Lamar Odom Research Paper

Nowadays, Facebook is being used less as a social media and more as a platform for people to share their opinions on current events. One trending opinion that recently caught my attention was the one widely adopted after Lamar Odom's recent drug overdose. I noticed that this particular celebrity addict gained a good deal of sympathy from the same people that condemn the addicts on our streets and in our jails. The only difference between between the two is socioeconomic status. So why do people like Lamar Odom get national news coverage, and in some cases, get put on a reality show like Celebrity Rehab, whereas the rest of the population gets neglectful jail sentences? This is what our criminal justice system believes addicts deserve, and that's not the case. It's time for major reform on how our government handles addiction, beginning with investments in recovery rather than imprisonment. …show more content…
It is a chronic mental impairment of the brain's reward, memory, and motivation circuitry. It’s the inability to abstain from or control cravings of a substance, until the body physiologically cannot function without its presence. However, let’s focus on the term "mental impairment." Now, replace the word "mental" with the word "physical." If someone had a physical impairment, how could anyone possibly expect him or her to recover without the proper medication, therapy, or treatment? The same applies to any mental illness, but because the two manifest differently, mental illnesses are automatically dismissed as less significant. Unfortunately, those suffering with these diseases are facing the