Drug Abuse and Reprocussions Essay examples -- Substance Abuse Essays

Facing everyday problemsin these recent years many people turn to drugs as an escape from the existance they hold. Drug use has rapidly increased in the last twenty years and has become a national crises. More people are experementing with different drugs at a younger age. Due to the rapid increase in drug abuse our government has looked to rehab as an alternative to jail. When a person thinks of a drug abuser one usually pictures a person that looks like thay had just jumped out of a garbage bin. What most people do not realize is that most drug offenders are the people one spends a lot of time with. Everyday humans are abusing drugs without anyone recognizing their illness (Phillips 22). Many symptoms of drug abuse are easily recognisable. Weight loss or malnutrition are the most common, resulting when the drug abuser uses their money to pay for drugs rather than food. Exhaustion is associated with the end f a recent drug binge. Fever is caused when a stimulant or a hallucinogen increases the drug users metabolic rate. A skin flush usually accompanys the fever. Gooseflesh and sweating are associated with withdrawl and rashes, dilated pupils, and a runny nose are usually correlate with any drug use (Cohen 308-309). Along with these symptoms come the various different reprocussions affiliating themselves with each different drug taken. These results ra nge from headaches to death. With all the possible side effects one may wonder why people think drugs are worth all the trouble they are. Most people start out doing drugs to feel good or to fit in. Early users had easy access to medicine that made them physically dependent on that drug and others used drugs as an only escape from a hopeless existance (Compton’s 275). Teenagers experiment with drugs to find out about the world thay live in for themselves, to prove their self worth, and to experience as much as possible. They want to try something daring to prove their oun fearlessness, to have fun, act older, or to be accepted (Phillips 22). In the 1950’smore people af all classes and occupations began to use mood changing drugs both legally and illegally (Compton’s 275). These drugs were used to induce sleep and relaxation. Other drugs gave the user a feeling on exileration. Whether the drug was used to help the user sleep or the get the person high, they all effect the person’s nervous system and cause an... ...rug abuse interested in thier programs. What was found was a greater enthusiam than expected. After ordered into either residential or out-patient treatment the drug offender goes through the initial withdrawal symptoms (Woodcook). After the first terrifying part of withdrawal over the drug abuser is able to find out what it is like to be drug free again. A desire to stay abstinant is surpiisingly the main reason for success in rehabilation facilities. During the rehabilation process the drug offender will be tought all there is to know about their drug and all the alternatives to taking the drug. A helping hand to the recovery process is work. Any type of gratifying work that will keep the offender’s mind off their addiction is acceptable. Not only does this oppurtunity give the drug offender an alternative to doing drugs but it also helps the drug offenter lose contact with their drug friends, keep his or her mind off the drugs that, until then, controlled their life, an d helps the drug offender make new, clean friends (Cohen 308-309). This also encourages the offender to stay clean. There are times this process does not work. In that case the drug offender is sent back to jail.