preview

The Problem Of Chemical Dependency

Good Essays
Open Document

Chemical Dependency is common. It is most likely more common than one would think. The 2013 report from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found the percent of people 12 years of age and over with any illicit drug use in the past month: was 9.4%. The statistics also show people 12 years of age and over with any nonmedical use of a psychotherapeutic drug in the past month was 2.5%. These rates are significant. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIH, 2014) found abuse of and addiction to substances costs Americans more than $700 billion a year in increased health care costs, crime, and lost productivity. Unfortunately, each year illicit and prescription drugs and alcohol contribute to the death of more than 90,000 …show more content…

There is such an extensive list of drugs that have the ability to be abused. This this is not a comprehensive list. Depending on the location in the United States, some drugs will be more common to abuse than others. However, if the person is addicted to a certain drug, they will find a way to obtain it or make it if the drug is not readily available. will find a way to obtain it or make it if the drug is not readily available.
Risk Factors and Protective Factors

According to Walsh (2012), experimentation with alcohol and drugs is the most prominent risk to becoming a substance abuser. There are neurologists and mental health professions that agree some people are more susceptible than other people to becoming addicted to substances because of genetic, biological, or environmental differences. Some of these risk factors include, but are not limited to: family history of substance abuse, mental disorders, childhood trauma, and early experimentation with substances. Even someone who does not have these risk factors but experiments with substances can still become addicted. Typically, the more risk factors a person has, the more likely are chances that using drugs will lead to abuse and addiction. Alternatively, having protective factors reduce a person’s risk of developing addiction. These protective

Get Access