“History of IV drug use, positive for heroin and meth. HIV and Hep C positive. Constantly requests pain medication.”
What are your immediate thoughts when getting information like this in report? Most likely, it’s thoughts of judgement, disregard, lack of care and trust for the patient. Although these are valid thoughts, what about taking a step back and thinking about the reasons behind their IV drug use. What happened in their life that needs to be numbed by such harsh drugs?
Addiction is defined by the American Society of Addiction Medicine as ” a treatable, chronic medical disease involving complex interactions among brain circuits, genetics, the environment, and an individual’s life experiences. People with addiction, use substances or engage in behaviors that become compulsive and often continue despite harmful consequences.”
Everyone wants to be happy; no one chooses to do things because they know it will make them unhappy. Often times, the perfect combination of an addictive gene plus a poor life circumstance and environment leads someone to choose a substance as a coping mechanism. Society encourages people with a bad day to “go have a drink” after a rough day. So many scenarios can become the ultimate formula that leads someone to a substance and the individual then is a slippery slope into a life of addiction.
Do they choose the drug to feel good? They keep searching for that next high, but develop an increasing tolerance so they need more and more until an accidental overdose. Do they choose the drug to numb a hurt? It’s easier to drink a beer “socially” than it is to do yoga, meditate, go on a walk. It’s justifiable and becomes rationalized.
Some realize the problem, others do not admit that they have a problem. Those that want to change, now must detox safely in a facility. What started as a way to cope from a tragic event led to a life of pain and hurt from a drug that only fuels the fire.
A majority of addictions are not illegal, but trigger the same brain chemistry. Think about your own addictions and how hard it may be to break those and then compare it to a pill or form of liquid death that it’s sole purpose is to disrupt a certain brain-body signal. Addictions to sugar, caffeine, nicotine, technology…
Until next shift,
Shania