A Product of Disability Access: Empowering Tribal Members with Disabilities & Their Families
by Spirit Lake Consulting, Inc.
![]() Individuals with disabilities who live on Indian reservations are at higher risk of substance abuse, for a number of reasons. 1. People with disabilities are more likely to have drugs prescribed. Painkillers are intended to relieve pain caused from injury or medical treatments. Obviously, people with chronic illnesses or disabilities that require multiple surgeries are more likely to be prescribed painkillers than the average member of the public. Painkillers, depressants used to treat anxiety and depression, as well as stimulants used to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) can all become addictive. 2. An overuse of medication is a problem on many reservations. There are several theories why this may be so. One argument is that there is not a lot to do on the reservation so people will go to the clinic for every little ailment. They will bring in their child, or go to the clinic with a relative as a social event. A second reason for overuse of medical care on reservations as opposed to non-Indian communities is that care is free. Other things being equal, the theory goes, people will ask for and use more prescription drugs when they have to pay for them than when they don't. |
: | Substance Abuse |
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