How Poverty and Addiction Intertwine: Uncovering the Financial Toll

Abstract

Poverty and Addiction How Poverty Correlates with Addition? By: (Name) Addiction increases the risk of poverty. Not all are born poor, but rather addiction defines many people’s economic status. In my opinion, drug abuse, for instance, inflicts immeasurable effects on a person's financial status as the victim cannot balance their drug urge with healthy life demands enhancing poverty greatly. In the poverty part 2 video (module reading), it is clear that poverty is a threat to one's healthy living. It arouses undesirable urges to relive the extreme pressures and stresses associated with it, with addiction being among the most viable options. To this effect, one may choose to forget a stressful event like job pressures, family differences, or relationship shifts with an addiction to any pleasurable force like drugs and partying, which would, in return, have adverse effects on their financial status regardless of how much wealth a person may have acquired. In my opinion, something like drug addiction proves very expensive and thus can drain one's finances in a short period rendering such victims very poor in the long run. According to Cestone (1), addiction is uncontrollable craving for something regardless of the effects such engagement has on the victim. On the other hand, poverty remains defined by one's inability to meet basic needs like clothing, food, and shelter. Then how can addiction arouse poverty in the victim? Living in America amongst people of differing economic status has defined the extent of harm that addiction may have on a person’s financial position. Most drug addicts within my neighborhood are prominent people and children from very wealthy families. However, the cost of rehabilitating such victims has been too loud to ignore. One of the neighbors became mentally disabled after using so much cash to rehabilitate her husband and two sons. Unfortunately, suicide became the most viable option for the couple after struggling with the management of drug addiction and mental problems, accelerating poverty levels from profound wealth status. In my opinion, if such millionaires could lose such a status due to addiction and become so poor that meeting their basic needs becomes a problem, then addiction is a severe threat to one's well-being. It is wise to note that when one has a substance use disorder, such a victim expresses significant inabilities to remain economically productive or maintain their economic status. To this effect, such victims end up draining whatever finances they have on drugs and remain unable to gain any more finances as they nurse their addictions. According to a report by Murphy (1-5), there are three primary factors...