The term addiction can be interpreted in many ways, concering both illegal and legal substances. Not only can one become addicted to a substance, but also activities like gambling, shoplifting, and sex. Prior to considering addiction, one must first understand what constitutes a substance. Levinthal (2002) describes a drug as a chemical substance that changes the functioning of the body when ingested (4). Although illegal drugs may come to mind when hearing this definition, alcohol and tobacco fit under this criteria as well. For the purpose of this essay, controlled and regulated (licit/legal) substances will be focused upon. Alcohol is a regulated substance that can be thought of as a social drug (Levinthal, 2002, p.192) and arguably tobacco …show more content…
They include the economic effects, drug’s exposure, and acceptance in society (Nutt, 2012). Tracy Freeland is introduced in the movie as an innocent and naive seventh grader. At first glance she seems to be a well rounded young tween; but, it is not until the antagonist, Edie, is introduced that the audience can identify some insecurities that lie beneath Tracy’s surface. As the movie continues, it is apparent that Tracy’s mom, Mel, is a struggling single parent barely making ends meet in a low income neighbourhood. According to Botticello (2009), “Neighborhood SES disadvantage and disorder have been linked to a greater prevalence of substance abuse, including heavy drinking, in some communities in comparison to others” (Botticello, p.85). The Freeland’s economic position is a contributing factor to Tracy’s addiction to tobacco and …show more content…
Many scenes in the movie show alcohol being shared during family mealtimes, cigarettes being smoked, and even the job choices in some of her mentors. According to Nutt (2012), “There’s a lot of evidence that the more common and acceptable consuming alcohol is seen to be, the more people will drink, and this cultural context is especially influential on young people” (p.122). Drinking alcohol was a normalized practice in the Freehand household, not only during meal times, but for recreational purposes as well. It’s casual use seems to encourage intoxication, as there initially are no repercussions for drinking. Moreover, tobacco’s accessibility in the movie is also concerning. Nutt (2012) also states, “… it is freely available and each hit is relatively cheap, we don’t see “tobacco fiends” committing crimes to feed their habit, and because its intoxication effect is very mild it rarely disrupts people’s ability to continue with normal life” (p.156). Tracy sees no wrong in smoking cigarettes, she even takes her mother’s pack to have her very first smoke. Eventually, Tracy and Evie even begin to smoke the same brand as Mel does. Furthermore, Evie’s cousin whom they idolize, works as a bartender and smokes cigarettes too. This is just another example of how alcohol and tobacco’s presence was normalized. As young impressionable children, these common substances
In this paper I will be comparing and contrasting the Psychoanalytic formulations of addiction and the Cognitive models of addiction. According to Dennis L. Thombs, “people tend to get psychoanalysis and psychotherapy mixed up. Psychotherapy is a more general term describing professional services aimed at helping individuals or groups overcome emotional, behavioral or relationship problem” (119). According to Thombs and Osborn, “Cognitive refers to the covert mental process that are described by a number of diverse terms, including thinking, self-talk, internal dialogue, expectations , beliefs, schemas and so much more” (160). I believe these two factors play a major part in an individual’s life that has an addiction.
Understanding addiction is a complicated subject that inspires controversy and debate. Not only do people want to understand addiction because of the curiosity to understand human beings and human nature, but there are factors that go into the defining of addiction such as public policy and health care coverage. There are two theories that are on the opposite spectrum when it comes to addiction which include the “disease concept” and the “choice theory”. One defines addiction as a disease, something that is out of one’s control, while the other thinks of it as a choice or a moral deficiency that resides in a person. The consequence of this gap is the delay in gaining control over drug abuse. While the people who support the choice theory see
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.
Many people dislike the term ‘addiction’ in relation to drugs or other substances, particularly as it infers that a person is powerless over their use of a particular drug or in some circumstances, a number of substances. Whilst others maintain it is this powerlessness that is the foundation of diagnosis and treatment – that treatment is not possible without recognition of addiction itself as the ‘problem’ being addressed. The professional and public perception of addiction is complicated. There are many approaches and models to explain addiction, the role of the addict, and their environment. This essay will compare and contrast two of these approaches, the medical/disease and the social model. Initially this essay will describe the origins of each model, and follow by explaining their respective strengths and weaknesses, and finish with an overview of the key differences between them. This essay will conclude by demonstrating that a holistic approach, and a cross-pollination of these models is the most successful approach to treating addicts. As is the case for all diseases, there are multiple treatment options, and as ever person is different, the results in each individual cannot be predicted.
Addictions, whether they be alcohol, drugs or even gambling have long been viewed as a badge of ignominy for those that have been plagued by it. Factors such as biological, social and psychological are all considered to be influential in the causation and intensification of addictive behaviors. However, even though these components of the biopsychosocial model are communicated, there are still negative societal perspectives when it concerns the realm of addiction.
Addiction is an extremely complex, moreover, controversial issue that has affected the many lives of individuals for ages. Addiction is comprised of biological, physiological, psychological, and social components that articulate behavior related to addictive behavior. Although, there are some that will not acknowledge their repetitive behavior as addictive, they
Addiction is one of the most common problems worldwide from a very long time. For centuries, people used drugs, alcohol, tobacco and struggled with the problem of physical addictions. Nowadays, the problem of addiction became larger including behavioral addictions like gambling, sex, shopping, internet addiction etc. However, there are still different views about its nature and classification. According to West (2013, p. 22), the reason for this uncertainty is that addiction is a multifaceted, socially defined concept rather than something physical that has clear and unique boundaries. Therefore, it is important to know what addiction actually is. Although there are different definitions of addiction, an objective definition that contains its basic features is:
Lash, S. J., Timko, C, Curran, G M., McKay, J R., Burden, J L.; (Jun, 2011). Psychology of Addictive Behaviors; Vol 25(2); 238-251. Doi: 10.1037/a0022608
Addiction, also known as substance use disorder, is the dependence on any type of drug, legal or illegal; alcohol and nicotine being two examples. Addiction occurs because “Drugs contain chemicals that tap into the brains communication system and disrupt the way nerve cells normally send, receive, and process information” (Understanding Drug Abuse). This disruption teaches the brain and person to keep repeating the sensation they get when using drugs, causing the individual to develop addiction problems. The sensation occurs from a rise in dopamine levels in the brain; so when an individual consumes alcohol and drugs, their dopamine levels boost. When the addiction develops, the individual’s brain changes, restricting them from making logical decisions, leading to uncontrollable cravings for whatever drug they are
Addiction is everywhere, from celebrity tabloids, to television, and possibly to a family member or close friend. There is alcoholism, drug abuse, and gambling addiction; the effects of such are devastating. For example, the following excerpt is from the harrowing Leaving Dirty Jersey: A Crystal Meth Memoir by James Salant:
The goal of this paper is to assist the reader in understanding the process of this addiction and possible treatment plans.
There are many assumptions of why an individual may use different substances and perhaps go from a “social” user to becoming addicted. Understanding the different theories models of addiction many help in the process of treatment for the addict. Although people in general vary in their own ideologies of addiction when working as a clinician one must set aside their own person beliefs. Typically as a clinician it is best for the client to define how they view their addiction and their view may encompass more than one of the five theories. Some theories suggest genetic and other biological factors whiles others emphasize personality or social factors. In this study three theories are defined and given to three different people with different cultural backgrounds, different ideologies, different experiences, and most importantly different reference point of addiction.
So, it is clear that addiction is all around us and can attack anyone of us at any given time. Even studies conducted show that people neglect to speak around their dependency for two primary reasons. Foremost, because people do not comprehend, or they bear a total misconception to their addiction, that they do not realize that addictions can be critical to their overall wellness. Moreover, second, many people believe being an addict will never happen to them, but, in reality, most addictions start off as simple little habits. Such as starting with one drink after dinner and before you know it you are drinking several drinks a day. However, one does not opt to be addicted to a substance, because addictions are physical defects in the brain, a disease, and not one’s choice.
For many years, people have suffered many devastations about addiction. It has become a common killer in the United States just like murder. Addiction has affected over 23 million people from the age 12 and older. These addictions are wide ranging, they can include alcohol, drugs, sex, video games, food, pornography, and gambling. People like to keep quite because they view this disease as morally wrong. Addicts sometimes shut out their family member because they are afraid of the reaction if anyone knew their problem. The Nation Institute of Drug Abuse states Addiction is as a chronic, relapsing brain disease that is characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use, despite harmful consequences.Today in 2016 addiction is spreading across
Perhaps most substance abuse starts in the teen years when young people are susceptible to pressure from their peers. One of the main concerns when dealing with substance abuse is the long term problems with substance such as addiction, dependency and tolerance. The physical state of an individual, who is addicted to a substance, will deteriorate over a long period of time. This is due to the chemicals that are being put into an individual body. One of the most important aspects of the effect of substance abuse on society includes ill health, disease, sickness, and in many cases death. The impact of substance abuse not only affects individuals who abuse substances but it affects our economy. Our government resources are negatively impacted by individual who abuse substances. According to (Lagliaro 2004) the implication of drug users extend far beyond the user, often damaging their relationships with their family, community, and health workers, volunteer and wider