Domino Effects and Drug Abuse

It’s been called a “fumble”. The President has said the fault is “on me,” and that he “feels deeply responsibly for making it harder for them, rather than easier for them.” His signature healthcare plan has fallen through, and the effects have been devastating.

Obamacare is now looked at as a joke, rather than something that was intended to help provide healthcare to Americans. As the new website was rolled out over a month ago, its poor functioning and numerous bugs made it impossible for people to sign up for the healthcare they were promised. As a matter of fact, only approximately 26,000 people nationwide were able to apply for Obamacare through the website during the entire month of October. That is less than the population of most small cities.

The Real Danger

As The White House quickly scrambles to fix the site and change Obamacare to meet the needs of the public, it is unsure when these modifications will be completed – leaving countless Americans without a working healthcare plan. This “fumble” has the potential to cause an incredible amount of harm to individuals nationwide, as they will be unable to receive the healthcare they need to remain well. As a result, many might start doing whatever it takes to feel better – both mentally and physically. For some, this can mean abusing drugs as a form of self-medication.

Some of the many ways in which a lack of proper healthcare can influence drug abuse can include the following:

• Those who require prescriptions are more likely to start using illicit and illegal drugs to self-medicate their health needs, as they are unable to obtain legal prescriptions from a pharmacy without healthcare.
• Those who battle mental illness and do not have insurance will not be able to receive psychiatric care, which can make the symptoms of their disorder(s) worsen, and eventually cause an increased interest in substance abuse.
• The stress that comes from not having healthcare can become so overwhelming, that individuals begin abusing drugs to help cope with their anxieties and fear of not being covered should they (or their loved ones) require medical assistance.

In addition, if an individual who does not have healthcare develops a drug abuse problem as a result, it will not only affect him or her, but also those around him or her. The fallout of Obamacare has a tremendous potential to create a domino effect that could take decades to fix. Therefore, it is critical that revisions are made quickly and effectively, or else our country could be facing an increase in drug abuse over the next few months.