This proposal is going to investigate the how and why of drug abuse. I plan to investigate why people abuse drugs and how they become addicted in the first place. It is important to understand the causes and effects of drugs on humans. This is an issue that has no specific target, but many victims.
Who is most susceptible to opioid addiction? Why? How does one become addicted? Why is researching opioid abuse important? Why should one care? What are opioids and what makes them so addictive? These are all questions I intend to answer in the final paper. Knowing the answers to these questions can help bring awareness to the lives lost to addiction and those in danger of becoming addicted. It is also important to educate others who may know addicts or are in danger of becoming addicts. This proposal is not only educational, but it can inspire others to seek rehibilitation. Opiates are very often administered by doctors, which opens the many doors to drug abuse and the world of many different drugs. Before investigating these questions I must first investigate what opiate addiction is and its side effects. I plan to investigate specific opiates like oxy, morphine, codeine, and fentanyl, the most common. Personality traits and disorders are great contributing factors towards addiction. Drugs are known to alter cognitive abilities like decision making and judgment, which is an important contributing factor to increased drug use. The more severe their condition, the more likely they are to adopt a dependency to opiates, more commonly prescribed. As well as genetic factors however, the biological aspects of these effects on the brain specifically will be difficult to understand. I need to find out what opiates are the most addictive and the most commonly prescribed, as well as who is at the greatest risk of addiction and why they are. There are certain behaviors and influences that build up to drug abuse and I need to research the contributing factors to drug addiction in general before diving deeper into the specific demographics.
Too many people fall victim to drug addiction and even worse die from it. A lot of these people are viewed as just another junkie or addict, but it goes deeper than that. Many also use drugs to cope, or just for fun, but why damage your body mentally and physically when there are other healthier ways to heal. None of these people are born addicts, some may be born with dependency but it is not by their choice. This is relevant to my career choice because I want to study forensic psychology, which is why I chose to research this topic and I find it very interesting. In today’s society many young adults are falling victim to drug addiction and many lives are being lost from it. I’ve witnessed these victims being simply labeled as addicts when it is way more than that. These people needed help but didn’t get it, so I chose this topic because it can help anyone out there who feels they are at risk or know anyone who is. It’s particularly compelling since I’m a young adult and live in a society where drugs are so easily accessible, it’s important to recognize the risks and dangers of opiate use, even if it was prescribed by a doctor. The prescription doesn’t change the level or risk of addiction and many are blind to that.
I know that people are prescribed certain opiates and become dependent on them, but addiction goes deeper than that. Opiate addiction impacts people from adolescence to adulthood, especially those who suffer from injuries or and illnesses. I also know that drugs damage your brain especially when it’s still developing, for example babies in the womb and all through adolescence. People grow up or reside in unhealthy environments that abuse drugs which heavily influences them, a gateway to drugs and on to addiction. However, some people are mentally ill and are more vulnerable to becoming addicts.
