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An essay on the effects of drug abuse
An essay on the effects of drug abuse
An essay on the effects of drug abuse
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Substance abuse and substance addiction are somewhat difficult to distinguish. In my opinion, substance abuse relates to the use of a drug or alcohol despite negative consequences or potentially dangerous and harmful outcomes. I feel that substance abuse transitions to addiction when tolerance to the substance develops, as well as when discontinuation of the substance elicits physical and psychological withdrawal symptoms. The term addiction generates an idea of extreme social, occupational or relational dysfunction. Some addictions, such as caffeine addiction, are not as severe or life damaging as others, such as methamphetamine addiction. Thus, in my mind, addictions such as caffeine addiction is the milder addiction. My personal experience with drug and alcohol use, abuse, and addiction is limited, notwithstanding personal use of taking medication as prescribed, the occasional alcoholic beverage and caffeine use. The only personal experience …show more content…
Furthermore, I think that it is important to view my client as a person suffering from addiction rather than as an addict. That is to say, referring to someone one as an addict classifies the entirety of their person as the addiction, rather than addiction just being one of the many describing qualities of that person. However, while I always want to look for the best in my clients and avoid defining them by their addiction, it is important to recognize that the disease of addiction influences my client’s behavior and thought processes negatively and that there is a real danger of clients attempting to manipulate me as their counselor or the situation in general. The final essential component for me as a therapist is to reiterate to the client that, by the nature of addiction being a disease, it will not be cured with therapy; it is a lifetime struggle to surmount
...ives from the implementation of an empathic, hopeful continuous treatment relationship, which provides integrated treatment and coordination of care through the course of multiple treatment episodes” (Watkins, 2015). Whether, confronted with a substance use disorder, gambling or sex addiction the way in which a counselor work with the client in an open helpful manner is the key to motivating the client to change their behaviors. “A man convinced against his will, Is of the same opinion still” (Carnegie, 1981). The most piece of the helping relationship is that the client is the lead in their care, as they are the ones that will be making the decisions for their care. A counselor is essentially a trained skillful teacher that guides an individual toward their best recovery options and it is up to the individual to make the needed changes in their life and behaviors.
An AA member is aware that alcoholism is a disease in which they cannot control without any help, they are powerless and it takes more than will power to submit to its supremacy. Even though there some people who believes that alcoholism is a personal choice rather than a disease. Recently new studies had proven the opposite of what alcoholism is in fact, it fits perfectly in the physical disease model found in the physical anatomy of the human body, according to the research. This is due to the advancement in modern science, such as neuroscience in which it has open doors in this field to better understand in how the disease model make perfect sense when dealing with an alcoholic addicted person. In accordance with Kevin T. McCauley, M. D. on his article called, “Is Addiction Really A Disease?” in which he declares, “the organ is the midbrain, the defect is a stress-induced hedonic (pleasure) dysregulation, and the symptoms are loss-of-control of drug use, craving, and persistent use of the drug despite negative consequences”. In short, McCauley has a good and simple explanation in how the brain chemistry reacts when induce its addictive substance, “There are very good brain chemistry reasons for the things addicts do. We can explain everything about addiction without having to resort to causal variables like ‘bad choices’ or ‘addict personality. ’” The
George F. Koob defines addiction as a compulsion to take a drug without control over the intake and a chronic relapse disorder (1). The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders of the American Psychiatric Association defined "substance dependence" as a syndrome basically equivalent to addiction, and the diagnostic criteria used to describe the symptoms of substance dependence to a large extent define compulsion and loss of control of drug intake (1). Considering drug addiction as a disorder implies that there are some biological factors as well as social factors.
Persons who suffer from addiction often need help in order to break the cycle of abuse. With a variety of treatment options available to addicts counselors have a plethora of treatments to choose from and utilize in helping clients stop abusing. Teaching clients the skills to stop abusing drugs and alcohol involves various approaches and techniques geared toward the client’s individual needs. Addiction counselor use specific techniques to assist clients in learning how to live healthy lives without drugs and alcohol.
A big challenge that I will face is deciding which side I will take on a big debate in substance abuse counseling. Some people say that addiction is purely physical, while others disagree and believe that addiction is mostly psychological. Those who believe that it is psychological believe that it usually stems from abuse or as Jane Adams (2003) thinks an over dependence on parents. This side also says that addiction is operant conditioning and that cycle has to be broken (Silverman, Roll, & Higgins, 2008, p. 472). The other physical side of addi...
According to Leshner, drug addiction is a chronic brain disease that is expressed in the form of compulsive behaviors (Leshner, 2001). He believes that drug addiction is influence by both biological, and behavioral factors, and to solve this addiction problem we need to focus on these same factors. On the other hand, Neil Levy argues that addiction is not a brain disease rather it is a behavioral disorder embedded in social context (Levy, 2013). I believe, drug addiction is a recurring brain disease that can be healed when we alter and eliminate all the factors that are reinforcing drug addiction.
Therefore, when I work with substance abusers I will show empathy, encourage and validate their successes and their feelings about any failures. In addiction, I will help the person learn from their failures and normalize the situation. Furthermore, I would attempt to ensure that the person had several coping strategies in place, to help when he or she finds themselves in a difficult situation. Moreover, I intend to ensure the client has all the tools he or she needs to succeed while getting to the root of their problem through counseling.
There are several theories that attempt to explain why people abuse and become addicted to drugs. As each theory has developed, parallel models for treating and recovering from addiction have also evolved. Pharmacology plays a large role in many of them, and as the use of drugs to treat addiction has become such common practice it is necessary for any clinician who works with addicts to have an understanding of psychopharmacology. This essay will discuss the academic model of psychopharmacology as it applies within the disease and behavioral/environmental models of drug abuse, addiction, and treatment.
Substance use disorder is a condition in which an individual depends on a substance, harming his or her mental health. In such a disorder, the continued use of the substance can affect a person’s normal functioning in correlation with the society. For example, the overuse of the substance leads to behavioral issues, which in turn, causes the person to fail in meeting the standards of work and or family matters. Substance intoxication refers to the state of being high due to the effect of the psychoactive substance used. The substance can be either a stimulant, increasing activity level, or a depressant which tends to slow down a persons’ activity level as well as awareness. Such substances are abused because individuals feel that they will be able to avoid uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms (Rosenberg and Kosslyn, 2011). Its’ negative cognitive effects such as not thinking properly nor having proper judgment can make a big impact upon an individuals’ ability to perform activities of daily living.
Illegal drug abuse and substance abuse in general is a pervasive social issue in the United States and the world at large, tearing apart lives and often condemning those addicted to a life in poverty. Often, people perceive substance abuse to be an entirely (or mostly) urban phenomenon, that chaotic “city” life is a magnet for substance abuse whilst life in a tightly knit “small town” is likely to discourage the practice. However, this is entirely a misconception; substance abuse does occur in rural communities, and where it does it perhaps is more prevalent than in urban areas. Further, the concentric nature of social relationships in the typical small town where substance abuse does occur may present a unique challenge for those attempting to address substance abuse issues in a rural environment. Substance abuse is more prevalent and more difficult to address in the context of rural America.
Treating an addiction as an illness rather than a criminal offense is a more productive approach, and addiction counselors are an integral and essential component of treatment programs. Various approaches may include family counseling, psychotherapy, or cognitive behavioral therapy. However, the best method begins by customizing the substance abuse treatment plan based on the addiction and specific needs of the individual. Most specialists regard addiction as a relapsing and chronic disease, and the goal of counseling is to help addicts avoid cravings and learn coping skills without abusing
First, they express empathy through reflective listening. That is, even if the counselor has not had personal experience with addiction, they can express empathy by recognizing that change is a process and that many factors influence recovery. Next, clinicians bring to light discrepancies between clients’ goals and their current behavior in such a way that argument and direct confrontation is avoided. Then, clinicians adjust to clients’ resistance and continue to support them until clients are ready to engage in the counseling process again. Once clients feel more comfortable with the counseling relationship, counselors support self-efficacy and realistic optimism for clients to believe they can change (Capmagna, “Substance Abuse Counseling,”
For some, rehab works, others cannot seem to get out of a relapse cycle. When taking drugs, the brains reward system is greatly affected. By mimicking neurotransmitters, the drugs cause abnormal messages to be sent throughout the brain. Addiction is a disease because often time’s addicts want to quit, but the affect that the drugs has on the brain are too severe. If our society were to view addiction as the disease that it is, more people would be educated about the effects of addiction, and there wouldn’t be a negative air surrounding the topic. A reason why so many people suffer from addiction is because of a lack of education and knowledge about the reasons why it is so difficult for people to
Many sources including: The World Health Organization’s (WHO) International Classification of Diseases, Eleventh Edition (ICD-11), American Psychiatric Association’s (APA) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), and American Society of Addiction Medicine’s (ASAM), quote substance addiction to denote the word addiction. For instance, ASAM defines addiction as a chronic disease of brain reward, motivation and memory which cause dysfunction in biology, psychology, society and spirit (Smith 1). The characterized symptoms include inability to abstain, impairment in behavioral control, craving for rewarding experiences, diminished recognition of substantial personal and interpersonal problems and a dysfunctional emotional response (Smith 3). The definition includes the chronic, relapsing features of the disease, symptoms of loss of inhibitor control, dependence, and compulsion and adverse impact on individuals and society. Therefore, substance addiction is included in the definition of addiction. Furthermore, drug and alcohol addiction have been recognized for a long time; they are continuously included in DSM since its first edition in 1952 (Baysinger 1). Since all the detailed definitions provided by these authoritative associations are supported by significant clinical data and research, mental disorder caused by
Drug abuse and addiction not only has negative effects in the lives of the people involved, but also in the lives of their close relatives, friends and immediate society. It leads to disintegration, failure in school, loss of employment and violence. Although intake of drugs is a voluntary and conscious decision initially, continuous intake of drugs changes the brain and challenges the self-control of the “addicted person” and inhibits the ability to resist extreme desire for drug intake.