Title: Poverty and Addiction Relationship | St. Joseph Institute for Addiction
Headings: Understanding the Relationship Between Poverty and Addiction
Understanding the Relationship Between Poverty and Addiction
Understanding the Relationship Between Poverty and Addiction
Poverty Increases Addiction Risk Factors
Addiction Can Cause People to Slip into Poverty
Promoting Recovery by Treating the Root Causes of Addiction
By Dana Hinders
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Content: Residents who begin taking opioids to cope with chronic pain from their employment-related injuries often find themselves spiraling into addiction. The effects of substance abuse make it nearly impossible to keep working, thus perpetuating financial struggles. Addiction Can Cause People to Slip into Poverty
It’s important to remember that people with substance use disorders don’t necessarily develop an addiction simply because they are poor. Someone who is solidly middle class can easily slip into poverty as the result of an untreated drug or alcohol addiction. As an addiction develops, it becomes increasingly likely that a person will have problems performing at work. This might include arriving late, missing shifts, failing to meet project deadlines, or getting into arguments with colleagues. Eventually, this can lead to job loss. Being terminated for performance issues will make it harder to find another job. This increases the overall stress in the person’s life and provides an incentive to engage in criminal activity to fund continued substance abuse. Middle class individuals can also slip into addiction-related poverty by selling assets or dipping into retirement savings to buy drugs or alcohol.