According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, 24.6 million Americans over the age of 12 used an illicit drug in 2013, up 8.3 percent from the previous year.
As addiction keeps increasing in America, so too are the number of rehabilitation centers and programs. Surprisingly though, many people turn to drugs rather than seek help from these centers. So the million dollar question is “Why?” Why do people prefer to continue with drugs rather than seek help?
The National Institute on Drug Abuse estimates that close to 50 percent of all high school students try an illegal drug before they reach senior year; they are pressured by their peers into trying drugs. And while a good number of these students may end up addicted, most of them will not want to openly talk about their problem for fear of being stigmatized. Their only solution is to continue with their addiction.
Actually, the stigma toward drug abusers in particular and mental health sufferers in general, will likely cause people to become addicts, and push addicts to get even worse. The severity of stigma on addicts will no doubt scare them away from seeking help. According to Michael Botticelli, director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, terms like “junkie” describe people “solely through the lens of their addiction or their implied personal failings. These word choices matter.”
Stigma has been identified as the main reason why addicts will turn to drugs rather than seek help.
Many of these addicts do not plan to become what they are. Many of them go through difficult psychosocial issues that result in addiction. Such conditions are painful enough for these addicts to bear. When stigmatization adds to that, thing could really extremely difficult for these people.
Love is what we need to show them therefore. Making them feel loved and accepted in the society will go a long way to help them recover from their addiction.