The Problem Of Substance Abuse

The consequences that follow the use of any drug are unfavorable. Although many individuals may see drug addiction as a mere lifestyle choice, it is a problem that many individuals suffer from and inevitably a growing issue that leaves major social and economic impacts.

Substance abuse is the habitual use of mind altering substances (Substances). Addicts have a false or altered look on reality; they need help seeing what is wrong with the life style they are living. Nikki Sixx once said,” Addiction- When you can give something up at any time, as long as it’s next Tuesday!” Recovery is teaching a person to break old habits. Substance abuse counselors are very important, not only in the mental health field, but in society as well.

Laura Hope Laws was a hopeful and helpful young woman, and an active member of her church’s youth group. At only 14, she had a spot on her varsity soccer team; soon in her career, she broke her jaw and had been prescribed pain killers. She then became addicted to them. At 13, Laura experimented with alcohol and marijuana, but it never became a problem. After running out of her pain killers, however, Laura searched and searched for more, but then decided to turn to something more available: heroin.

stated, “Few days ago I used heroin by myself.” Counselor encouraged and helped Pt. to analyze the relapse and develop strategies to prevent future relapses and discuss why abstaining from all drugs is important. Counselor taught Pt. that one way to prevent the reemergence of heroin use is to recognize the early warning signs of his addictive behaviors. Pt. explained that one of his addictive behaviors is the thrill of getting the drug and chasing for the drug dealer. Pt. verbalized how he did not achieve the desire “high” after snorting the drug. Pt. identified the current triggers that he faces are when his girlfriend used in front of him and dealing with his anxiety every day. Pt. reported that he wants to pay for his girlfriend methadone TX. Pt. stated, “I am going to help the people around him to get clean so I can help myself,” Counselor encouraged Pt. to put first recovery first because learning a better way of life is his highest need. For the next 15 minutes, Counselor assisted Pt. to weighing pros and cons of continuing substance use. Pt. stated, “The pros are stopping my racing mind, helping with stress and helping control my anxiety. The cons are losing more money, losing relationships, damaging my body, getting in trouble with the law, not achieving my goals and can’t pay bills.”

Why has substance abuse in the field of nursing been on the rise for the past 100 years? Could it be because of the high levels of stress along with the incredible toll working in the field of nursing takes on the body? Several different reasoning’s have been brought forth throughout the years, but nothing changes the fact that this is an increasing problem that has to be dealt with within the profession. “Addiction among nurses has been recognized by professionals in the field for over 100 years, and current estimates place rates of substance misuse, abuse, and abdication as high as 20% among practicing nurses” (Monroe et al., 2011, p. 504). This is alarming because nurses are in a position where they cannot afford to be mentally or

Drug abuse in America is evidently a huge problem, yet remains to be misunderstood by many people. Elizabeth Foy Larsen writes a strong, informative article about a young woman named Brittany who has fallen to drug abuse. Brittany was a drug free, well rounded student with great potential just like many other young adults in America. However, one occasion flipped her life completely upside down. She had gotten her wisdom teeth removed and received prescription medication to reduce her pain. She soon found the new pain medication to be to her satisfaction. After the pain faded away, Brittany made a decision that would commence her addiction. She used the now unneeded medication thinking it would be her last time. The sensation she felt influenced her to use it again. This occurrence began to repeat itself until Brittany found herself to be dependent on the drugs. “And when you 're under 25, it 's even easier for the drugs to take the wheel, since your brain is still developing--and therefore more susceptible to addiction” (Larsen, ℙ15). She then began to spend her time with a different group of friends, who introduced her to other illegal drugs. Larsen states in the article, “That means that when the prescription drugs become too difficult to find, many once-straightlaced teens turn to illegal drugs, like heroin. In fact, four out of five heroin users started abusing drugs by taking prescription opioids, according to the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids” (Larsen, ℙ15). In

Substance abuse is very common in today's culture. There are many different substances that are abused. The most common abused substances are illegal street drugs and alcohol followed by prescription pills and medications. Technically speaking, most anything can be abused if it is taken excessively and without caution or consideration to the suggested directions. Even over the counter medications can be abused. It usually when unseen potential for dependence or abusive behaviors arise out of the general population that the authorities step in and begin to restrict its use.

In conclusion, the variables that exist within the issue of elderly substance abuse and misuse are multifaceted. Although many medications both prescribed and illicit have the potential to lead to addiction, some are more prevalently abused than others. Per a study done by

Agoraphobia is a difficult mental illness to treat due to the fact that there is a small number of people have been diagnosed with it. According to the Mental Health First Aid USA (2013) roughly 0.9 American adults are diagnosed with agoraphobia and the median age for onset is twenty years old (p. 41). People who have agoraphobia have a higher risk of developing substance use disorders by using drugs or alcohol to help them cope with anxiety. In the twins’ case, they are heavy cigarette smokers and it has to be monitored how many packs of cigarettes they are given. From research, there are no reports of concerns with diversity, oppression, or populations-at-risk of individuals diagnosed with agoraphobia. However,

The substance use issue in America is a commonly heard and discussed topic throughout the nation. Even the smallest and most vulnerable members of our society are also being affected by the drug epidemic. Addicted women who are becoming pregnant are leaving their children with a lasting reminder of how drugs can affect everyone involved in a user’s life. These infants are exposed in utero to substances and once born, the children can have immediate and sometimes long-lasting effects of their mother’s actions. Often women who become pregnant are worried that if they reach out for help, their children will be taken from them after birth. There needs to be a better way to address this issue and work towards a solution for expecting mothers who

My perspective on society’s current drug use problems stems essentially from all the lives I have personally seen destroyed or disrupted by addiction. Currently our nation is experiencing a heroin abuse epidemic. NSDUH (2014) established that nearly a half a million people in America were heroin users during 2014, and the epidemic is rampantly out of control (p. 11). In an attempt to analyze why and how it has exasperated, I found that I feel the nature of the problem is in direct correlation to the extreme expectations society places upon not only our youth, but on single parents, reintegrating drug offenders, adjusting immigrants,

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. In addition, if we can increase the number of students pursuing careers in science education, neuroscience and related biomedical research careers, we will have a positive impact not only on preventing and treating substance abuse, but also the economies of rural states like Maine. STEM-related jobs pay significantly higher than average, however, growth in these fields in Maine has been well below national levels. Improving interest and skill in STEM areas is likely to increase Maine’s ability to modernize its workforce and create jobs. Our overall goals are to: (1) enhance science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education in the state of Maine and (2) enhance awareness and interest in addiction science and neuroscience. Meeting these goals will help to prevent drug abuse and create an educated workforce.

When you find out that someone you deeply care about is using drugs or drinking alcohol excessively it can be a scary situation. These substances will not only change their typical behavior but can also cause serious long term damage to their bodies. Not only is it hard drugs that can be an issue; prescribed drugs can cause damage as they are very addictive. It is something that no family wants to have to deal with and can be a daunting task if it is the first time it has happened. Having to step in and take away a substance which is starting to play a larger and larger role in their life can be a very hard thing to do. Sometimes it is tough to know if you should be stepping in as you do not want to make their situation worse, however it’s a catch 22 as doing nothing is clearly not the best option when it comes to substance addiction. These addictions rarely stop on their own so having someone push the user in the right direction is always a necessary step in their recovery. If a family member is scared to inhibit them then they can become an enabler to their habit, some reasons for this may be they do not want to deal with the stresses of the users withdrawal, maybe they have tried before and the user lashes out at them for trying to make them stop, or maybe they are just too scared to say anything.

It is well known that any form of substance use can be fatal, but so can a lot of other things: choking, accidents, health issues, and sheer bad luck. However, there is something special about substance abuse - fatalities from substance use are considered preventable. Take deaths associated with driving under the influence of alcohol, lung cancer brought on by smoking, or heart attacks associated with cocaine use. A person could die in a car crash, from lung cancer, or a heart attack without ever touching alcohol, cigarettes, or cocaine respectively. However, there is an increase in death associated with these items. The most curious part of this is the legal versus illegal categorization of substances. According to the Center for Disease Control, tobacco is considered the leading cause of preventable death (CDC, 2016). Yet, not only is it legal, a person in the U.S. can purchase cigarettes as young as 18, which is three years earlier than the legal age to drink alcohol. This knowledge leads to questions about addiction and prevalence of substance use. Besides being readily available and highly addictive, are there other factors in the use and abuse of legal substances and are they good indicators of illicit drug use? There is clear evidence to support that children, adolescents, and adults learn and emulate what they see on television. The American Academy of Pediatrics has done research and come to the conclusion that “the causes of adolescent substance use are

Drug addiction is one of society 's biggest problems and it is rampant among teenagers and young adults and one of the most abused drugs is marijuana. Cannabis sativa or marijuana usually grows throughout tropical and temperate climates and then plant 's stems, leaves, flowers, and seeds are then dried. What attracts to most users is the mind altering effect these parts produce which is addictive to some extent. It is usually smoked as cigarette, or in a pipe. It is also smoked in blunts, in which cigars will be emptied of tobacco and refill with marijuana or sometimes it is combined with another drug. It can also be brewed as tea or mixed in food. Hashis is a more concentrated, resinous form which is sticky black liquid, hash oil. The