Discussion 1 Impact of Health Addiction
Hi class,
Kim Wozenkraft’s story really is one that stuck out to me because of the profession she had. Kim started using narcotics because of working undercover on the street level. Being undercover and being told to just do as her partner caused Kim to start using it for personal gain. Knowing the consequences that comes with what Kim and her partner were doing was something that Kim thought about and eventually
wanted to do something about it. Kim went from being in denial to reporting her and her partner's drug usage and allowing them to face their consequences. Even after reporting it, Kim still feels like nothing was really done like it should have been because her partner was sent to rehab and back to working around the same thing. Kim even went on to get shot and was introduced to painkillers which are another type of addiction that individuals face when they are not used properly. Being shot. Facing charges or termination, and even backlash from the department was not enough to make Kim realize the effects of her addiction.
•How do our assigned readings help you understand what came to be the turning point?
Kim’s turning point was when she saw herself becoming desperate for the next fix. According to the video, Kim found herself crawling on the floor searching for “one more little bit of cocaine for a hit” that she eventually decided to start fighting her dangerous addiction. Enlisting in the military and replacing some of those urges and thoughts with more positive things and people also helped Kim. Volkow et al 2016 states, “Another strategy which can aid in recovery from addiction is to avoid the friends and environment which are associated with drug use (Volkow et al., 2016).” Kim did this by enlisting in the military and regrouping on individuals other than her station buddies.
Thank you,
Amina Malik-Dollison
References Films on Demand (Bill MoyerO. (1998). Portrait of addiction [Video File]. Retrieved July 14,2023
Thomas, M.A. (2016). Neurobiologic advances from the brain disease model of addiction. Retrieved July 14,2023
