For a variety of reasons, a substance abuser experiences more legal problems
than the average person. The police might arrest the person for illegally obtain-
ing or possessing the medication or for driving while under the influence of the
drug. A substance abuser is exposed to unsavory characters who are involved in
the illicit drug trade. These interactions can create unsafe and violent situations
for all involved.
Denial is the most common behavior exhibited by drug abusers. Because the
addiction may be gradual and often the abuser is in an altered mental state as a
result of the effects of the drug, the individual may be unable to recognize the
addiction. As the addiction worsens, the drug abuser is unwilling to admit to
the problem and the denial continues.Healthcare Professionals and Substance Abuse
Fans of the television show “ER” will recall how Dr. John Carter became de-
pendent on pain medication that was legally prescribed to treat pain from a nearly
deadly attack he experienced in the emergency room. His dependency drove him
to steal drugs from the hospital to feed his addiction.
“ER” is fiction, but its depiction of a healthcare professional becoming a sub-
stance abuser is well founded as up to 15 percent of overall addiction to opioids
have been attributed to healthcare professionals for more than 130 years. Many
healthcare professionals who become drug abusers feel they can self-medicate
without becoming addicted because they know when to stop taking the medica-
tion. Craving for the drug quickly overshadows their critical thinking.
Healthcare professionals self-administer drugs for a number of reasons.PERFORMANCE ENHANCEMENT
Some healthcare professionals such as interns and residents are on duty for
36 hours at a stretch during which they make many critical decisions. Some
feelthey need a boost to maintain a high performance level especially after
being on duty for so many hours without sleep.SELF-TREATMENT
A healthcare provider knows how to recognize symptoms of a disease and
knows what medications are used to treat the disease so it makes sense to self-
treat when he or she becomes ill. This is especially true when the healthcare(^64) CHAPTER 4 Substance Abuse