The Drug Epidemic is a pervasive and enduring issue that has gained
worldwide attention in the American society. In addition, the problem has
reached to its zenith in the current time and known as a drug epidemic (Volkow,
2014). According to an approximation, in the U.S due to drug overdose or
misuse, almost 170 citizens die every single day. Predominantly Opioid overdose
is significantly widely used the drug in the United States as compared to other
drugs. According to Hawk, Vaca, & D’Onofrio, (2015) in the recent 25 years,
the Opioid use in the U.S has improved from 75 million to 208 million until
2013.
The Opioid overdose and addiction are the basis of alarming consequences in the appearance of death (Barlas, 2017). Although several intervention programs have been designed and used to overcome the rising overuse of drug abuse/opioid use (McIver, 2017), unfortunately, due to ineffective ve execution of intervention, the desired result has not been achieved.
The Opioid overdose and addiction are the basis of alarming consequences in the appearance of death (Barlas, 2017). Although several intervention programs have been designed and used to overcome the rising overuse of drug abuse/opioid use (McIver, 2017), unfortunately, due to ineffective ve execution of intervention, the desired result has not been achieved.
The medical use of opioid started in early 1990 to relive the pain of
the patients, and the pharmaceutical companies’ manufactured opioid drugs as a
treatment for pain management (Cicero, & Ellis, 2017). The results of the
opioid drug were effective in pain management and rapidly widespread throughout
in the USA, but later on, the opioid began to use only for seeking enjoyments
by the teenagers (Dorp, Yassen, & Dahan, 2007).
Ultimately, many people use opioids as prescription drugs by their
doctors that increase the likeliness to use other forms of opioids such as
fentanyl and heroin for gratification. Literature suggests that pain reliever
medicine leads to drug addiction similarly Center for Disease Control (CDC),
also supported that the Opioid painkillers addiction forty times increase the probability
of addiction for heroin (CDC, 2014).
To control the problem of drug abuse and opioid overdose in the United
States several interventions have been designed and implemented. The principal
focus of the intervention was to reduce the use and availability of
prescription opioid painkillers (Dombrowski, Crawford, Khan, & Tyler,
2016). According to a substantial statistic of the United States, the drug
prescription and opioid painkiller were approximately three times more
available in the market in 2015 in contrast to 1999. Still, the federal
government has not made comprehensive policy to resolve the drug epidemic issue
(“Drug Abuse,” n.d.).
The drug abuse for personal gratification
is prevalent among teenagers because of the unfamiliarity with the troublesome
and alarming consequences of their drug abuse. The peer group also misguides
and motivates others to use the drugs, sometimes peers pressure and family
conflicts contributing cause of drug addiction. For example, the peer groups
motivate the individual for using the drugs by advertising the pleasant effect
on body and mind. The individual shows reluctant in the initial stage but later
on became the addict (Juurlink & Dhalla, 2012).
Similarly, the family conflict, the
parent-child relationship, the parent mutual relationship and sibling mutual
relationship, unfair comparison among siblings frustrate the patient, and he
fined refuge in drug addiction. Also, the proper contact with the supporting
and loyal person may help in the addicts to come out of the situation, but the
addicts avoid sharing their problem on the initial stages and seek medical help
when they have their physical and mental wellbeing.
The teenagers who become addicts of
opioid drugs often try to seek help from health care services to come out of
the phase, but due to cost and lack of resources, they face failure regarding
recovery. The lack of employment, low socioeconomic status and illiteracy also
promote the drug epidemic among youth. The treatment at the last stage of the addiction
is hard to achieve good consequences (Tiger, 2017).
Intervention Modalities for Opioid Dependency
The significant and crucial step in the
prevention of drug addiction is to contact the healthcare professional to
follow the proper course of treatment as many addiction centers are available
in America for contact 24/7 (Volkow, 2015). The communication with the
community health care organizations and professional may help the addicts to
overcome the adverse consequences. The peer group and family members of the
victim are the main responsible for taking care of the addicts. The treatment
by the community of health care professional is not merely enough to achieve
the desired result. The Government policies are also essential to control the
alarming situation.
Following are the diverse intervention
used to treat the drug epidemic
The Johnson model of intervention. It is the most effective and widely
recognized form of intervention, which mainly focuses on the personal
confrontation of the addict for the treatment purpose. The model includes the
family member to bring the positive change in the client-thinking pattern by
motivating him. The core point of this model is to make the client realized the
consequences of his action and took step towards recovery not for himself but
the loved ones (Juurlink & Dhalla, 2012). The loved one contacts the addict
in the form of a written word and made him understand his role and
responsibilities towards family and show their love. The literature is grounded
with the studies that acknowledge the positive consequences of the technique.
Field model of intervention. This method of intervention treat the Alcoholic
dependency and developed by Jane Mintz. According to this Field model, the
mental illness, stress, depression and psychological disorder are the chief
problems than just drug or substance abuse. The drug or substance addicts are
the victim of traumatic incidence, child abuse, neglect, harassments, and other
societal dilemmas (Dorp, Yassen, & Dahan, 2007). The Johnsons model, the
field model, also treats the addicts but with but with precise and advanced
methods of interventionist that entirely focus the cause of addiction and
predict how the problem can be handled. The model designs the proper management
plan for drug prevention with the collaboration of athletes, trained
psychologists, and psychiatrists.
The systemic family model of intervention. The SFMI model includes all the family
members of addicts in the management plan, not merely the victim. The recent studies indicate that the drug
abused became the addict to avoid the unpleasant situation and responsibilities
of life. The interventionist treats the patient and breaks their habit chain
for drug or opioid use, but as they again interact with society as stressors,
again they encounter relapses. This model focuses on the educating the families
to avoid those reason that instigates the patient for opioid misuse. The
education to the family about the healthy lifestyle and thinking pattern help
the addict to return their normal positive self (Juurlink & Dhalla, 2012).
Crisis Intervention Method. The mental health issues considered a primary reason
for drug abuse; the crisis intervention method proposed the intermediate
intervention and treatment to them. The addicts that are battling mental health
issues and drug abuse at the same time are considered prime candidates for this
type of intervention. This crises intervention method is mainly breakdowns the
venerable moments for addicts at instances by listening and supporting (Ling,
Mooney, & Hillhouse, 2011). According to the reports of the National
Alliance, 53% of the drug addicts have one or more severe mental illness (Ling,
Mooney, & Hillhouse, 2011).
Love the first method. This model elicits the emotional support to
intervene with the addicts in preventing opiate overuse. The feeling for the
loved one motivate the addict to prevent the addiction and for spending a
healthy life with them. The loved one may be family, friends and special one
oriented (Ling, Mooney, & Hillhouse, 2011). The interventionists play a
mediator between the loved ones and addicts to involve all of them in dealing
with the addict’s problem. Psychologists frequently practice this form of
intervention in their clinical settings while dealing with psychological
patients or addicts.
Current Intervention and Treatment. The United States Department (USD) of
health and human services is paying attention to achieving the following goals
to overcome the issue of opioid overdose and misuse (Ling, Mooney, &
Hillhouse, 2011): First of all focusing on Improving the public access to
treatment for quick recovery of the patients. Secondly, is strengthening the
knowledge through campaigns and policies regarding the drug epidemic for the
improvement of public health surveillance. Government is also making strategies
for Proposing and promoting the latest Advance and services for pain
management. It is also supporting the universities and healthcare institutions
researching the etiology, diagnosis, management, and treatment of addiction and
pain.
Role
of Government in Controlling the Drug Epidemic
The U.S literature narrates some barrier
that stops an addict from accessing the treatment plan such as the cost of
treatment, literacy, lack of awareness, neglect from family and loved ones and
stigmas. The government needs to ensure that the public has resources to avail
the medical treatment of their problems and take steps to make the health care
services easily accessible for the whole community (Haffajee & Mello, 2017).
The alarming situation imposes some
responsibilities to the Government such as to ensure that these addictive
opioid drugs are not so easily accessible and available without prescription of
the doctor. The strict action must be taken towards pharmaceutical companies
that manufacture these addictive opioid drugs and the against the doctors that
prescribe such drugs to the general population (Lobmaier, Gossop, Waal, &
Bramness, 2010). Moreover, the awareness campaign regarding drug and substance
abuse must be conducted at college, schools, offices and universities level by
the Government to overcome the misuse of drugs.
Although the Government implemented the
numerous intervention strategies, the people have failed in curbing the drug
epidemic. The CDC has proposed the guidelines to prohibit the physicians and
doctors from prescribing opioids to the patients for relieving the chronic
pain. The CDC also investigated that, the opioids are not useful in the
management of the long-term chronic pain of the individual. Furthermore, the
evidence grounded with the fact that the long-term use of opioids harms the
patients (CDC, 2014).
The U.S national institute of health is
focusing on the medical research and helping the Government to manage the
opioid overuse and abuse by discovering and sharing the innovative way of
dealing with opioid crises. NIH is paying efforts with the collaboration of
pharmaceutical companies and academic research centers to investigate the
reversal interventions and misuse or overdose drug preventions, inventing the
advance and innovative medications for the healing of opioid addicts.
Furthermore, is ensuring the
non-addictive and safe strategies to treat chronic pain (Juurlink & Dhalla,
2012). According to Ling, Mooney, &
Hillhouse, (2011), the NIH is aimed at using advanced technology and scientific
formulas to endow with solutions for the opioid overuse. Besides the medical
treatment and the Government policies multiple strategies also working for
treating opioid drug addiction such as behavioral counseling, follows up to
relapse prevention, assessment and management of the co-occurring mental health
issues, i.e., anxiety and depression with the drug abuse and the mediation and
medical devices for treating the withdrawal symptoms.
The long-term follow up essential to
maintain as relapse prevention are common among opioid addicts. The literature
also suggests that the co-occurrence of mental disorder with the drug addicts
are very prevalent among the patient. Therefore it is essential to design a
management plan which treats both the problems at the same time (Krupitsky,
Zvartau, & Woody, 2010). The community and family involvement is also an
imperative aspect in achieving the desired result.