It used to be uncommon to talk to someone who has been affected by drug addiction. Whether it be themselves, a family member, or a close friend, over the past year it seems that almost everyone has been touched with addiction in some way. Substance abuse continues to rise as addictive painkillers and heroin continue to increase in popularity across the country.
In West Virginia, 34 out of every 100,000 deaths are related to drug overdose. This is said to be the highest in the nation. An article from the Daily Athenaeum, around this time last year, was reporting the same problem, and it only continues to rise.
Young adults are given prescription drugs not realizing how addictive they are, and before they know it, they have a problem. When doctors start to cut off on renewing the prescription drug, patients turn to the streets to get their fix.
Drug addiction effects everyone surrounded by the addict. Although the addict doesn’t realize it, addiction takes a toll on their family that is truly indescribable.
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The addict feels extreme pain. Family and friends feel extreme pain. Soon everyone becomes selfish and thinks their pain is the worst. Take a look at The Selfish Truth Behind Addiction, a collaborative post by Emily Arcuri and myself, to hear about our personal experience with an addict.
U.S. Senator Joe Manchin will be holding an event on Monday, October 24th to discuss the University’s response to the recent addiction crisis in West Virginia. You can find more information on this event here.
West Virginia University is trying to educate students on this topic by offering a 2 credit class in Spring of 2017 for those interested in learning more about illicit drugs. “The taboo nature of illegal drugs and their illicit use makes for a fascinating story of history, culture, medicine, and the ongoing challenge of identifying the drugs being used and abused by the American populace. With nationwide deaths from overdose at an all-time high, there’s no better time for everyone to learn about “killer chemicals”.” If you have any questions about the course you can contact the instructor Dr. Rachel Mohr at rmmohr@mail.wvu.edu.
To learn and understand more about addiction check out the blog The Memoirs of an Addicted Brain. Marc Lewis does an impeccable job at comparing addiction to other problems around the world. He also shares his own personal substance abuse experience while still shedding light on a problem that is slowly taking over the country.
Mountaineer Health 