Scientist people believe that drug addiction is an chemical imbalance in the brain, that is cause by people selfish. New evidence has shown that the reason for this rise of drug addiction is based on the environment and circumstances drug addicts are put into. Some use drugs for emotional stability and a way to enhance their ability whilst some use it for physical guidance with pain.

One of the many ways people use drugs is for emotional dependence based on their feelings of loneliness or escape from the realities of the world. Szalavitz (2016)  writes “Heroin provides a sense of comfort, safety and love”(ph. ). Szalavitz highlights the fact that heroin is a coping mechanism for the emotions that is necessary for a healthy lifestyle. To be in a constant state of feeling alone, not comfortable, and unloved is to drive someone to the brinks of insanity. Heroin is used almost like how people use chocolate or alcohol as a sense of cheering up when feeling down. Szalavitz highlights this idea by stating “People with addiction just need to learn how to redirect it”(2016, ph.  ). She highlights that yes drug addiction is a disease and that peop

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In the recent years, it has been noticeable that veterans are more likely to be addicted to opiates than non-veterans. The articles “A Growing Number of Veterans Struggle to Quit Painkillers” by Lawrence (2014), and Childress’ (2016) “Veterans Face Greater Risks amid Opioid Crisis,” both argue that veterans are in more danger of an addiction or overdose, due to the fact they are over prescribed these drugs. Szalavitz (2016) of the article, “Can You Get over Addiction?” explains that drug addiction is an issue connected with the brain, more specifically a learning disorder. Although doctors believe that opioid treatments are the best for veterans, it is in fact causing an increase in veteran addiction.

Opioid addiction among veterans occurs due to chemical dependency in the brain. Often while troops are on the field, they are injured and are handed prescription opioids by their doctors. “The troops, if they’d got hurt, they’d just shove you a bag of pills,” veteran Mike McDonalds explains (Cited Lawrence, 2014, para. 13). If the medication caused a different issue, such as drowsiness, doctors would prescribe something else to take care of that. Many young veterans are handed a list of pills and usually did not question the doctors’ orders as reported by Jim Reed, and Army Veteran (Cited Childress, 2016, para. 15). Every issue on the field is resolved using drugs which leads these patients to believe they cannot go on without them.

Addictive behavior is caused by genetic or environmental influences. the article “can you get over an addiction” by Maia Szalavitz supports this statement states that “deep, emotional learning completely alters the way you determine what matters most, which is why you remember your high school crush better than high school math” this is true because

Easy access to pain medications such as opioids has lead to drug addiction in America. This problem will continue to grow if a stoppage is not created to seek a more reliable source of treatment. In fact this is true because doctors are willingly over prescribing pain medications to individuals, that in the long run will lead to greater struggles.

Americans depend on drugs in order to deal with chronic pain, but this has negatively According to Quil Lawerance (2014) “Everything under the sun, from Adderall to Percocet to hydrocodone, oxycodone, you name it,” Mike says. ” ‘My knee is hurting.’ ‘Well here, here you go.’ Well, several of them got dependent. And I guess there’s that fine line between what’s dependency [and] what’s addiction.” In order to better the precautions used to cope with chronic pain, veterans need to take into consideration other sorts of therapy such as acupuncture, aqua therapy, pool therapy and physical therapy (para. 29).

Veterans have become addicted to opioid drugs due to the lack of restriction to these drugs in the VA centers and military camps. These opioids also have caused mental and physical damage to its victims, resulting in many people believing that there must be other methods of treatment before exposing the veterans to the risk of drug addiction.

The dependence on opiates can be rooted in the one’s lack of restriction to these drugs. Lawrence (2014) highlights that physicians that work on military bases are consistently prescribing painkillers to troops in order for them to continue their tours (para. 3). Many, if not all, troop experience moments where they are in severe pain, whether it be from the combat training or effects of the war itself. However, many of these troops believe that it is their duty to fulfill their duties and finish their tours, no matter the risks, causing many of them to be prescribes these painkillers to numb their pain. Troops dependency on these drugs would be less likely if they did not have limitless access to them. Gavin West of the Opiates Safety Program highlights “Its always easier to prescribe a pill, … there is a large arsenal for treating patient’s pain” (as cited in Lawrence, 2014, para. 26). The soldier’s discharge from the military and his addiction to painkillers caused him to struggle to find work outside of the military forces. Painkiller drugs must be a last result for treatment solely because it is the greatest risk for addiction for any person.

Similarly, Szalavitz (2016) argues that drug addiction is a neurological disorder (para. 5). She speaks about her personal experience as an addict and connects it to her argument against the harsh treatment toward these type of people. She emphasizes her view that addiction can alter a person’s mental cognition and should be treated as such.

The number of Americans that are addicted to drugs is on the rise. According to Childress (2016), “Until a few years ago, the VA was treating veterans’ chronic pain almost exclusively with prescriptions for opioid painkillers. Prescriptions for opiates spiked by 270 percent over 12 years, according to a 2013 analysis by the Center for Investigative Reporting, leading to addictions and a fatal overdose rate twice the national average” (para. 3). Americans that are battling drug addiction need better treatment options. Part of the reason for this is that doctors are continually giving patients drugs to cover up their health problems instead of finding better ways to treat it. If doctors gave patients different treatments options instead of only prescribing pills, the number of Americans addicted to drugs will decrease.

Doctors opened the door to addiction by over-prescribing drugs to their patients. Many patients that use drugs initially start using it to get rid of their pain. They do not use drugs with the intention of becoming dependent on them.

Drug addiction among veterans is a growing concern in the United States of America. This is true because veterans are increasingly getting more addicted to prescription drugs. Veterans have have unlimited access to painkillers through prescriptions, and they are not monitored in administering these drugs leading to addiction. Veterans and doctors are trying to find another method of treating chronic pain instead of prescription opioid painkillers.

A lot of veterans are addicted to prescription drugs and that is a major concern among many veterans. Doctors and medics treat troops with prescription opiates for the management pains sustained during wartime. Mike said “The troops, if they got hurt they ‘d just shove you with a bag of pills, you never got a bottle and new what was in it; you got a baggie” (as cited in Lawrence,(2014). The bag of pills are prescription painkillers that are available  and taken at any time they desire leading to drug dependency and eventually get addicted.

If doctors are more empathetic when treating their patients they can reduce the addiction to opiates. In the articles, “Veterans Face Greater Risks Amid Opioid Crisis,” (2016) Childress, ” and A Growing Number of Veterans Struggle To Quit Powerful Painkillers,” (2014) Lawrence, the authors argue that the reason opioids are used more often than natural forms of treatment is because they are both easier and quicker for the doctors to prescribe. In “Can You Get Over An Addiction?” (2016) Szalavitz, she argues that when society begins to treat drug addiction as a learning disorder, then treatment will become more focused on compassion. The addiction to opiates in America will continue to grow as long as doctors prescribe them without first testing other forms of treatment. If we dedicate time to natural forms of treatment we can reduce the addiction to the opiates and eventually eliminate it completely.

When our doctors begin to recognize addiction as something to be treated with more time, they will stop prescribing so many opioids. The doctors prescribing these drugs believe they are the only form of helping people deal with pain. Most patients are prescribed pills to deal with their pain and then they are prescribed more pills to control the side effects (Childress, 2016, p.2). This is the problem that society must change. Resulting to natural remedies such as yoga and acupuncture will reduce the patients reliance for so many pills at once. When Lawrence (2014) interviewed Gavin West, a member of the Opioid Safety Program, he said “It’s always easier to just prescribe a pill. (Lawrence, 2014, p.3). West stated that although they have tried other types of medications, they continue to go back to prescribing opiates. There is no proof that these other forms of treatment were unsuccessful. Resulting in the easiest option is the reason why so many people continue to become addicted to these drugs.

Easy access to cheap drugs has lead to drug addiction and has resulted in many fatalities worldwide. In the Editorial Board of The New York Times (2017) states “Public health officials have called the current opioid epidemic the worst drug crisis in American history, killing more than 33,000 people in 2015” (para. 2). This shows the significance of opioid abuse, which has unfortunately exceeded the number of gun homicides. Due to the lack of rehabilitation centers and poor economic status many people are not able to get the treatment they need. According to Patriquin, Hope for NH  (2016) states, “If we were to walk down the streets of Manchester, it would be a matter of time before we saw a drug deal happen. But if you call a treatment center right now, you’re going to get a waiting list for four to six weeks, on average.” This means that people are not accessible to the treatment they need, thus the number of deaths pertaining drug abuse will continue to increase.

Easy access to painkillers and heroin encourage drug addiction and overdose, leading to a lot of overdose deaths in 2015. According to reports from  Marblehead (2017), “Public health officials have called the current opioid epidermic the worst drug crisis in American history, killing more than 33,000 people in 2015” (p . 1). The number of overdose death is alarming and will increase,  and this is supported by Wooddruff.  Woodruff (2016), also reports that about 300 people died of drug overdose, and the number of drug overdose death might increase in 2016. Both articles report that easy availability of cheap drugs like heroin and fentanyl has contributed to many overdose deaths.