The Problem Of Substance Abuse And Addiction

Addiction begins with a choice, not necessarily a choice to become dependent upon a substance, rather a choice to take a walk through the land of oblivion at least once. A person does not simply wake up one morning addicted to heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine or any other substance. Perhaps a fleeting moment of despair, or the longing for acceptance brings this individual to the doorstep of addiction, prepared to move heaven and earth to find their next fix. Bruce Alexander himself writes, “I began

Addiction and substance abuse is a serious problem among teenagers. Teenagers begin abusing drugs because of peer pressure, or abuse in their life. Any type of drugs can be abused including over the counter medications. Since teenager’s brain is still growing any type of substance abuse can cause serious harm. The most abused drug is alcohol. Alcohol has a different effect the brain of teenagers different than that of adults. Children raised in a religious family, with religious friends are

Specific Aims. Substance abuse and addiction are critical health, social and economic problems in Maine and the United States. The estimated economic cost of substance abuse in Maine for 2012 was $1.18 billion. The number of individuals receiving treatment was up 20% over 2011 and prescription overdose deaths have tripled in the last decade. Thus, we are in desperate need of alternative treatments for substance abuse and addiction, as well as full implementation of effective prevention programs

Introduction When an individual is struggling with drug addiction problems, the family is affected physically, mentally, and emotionally. The disease not only changes the addict’s whole life, but it changes the lives of their family members as parents get torn apart from themselves and each other. The role of each family member begins to shape around what is in the best interest of the addict. This research paper is an overview of the effects that raising a drug addicted child has on parent’s

Substance abuse is a very current problem in the United States. Opiate addiction is a particularly difficult problem in the State of Vermont where the abuse of prescription opioids has created addictions for many individuals. The problem of substance abuse has severe repercussions that may encompass severe dependence and overdose.1 Substance abuse is an epidemic that cannot be ignored. However, the combined forces of over-prescription, addiction and subsequent unemployment may mean that coverage

Is drug addiction a disease or simply a choice? Twenty-three million Americans are addicted to alcohol or drugs (Join Together Staff). Drug addiction is a terrible disease and not a choice because drugs change the brain, affect both physical and mental health, and treatment is needed to recover. Drugs are chemicals that affect the brain by entering in its communication system and hamper with the way neurons deliver, obtain, and process data. Changes in the brain support the transition from informal

opinion about substance abuse –either its drug addiction or alcoholism. But unless a person has lived through a substance abuse problem it is hard to understand the possibility and damaging effects the problem can bring about. Some of the most common myths about substance abuse, and the real facts everyone should know instead. One of the myths about substance abuse is substance abuse and addiction is actually the same thing. But the fact says, though the terms “abuse” and “addiction” are often mixed

Addiction is a complex disease that many people don’t fully understand. Substance abuse is very prevalent around the world, and far too over looked. In fact, forty million people ages 12 and older (or more than 1 in 7 people) have some form of addiction. These addictions involving nicotine, alcohol, or other drugs, and this statistic is just in America alone. This number is more than the number of Americans with heart conditions which is 27 million, diabetes which is 26 million, or cancer which

Use and Drug Abuse For any professional working in the substance abuse treatment field, they will very likely come across situations and be presented with dilemmas relating to personal beliefs, judgments, and values. Drug or substance use and abuse have been a controversial and heated topic around the world for centuries. Drug abuse, in a way, is a facet of human culture that has been present for a great deal of human history in general. Every culture handles the issue of drug abuse differently

Drug Addiction First Recognized Acknowledgement of drug addiction came after the Civil War in America. Numerous men had surgeries from loss of limbs and viruses they developed in their base camps while in combat. Physicians in the war abundantly gave soldiers opium and morphine for their pain and sicknesses. According to Bellis (1981), “During the Civil War intravenous injection of morphine spread rapidly and addiction became so pronounced that an American narcotics “problem” was spoken of for