Drug Abuse and Overdosing

Drug abuse and overdosing in United States has increased drastically effecting the economical, psychological, social, and physiological welfare of community. When we talk about economic impact meaning the cost of buying drugs, ER visit cost, and cost of prison. People spend too much money on buying prescription opioid drugs that is easily available to them through their primary care providers and insurance coverage benefits which is impacting the economy of nation. Not only this, the ER visits due to overdoing on drugs is additional along with prison cost. There are at-least 2-5 patient’s come to the Emergency Room because of overdosing on drugs every single day, not only impacting the economy of the nation but also endangering their lives. The economy of United States lost $218.1 billion dollars due to substance misuse and mental sickness in 1985. (Birkenshaw, 2014). Drug abuse not only impact person economically but also psychologically. These people suffer from intellectual damage, psychological dependence, anxiety, nervousness, depression, delusion, and paranoia with depression being the major problem. Depression occurs when person does not get enough dosage of drug to get high and not able to attain state of euphoria. People abuse drugs to get rid of depression which helps until the user is in state of euphoria. As soon as that state of euphoria ends, user goes through withdrawal symptoms which make depression even worse.

Psychological Impact: Psychological dependence occurs when person is on long term use of drugs or opioids due to some physiological reason for example cancer patients to help with cancer pain or non-cancerous chronic pain due to MVA (Motor Vehicle Accident). Anxiety, nervousness, delusion, and paranoia are all the symptoms of withdrawal that user goes through due to a long-term use of opioids for example, cocaine, marijuana etc. Not only economically or psychologically, a drug abuser also suffers socially and physiologically.

Social Impact: As the drug impact a person’s mind and body, it also impacts their social life, especially their close relationships. Because the drug is an essential part of drug abuser’s life that everything else comes after. The person who abuses drugs acts violently with his/her family to get money to fulfill drug requirement, abuse the family verbally, or even physically. This is the reason there is a high percentage of divorce because drug abusers cannot take care of their family, act violently, and in frustration family quit dealing with such a person. Drug addiction can be very exclusive to the family as the person abuses drugs reach to the point where he starts selling household things to get the next dose. Not only that to get next dose a person can even do illegal activities like robbery and lying to people to get money. There is a high risk of losing a job as a drug abuser cannot concentrate or focus on work. Losing a job can cause further depression and make a person take more drugs. The drug abuser puts his and other people’s lives in danger as they drive under the impact of drugs and often get into an accident causing death. (Ramani, Kasinathan, 2017).

Physiological Impact: When, we talk about the physiological effect, meaning the impact on a person abusing drugs physically. People often gain weight or lose weight when start abusing drugs. They start to neglect their daily activities like grooming, cutting their nails, start ignoring their family and friends, and they go through sleep disturbances. Drug addiction causes reduced memory and a reduction in intellectual abilities by damaging the brain. Not only this person also goes through withdrawal by showing symptoms of withdrawal physically when missing the dose. Withdrawal symptoms could be abnormal vital signs like High Blood Pressure, High heart rate, increase in respiration, the shakiness of hands, irritability, sweating, mood swings, violent behavior, anxiety, pin-point pupil or bloodshot eyes, and possible seizures.

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