Opiate addiction is much different than that of other substances that are abused and can cause addiction. Opiate addiction is a serious problem in our country and will become an even bigger problem in the years ahead. The persistent use of opiates and is thought to be a disorder of the central nervous system. Though opiate painkillers are prescribed by physicians, opiate addiction is an insidious medical disease. But since opiate addiction is far more than a behavior problem, treatment requires more than just therapy.
How does someone become an addict? They tried something out, maybe to have a little fun, maybe to escape some reality. Then the high was so intense they decide to try it again. Perhaps they get to the point where all they want to do is feel that high. Eventually life becomes too dull, or just too painful to deal with, so they start itching for their next fix. Some get to the point where they trade anything for it. They give up their money, health, and even loved ones to feed that addiction. However that’s not where the cost ends. In Sonny’s Blues, James Baldwin portrays the issues one has when coping with a loved ones addiction.
The prevalence of opioid drug-related overdose has risen progressively over the past two decades becoming one of the leading causes of death in the United States. According to Center for Disease Control, drug overdoses accounted for 52,404 U.S. deaths, including 33,091 (63.1%) that involved an opioid in 2015 (Rudd, Seth, David & Scholl, 2016). To date, the numbers are continuously snowballing and it has been a major factor in the burgeoning costs of healthcare in the United States. In fact, the economic burden of opioid abuse cost the nation a staggering amount of $78.5 billion a year, taking into account the costs of healthcare, lost productivity, addiction treatment, and even goes beyond issue of criminal justice (Florence, Zhou, Luo &
Thousands of individuals across the U.S. and beyond suffer from drug and alcohol addiction. Addiction does not discriminate on age, race, gender, religion or political views. It is killing loved ones every day. The Public Service Announcement (PSA), “Common Enemy,” describes how to prevent such atrocities from happening, before they become a problem, by encouraging parents and guardians to speak to children about drugs, alcohol and addiction. Additionally, “Common Enemy” explains how with time, talent, and money kids can be protected. The PSA goes on to inspire parents and guardians to support prevention efforts in schools and communities. The PSA, “Common Enemy,” produced by NSADA-St. Louis, successfully influences the viewers through ethos, while logos and pathos are vainly portrayed.
Suffering is an unfortunate aspect of life that can be used to strengthen a person’s wisdom or turn into a weapon of self-destruction. There is no right way to deal with inner pain and for some people, the only solution is drug abuse. In order to understand individuals who are deeply suffering one must be empathetic to their current situation, no matter how detrimental. Sometimes it takes a personal experience full of agony to really understand what a person might be going through. In James Baldwin’s “Sonny’s Blues,” Two brothers attempt to escape Harlem by either joining the Army or traveling as far away as possible. But in their futile attempts to get away from Harlem, it only brought them closer to their roots. Harlem is described as a neighborhood
Going into this class, I thought it was just going to another English, but now thinking back I did learn something new. I would like to believe that I was pretty attentive. I did not miss any task, but I did turn in seven task in late; task number two, six, seven, nine, ten, eleven, and fourteen. I did open all of the readings and I would either skim it or I would read it; several times even. My favorite reading was by Bill Ivey and Steven J. Tepper the “Cultural Renaissance or Cultural Divide?”.
While becoming a drug addict is a lifestyle choice and influenced by personal discipline, taking
Opioid and heroin usage is a major issue all over The United States, and it’s an even bigger one in our home of York, Pennsylvania. The United States only accounts for 5% of the world’s population, yet we make up 75% of the world’s prescription drug consumers. In addition to this, Pennsylvania is the state with the third highest amount of heroin users in the country. As far as our county goes, York has the 4th highest amount of heroin related deaths. The heroin epidemic in the United States, and specifically York County was caused a multitude of reasons, such as the fact that heroin is cheaper than prescription drugs and most people who try heroin aren’t aware of the risks.
Every citizen in the United States has individual rights protected by the Constitution. This protection also includes businesses that have gone through the legal process to become a legal entity ; more commonly known as becoming a corporation. Many times these individual rights, protected by the Constitution, conflict with the common good and as history shows, the courts consistently side with the common good when faced with a case that pits these two against each other. Big Pharma are corporations exercising their individual rights to market, and sell their product to consumers. In the process, the common good is suffering. We need to pass legislation that balances corporation’s individual rights to freely promote, market, and sell legal
Drug abuse is a major problem that impacts negatively on its users and the society at multiple levels. In one way or another, substance abuse affects members of the community taking a tremendous toll on the society at large. The cost incurred to reduce the effects of substance abuse and addiction in the US alone surpasses the cost of treating terminal illnesses such as diabetes and cancer. Substance abuse costs the nation at least $484 billion per year. This cost includes healthcare expenditures, costs associated with accidents and crime, and lost earnings. Cumulatively, diabetes and cancer cost the country $400 billion annually. Furthermore, many Americans perceive drug abuse as a significant public health problem because many medical conditions
Losing Isaiah” is an outstanding movie produced by Stephen Gyllenhaal. In this movie Stephen Gyllenhaal shows the audience that the love for a child is more important than the color of your skin. Stephen Gyllenhaal created her story around Isaiah’s mom Khaila Richards and Margaret Lewin point of view. I can relate to this movie by the drug abuse, love for a child and the whole situation
Drug abuse is the habitual use of substances in dangerous amounts or even methods that may bring harm to the user of the substances (World Health Organization, 2009). The substances commonly used are psychoactive substances which can easily lead to a dependency problem by the substance user. Drug abuse is a sociological threat that poses a danger to all people especially the youth. Addiction is possible not only with illegal drugs such as heroin and cocaine, but also with prescription drugs such as oxycodone. According to National Institute on Drug Abuse, the United States government loses about $700 billion every year due to crimes caused by people under the influence of drugs, medical costs, and addicted workers. (NIDA, n.d.). Substance abuse causes physical and mental damage and complications can remain years after recovery. The severity of long-term effects depends on the body’s reaction to the drugs and the type of drug ingested. Addiction does not have to stem from drug use, but even casual use can damage the user. The most commonly abused drugs include tobacco, marijuana, and alcohol although less abused drugs such as stimulants, hallucinogens and opiates can have a greater financial cost.
Let me tell you about my family. My siblings and I were raised to not disappoint anyone. However, being the middle child, oh we need to stop the middle child = black sheep because the middle children tend to settle into that expectation since it is what people think of us anyway. Either way, that stereotype doesn't help.
Problems are a significant part of life. Problems exist everywhere. Problems simply go together with being alive. Individuals, households, communities, governments, everyone alive has, have had, or will have problems. However, a community problem is different. A community problem affects every individual in a community directly or indirectly. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), drug abuse is “One of America´s most challenging public health and social problems.” Drug abuse impacts society on multiple levels and because of this, drug abuse´s negative effect are undeniably notable. This report will define drug abuse, analyze and describe its impact on the general and college aged community, and provide possible
According to the American Psychological Association, the definitional boundaries of what addiction is has changed multiple times over the years. Addiction was relabeled dependence in 1964 by the World Health Organization, as it thought that the word addiction closely linked to opiate use. A few years ago, the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) was released and combined the diagnostic categories for substance abuse and substance dependence (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). These diagnoses have replaced the term with substance use disorders. The substance abuse category has removed as the committee argues that there not be enough evidence of an intermediate state between substance use and substance dependence. The DSM–5 definitions of substance use disorder, “a cluster of cognitive, behavioral, and physiological symptoms indicating that the individual continues using the substance despite significant substance-related problems” this definition used to refer to substance addiction (American Psychiatric Association, 2013, p. 483). Addiction, substance use disorder, and dependence all refer to a chronic drug-taking condition, and for these terms are used with that intended definition. Substance abuse is now only used for research specific to that occurrence.