Substance Abuse: What if...

Even if you do not personally know of a person struggling with a substance abuse problem, we are all affected by it. We tend to focus on just the user when talking about substance abuse and addiction. But let’s stop for a minute and look at the other aspects of abuse.

When it comes to substance abuse, we tend to hold a negative view, blaming the user for their so called “moral downfalls.” What if we stopped and asked ourselves why a person started using drugs in the first place? Substance abuse and addiction are multifaceted; there is no single factor in addiction. While not all abusers become addicts, drug abuse does lead to addiction.

There are many paths that lead to addiction. While most people originally start substance use recreationally and for fun, it can quickly get out of hand. Some pathways to addiction include social and familial interactions, genetic predisposition, age at first use, method of use (injection, smoking, etc), and environmental factors. We must not forget that because a person initially chose to use a substance, doesn't mean they choose to continually use.

Of special note, one aspect of substance use is an undiagnosed mental health condition. Some individuals with a mental health disease use illicit substances to self-medicate. This can be for a variety of reasons; one example is that they do not have access to mental health services.

Addiction is a disease that, depending on the drug, can permanently change the brain’s structure and processes. It can also affect speech, memory, anxiety, and cause other mental health problems. The reasons a person started using drugs is an important factor when developing a treatment action plan for the individual. It is important to focus on the individual as a whole person and not “some junkie” addicted to a certain drug.

Now let’s look at how it is all connected. A person who is addicted to drugs, drives impaired (drugged driving) and is in a traffic accident. Whether or not a person is injured or killed, the resources and outcomes of that event resonate to different agencies. The paramedics and police become involved. Traffic is stopped and backed up; the emergency personnel are put in danger responding to the car wreck. Depending on whether or not a person is killed or extremely injured depends on the care they receive. Hospital personnel and possibly the coroner’s office become involved.

After the immediate emergency is over, law enforcement reconstructs the scene and makes arrests. The impaired driver now enters the judicial system. They can stay there for years depending on the severity of the wreck. This costs tax payers money.  If the individuals do not have auto or health insurance, your premiums will go up. If this wreck caused loss of life or limb, what of the victim’s family? How are they doing? What if a rescue worker was hit?

This is only one example of how everything is connected. We are all in the midst of addiction and most of us have no clue. Addiction affects all aspects of society. Addiction is indiscriminate. By addressing the many avenues of abuse and creating a safe place for honest dialog, we can help those who need it most.

What if...


*If you would like to become involved in addressing substance abuse in Winnebago County, we have the Substance Abuse Committee and the Winnebago Co. Heroin Task Force. We also be holding the Inaugural Rethink Addiction Run 5k September 13, 2014. For more information go to our webpage.