Drug Addiction and how it affects our community
Drug abuse has been a nationwide issue that has been increasing over the years. What is drug addiction you may ask? According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse, “Drug addiction is when you can’t stop taking the drug even if you want to. The urge is too strong to control, even if you know the drug is causing harm. Addiction can become more important than the need to eat or sleep. The urge to get and use the drug can fill every moment of your life.” Individuals feel a sense of relief when the drug enters their system and takes over their life.
If you have concerns about an individual dealing with drug abuse, look for trigger signs or warnings. A trigger can be a place, person, thing, smell, or memory that reminds that individual of a drug. The National Institute of Drug Abuse states “ A trigger can be something stressful that you want to escape from. It can even be something that makes you feel happy. It's easy to notice the temperament of someone that you've known for years. It is important to recognize situations where someone looks triggered if they suffer from drug abuse in the past. According to NBC News, “ The number of overdose deaths rose 29 percent, from 78,056 from April 2019 to April 2020, to 100,306 in the following 12 months.” This is a staggering increase over the number of one year and as a nation we need to look out for our community to not go down this path in life.
Even people who seem to look like they have their life together can go down the wrong path. Celebrities tend to struggle with this issue in life even though it seems like everything in their life is positive. According to History.com, “On June 25, 2009, Michael Jackson, one of the most commercially successful entertainers in history, dies at the age of 50 at his home in Los Angeles, California, after suffering from cardiac arrest caused by a fatal combination of drugs given to him by his personal doctor. Michael Jackson could have been under the influence of drugs for a long amount of time because his doctor was his distributor. Looking back on this traumatic time in the U.S, we as a community who are supposed to stand together need to do better and recognize the warning signs of drug abuse.
When you know of an individual who suffers from drug abuse, it is important to get them help or suede them into reaching out to rehab centers or therapy. According to MedlinePlus, “Research shows that combining medicines with counseling gives most people the best chance of success.” Experts know what is right for their patients when they know their past with certain medications. Counselors or rehab centers influence the patient in many ways. They can help the individual understand why they got addicted, see how drugs changed their lives for the worse, establish a plan to go about getting treatment, and help patients avoid triggers.
After noticing that all this research is provided to the community, I thought numbers would decrease in deaths. Rehab centers need to reach out to more individuals and provide centers in many different locations. Drugs need to get off the streets of our loved ones and doctors and pharmaceuticals need to make sure that will happen.
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