Sometimes we as a society tend to isolate people who need our care and help the most. These people could be anyone who is not part of the normal crowd in the room or someone deviated.

These individuals could be someone who doesn’t have control over their situation and cannot be really blamed for it e.g people with diagnosed mental disorders or it could be someone who is responsible for his own condition e.g. alcohol or substance abuse addicts. Especially those who are struggling with their disease.

The USA has seen a surge in substance abuse cases over the past years and one city that in specific has reported numerous substance abuse cases is Florida.

What the Statistics Say…

According to reports, approximately 8% of Florida citizens consume illicit drugs at any given point in time, which approximately means 1.5 million Floridians.

The data from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that almost 93,000 people died due to drug overdose in the USA in 2020. Out of this number 7,579 were people from Florida, making Florida to rank second in nationwide overdose deaths.

Many of these cases are very common in Tampa city in Florida. A national survey report by Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA) in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater area released some figures relating to drug abuse.

The report showed that 13.9% of people aged 12 or older used illicit drugs such as marijuana annually and 8% had a substance use disorder. It also reported that 24.5% smoked cigarettes monthly, and 23.2% engaged in binge drinking.

These statistics show that drug abuse cases in Tampa, Florida are growing worrisome and they need to be handled in a systematic way.

There is a need for regular drug test Tampa Fl to assess the situations and to device ways to discourage addictive behaviors

How Can Substance Abuse Affect the People of Tampa

Substance Abuse and Drug addiction is known for causing numerous personal and social issues. The person involved in substance abuse causes problems for himself as well as affects people and the world around him too. Some of the issues caused are:

• Depleted Health: Use of substance deteriorates physical, mental and overall health by affecting organs like liver, heart and brain and by causing mood swings, anxiety and depression
• Concentration Problems:use of drugs also cause concentration problems in abusers by altering brain functions and by disrupting neurotransmitters that help transfer signals in the brain.
• Workplace Issues: Concentration problems among drug or alcohol addicts are seen in the workplace too. It impairs focus, judgment, and productivity, leading to mistakes, and reduced quality of work. Use of drugs also causes risk at the workplace i.e. putting yourself and others at risk.
• Strained Relationship: The irritability, mood swings and other issues like becoming irresponsible and prioritizing substance use over everything else strains the user’s relationship with their loved ones like family, partner or friends.
• Avoidance by people around: Friends, family and other people around the abuser start to distance themselves from them because of disruptive or sometimes harmful behaviors. They don’t feel safe around them anymore.
• Indulgence in Crime: Abusing substance is already an illegal activity and therefore a crime. But most addicts don’t just stop here. They become a part of various criminal behaviors like robbing or theft – in some cases to get money for buying more drugs or alcohol, in other cases they commit a crime while still drunk.

Hitting the Rock Bottom

Despite everything the world is not always a dark place….

Some people while in the midst of their substance abuse journey either hit a rock bottom, where they find no other option than to rise again or life itself hits them so hard that they want to change their behavior patterns once and for all.

Some reports show that more than 24,000 people in Florida sought professional help for alcoholism between 2015 and 2016. Almost 18% of those were individuals between the ages of 18 and 25.

This shows the positive side of the people of Tampa who are stuck but still somehow want to pull themselves out of this darkness. We as a society should keep an eye out for the people who we see are struggling with issues like drug abuse and want a way out of this.

Ways Drug Addicts Can be Helped

• Family Support: the backing and support from the family is the most needed thing that rehab patients need during their treatment. Concern, time and a few words of encouragement from their family can go a long way for these patients.
• No Judgements: if someone was an addict and now they are seeking help, the last thing they need is someone reminding them of their past or being harsh towards them during the treatment. Patient’s family and friends should be the most motivated ones to make the treatment a success so they can see their loved one living a better life.
• Educate Yourself: The supporters around the patients should Learn more about addiction to understand what they’re going through and to be ready to offer informed support
• Support Relapse Prevention: In case they derail, don’t react in the way that will motivate them to indulge further into addictive behaviors. Understand if they relapse, encourage them to keep trying, and celebrate small victories in their recovery journey.
• Encourage taking Drug Tests: This would keep their addiction behaviors in check. When they know they have to go through regular drug tests they would be more responsible and take treatments seriously.

This Article Is Your Sign

If you are someone who is themselves going through substance abuse and has started taking treatments or is thinking about taking one then take this article as a sign that you must keep going on.

With the new year approaching, make a pact with yourself that you will improve your habits and try to avoid old patterns as much as possible. If you derail and are worried that you might have consumed something in the moment of weakness, then be sure to get yourself a drug test and ask for help as many times as you need.

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