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Substance Abuse

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Submitted By AMJackson
Words 764
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| Human Services Needs | BSHS/355 | Alana Waer
3-2-2015
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For those who haven’t suffered from a chemical dependency or aren’t known as a substance abuser, one might think that the disease is brought on by only one person, the user. That is a quick judgment and is accurate, but there is more to the disease than simply being a “user”. Addiction is a disease that is passed along through genetics and effects generation after generation. It not only effects the abuser, but effects the family members and friends surrounding that person. Unless there is a person in the family tree to break the vicious cycle of addiction, the ailment continues to win. According to "National Institute Of Drug Abuse" (n.d.), “too often, addiction goes untreated: According to SAMHSA's National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 23.2 million persons (9.4 percent of the U.S. population) aged 12 or older needed treatment for an illicit drug or alcohol use problem in 2007. Of these individuals, 2.4 million (10.4 percent of those who needed treatment) received treatment at a specialty facility (i.e., hospital, drug or alcohol rehabilitation or mental health center). Thus, 20.8 million persons (8.4 percent of the population aged 12 or older) needed treatment for an illicit drug or alcohol use problem but did not receive it. These estimates are similar to those in previous years.”
The reason for my focus on substance abusers is the prevalence of it in my family. Until recently, I had not realized how much an addiction to a substance can take over someone’s life. I am personally lucky that I am able to avoid becoming an addict my realizing the severity of it in my immediate family and not letting it lead my life. Substance ranges from sugar and carbohydrates to alcohol or hard drugs such as heroin, amphetamines and barbiturates. Unfortunately, in this day and age, it

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