Diagnostic Essay Examples

Improved Essays
Diagnostic Essay
According to the 2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (released in 2013), an estimated 23.9 million Americans had used illicit drugs. What does 23.9 million mean? It means almost one of ten Americans had used illegal drugs! Although the causes of drug abuse are very complex, the effect of this epidemic is clear —Drug abuse is so destructive that it’s becoming a more and more critical problem in today’s society.
First of all, all drugs are harmful to one’s physical health, even though the effect of each group of drugs is different. Drugs change the way the body normally functions. They weaken the immune system, cause cardiovascular conditions ranging from abnormal heart rate to heart attack, hurt the liver, produce
…show more content…
Many people use drugs to deal with depression or pain for the first time; after that, every time they encounter stress or pain, they feel the need for drugs. That is how they get addicted. Without drugs, they think they can’t handle their lives. The anxiety and unease make changes in their brain and bring detrimental psychological effects. The drug addicts may have hallucinations, intend to do risky behaviors, feel the desire to increase the dosage due to physical tolerance of drug effects, even lose the humanity. Also, “drug abuse and mental disorders often co-exist” (IV. Addiction and …show more content…
It is such a serious problem in the society that it’s almost impossible to completely solve it. However, there are several steps can be taken to weaken it.
Firstly, education is the first battle. Parents should frequently talk to their kids about the negative consequences of drug abuse and let kids be away from drugs. Also, anti-drug education need to be included in courses of elementary school, middle schools and high school. Moreover, in colleges, where a big part of drug activities usually concentrate, all students will receive a brochure contains general information about drug abuse and reactions that are supposed to take if they find other students have signs of using illicit drugs or associate with drug activities.
Secondly, get help from others. On the one hand, families, which have risk factors of drug abuse, like having a family history of drug abuse, living in poverty, and family member having mental problems, should ask for help from local communities proactively to prevent drug abuse. On the other hand, families that already have a family member on drugs should take the addict to a professional as soon as

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    It was surprising to read that no drug is addictive; instead, drug addictions only develop from chemical and emotional vulnerability due to past life experiences. All my life I have been told that drugs are highly addictive; but after reading this essay, I now know that addiction relates to the type of person consuming the drug. This essay taught me to not judge anyone who may have a drug addiction. I cannot stereotype these people about the type of past they have lived. Instead, I must understand that these people have issues with their past that they need to deal with to conquer their addiction.…

    • 714 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Collapse Case Summary

    • 319 Words
    • 2 Pages

    In one way or another, we all have a brother, a sister, a cousin, a classmate or even a neighbor who abused drugs. These teens cry out for help, although it may not be a verbal cry. Recognizing the tale tale signs and symptoms in these teens makes a significant difference in the outcome of drug abuse among teenagers. The best we can do to help recognize and prevent drug abuse among teenagers is to equip our selves with knowledge so we can help them early, before the situation gets out of…

    • 319 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Pleasure Unwoven Analysis

    • 949 Words
    • 4 Pages

    When an individual does drugs, I learned that our brain does not work correctly together. Our brain interprets the drugs that an individual ingests as pleasurable, so dopamine is released. This makes the human brain assume that drugs are needed for survival. Drugs change the chemistry of the brain and change what our brains perceives as our basic hierarchy of needs. After one becomes addicted to drugs their primary survival priority is drugs, followed by what non- addicted brains consider priorities, food, sex and…

    • 949 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Drugs can relate to all six components of health. Abusing drugs can physically take a toll on your body. Making skin age quicker, teeth rot and become yellow, and can most of all drain your energy. Drugs can produce mood swings and make you antisocial and depressed, which will affect your mental, spiritual, and social health aspects. Environmentally, you will be less motivated to go outside and be apart of the world.…

    • 430 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    From a sociological perspective, drugs are any chemical substance that has a direct effect on the users physical, psychological, and or intellectual functioning, has the potential to be abused and has adverse consequences for the individual/society. There are four aspects to look at when talking about drugs which are drug definitions, drug effects, drug-related behavior, and the drug experience. Unlike most people who think that a certain drug causes you to act in a certain manner because we see them behaving as such that the drug causes you to behave in such a way sociologist believe the exact opposite. Drug effect and drug related behaviors varies because of social and contextual factors. For example, it would be easier to predict what drug will to an animal due to experimentation…

    • 426 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Satire On Drugs

    • 816 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Drug abuse is a major problem in America, and it ruins many lives daily. Injecting, inhaling, and ingesting are some ways drugs enter the body. Using a drug a lot can develop an addiction. An addiction can destroy relationships, health, and families. Drugs can damage people’s health like their memory, judgement, and self-control.…

    • 816 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Drugs can become a huge health factor for teenagers who have people around them doing drugs around them and it could possibly lead that child to withdraw multiple drugs throughout their life. “After marijuana and alcohol, prescription drugs are the most commonly abused substances by Americans age 14 and older.” (What Is Prescription Drug Abuse?) as of saying that communities need to get together and try to stop actions of drug…

    • 1152 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The drug abuse has been an ongoing problem in the United States. Based on findings from the 2009 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NDUH), it has been estimated that more than 8.3 million children have been exposed to parental substance abuse in their living situation (SAMHSA, 2009). This will become a problem when these children become adults. It could affect behavioral patterns, which could lead to criminal behavioral and a safety concern to the community. Some of the drugs are associated with mental health problems, delinquency, aggressiveness and substance abuse.…

    • 1036 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Other things like peer pressure can factor into someone abusing the use of drugs. According to Dr. Lundberg, peer pressure is the “...single biggest contributing factor to drug abuse risk…” When trying to fit in people may do things that can ultimately affect their lives in the long run, and by using drugs there is the chance of addiction. Tracing back substance abuse problems to community is contrasted by environmental factors causing mental…

    • 1217 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    Drug use and abuse has been a major concern to the society for a long a time. There are myths and facts about drug abuse. Many people have been having misconception on the truth about drug abuse. This has led to many people, both old and young, to continue abusing drugs and substances. With drug abuse becoming more common in our society, many scholars have been trying to explain reasons that make people, especially young people abuse drugs.…

    • 1147 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Doing drugs does not only affect users, it also affects the family and friends of the users. Drug use can cause families to be resentful and bitter to the user. People often use drugs to experiment or to escape. Do do more harm than good. The trouble caused by drugs is far worse than any problem you’re trying to solve by taking…

    • 593 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Many parents could educate their children about how drugs could change their lives. B. School systems could have a drug information classes. C. Friends could make sure they know they can talk to them about their problems. V. Some strength and weaknesses to the developed plans. A. Some strengths and weaknesses Some strength to incarcerating drug dependent teens is that they will be removed from the people and environment encouraging drug use.…

    • 1861 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Sings of drug abuse in teenagers can easily be identity at home and school. The article “A Prescription for Danger: Prescription Drug Abuse in Teens” reports “Parents can look for include drops in their children’s grades at school, sudden behavior changes or shifts in the kinds of friends they hang out with” (A Prescription for Danger). The use and abuse of drugs are serious issues that parents should not ignore because it can lead to serious health conditions and even death. The article “RADARS: Teen prescription drug use and abuse update” also confirms that “The most common means of acquisition of these medications is securing them from friends, or family members” (RADARS: Teen prescription).…

    • 1035 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    When a person is addicted to drugs they will do anything to get them; that includes lying and stealing. The majority of people, who use drugs, will end up losing their family, friends, and jobs, causing them to become poor and in jail for criminal activity. Nowadays people are curious and want to try drugs. Depending on the type of drugs you try, they can become very addicting.…

    • 873 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    Brain changes in addicts are not abnormal, and do not prove the brain disease theory which is the first argument that drug addiction is a choice and not a disease. The overall argument in this essay is whether…

    • 1696 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Great Essays