Drug Addiction and Abuse Essay

Drug Addiction and Abuse Essay

Drug abuse has affected many families and households. Some families have family members who are addicted to prescription drugs and other members of the family are not aware. Twenty percent of people in the United States have used prescription drugs for non-medical purposes (U. S. National Library of Medicine, n. d. ). Prescription drug abuse is continuing to increase because some people think that it is fine to take prescription medicine when not needed because the doctor prescribed the medicine.

Some people think that prescription drugs are less harmful and not easily to be addictive. Other people think that it is fine to take other people prescribed medicine if he or she has the same symptoms as the prescribed person. In some family household, some parents believe it is fine to allow his or her child to take another one of the children medicine because he or she has the same problems (The Nemours Foundation, 2011). It is important for parents to make sure that his or her children cannot have easy access to someone else medicine. Drug Addiction and Abuse Essay

ORDER A PLAGIARISM- FREE PAPER NOW

For an example, if one of the children is taking medicine for ADHD, and it is causing him or her to lose his or her appetite, the other child may believe that he or she wants to lose weight so it is fine to take his or her medicine. This can cause a problem if the medicine is addictive or if it is too strong for the child who took the medicine without permission. Addiction to prescription drugs can cause several problems in a household. Some prescription drug abusers begin taking the drugs as an experiment.

He or she may want to see if he or she can obtain the same effect as the prescribed person. Prescription drugs are easier to obtain than street drugs because doctors prescribed the drugs or the drugs can be in the household because the drugs belong to another member of the family. Prescription drugs are sometimes not recognized by other people as a dangerous drug. The Centers for Disease Control conducted a survey in 2009 that showed that prescription drug abuse in continuing to increase among teen-agers (). Drug can have a serious impact on families and children.

One main problem that drug abuse can cause is children growing up in one-parent homes because of a parent incarcenration for drug-related charges. One of the most common crimes for parents to serve time in a federal prison is drug-related offenses and one-third of the parents incarcerated in state prisons stated that he or she was under the influence of some type of drug when he or she committed the crime convicted of (BJS, 2000). The percentage of drug-addicted parents reveals that many children grow up in one-parent households, live with other family members, or in foster care.Drug Addiction and Abuse Essay

Thirty-three percent of mothers and 19% of fathers incarcerated committed his or her crime to obtain money to buy drugs. Over 50% of both mothers and fathers reported that he or she has used drugs in the month before committing his or her crime. Parents have a big influence on his or her children lives. Drug abuse can run in the family. Some children believe if his or her parent used drugs, he or she will use drugs. In most households, if both of the parents are addicted to drugs, the chances of the child using drugs will increase.

Not only can drugs destroy a family financially, it can destroy a family emotionally. Some people believe that if he or she takes prescription drugs it will not affect his or her job. This is not true. If a person goes to work high on drugs he or she can cause accidents that could have been avoided if he or she was alert. Drugs can make a drug-addict become jealous of his or her loved ones, cause him or her to argue more with members of the family, cause children fear his or her parents, cause violence, or cause for separation.

Because of the violence, financial problems, and anger that can begin in the household, family members who do not use drugs can experience loss of love or hatred for the drug addicted person and leave him or her. It can also cause some family members to have emotional trauma. Members of the family, especially the children may think that he or she is not loved and turn to other people for love and attention. By the time most drug addicts realize the affect the drugs has had on his or her family it is too late.Drug Addiction and Abuse Essay

One available resource to family members who has drug-addictive family members is through counseling. Treatment Solution Network helps family members to decide if the loved one is ready to obtained the help that he or she needs to become drug-free, help the family to recognize the problem before the addict is ready to deal with it, and offers help from certified interventionist to help the family to find the peace everyone will need from the destructive patterns of addiction.

Many addicts have recovered because of his or her family involvement in helping him or her life become on the right track again. Most addicts continue to use drugs when his or her family has left him or her because he or she believes that there is nothing left in his or her life to fight for.Drug Addiction and Abuse Essay