Socializing Norms: Are They Influencing the Drug Epidemic
Socializing Norms: Are They Influencing the Drug Epidemic
There is no doubt that drug and alcohol addiction is a serious and concerning issue in this nation right now. In fact, drug and alcohol addiction is actually worse now than it ever has been before, and continues to increase in numbers daily, creating an alarming drug epidemic in the United States.
What is the Social Impact of Drugs?
- The bonding experience. People experience a bonding effect with other users when they abuse drugs and alcohol. The social experience is powerful and the social experience often causes people to continue to use and abuse drugs and alcohol.
- Relief from stress in groups. Ever feel stressed out and then talk to someone else who is also stressed out? This is common and very true and very realistic. People who are stressed out tend to attract other people who are also stressed out. For the social experience and in an effort to address that stress, people will often abuse drugs and alcohol, even if they really should not be engaging in such substances.
- A sense of community. People will abuse drugs and alcohol together for a sense of community and to be part of the culture of drug and alcohol use and abuse.
- The allure of rebelling from the societal norm. This is another big pull to abuse drugs and alcohol, especially among young adults, teens, and adolescents.
- The lifestyle appeal of drug use. Remember when “heroin chic” was so popular? Well, there are similar trends in the nation today that create a similar appeal to use and abuse drugs and alcohol.
Using Addiction Rehabilitation to Tackle the Drug Epidemic
No matter how socially accepted drug and alcohol abuse and addiction are right now, that does not mean that it is okay to use and abuse drugs and alcohol. We have to remember that our youth are very impressionable and if something looks like fun, they are usually willing to take a chance and give it a try. Prevention is the first line of strategy keeping people free from addictive substances. If prevention fails, then the next step in beating the drug epidemic is to provide effective treatment for anyone who is in need.
A Forever Recovery is one such program that can offer an effective way out of an addiction struggle. Our program is able to help people with a lot more than just drug and alcohol addiction, but the program can also help them find a better standard of societal norms and standards. Call today at our toll-free number for more drug epidemic information.
