Substance Abuse In Little Rock Arkansas Essay

Drug and alcohol dependency not only affect the user, but also friends, family, coworkers and various other subgroups that the user is involved in. Drug intervention is a difficult process that involves understanding addiction. Many individuals believe that substance abuse is a choice and that they can stop at any time, but the user chooses not to. “In reality, drug addiction is a complex disease, and quitting takes more than good intentions or a strong will” (NCADD, 2015). The statement made by the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence notes that it is a disease. This disease consumes them and simply choosing to stop may not be an option. An intervention is a long and involved process that needs the support of members in the user’s life to be effective. This paper will look at what an intervention is and the essential steps when attempting to hold an intervention for a substance abuse patient.

The cost of alcohol and substance abuse in the United States reaches heights of four hundred eighty four billion dollars per year (“Drug Abuse is Costly, n.d.”). That’s about seven hundred eighty times the amount it cost to diagnose and treat sexually transmitted diseases in the year 2000 (Chesson, 2000). The social issue I will be analyzing in this writing is substance abuse. Much of my childhood and adolescence was spent dealing with the consequences of substance abuse of many of my family members. I would not only like to help bring more awareness to this issue, but also help in some way to end the stigma associated with substance abuse, because it is a mental illness all on its own. And these individuals do need proper intervention and care.

Throughout history, drug addiction has been one of the many factors of why people across the United States become unsuccessful. Being an addict controls the mind, body and souls of some people and with that, it usually hurts them in the long run. A disease is a disease, no matter if it’s alcoholism, gambling, food addiction or a drug addiction. Not all drugs do the same to people, but in some cases, it gets them high for a couple minutes and makes them keep coming back for more and from time to time again, they want to get higher than the previous session, which leads to them trying other gateway drugs.

Substance abuse disorders are common in our society. It is a disorder that each one of us will most likely experience through a family member, friend, or our self. I felt very drawn to this topic due to the fact that I have a family that has background of substance abuse and I myself have battle the demon. Not until I struggled with my own addiction did I become more tolerable and understanding to those that have a substance abuse disorder. Substance abuse is not something anyone wants to have; it is a disorder that takes control of a person’s life. It is a beast that tears a person apart; from their being to the lives of their loved ones. This disorder is not biased in anyway; rich or poor, male or female, employed or unemployed, young or

Substance abuse is a very widely known public epidemic in today's society. Many people are unfortunately plagued by this issue. According to Emedicinehealth.com (2012), “People abuse substances such as alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs for varied and complicated reasons, but it is clear that our society pays a significant cost,” (para. 1). People that are affected by substance abuse includes a very different range of people. Many that abuse the substances end up having health-related problems which in turn increases the need for health care. Other people that are affected by substance abuse are the family members and friends of the abusers because they have to deal with the person abusing the substances. Things that can be abused are

The negative impact the drugs and alcohol abuse and addiction has on the overall health of the user must be considered. Every process and system in the body is adversely affected by the over-indulgence of drugs and alcohol. Some of the health problems regularly noted include organ damage, kidney and liver disease, organ failure, congestive heart failure, respiratory depression, memory lapses, brain damage, infection, stroke, heart attack, and overdose.

It must be noted however, that the physical effects of drug use and the damage that it can cause to the body is occurring with the abuse and misuse of drugs and alcohol regardless of whether or not a person suffers withdrawal symptoms when sober. The health risks related to substance abuse and addiction include memory loss, stress on the organs and systems of the body, organ failure, depressed respiratory function, cancer, stroke, heart attack, cirrhosis of the liver, infection, kidney disease, depression, anxiety, and

Drug addiction ruins lives. It alters a person's personality and attitude causing marriages to fall apart and families to experience great strain. It amounts to millions of dollars in lost time and productivity. And it also causes deaths and accidents.

While some addicts may choose to fight their alcohol or heroin addiction closer to home, seeking detox and rehab services outside the state in regions like Florida makes a great deal of sense. There is something very relaxing about getting away from the people and things at home that create and support the need to abuse substances like heroin and alcohol. In order to find the road to recovery, addicts need to use every advantage they can get to assure they can focus on the recovery process without interference from outside

There is no doubt that there is a prevalence of substance abuse throughout several age groups. To a certain extent, a society is faced with the reality of controlling substance abuse. Or allow it run rampant throughout the community. Often times, we hear and read about the level of substance abuse among teen, young adults and mid-aged

Substance abuse and addiction have become a social problem that afflicts millions of individuals and disrupts the lives of their families and friends. Just one example reveals the extent of the problem: in the United States each year, more women and men die of smoking related lung cancer than of colon, breast and prostate cancers combined (Kola & Kruszynski, 2010). In addition to the personal impact of so much illness and early death, there are dire social costs: huge expenses for medical and social services; millions of hours lost in the workplace; elevated rates of crime associated with illicit drugs; and scores of children who are damaged by their parents’ substance abuse behavior (Lee, 2010). This paper will look at

Drug and alcohol addiction is a very serious and widespread problem in America, and across the globe. Drug addiction is a constant craving, seeking, and using of a substance, despite the negative consequences it may have on the addict or those around them. When drug use becomes more frequent, it is considered drug abuse. Once an individual’s drug abuse is can no longer be controlled, and they are using the drug to get through everyday life, it beomes an addiction. A person on drugs has an altered way of thinking, behaving, and perceiving. There are treatment facilities all over the world dedicated to help those suffering with drug addictions. All

Addiction can start from gateway drugs. Gateway drugs are drugs like cigarettes, tobacco, alcohol. Gateway drugs are ones that are easy to get hooked on and you will start wanting to try other drugs and want more. Even gateway drugs can be very dangerous and lead to serious consequences. Some of the consequences from gateway drugs are lung cancer from cigarettes, liver damage from alcohol, and from tobacco there is cancer, holes in cheeks and lips, and tooth decay. Some gateway drugs can lead to very serious addiction and can escalate from cigarettes and alcohol to marijuana and cocaine. Addiction is quite easy to get and very hard to get out of and is very serious and can be very expensive.

Addiction is all around us. It may be that cup of coffee in the morning for the caffeine stimulation, the cigarette that is smoked for the nicotine, or an alcoholic drink used to relieve a stressful day or situation. For some, the addiction may not be to a substance, but to compulsive behaviors such as gambling, playing video games, or shopping. Consequences to addictions can impact an addict’s physical or mental state. Addiction can also have detrimental impact on the people that surround them. Watching a relationship fall apart because a person has an addiction to drugs, alcohol, or another addictive behavior is a sad thing to happen to anyone. Unfortunately, those with addictions usually won’t admit they even

Substance abuse is one of the most detrimental social problems found in all societies. It has been the leading cause for generational breakdowns of families and communities, and is probably the most controversial social problem when developing corrective solutions. Substance abuse can be defined as the chemical dependence, or pattern of usage of both legal and illegal substances, that has adverse physical, psychological, and psychomotor effects on the human body. The use of substances does not always have to be a drug, but can also be anything taken into the body that can cause a mood-altering effect, such as inhalants or solvents. Additionally, substance abuse has many different faces and is the one social problem that crosses all