrue layers of social judgment, prejudice, stereotyping, and fear;” this is an issue that will not go away until we modify our societal beliefs. There are disparities in the treatment of someone who is poor versus someone who has money when they have been caught with illicit drugs as shown by their criminal sentences: “the wealthy, which includes kid-glove investigations, lackluster prosecutions, drug treatment, light sentences and easy, if any, prison time. The other, for the poor, is one of paramilitary policing, aggressive prosecution, harsh mandatory sentences and hard time” (Singer & Page, 2014). After such verdicts, the opioid user still has a hard time reconnecting with society. We need to focus our efforts on prevention of repeated overdoses after the initial discovery of an addict that a compliant patient wants to make the effort to change their

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