This article made me think of how terrible the Native Americans are living now. In the past, Native Americans were once a proud people who lived in harmony with nature and they thrived off of the land and the animals from which they hunted to sustain them. The Lakota Sioux tribes for example would use every part of the American Bison from which they hunted. They would not only eat the meat and organs but they would also use the bones as new weapons and tools and the tendons as bow strings, and also the hide for their tepee homes. Now in the present day with their very way of life taken away from them, they turn to drugs to deal with all that they have lost. Not only is drug abuse a problem, but also spouse abuse was. The amount of spouse abuse was alarming to me because in one tribe it said that 55% of the wives in the tribe reported that they have been abused at least once; that is over half of all the married women! The other problem with the tribes is that there are no clinics or institutions near them that would help with any of their problems. So there obviously needs to be something done to change these numbers. -MickSwagger456
This was very interesting article because one second when you hear they would eat meant and use that as some kind weapons and tool. I think that very different because you usually don't hear that kind stuff or hear people think like that noways. Its very sad to hear a lot married women getting abuse and i just hate those kind things. Also the other big problem is a place out there would help out and i think something need be done more support maybe. -Panther456
I agree, like I always been told how native Americans lived the good life compared to us an how they did not have many problems. This article made me realize that they suffer from drugs just like us they are not much different from us in ways. Then I like how you mentioned they don’t just suffer from drug problems but also spouse abuse. The people there are really going through serious problems and it is many the women which is sad. Then since they live tribe like you said there is little to no help. Like in the US there plenty clinic or safe homes people could go to but everybody is not that privileged. -jolly rancher
I agree with you. It used to be about harmony now it is not. They are suffering from serious problems that people on the outside looking in is just ignoring. They are suffering from so much with little help and its outrageous. Everyone should e treated fairly no matter where they live. (Equality 123)
This was very interesting article because one second when you hear they would eat meant and use that as some kind weapons and tool. I think that very different because you usually don't hear that kind stuff or hear people think like that noways. Its very sad to hear a lot married women getting abuse and i just hate those kind things. Also the other big problem is a place out there would help out and i think something need be done more support maybe. -Panther123
Reading this article was interesting, but at the same time made me mad. This article shed light on what others may not even consider to be real. I didn’t think that people would use meats and stuff as weapons, I found that very interesting. However I feel more needs to be done to help women. Their needs to be a way women can get away from their significant others without feeling vulnerable. Its troublesome when one tries to go get help and the significant others follows just to watch them closely. That's basically saying that their life is not their on. Another thing is that they drug them on purpose to have more control. Native American and Rural Women should feel just as important as other women do. Opiods can led to death, I feel that they turn to these to make their body numb in a way. There’s help out there, just not enough people doing enough to help. Accessing treatment should not be limited, but it should be everywhere. One thing the article mention is that if he or she has a car it could take 2-3 hours to make it to treatment. Not only is that bad and unhealthy, but what about people who don’t have cars? Is it just forget them or what? There isn’t even public transportation to help them out. A treatment facility should be close for everyone. It should not take that long to receive treatment and public transportation should be an option as well. (Equality 123)
I found what you had to say interesting and very insightful. I would like to know what you would do if you were in charge of handing out money to combat the opioid problem in America. Specifically I would be interested in what programs would be funded in rural and Native American Communities. I also, would like as to what treatment options best suit there community. What do you think will be the next drug problem to hit America? What did the article over report and underreport? Lastly, what can be done to drop the dependence people have to pain reduction medications?--Acquit456
Reading this article was interesting. It was also in depth. This article also shed light on Native Americans and Rural Woman. It let one in on what they go through on a basis. It also shed light on why opioids is such a crisis in these areas.I found it interesting how their past life and now is. However I feel more needs to be done to help women. Women are already feeling vulnerable while with their partner, they shouldn't feel vulnerable while away from them as well. Its troublesome when one tries to go get help and the significant others follows just to watch them closely. That's basically saying that their life is not their on. They should not need permission to when and where they can go. Another thing is that they drug them on purpose to have more control. They are under the influence which makes them even more weaker. Their brains are already not thinking straight and to have their partner use that as an advantage is sick.Native American and Rural Women should feel just as important as other women do. Opiods can led to death, I feel that they turn to these to make their body numb in a way. There’s help out there, just not enough people doing enough to help. If people with higher power stepped in to intervene I think the situation can improve for women. Accessing treatment should not be limited, but it should be everywhere. One thing the article mention is that if he or she has a car it could take 2-3 hours to make it to treatment. Not only is that bad and unhealthy, but what about people who don’t have cars? Is it just forget them or what? There isn’t even public transportation to help them out. A treatment facility should be close for everyone. It should not take that long to receive treatment and public transportation should be an option as well. (Equality 456)
This article was real interesting and made me not be closed minded towards people who use this drug or any drugs. I always a be like oh so an so on drugs why would they do that. I realized not just from this article but from friends as well that people do drugs to cope with their problems. I feel like the news do a horrible job at keeping those victims image up. When I hear about an opioid overdose on the news its like the news people care but at the same time they leave me thinking to myself like just another crack head or another pill popper. This article is real deep because before I had friends that did drugs like I said I was closed minded about the situation. Like I have male friend who do xans everybody that do not know him call him a crack head or a pill popper without evening knowing his story or why he does it and I know them women get looked at the same way. It’s sad that all those women must go through that to cope with their problems. It just shows that women need to leave those toxic relationships when they see the first signs of it getting to be toxic. Since they know it is a problem there I feel like they should have commercials to try to prevent it. I feel like any where around the world the mental places should insure those women or men that drugs will not end their problems it just will kill them slowly. Since they know that about West Virginia they should be talking about what to do now instead of making an excuse saying they are around mountains to be it sound like if they know it is a problem they should be trying hard to put up safe houses or something to that kind to help those people. -jolly rancher
When I got done reading article i was very sad because one of the thing i was kind shock to see how the Native American women was highest risk of deaths. These Native American women can take no more so than they turn to drugs for the pain because nobody want to help them out and there no other way out. The legal system is a joke because it don't really help the one's one who really need the help like the one trying get away from being sexual assault or domestic violence. I had do see what drugs do to people your loves can mess up your life because i someone throw your life way if it let you. Another problem is a lot times these women have no cell phone or internet connection so how do they expect them to get help if nobody what going on. Or they have no car or a way to get someone help if they need it. I think they need more support and thing like treatment programs who would like help. They have some treatment just 2- 3 hours away and that to far foe people with no way of reach them. How do they expect you to get to them bye walk to them and if you do that bye than they will end pass out. You also have the other problem is their partners want to control them because they want all the power . They don't want them to get clean or try have normal life because they are scared what would happens if they did. -Panthers456
I agree with what you are saying. It was shocking to me that these Native American women are not getting proper help from the government. There is a local clinic from 2 to 3 hours away from where they are located, but they do not have public transportation to go there, and not everyone has a vehicle. Even they want to call for help; they have no cell phone or internet connection. They use drugs as a pain reliever from their abusive partner because nobody wants to help them. They do not suppose to feel scared from their partner and being control by them. -Chopper456
To be honest the Native Americans as a whole have had it rough. They were introduced to things such as alcohol, and opioids. It does not make sense to me, that the whites who arrived here in the 15th and even 16th century could have hammered out some kind of fair deal with all the Native American Tribes. So no one got screwed over, and the Natives today would be much better off and would be able to combat, any and all types of abuse, and addictions. Not providing proper assistance, education, job training and placement programs in Native American Communities. Brings about increased alcohol and drug abuse. The cycle has to end somewhere. The article also mentioned rural Appalachia, and West Virginia. These are two areas hit hardest by the opioid problem in America. The problem with not having proper telecommunication and internet services. In rural areas and mountainous such as Appalachia, even boredom leads to drug use, when people can not get online. In rural areas where cities and towns are smaller, there is less to do, meaning there is more trouble people can get into, and a higher chance of crimes being committed. In other words people who are using could be doing something a lot more positive with their time. That will happen only if attention to the reasons being addiction are addressed more readily. People have to help themselves, and those around. No one should wait, for some governmental agency to swoop in, and do something. Where do we go from here? Where did we go wrong and what did we ignore? Are two big questions that need to be addressed. A lot is left to be learned, so that the next major drug addiction to hit America can be better handled. If not now, then when?--Acquit456
To me this is not that surprising that the Native American women and women in rural areas are the ones most affected by this. The Native American women and the Native American people in general have been through a lot on this planet. We (meaning the white settlers) just came into their homeland and invaded it and basically kicked them out so we could live here and for the ones that didn't leave they were killed. Even today they are still being kicked off their land by our government. We have special Indian reserves for people to live on but yet as a government and as a country that is "proud of our past" we don't support these areas good if at all really. These areas also have their own type of law enforcement that will enforce their tribal law and many times cases and complaints go unreported. Its just like any other person people that turn to drugs most likely have been abused, forgotten or forced to do so and for these women in the Native American tribes this is their "escape" from reality. For women in rural areas they are for more likely than the average city person to be hooked on drugs and do illegal activities and not just women but anyone who lives in rural areas. People that live in rural areas don't worry about getting caught doing illegal acts because there usually is now law enforcement patrolling around there regularly. Also, the majority of these crimes are not done in the public eye they are usually done inside their own home behind their walls where no one can see and no one really cares what you do inside your house as long as your not harming anyone. This study did not surprise me neither did the victimization rates of the women being abused and or raped. NDIrish123.
I agree with what you are saying that the Native American people have gone through a lot in their lives, and the lives of their ancestors. They have been tortured and controlled by other people and i'm sure that this caused them to become very angry. This anger can sometimes get lashed out and those who are targeted are the women. They do not really have a say in their culture and can not do much about what happens to them. Wings456
To me this is not that surprising that the Native American women and women in rural areas are the ones most affected by this. The Native American women and the Native American people in general have been through a lot on this planet. We (meaning the white settlers) just came into their homeland and invaded it and basically kicked them out so we could live here and for the ones that didn't leave they were killed. Even today they are still being kicked off their land by our government. We have special Indian reserves for people to live on but yet as a government and as a country that is "proud of our past" we don't support these areas good if at all really. These areas also have their own type of law enforcement that will enforce their tribal law and many times cases and complaints go unreported. Its just like any other person people that turn to drugs most likely have been abused, forgotten or forced to do so and for these women in the Native American tribes this is their "escape" from reality. For women in rural areas they are for more likely than the average city person to be hooked on drugs and do illegal activities and not just women but anyone who lives in rural areas. People that live in rural areas don't worry about getting caught doing illegal acts because there usually is now law enforcement patrolling around there regularly. Also, the majority of these crimes are not done in the public eye they are usually done inside their own home behind their walls where no one can see and no one really cares what you do inside your house as long as your not harming anyone. This study did not surprise me neither did the victimization rates of the women being abused and or raped. NDIrish456.
Sometimes I feel like our people (white settlers) are way too proud of ourselves. The Native Americans should receive more recognition for making American land how it is today. They were the ones watching over this land before we had laid any eyes on it. The women of this culture used to be treated with respect and dignity, and it shocks me that they are now basically treated like garbage. I am, on another note, glad that this issue is being recognized by the public. I think that if this kind of story was published and recognized worldwide, then many would flock to the aid of these people in need. ThisPrincessSavesHerself456
After reading this article, my eyes were opened up to the huge opioid epidemic surrounding the Native American population. When I think of Native Americans, I think of an extremely pride driven people, proud of the land that they own and of the culture that they all stand extremely high by. I never would’ve thought that domestic violence, drug abuse and sex trafficking would expose the Native American population to a darker side of the world. Unfortunately, many of these people cannot get the help they deserve because of the amount of abuse they are succumbed to. I cannot believe that many of these people are in relationships that hinder the growth of one another. I remember reading an article in high school about how Native American culture was about treating everyone as an equal, including women and children. Women were allowed to treat land, plant crops, and hunt alongside their husbands. The children were also taught at a young age to hunt to provide for the tribe they belonged to. I am also upset that there are not more clinics around to help the Native American people in West Virginia and surrounding regions. There should be clinics not only to help with the skyrocketing drug addictions, but also to help those who are being controlled by abusive spouses as well. Since West Virginia is mainly mountains, it’s understandable that there aren’t as many clinics around, but other residents could also step up and take a hand, right? Many of these people are just not safe in their own homes! It shocks me that spouses actually encourage drug abuse in order for women to stay with them and not receive the help that they desperately need. On another note, what about kids in this community and culture? Are there any kids that are getting involved with drugs early, or that are also being abused by parents or guardians? While I am fearful for the women of this community, I am also worried about the children and how they are being treated in this kind of environment. ~ThisPrincessSavesHerself456
Native American have always had a rough life ever since their land was invaded when colonists came over to this “new” land. They lived a peaceful life, living off of the land and using the resources they got from the earth to its full potential. Once white people came over the Native Americans trusted them to not interfere with their way of life. That did not last long and soon they were being oppressed and losing their land. This still continues today as Native American’s land has been made smaller and smaller here in our country. Their culture is very different from a normal American culture. Crime is widely accepted, and women are not respected like they should be by their significant others, and others in general in the community. Women are taken advantage of by the male Native Americans and are abused physically and mentally. These women, who are hurting, try taking opioid drugs in order to try and relieve some of the pain they are experiencing. They easily become addicted to these drugs since they are highly addictive because of their affects. Once they are addicted they will go to great lengths in order to get more of this drug and they become dependent on it. Native American Women go through physical and mental torture all the time but do not have anywhere to go for help. The law enforcement in these reservations is reserved to the Native American police forces in their specific areas. These officers are corrupt and will not enforce laws a lot of the time and just not really call attention to the problem at hand. These women need a way to feel safe and be able to talk about these problems and try to work towards a solution that can help them be able to live a better life. Wings456
I completely agree with you. For a very long time the Native American people were a very proud group of people. Through the last couple hundred years there land has been taken away and some of them even relocated. It is a completely different world for them that we cannot really relate to. It is crazy like you said how these Native American women are just in times beat on and put down by the men in their society. So it would be very easy for them to get hooked on drugs as a escape from reality. That would also be a reason some men have so much control is because the men could control those drugs. Trojan456
After reading this article, it makes me think what kind of help we are giving the Native American women to fight sexual violence and violence from their partner and the opioids epidemic. Native American females and women in rural communities suffer the highest risk of deaths from opioids, and other drugs are an issue that is not being given some attention. According to National Institute of Justice in 2016, they found that more than 84 percent of Alaska Native and American Indian women had experienced some form of violence in their lifetime in which 55 percent experienced violence from their intimate partner and 56 percent experienced sexual violence. They use opioids as an alternative pain reliever for the mental and physical abuse they are receiving, and it was an issue that should be given attention rather thatn being ignored. I saw what drug addictions do to a person and its family, and not everybody should experience it if they can be supported and help. But, even they want help, they do not have local public transportation available, and a vehicle is not available at all time to go to a local clinic that is 2 to 3 hours drive. What are they going to do? Walk for 5 hours? And once they arrive at the local clinic it might be full or no assistance available or the sad part is the clinic might be close by the time they arrive. Access should not be limited even to a rural community. Example of this situation is some parts of West Virginia, the state with the highest rate of fatal drug overdoses in the nation but there is no cell phone or internet connection because of the Appalachian mountain which dramatically affects telecommunication. In all, those who need help must be given attention and for them to feel safe.-Chopper456
This article was a real eye opener for me. I have already knew that there was a problem with the native american people and drugs. But I did not know that the women were hit the hardest in these places. With the native people being very proud of there strong independent heritage, and know being pushed off of their lands. I can see how these people would turn to drug use. I can especially see the females because on some of these reservations the law is different than everywhere else and if someone was beating on their women, no one would say anything because it is different there. With these women already being vulnerable, it is very easy for human traffickers to take advantage of them by feeding there need of drugs. Also with them being far away from treatment facilities it is very hard for them to get help with their addiction. Even if they wanted to go get help it would be a task getting there because some of them do not have a way to get there so they would have to rely on other people to get them to these facilities. One thing that really surprised me was that women in rural areas are also hardly affected by drugs and addiction. It goes the same way with the native americans, they are being abused by others and turn to drugs as a way out. There is also the factor that it is hard for them to get help because it is very far away. With being from a rural area I can see how these woman can be abused physically and sexually because in some places with not that many people around no one could figure out about it. Also in rural communities there is a sense of that if it is behind closed doors it is not their business. With these two groups being similar in ways I believe that people should learn more about this topic and set up some sort of programs to get these people help and or transportation to these facilities. Trojan456
I agree that the article was a eye opener because I pictured that woman in this world has a purpose because they can be a mother. I will try to do my best to help women out if they need help to get out of a bad relationship. I felt really sad when I hear stories about them getting abused for no reasons that they take drugs to help. --Softball456
The opioids use is high for women’s deaths. There was 27 percent said that people pressured them to alcohol and drugs, but the 60 percent said that their partner try to get help for their significant others that does opioids. Women that has been abused are always drivin towards drugs and alcohol because they are scared to get help. The reason why because they think the person that abuse them will come back and beat them up or kill them that is why drink alcohol and do drugs to help them. There was 100 percent of women has been sexually being abused. That is to much of sexual assault. If I see this happened as a police officer or hear that this woman has be abused, I will go and help them out because I think that is wrong for woman must deal with that. I will try to find a safe spot where that person will not find them, and I will protect/ check on them if they need more help. I will be happy to help them out. -- Softball456
Before reading this article, i would have never thought that Native American women were going through such a struggled time with opioids and the reasons behind it. From learning the percentages of the different types of violence brought upon Native American women, it makes sense to me why numbers are so high. The article talked about how 84 percent of Alaska Native and American Indian women have experienced violence in their lifetime as well as 56 percent sexual violence and 55 percent intimate partner violence. With a result of the pain, these women sadly turned to drugs and other opiods to numb the pain which is also conflicting with their mental health. I think the biggest issue here is that these women have limited access to drug treatment programs and with nothing being done about that, these numbers are just going to increase as years go on. It is not surprising to me that these women are also being targeted by sex trafficking recruitment agencies. These agencies know these women are suffering and that explains why they take total advantage of that. I hope that law enforcement in the society take action in getting these women healthy and out of the struggle, pain, and abandonment they have to go through. Not only is it hurting them, but it is also hurting their children and this will do nothing but damage the future generation even more if better action is not taken. Hiwelcometochilis456
I never really looked into Native American women with drugs. I agree with you on that they have turned to those drugs to make the pain the endure go away. Having limited access to help is an issue; how do they accept the rates to do down and have nothing to help them. Like you said, the numbers will just continue to go up. It is sad that they will just damage the upcoming generations. You would think they would try and save them to change what it has come to. ~Dance 456
It really is unfortunate to see the numbers of victimization that Alaskan Native and American Indian women are in. The victimization rates are disturbingly high and it can be understandable as to why many of these women are turning to opioids as a way to escape the pain. There is a need for more drug treatment programs for those who live in such rural areas where it could potentially take them two to three hours to get to the closest one. Gymlife456
After reading this article, I thought that it was very informative and open about the situation. I think it is sad that the reason women are using drugs is due to mental health issues and trauma. When they word it like that it makes me sad because it makes me feel like they are using these drugs to escape from what they are going through mentally and even sometimes physically. The paragraph in the article where it talks about the statistics of women was one of the things that stood out to me because the research that was done proves that more than half of women who are Alaska Native and American Indian women experience some type of violence throughout their lifetime, whether it is sexual violence or intimate partner violence. Also, how in some villages have every single woman is getting sexually assaulted or domestic violence. That right there is a problem and could be the number one reason why women have such a high risk with drugs. Those women are using the drugs to take the pain away. It was sad to read about these same women getting their land taken away, having their children go into state custody, and losing culture and language is another good reason why death rates are so high. It is very sad to hear the women turn to drugs to try an escape from what is going on with them and that their partner or ex-partner is forcing them not to get help or use the drugs more than they want to. Women's safety is a big issue in our society not just those women. Society has changed, and every woman is in danger no matter their ethnicity, women cannot go shopping or do anything alone without getting followed and making sure they can get to their vehicles safely without getting kidnapped. Society is making women not feel safe. ~Dance 456
I remember watching a documentary in Criminal Justice 110 about the amount of land that the few police have to cover in Native American areas, and it is very similar in Alaska as well. Being a resident in those areas the victims know well that it could take two to three hours for an officer to respond, which can often lead to those who are victimized to not call for help. It's shocking that 84 percent of women in those areas have experienced violence before, and over half of them have been victims of a domestic assault. It's already difficult for women to come forward about domestic issues in areas with help just a few minutes or a phone call away, but with the extreme limitations of programs or immediate help from an officer. The offenders in this situation know well that they can get away with this sort of thing due to where they live. Then there are children who grow up in this sort of environment and know no other type of relationship other than the physical abuse that their parents share. Unless there is a federal agency that steps in or more drug or abuse treatment centers get funded in these areas, I don't believe we're going to see an end to this sort of thing anytime soon, which is really unfortunate. -DaBears456
Native American women in rural communities tend to be the highest sufferers of opioid addiction and other narcotics. The article mentions that traditionally there is a long history of oppression and abusive behavior engaged towards Native American women. Unfortunately, there is not enough, if any, access to drug treatment programs for these women so they sadly end up stuck in idle mode and are not able to seek the treatment that they need. One of the biggest reasons why these women are turning to opioid and drug use in the first place is because they are highly victimized by intimate partners. This article introduced an alarming statistic in a study that was done by the National Institute of Justice in 2016 which found that 84% of Alaskan Native and American women experienced some form of violence. Of that 84%, it was found that 56% of those women were victims of sexual violence and 55% fell victim to intimate partner violence. Even more staggering is that some villages have rates as high as 100% of their women being victims of sexual abuse or domestic violence. The use of and dependence on these opioid drugs eventually lead into these women becoming victims of sex trafficking. This article mentioned a quote by Sarah Deer which really opens up the perspective of just the type of danger these women are unfortunately facing in which she states, “If you’re looking for the perfect population of people to violate, Native American women would be a prime target. You have poverty. You have people who have been traumatized. And you have a legal system that doesn’t step in to stop it.”. Since Native American women live in such rural areas, they are too far away from any local or effective treatment centers to get the help that they need. Sadly, most times the vehicle owner is the abuser so they restrict how much treatment the person can get, if they even let them get any treatment at all. It was found that 60% of women said their partners attempted to prevent them from getting any treatment and 27% were even forced to increase their use of alcohol or drugs more than they wanted to according to the National Domestic Violence Hotline. What is even more unfortunate is that if the person does get admitted into a drug treatment program, there is a good chance their abuser will be in that same program with them which raises concerns about safety. There is a need for more drug treatment service programs, specifically for people who live in rural areas and are too far away from any treatment center. Gymlife456
The history of Native Americans is truly a disgusting story. It shouldn't happen to anyone and I don't think we can ever truly say we are a country formed from great ways. Drug treatment for these people is a straight joke. Three hours to get to a facility?! That's crazy talk. The sexual abuse talk was crazy to hear about. It's not something that is talked about often. I hope this article brought some attention to that. The numbers surrounding how many partners are stopping their lovers from getting help is disgusting. I think more law enforcement presence should be used. That way this people have a safe way of getting help when being forced not too. ^~^Itis456
All in all, this article does a great job of showing the problems with the native american women culture. These women, and even people are suffering from a past of nothing but despair. This doesn't give them the right to abuse opioids though. Even the women, who everyone seem to have some sort of issue with sexual assault. Yes it's a terrible thing, but that doesn't make it right to hurt yourself doing drugs that make you feel better. The pain might be taken away, but so is many other things that have yet to come. I think women are more acceptable to drugs. Just because they seem to like to replace their mental issues with drugs. Just because they can escape reality for a bit. Not saying guys don’t do this too, but I feel it’s more easy going on women. The sex trafficking isn’t helping the issues neither for these women that have already gone through so much. Since most are already on a downward spiral and hooked onto drugs, this lifestyle just seems appropriate. If they had someone to help them get through this mess though. Things could be a lot more different. We need to have systems in place in these areas, since policing is already hard enough in these areas. The clinic around these individuals is almost 3 hours away! That’s crazy talk. Someone with hardly enough money to support their addiction is not going to go through the process of suffering.. I mean recovery, to try and better themselves. Just make treatment more easy to get to, and you’ll see improvement in no time. If you have a partner that isn’t interested in seeing you improve your health. It’s super simple. Just leave that person, because that is crazy talk. Why would you even give someone like that the time of day. Just find someone who would support you. ^~^ Itis456
The amount of trauma that women in rural and native american areas have to deal with is terrible. From reading the article, many live in poverty, deal with abuse, have little to no access to any type of help, and eventually turn to drugs for self medication. Even if some of these victims can get access to help such as a treatment center, there are some scenarios where their abuser will enter the same treatment center as them. This can lead to the victims backing out of treatment due to not feeling safe with their offender in such a close proximity to them. Even in some areas there is no access to internet and even no cell phone service, so even if the victim wanted to call police, which would take hours to respond, they can't contact anyone at all. Due to the lack of assistance from the federal level I don't think this trend is going to end anytime soon unfortunately. -DaBears123
Opiates are purposely designed to numb the user to any physical pain they are experiencing. If taken in excess, they can also place the user in a state of unawareness to the environment surrounding them. It makes sense, then, that people who experience both mental and physical pain as a product of domestic or sexual abuse tend to seek refuge in opiates. Unfortunately, this sense of escape is temporary and may actually lead to further abuse due to the state of vulnerability that the class of drug imposes. Human traffickers and procurers alike both use opiates to create a false sense of need in their victims. By causing the victim to be addicted and feel like they need opiates to survive, the trafficker or procurer can then proceed to exploit them to their heart's content. Opiates are a problem, but they exist due to underlying problems such as abuse, exploitation, or other despicable human behaviors. This article only further exposes the idea that drug use isn't some alternative form of recreation and suggests that it is instead a form of self-medication. It makes sense, then, that in order to curb opiate use we not only need to invest in traditional rehabilitation centers, but also in comprehensive rehabilitation centers that cover more than one aspect of rehabilitation. For example, while a traditional rehab center would focus purely on undoing the chemical binds of an opiate addiction, the proposed comprehensive rehabilitation center should focus on the chemical nature of the addiction, but also any underlying causes of the addiction, including but no limited to: current or prior domestic or sexual abuse, mental illness, depression, or other contributing factors to cause an individual to seek such self-medication. By focusing on the underlying factors of the condition, rehabilitation would be more effective and relapse occurrences should happen proportionately less than those which happen following traditional rehabilitation. To summarize, then, we should focus on the core issues while managing the further problems the issues create rather than just treating the issues on the surface. -Gwynbleidd123
Opiates are purposely designed to numb the user to any physical pain they are experiencing. If taken in excess, they can also place the user in a state of unawareness to the environment surrounding them. It makes sense, then, that people who experience both mental and physical pain as a product of domestic or sexual abuse tend to seek refuge in opiates. Unfortunately, this sense of escape is temporary and may actually lead to further abuse due to the state of vulnerability that the class of drug imposes. Human traffickers and procurers alike both use opiates to create a false sense of need in their victims. By causing the victim to be addicted and feel like they need opiates to survive, the trafficker or procurer can then proceed to exploit them to their heart's content. Opiates are a problem, but they exist due to underlying problems such as abuse, exploitation, or other despicable human behaviors. This article only further exposes the idea that drug use isn't some alternative form of recreation and suggests that it is instead a form of self-medication. It makes sense, then, that in order to curb opiate use we not only need to invest in traditional rehabilitation centers, but also in comprehensive rehabilitation centers that cover more than one aspect of rehabilitation. For example, while a traditional rehab center would focus purely on undoing the chemical binds of an opiate addiction, the proposed comprehensive rehabilitation center should focus on the chemical nature of the addiction, but also any underlying causes of the addiction, including but no limited to: current or prior domestic or sexual abuse, mental illness, depression, or other contributing factors to cause an individual to seek such self-medication. By focusing on the underlying factors of the condition, rehabilitation would be more effective and relapse occurrences should happen proportionately less than those which happen following traditional rehabilitation. To summarize, then, we should focus on the core issues while managing the further problems the issues create rather than just treating the issues on the surface. -Gwynbleidd456
This article made me think of how terrible the Native Americans are living now. In the past, Native Americans were once a proud people who lived in harmony with nature and they thrived off of the land and the animals from which they hunted to sustain them. The Lakota Sioux tribes for example would use every part of the American Bison from which they hunted. They would not only eat the meat and organs but they would also use the bones as new weapons and tools and the tendons as bow strings, and also the hide for their tepee homes. Now in the present day with their very way of life taken away from them, they turn to drugs to deal with all that they have lost. Not only is drug abuse a problem, but also spouse abuse was. The amount of spouse abuse was alarming to me because in one tribe it said that 55% of the wives in the tribe reported that they have been abused at least once; that is over half of all the married women! The other problem with the tribes is that there are no clinics or institutions near them that would help with any of their problems. So there obviously needs to be something done to change these numbers.
ReplyDelete-MickSwagger456
This was very interesting article because one second when you hear they would eat meant and use that as some kind weapons and tool. I think that very different because you usually don't hear that kind stuff or hear people think like that noways. Its very sad to hear a lot married women getting abuse and i just hate those kind things. Also the other big problem is a place out there would help out and i think something need be done more support maybe.
Delete-Panther456
I agree, like I always been told how native Americans lived the good life compared to us an how they did not have many problems. This article made me realize that they suffer from drugs just like us they are not much different from us in ways. Then I like how you mentioned they don’t just suffer from drug problems but also spouse abuse. The people there are really going through serious problems and it is many the women which is sad. Then since they live tribe like you said there is little to no help. Like in the US there plenty clinic or safe homes people could go to but everybody is not that privileged. -jolly rancher
DeleteI agree with you. It used to be about harmony now it is not. They are suffering from serious problems that people on the outside looking in is just ignoring. They are suffering from so much with little help and its outrageous. Everyone should e treated fairly no matter where they live. (Equality 123)
DeleteThis was very interesting article because one second when you hear they would eat meant and use that as some kind weapons and tool. I think that very different because you usually don't hear that kind stuff or hear people think like that noways. Its very sad to hear a lot married women getting abuse and i just hate those kind things. Also the other big problem is a place out there would help out and i think something need be done more support maybe.
ReplyDelete-Panther123
Reading this article was interesting, but at the same time made me mad. This article shed light on what others may not even consider to be real. I didn’t think that people would use meats and stuff as weapons, I found that very interesting. However I feel more needs to be done to help women. Their needs to be a way women can get away from their significant others without feeling vulnerable. Its troublesome when one tries to go get help and the significant others follows just to watch them closely. That's basically saying that their life is not their on. Another thing is that they drug them on purpose to have more control. Native American and Rural Women should feel just as important as other women do. Opiods can led to death, I feel that they turn to these to make their body numb in a way. There’s help out there, just not enough people doing enough to help. Accessing treatment should not be limited, but it should be everywhere. One thing the article mention is that if he or she has a car it could take 2-3 hours to make it to treatment. Not only is that bad and unhealthy, but what about people who don’t have cars? Is it just forget them or what? There isn’t even public transportation to help them out. A treatment facility should be close for everyone. It should not take that long to receive treatment and public transportation should be an option as well. (Equality 123)
ReplyDeleteI found what you had to say interesting and very insightful. I would like to know what you would do if you were in charge of handing out money to combat the opioid problem in America. Specifically I would be interested in what programs would be funded in rural and Native American Communities. I also, would like as to what treatment options best suit there community. What do you think will be the next drug problem to hit America?
DeleteWhat did the article over report and underreport? Lastly, what can be done to drop the dependence people have to pain reduction medications?--Acquit456
Reading this article was interesting. It was also in depth. This article also shed light on Native Americans and Rural Woman. It let one in on what they go through on a basis. It also shed light on why opioids is such a crisis in these areas.I found it interesting how their past life and now is. However I feel more needs to be done to help women. Women are already feeling vulnerable while with their partner, they shouldn't feel vulnerable while away from them as well. Its troublesome when one tries to go get help and the significant others follows just to watch them closely. That's basically saying that their life is not their on. They should not need permission to when and where they can go. Another thing is that they drug them on purpose to have more control. They are under the influence which makes them even more weaker. Their brains are already not thinking straight and to have their partner use that as an advantage is sick.Native American and Rural Women should feel just as important as other women do. Opiods can led to death, I feel that they turn to these to make their body numb in a way. There’s help out there, just not enough people doing enough to help. If people with higher power stepped in to intervene I think the situation can improve for women. Accessing treatment should not be limited, but it should be everywhere. One thing the article mention is that if he or she has a car it could take 2-3 hours to make it to treatment. Not only is that bad and unhealthy, but what about people who don’t have cars? Is it just forget them or what? There isn’t even public transportation to help them out. A treatment facility should be close for everyone. It should not take that long to receive treatment and public transportation should be an option as well. (Equality 456)
ReplyDeleteThis article was real interesting and made me not be closed minded towards people who use this drug or any drugs. I always a be like oh so an so on drugs why would they do that. I realized not just from this article but from friends as well that people do drugs to cope with their problems. I feel like the news do a horrible job at keeping those victims image up. When I hear about an opioid overdose on the news its like the news people care but at the same time they leave me thinking to myself like just another crack head or another pill popper. This article is real deep because before I had friends that did drugs like I said I was closed minded about the situation. Like I have male friend who do xans everybody that do not know him call him a crack head or a pill popper without evening knowing his story or why he does it and I know them women get looked at the same way. It’s sad that all those women must go through that to cope with their problems. It just shows that women need to leave those toxic relationships when they see the first signs of it getting to be toxic. Since they know it is a problem there I feel like they should have commercials to try to prevent it. I feel like any where around the world the mental places should insure those women or men that drugs will not end their problems it just will kill them slowly. Since they know that about West Virginia they should be talking about what to do now instead of making an excuse saying they are around mountains to be it sound like if they know it is a problem they should be trying hard to put up safe houses or something to that kind to help those people. -jolly rancher
ReplyDeleteWhen I got done reading article i was very sad because one of the thing i was kind shock to see how the Native American women was highest risk of deaths. These Native American women can take no more so than they turn to drugs for the pain because nobody want to help them out and there no other way out. The legal system is a joke because it don't really help the one's one who really need the help like the one trying get away from being sexual assault or domestic violence. I had do see what drugs do to people your loves can mess up your life because i someone throw your life way if it let you. Another problem is a lot times these women have no cell phone or internet connection so how do they expect them to get help if nobody what going on. Or they have no car or a way to get someone help if they need it. I think they need more support and thing like treatment programs who would like help. They have some treatment just 2- 3 hours away and that to far foe people with no way of reach them. How do they expect you to get to them bye walk to them and if you do that bye than they will end pass out. You also have the other problem is their partners want to control them because they want all the power . They don't want them to get clean or try have normal life because they are scared what would happens if they did.
ReplyDelete-Panthers456
I agree with what you are saying. It was shocking to me that these Native American women are not getting proper help from the government. There is a local clinic from 2 to 3 hours away from where they are located, but they do not have public transportation to go there, and not everyone has a vehicle. Even they want to call for help; they have no cell phone or internet connection. They use drugs as a pain reliever from their abusive partner because nobody wants to help them. They do not suppose to feel scared from their partner and being control by them. -Chopper456
DeleteTo be honest the Native Americans as a whole have had it rough. They were introduced to things such as alcohol, and opioids. It does not make sense to me, that the whites who arrived here in the 15th and even 16th century could have hammered out some kind of fair deal with all the Native American Tribes. So no one got screwed over, and the Natives today would be much better off and would be able to combat, any and all types of abuse, and addictions. Not providing proper assistance, education, job training and placement programs in Native American Communities. Brings about increased alcohol and drug abuse. The cycle has to end somewhere. The article also mentioned rural Appalachia, and West Virginia. These are two areas hit hardest by the opioid problem in America. The problem with not having proper telecommunication and internet services. In rural areas and mountainous such as Appalachia, even boredom leads to drug use, when people can not get online. In rural areas where cities and towns are smaller, there is less to do, meaning there is more trouble people can get into, and a higher chance of crimes being committed. In other words people who are using could be doing something a lot more positive with their time. That will happen only if attention to the reasons being addiction are addressed more readily. People have to help themselves, and those around. No one should wait, for some governmental agency to swoop in, and do something. Where do we go from here? Where did we go wrong and what did we ignore? Are two big questions that need to be addressed. A lot is left to be learned, so that the next major drug addiction to hit America can be better handled. If not now, then when?--Acquit456
ReplyDeleteTo me this is not that surprising that the Native American women and women in rural areas are the ones most affected by this. The Native American women and the Native American people in general have been through a lot on this planet. We (meaning the white settlers) just came into their homeland and invaded it and basically kicked them out so we could live here and for the ones that didn't leave they were killed. Even today they are still being kicked off their land by our government. We have special Indian reserves for people to live on but yet as a government and as a country that is "proud of our past" we don't support these areas good if at all really. These areas also have their own type of law enforcement that will enforce their tribal law and many times cases and complaints go unreported. Its just like any other person people that turn to drugs most likely have been abused, forgotten or forced to do so and for these women in the Native American tribes this is their "escape" from reality. For women in rural areas they are for more likely than the average city person to be hooked on drugs and do illegal activities and not just women but anyone who lives in rural areas. People that live in rural areas don't worry about getting caught doing illegal acts because there usually is now law enforcement patrolling around there regularly. Also, the majority of these crimes are not done in the public eye they are usually done inside their own home behind their walls where no one can see and no one really cares what you do inside your house as long as your not harming anyone. This study did not surprise me neither did the victimization rates of the women being abused and or raped. NDIrish123.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you are saying that the Native American people have gone through a lot in their lives, and the lives of their ancestors. They have been tortured and controlled by other people and i'm sure that this caused them to become very angry. This anger can sometimes get lashed out and those who are targeted are the women. They do not really have a say in their culture and can not do much about what happens to them. Wings456
DeleteTo me this is not that surprising that the Native American women and women in rural areas are the ones most affected by this. The Native American women and the Native American people in general have been through a lot on this planet. We (meaning the white settlers) just came into their homeland and invaded it and basically kicked them out so we could live here and for the ones that didn't leave they were killed. Even today they are still being kicked off their land by our government. We have special Indian reserves for people to live on but yet as a government and as a country that is "proud of our past" we don't support these areas good if at all really. These areas also have their own type of law enforcement that will enforce their tribal law and many times cases and complaints go unreported. Its just like any other person people that turn to drugs most likely have been abused, forgotten or forced to do so and for these women in the Native American tribes this is their "escape" from reality. For women in rural areas they are for more likely than the average city person to be hooked on drugs and do illegal activities and not just women but anyone who lives in rural areas. People that live in rural areas don't worry about getting caught doing illegal acts because there usually is now law enforcement patrolling around there regularly. Also, the majority of these crimes are not done in the public eye they are usually done inside their own home behind their walls where no one can see and no one really cares what you do inside your house as long as your not harming anyone. This study did not surprise me neither did the victimization rates of the women being abused and or raped. NDIrish456.
ReplyDeleteSometimes I feel like our people (white settlers) are way too proud of ourselves. The Native Americans should receive more recognition for making American land how it is today. They were the ones watching over this land before we had laid any eyes on it. The women of this culture used to be treated with respect and dignity, and it shocks me that they are now basically treated like garbage. I am, on another note, glad that this issue is being recognized by the public. I think that if this kind of story was published and recognized worldwide, then many would flock to the aid of these people in need.
DeleteThisPrincessSavesHerself456
After reading this article, my eyes were opened up to the huge opioid epidemic surrounding the Native American population. When I think of Native Americans, I think of an extremely pride driven people, proud of the land that they own and of the culture that they all stand extremely high by. I never would’ve thought that domestic violence, drug abuse and sex trafficking would expose the Native American population to a darker side of the world. Unfortunately, many of these people cannot get the help they deserve because of the amount of abuse they are succumbed to. I cannot believe that many of these people are in relationships that hinder the growth of one another. I remember reading an article in high school about how Native American culture was about treating everyone as an equal, including women and children. Women were allowed to treat land, plant crops, and hunt alongside their husbands. The children were also taught at a young age to hunt to provide for the tribe they belonged to. I am also upset that there are not more clinics around to help the Native American people in West Virginia and surrounding regions. There should be clinics not only to help with the skyrocketing drug addictions, but also to help those who are being controlled by abusive spouses as well. Since West Virginia is mainly mountains, it’s understandable that there aren’t as many clinics around, but other residents could also step up and take a hand, right? Many of these people are just not safe in their own homes! It shocks me that spouses actually encourage drug abuse in order for women to stay with them and not receive the help that they desperately need. On another note, what about kids in this community and culture? Are there any kids that are getting involved with drugs early, or that are also being abused by parents or guardians? While I am fearful for the women of this community, I am also worried about the children and how they are being treated in this kind of environment.
ReplyDelete~ThisPrincessSavesHerself456
Native American have always had a rough life ever since their land was invaded when colonists came over to this “new” land. They lived a peaceful life, living off of the land and using the resources they got from the earth to its full potential. Once white people came over the Native Americans trusted them to not interfere with their way of life. That did not last long and soon they were being oppressed and losing their land. This still continues today as Native American’s land has been made smaller and smaller here in our country. Their culture is very different from a normal American culture. Crime is widely accepted, and women are not respected like they should be by their significant others, and others in general in the community. Women are taken advantage of by the male Native Americans and are abused physically and mentally. These women, who are hurting, try taking opioid drugs in order to try and relieve some of the pain they are experiencing. They easily become addicted to these drugs since they are highly addictive because of their affects. Once they are addicted they will go to great lengths in order to get more of this drug and they become dependent on it. Native American Women go through physical and mental torture all the time but do not have anywhere to go for help. The law enforcement in these reservations is reserved to the Native American police forces in their specific areas. These officers are corrupt and will not enforce laws a lot of the time and just not really call attention to the problem at hand. These women need a way to feel safe and be able to talk about these problems and try to work towards a solution that can help them be able to live a better life. Wings456
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you. For a very long time the Native American people were a very proud group of people. Through the last couple hundred years there land has been taken away and some of them even relocated. It is a completely different world for them that we cannot really relate to. It is crazy like you said how these Native American women are just in times beat on and put down by the men in their society. So it would be very easy for them to get hooked on drugs as a escape from reality. That would also be a reason some men have so much control is because the men could control those drugs. Trojan456
DeleteAfter reading this article, it makes me think what kind of help we are giving the Native American women to fight sexual violence and violence from their partner and the opioids epidemic. Native American females and women in rural communities suffer the highest risk of deaths from opioids, and other drugs are an issue that is not being given some attention. According to National Institute of Justice in 2016, they found that more than 84 percent of Alaska Native and American Indian women had experienced some form of violence in their lifetime in which 55 percent experienced violence from their intimate partner and 56 percent experienced sexual violence. They use opioids as an alternative pain reliever for the mental and physical abuse they are receiving, and it was an issue that should be given attention rather thatn being ignored. I saw what drug addictions do to a person and its family, and not everybody should experience it if they can be supported and help. But, even they want help, they do not have local public transportation available, and a vehicle is not available at all time to go to a local clinic that is 2 to 3 hours drive. What are they going to do? Walk for 5 hours? And once they arrive at the local clinic it might be full or no assistance available or the sad part is the clinic might be close by the time they arrive. Access should not be limited even to a rural community. Example of this situation is some parts of West Virginia, the state with the highest rate of fatal drug overdoses in the nation but there is no cell phone or internet connection because of the Appalachian mountain which dramatically affects telecommunication. In all, those who need help must be given attention and for them to feel safe.-Chopper456
ReplyDeleteThis article was a real eye opener for me. I have already knew that there was a problem with the native american people and drugs. But I did not know that the women were hit the hardest in these places. With the native people being very proud of there strong independent heritage, and know being pushed off of their lands. I can see how these people would turn to drug use. I can especially see the females because on some of these reservations the law is different than everywhere else and if someone was beating on their women, no one would say anything because it is different there. With these women already being vulnerable, it is very easy for human traffickers to take advantage of them by feeding there need of drugs. Also with them being far away from treatment facilities it is very hard for them to get help with their addiction. Even if they wanted to go get help it would be a task getting there because some of them do not have a way to get there so they would have to rely on other people to get them to these facilities. One thing that really surprised me was that women in rural areas are also hardly affected by drugs and addiction. It goes the same way with the native americans, they are being abused by others and turn to drugs as a way out. There is also the factor that it is hard for them to get help because it is very far away. With being from a rural area I can see how these woman can be abused physically and sexually because in some places with not that many people around no one could figure out about it. Also in rural communities there is a sense of that if it is behind closed doors it is not their business. With these two groups being similar in ways I believe that people should learn more about this topic and set up some sort of programs to get these people help and or transportation to these facilities. Trojan456
ReplyDeleteI agree that the article was a eye opener because I pictured that woman in this world has a purpose because they can be a mother. I will try to do my best to help women out if they need help to get out of a bad relationship. I felt really sad when I hear stories about them getting abused for no reasons that they take drugs to help.
Delete--Softball456
The opioids use is high for women’s deaths. There was 27 percent said that people pressured them to alcohol and drugs, but the 60 percent said that their partner try to get help for their significant others that does opioids. Women that has been abused are always drivin towards drugs and alcohol because they are scared to get help. The reason why because they think the person that abuse them will come back and beat them up or kill them that is why drink alcohol and do drugs to help them. There was 100 percent of women has been sexually being abused. That is to much of sexual assault. If I see this happened as a police officer or hear that this woman has be abused, I will go and help them out because I think that is wrong for woman must deal with that. I will try to find a safe spot where that person will not find them, and I will protect/ check on them if they need more help. I will be happy to help them out.
ReplyDelete-- Softball456
Before reading this article, i would have never thought that Native American women were going through such a struggled time with opioids and the reasons behind it. From learning the percentages of the different types of violence brought upon Native American women, it makes sense to me why numbers are so high. The article talked about how 84 percent of Alaska Native and American Indian women have experienced violence in their lifetime as well as 56 percent sexual violence and 55 percent intimate partner violence. With a result of the pain, these women sadly turned to drugs and other opiods to numb the pain which is also conflicting with their mental health. I think the biggest issue here is that these women have limited access to drug treatment programs and with nothing being done about that, these numbers are just going to increase as years go on. It is not surprising to me that these women are also being targeted by sex trafficking recruitment agencies. These agencies know these women are suffering and that explains why they take total advantage of that. I hope that law enforcement in the society take action in getting these women healthy and out of the struggle, pain, and abandonment they have to go through. Not only is it hurting them, but it is also hurting their children and this will do nothing but damage the future generation even more if better action is not taken.
ReplyDeleteHiwelcometochilis456
I never really looked into Native American women with drugs. I agree with you on that they have turned to those drugs to make the pain the endure go away. Having limited access to help is an issue; how do they accept the rates to do down and have nothing to help them. Like you said, the numbers will just continue to go up. It is sad that they will just damage the upcoming generations. You would think they would try and save them to change what it has come to.
Delete~Dance 456
It really is unfortunate to see the numbers of victimization that Alaskan Native and American Indian women are in. The victimization rates are disturbingly high and it can be understandable as to why many of these women are turning to opioids as a way to escape the pain. There is a need for more drug treatment programs for those who live in such rural areas where it could potentially take them two to three hours to get to the closest one. Gymlife456
DeleteAfter reading this article, I thought that it was very informative and open about the situation. I think it is sad that the reason women are using drugs is due to mental health issues and trauma. When they word it like that it makes me sad because it makes me feel like they are using these drugs to escape from what they are going through mentally and even sometimes physically. The paragraph in the article where it talks about the statistics of women was one of the things that stood out to me because the research that was done proves that more than half of women who are Alaska Native and American Indian women experience some type of violence throughout their lifetime, whether it is sexual violence or intimate partner violence. Also, how in some villages have every single woman is getting sexually assaulted or domestic violence. That right there is a problem and could be the number one reason why women have such a high risk with drugs. Those women are using the drugs to take the pain away. It was sad to read about these same women getting their land taken away, having their children go into state custody, and losing culture and language is another good reason why death rates are so high. It is very sad to hear the women turn to drugs to try an escape from what is going on with them and that their partner or ex-partner is forcing them not to get help or use the drugs more than they want to. Women's safety is a big issue in our society not just those women. Society has changed, and every woman is in danger no matter their ethnicity, women cannot go shopping or do anything alone without getting followed and making sure they can get to their vehicles safely without getting kidnapped. Society is making women not feel safe.
ReplyDelete~Dance 456
I remember watching a documentary in Criminal Justice 110 about the amount of land that the few police have to cover in Native American areas, and it is very similar in Alaska as well. Being a resident in those areas the victims know well that it could take two to three hours for an officer to respond, which can often lead to those who are victimized to not call for help. It's shocking that 84 percent of women in those areas have experienced violence before, and over half of them have been victims of a domestic assault. It's already difficult for women to come forward about domestic issues in areas with help just a few minutes or a phone call away, but with the extreme limitations of programs or immediate help from an officer. The offenders in this situation know well that they can get away with this sort of thing due to where they live. Then there are children who grow up in this sort of environment and know no other type of relationship other than the physical abuse that their parents share. Unless there is a federal agency that steps in or more drug or abuse treatment centers get funded in these areas, I don't believe we're going to see an end to this sort of thing anytime soon, which is really unfortunate.
ReplyDelete-DaBears456
Native American women in rural communities tend to be the highest sufferers of opioid addiction and other narcotics. The article mentions that traditionally there is a long history of oppression and abusive behavior engaged towards Native American women. Unfortunately, there is not enough, if any, access to drug treatment programs for these women so they sadly end up stuck in idle mode and are not able to seek the treatment that they need. One of the biggest reasons why these women are turning to opioid and drug use in the first place is because they are highly victimized by intimate partners. This article introduced an alarming statistic in a study that was done by the National Institute of Justice in 2016 which found that 84% of Alaskan Native and American women experienced some form of violence. Of that 84%, it was found that 56% of those women were victims of sexual violence and 55% fell victim to intimate partner violence. Even more staggering is that some villages have rates as high as 100% of their women being victims of sexual abuse or domestic violence. The use of and dependence on these opioid drugs eventually lead into these women becoming victims of sex trafficking. This article mentioned a quote by Sarah Deer which really opens up the perspective of just the type of danger these women are unfortunately facing in which she states, “If you’re looking for the perfect population of people to violate, Native American women would be a prime target. You have poverty. You have people who have been traumatized. And you have a legal system that doesn’t step in to stop it.”. Since Native American women live in such rural areas, they are too far away from any local or effective treatment centers to get the help that they need. Sadly, most times the vehicle owner is the abuser so they restrict how much treatment the person can get, if they even let them get any treatment at all. It was found that 60% of women said their partners attempted to prevent them from getting any treatment and 27% were even forced to increase their use of alcohol or drugs more than they wanted to according to the National Domestic Violence Hotline. What is even more unfortunate is that if the person does get admitted into a drug treatment program, there is a good chance their abuser will be in that same program with them which raises concerns about safety. There is a need for more drug treatment service programs, specifically for people who live in rural areas and are too far away from any treatment center. Gymlife456
ReplyDeleteThe history of Native Americans is truly a disgusting story. It shouldn't happen to anyone and I don't think we can ever truly say we are a country formed from great ways. Drug treatment for these people is a straight joke. Three hours to get to a facility?! That's crazy talk. The sexual abuse talk was crazy to hear about. It's not something that is talked about often. I hope this article brought some attention to that. The numbers surrounding how many partners are stopping their lovers from getting help is disgusting. I think more law enforcement presence should be used. That way this people have a safe way of getting help when being forced not too. ^~^Itis456
DeleteAll in all, this article does a great job of showing the problems with the native american women culture. These women, and even people are suffering from a past of nothing but despair. This doesn't give them the right to abuse opioids though. Even the women, who everyone seem to have some sort of issue with sexual assault. Yes it's a terrible thing, but that doesn't make it right to hurt yourself doing drugs that make you feel better. The pain might be taken away, but so is many other things that have yet to come. I think women are more acceptable to drugs. Just because they seem to like to replace their mental issues with drugs. Just because they can escape reality for a bit. Not saying guys don’t do this too, but I feel it’s more easy going on women. The sex trafficking isn’t helping the issues neither for these women that have already gone through so much. Since most are already on a downward spiral and hooked onto drugs, this lifestyle just seems appropriate. If they had someone to help them get through this mess though. Things could be a lot more different. We need to have systems in place in these areas, since policing is already hard enough in these areas. The clinic around these individuals is almost 3 hours away! That’s crazy talk. Someone with hardly enough money to support their addiction is not going to go through the process of suffering.. I mean recovery, to try and better themselves. Just make treatment more easy to get to, and you’ll see improvement in no time. If you have a partner that isn’t interested in seeing you improve your health. It’s super simple. Just leave that person, because that is crazy talk. Why would you even give someone like that the time of day. Just find someone who would support you.
ReplyDelete^~^ Itis456
The amount of trauma that women in rural and native american areas have to deal with is terrible. From reading the article, many live in poverty, deal with abuse, have little to no access to any type of help, and eventually turn to drugs for self medication. Even if some of these victims can get access to help such as a treatment center, there are some scenarios where their abuser will enter the same treatment center as them. This can lead to the victims backing out of treatment due to not feeling safe with their offender in such a close proximity to them. Even in some areas there is no access to internet and even no cell phone service, so even if the victim wanted to call police, which would take hours to respond, they can't contact anyone at all. Due to the lack of assistance from the federal level I don't think this trend is going to end anytime soon unfortunately.
ReplyDelete-DaBears123
Opiates are purposely designed to numb the user to any physical pain they are experiencing. If taken in excess, they can also place the user in a state of unawareness to the environment surrounding them. It makes sense, then, that people who experience both mental and physical pain as a product of domestic or sexual abuse tend to seek refuge in opiates. Unfortunately, this sense of escape is temporary and may actually lead to further abuse due to the state of vulnerability that the class of drug imposes. Human traffickers and procurers alike both use opiates to create a false sense of need in their victims. By causing the victim to be addicted and feel like they need opiates to survive, the trafficker or procurer can then proceed to exploit them to their heart's content. Opiates are a problem, but they exist due to underlying problems such as abuse, exploitation, or other despicable human behaviors. This article only further exposes the idea that drug use isn't some alternative form of recreation and suggests that it is instead a form of self-medication. It makes sense, then, that in order to curb opiate use we not only need to invest in traditional rehabilitation centers, but also in comprehensive rehabilitation centers that cover more than one aspect of rehabilitation. For example, while a traditional rehab center would focus purely on undoing the chemical binds of an opiate addiction, the proposed comprehensive rehabilitation center should focus on the chemical nature of the addiction, but also any underlying causes of the addiction, including but no limited to: current or prior domestic or sexual abuse, mental illness, depression, or other contributing factors to cause an individual to seek such self-medication. By focusing on the underlying factors of the condition, rehabilitation would be more effective and relapse occurrences should happen proportionately less than those which happen following traditional rehabilitation. To summarize, then, we should focus on the core issues while managing the further problems the issues create rather than just treating the issues on the surface. -Gwynbleidd123
ReplyDeleteOpiates are purposely designed to numb the user to any physical pain they are experiencing. If taken in excess, they can also place the user in a state of unawareness to the environment surrounding them. It makes sense, then, that people who experience both mental and physical pain as a product of domestic or sexual abuse tend to seek refuge in opiates. Unfortunately, this sense of escape is temporary and may actually lead to further abuse due to the state of vulnerability that the class of drug imposes. Human traffickers and procurers alike both use opiates to create a false sense of need in their victims. By causing the victim to be addicted and feel like they need opiates to survive, the trafficker or procurer can then proceed to exploit them to their heart's content. Opiates are a problem, but they exist due to underlying problems such as abuse, exploitation, or other despicable human behaviors. This article only further exposes the idea that drug use isn't some alternative form of recreation and suggests that it is instead a form of self-medication. It makes sense, then, that in order to curb opiate use we not only need to invest in traditional rehabilitation centers, but also in comprehensive rehabilitation centers that cover more than one aspect of rehabilitation. For example, while a traditional rehab center would focus purely on undoing the chemical binds of an opiate addiction, the proposed comprehensive rehabilitation center should focus on the chemical nature of the addiction, but also any underlying causes of the addiction, including but no limited to: current or prior domestic or sexual abuse, mental illness, depression, or other contributing factors to cause an individual to seek such self-medication. By focusing on the underlying factors of the condition, rehabilitation would be more effective and relapse occurrences should happen proportionately less than those which happen following traditional rehabilitation. To summarize, then, we should focus on the core issues while managing the further problems the issues create rather than just treating the issues on the surface. -Gwynbleidd456
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