Persuasive Essay On Street Drugs

Her clothes were torn, dirty and old. Her eyes showed confusion of whom she was and where she was. She had been wandering the streets of a big city for a couple of months. The floors were her bed and leftovers in the trash were her meals. How could a person like Ashley be out in the streets? She was once a cashier at the local grocery market. She once had a home and bed. Where did it go wrong? A few months’ back Ashley was diagnosed with a mental disorder and was admitted to the hospital and later released. She went back to her normal life but did not have the proper support and lost her job, family, and friends. Many people like Ashley lose everything they have because of a mental illness. Ashley is one of many Americans who cannot afford

Due to that they do not have their medications and are now homeless, street drugs is a way to self-medicate. Street drugs are very dangerous because they have to share needles and other things because they live in the streets they do not have a good hygiene. For example, National Coalition for the Homeless states “ Some mentally ill people self-medicate using street drugs, which can lead not only to addiction, but also to disease transmission from injection drug use. This combination of mental illness, substance abuse, and poor physical health makes it very difficult for people to get employment and residential stability” (“Mental Illness and Homelessness”). If they had the right support a mentally ill person could carry out a normal life without having to self-medicate and possible, get infected with many other diseases because that is the risk they take. Homeless that are mentally suffer and go through a lot and they do get the support and help they deserve. Many of them could be helped and can have a chance at having a normal

Even when is affordable insurance do not cover what they need. For example, Kimberly Leonard, a staff writer at U.S New, says “Under President Barack Obama 's health care law, which aimed to end health insurance discrimination for mental health services, an estimated 62 million patients now have better coverage. But a new report from the National Alliance on Mental Illness shows the policies still have a long way to go before they can make a difference in the lives of people living with mental illness” (Leonard). The insurances that the government give like Medicaid, Medicare, CHIP, and TRICARE and VA Health care are any good options. The problem is that it only covers certain medication, doctors visit is limit, and most do not cover a psychiatric office visits. Another of the insurance in a Private Insurance while it may cover many other areas that the government issued insurance it can be very costly. With this type of insurance monthly payments need to be made. Most homeless people cannot even afford to buy a good meal how can they afford a health