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Luke McCandless
Connie Douglas
UWRT 1102
14 February 2016
Proposal

What is a mental illness? It impacts a persons feeling, thinking, or mood, and may affect
ones ability to function on a daily basis. When we think of mental illness, todays most common
disorders come to mind. Schizophrenia, Bipolar Depression, ADHD, and multiple personality
disorder are all examples. But what about drug addiction? By definition, drug addiction changes
the brain in fundamental ways, disturbing a persons hierarchy of needs and desires. This carries
all of the same concepts of a mental illness. Does this mean those with a diagnosed drug
addiction should be treated the same as those with a mental illness? I am researching this topic to
find out how and why the government is not doing more to provide a solution to this problem.
In America, 23.5 million people are addicted to drugs. Thats around one in every 10
Americans over the age of 12. 70% of those who are addicted to drugs are or have been to jail or
prison. Around 50% of children who are exposed to drug addiction end up in a life of crime. And
almost 80% of children born from a mother with a drug addiction have severe developmental
disorders, even mental retardation. These percentages are still rising each year. This is because
only 11 percent of those who are addicted receive treatment. Treatment is expensive for someone
with a diagnosed disorder, but insurance can cover up to 37 percent of costs. However, insurance
will only cover 10 percent of any addiction treatment, not including out-of-pocket expenditures.

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The more people that can afford treatment, the more treatment there will be. If more and
more people receive treatment, the affects of drug addiction in society will decrease. Not only
will this benefit those with drug addiction, but those exposed to it. Families can be in a safer
environment, and the risk of children being born from a drug abusive mother will be smaller. The
government spends millions on the war on drugs, some of that can be spent helping those
affected from drug use alone.
Surveys show that the majority of those who suffer from drug addiction live in poverty.
The average cost of treatment is around $24,000 per person, which clearly supports why only 11
percent receive treatment in the country. If the government could spend more money towards
helping those who cannot afford treatment, rather than improving treatment facilities, I believe
the percentage would decrease rapidly. Also, if private insurance could cover the same amount of
costs for addiction treatment as any other mental illnesses, it could benefit the financial strain.
To conduct research I plan to use websites and articles provided by institutions and the
government. I will use reliable statistics, most of which are coming from departments with a lot
of experience in my line of inquiry. This may include the psychology and biology departments.
The research conducted will be used on my website as a part of my research blog. The blog will
allow me to give examples from different sources showing the different views on my line of
inquiry.
Whether or not drug addiction is considered a mental illness, it still takes a toll on society.
And I believe the government could be doing much more to find a solution to the problem.
Nothing good can come from using drugs, and those that have decided to take that path can be
pitied, but that doesnt mean those and those affected should be ignored and neglected.
.

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