Substance abuse can destroy the life of a student. Drug use often begins casually and recreationally before becoming an addiction. There are a number of movies about drug addicts that can help students to understand more about the dangers of addiction. Many of them present realistic and believable scenarios that show the consequences of drug abuse. Movies for students about drug addiction can become a useful resource for parents and educators to give them an education on the topic.
The Basketball Diaries
The BasketBall Diaries stars Leonardo DiCaprio. The movie is based on an autobiographical novel. It premiered in 1995 but it still has relevance today. Jim dreams of becoming a basketball star but he has many challenges. His coach is being sexually inappropriate with him and his best friend is dying of leukemia. He starts to use heroin and cocaine and quickly becomes a heroin addict. His life turns into chaos and he spends time at Rikers Island.
At Rikers, he goes cold turkey and after his release, he has the strength to continue drug-free. This movie shows in gruesome detail the effects of heroin and how it can destroy someone’s whole life. It will be difficult for some people to watch. However, there are some people that think that drug addiction will never happen to them. All too often this is proven wrong.
To know more how things often go wrong and people end up addicted, it can be enlightening and educational for students at college to read free online essay topics about addiction and its underlying reasons. They can learn more about anything from the psychological damage drug abuse causes to how to prevent overdoses. If they want to know more about opioid or heroin addiction they will find an example of an essay about it.
Beautiful Boy
Beautiful Boy is a 2018 movie inspired by a true story. It stars Steve Carell as the father and Timothée Chalamet as the son. The father will do whatever it takes to save his son from addiction. It highlights meth and heroin use in a truthful way. Meth is one of the most life-threatening drugs. The movie also shows the triggers that can cause young adults to turn to drugs. The son survives his addiction and attributes his family and friends to his victory over drugs.
This is a movie for students that parents can use as a starting point for conversations. Strong cravings for meth often lead to many cycles of recovery and relapse. Parents can talk about triggers such as:
- Challenging emotions like the loneliness that comes from social isolation.
- The influence of peers who use drugs
- Too much stress that leads to more impulsive behavior.
- Overconfidence in recovery.
- Relationship problems.
Requiem for a dream
Requiem for a Dream is dark disturbing movie. It may be hard to watch but it can show students how drugs affect the mind. In this movie about addiction the story and characters show what it is like to be addicted. The drug sequences and hallucinations are intense.
The four addicted characters are caught in a nightmare world where they can no longer distinguish what’s real and what’s not. This is a very heavy movie that shows in an unrelenting and unflinching way the terrible effects drug use can have. It can lead viewers to vow they will stay away from drugs but it may not be the best option for sensitive viewers.
Ben is Back
Ben is Back is one of the drugs movies that show how substance abuse does not only affect the user but impacts the lives of their loved ones. The movie highlights the relationship between a mother and her son. Julia Roberts plays the mother and Lucas Hedges is her son Ben. Ben is 19 years old and in recovery from the use of opiates.
After 77 days in rehab, Ben returns home on Christmas Eve. Holly, his mother, welcomes her son but she is wary about what will take place. She loves him but she doesn’t miss what he became when he was using drugs. It’s a movie about the devastation that drug abuse causes for a family. It also emphasizes the long road to forgiveness and recovery for addicts and their loved ones affected by addiction.
Movies to curb drug issue – a good option
These movies about drug addicts show that even people who think they will never get addicted can be wrong. They don’t sugarcoat the nature of addiction and its consequences. This can be educational for students who don’t fully understand the consequences of addiction. They will understand more about how drug use can affect their physical, mental, and emotional health. It can cause their whole lives to spiral out of control and the path to recovery isn’t easy.
