Essay On Righteous Dopefiend

After reading the novel, Righteous Dopefiend, I have a different lens in which I can view substance abuse and individuals who suffer from substance abuse disorders. All of the characters in the novel offered a unique perspective to different aspects of substance abuse disorders and the challenges associated with substance abuse and homelessness. However, despite all of the interesting aspects of each individual in the novel, the character Tina stuck out most to me and had the greatest impact on how I will view and engage with individuals who may suffer from substance abuse disorders.

Initially what caught my attention about Tina was the chapters that described how she lived as a female on the streets, which was often considered “a man’s place”. Furthermore, Tina is African American and survived life on the streets during a time in which being African American put you at an increased risk. Living in an environment and occupying, not one, but two minority statuses is why Tina impacted me the most. I can relate to Tina because I am an African American female in the environment of higher education and in the professional arena where being African American and being female makes surviving and being successful a little more challenging.

Another aspect of Tina that resonated with me was her tendency to display overcompensating behaviors, such as

Some of these suppositions focus on the use of methadone as a treatment, the concept of lumpen abuse, and the concept of homelessness. Many of these suppositions sparked my interest; however, two of the assertions caught my attention the most. The first supposition that was interesting to me was the use of methadone as a viable treatment for opiate addiction. The second supposition that caught my attention was the War on Drugs being a hopeless