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Effect of substance abuse on family
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Effect of substance abuse on family
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The world of addiction is a highly misunderstood realm. The word “addiction” itself is extremely stigmatizing. Many people first think of personal failure and weakness, which is a result of the moral model commonly associated with addictions. However, substance dependence is not a personal weakness. It is a chronic disease suffered by many people across the world. Classifying drug and alcohol addiction as a disease is an exceedingly controversial topic (Murphy, Lynch, Oslin, McKay, & TenHave, 2007). If society is to believe and agree with this classification, they must admit that substance dependence is an illness, a disease, and not a human failing or weakness. Those with substance use disorders in particular need more understanding from the public and more advocates to speak on their behalf without judgment.
According to the World Health Organization website (2004), 1.83% of men in the United States suffer from drug use disorders – another 5.48% from alcohol use disorders. Although these percentages may appear insignificant, combined they account for 7.31% of the US population which is roughly 23 million people. Substance use disorders are long-lasting and often go untreated claiming many lives. Consequently, drug and alcohol addiction does not solely affect the using individual but also affects the user’s family, friends, and community. These individuals suffer simultaneously with the addicted person – but not in the same ways (Jarecki, 2012). Costs to society include largely legal and medical expenses, with regard to drug and alcohol crimes being handled within the legal system, and hospitals handling the harmful bodily effects of drugs and alcohol on their users (Jarecki, n.d.). Costs to the family and friends range from ha...
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... and mental health services. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.mentalhealth.gov/get-help/health-insurance/index.html
Jarecki, E. (Producer & Director). (2012). The house I live in [Motion picture]. United States: Abramorama Entertainment.
Jarecki, E. (n.d.). Drug war today. Retrieved from http://www.thehouseilivein.org/get-involved/drug-war-today/
Murphy, S. A., Lynch, K. G., Oslin, D., McKay, J. R., & TenHave, T. (2007). Developing adaptive treatment strategies in substance abuse research. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 88, S24-S30.
World Health Organization. (2004). Prevalence of alcohol use disorders. http://gamapserver.who.int/gho/interactive_charts/substance_abuse/bod_alcohol_prevalence/atlas.html
World Health Organization. (2004). Prevalence of drug use disorders. http://gamapserver.who.int/gho/interactive_charts/substance_abuse/bod_drug_prevalence/atlas.html
“The Psychological Problems of the Homeless” According to “The State of Homelessness In America”, there were about 600,000 homeless people in America in the year of 2014. These are the people that are sleeping outside, in emergency shelters, or in transitional housing programs. Who are these people some might wonder? Most of the homeless people in America are in fact veterans, poor people, and even those who are unemployed and can no longer afford living expenses. There are multiple causes that
the intersection between women in the United States of America and Mexico, in regard to the status of drug treatment in each country, and the roles that it plays in these women’s lives through a feministic perspective. Further, I will be discussing how gender is in direct juxtaposition to the outcomes of drug treatments in both countries, in regard to the base of the models used to treat. Another key issue in regard to the status of treatment is the notion of the Other, with special consideration
Substance abuse disorders are common in our society. It is a disorder that each one of us will most likely experience through a family member, friend, or our self. I felt very drawn to this topic due to the fact that I have a family that has background of substance abuse and I myself have battle the demon. Not until I struggled with my own addiction did I become more tolerable and understanding to those that have a substance abuse disorder. Substance abuse is not something anyone wants to have; it
offenders with regular prisoners can cause a threat to regular inmates if placed in a situation where their disorder leads to violence. Due to inappropriate facilitating of medication and poor mental health services, their illnesses can greaten. The discrepancies
level of drug use, with nearly 48 percent reporting having used substances in the last year. That group is followed by 39 percent of white teens, almost 37 percent of Hispanics, 36 percent of multi-racial adolescents, 32 percent of blacks and nearly 24 percent of Asians. "There is certainly still a myth out there that black kids are more likely to have problems with drugs than white kids, and this documents as clearly as any study we're aware of that the rate of substance-related disorders among African
Improving Mental Health Care in America Akua Amponsah-Adjei James Madison University Abstract Mental health is a state of effective performance of mental function. Mental illnesses are among the most common causes of disability in the United States. Mental illness provides a difficult set of challenges to society, the health care system and social institutions. Access to quality mental health care services is important for promoting and maintaining health, safety and achieving health equity
drug overdose describes the ingestion or application of a drug or other substance in quantities greater than are recommended or generally practiced. An overdose may result in a toxic state or death. People everyday are dying from consuming drugs that are harmful to their body. The drug epidemic is more important than people presume, many deaths can be prevented if more people spoke up about the topic and tried to help. America should deal with the drug epidemic that is taking over the country in several
Throughout my study I will focus on poverty pertaining to African-American males between the ages of 18-25 with substance abuse. The United States recession continues to illuminate the experience of poverty in this country and the weaknesses in programs designed to protect families from the effects of poverty. The poverty rate has risen over the last four years, and is just beginning to stabilize. In 1990, Schwarz (1990) stated about one in five American families lived beneath the poverty line. According
Anxiety Disorder What is Anxiety? As defined by Understanding Psychology by Glencoe, Anxiety is a general state of dread or uneasiness that a person feels in response to a real or imagined danger. Anxiety affects 19 million Americans annually and anxiety disorder happens to be the most common mental illness in America. There are many different types of anxiety disorder such as: Panic Disorder, Obsessive – Compulsion Disorder, Phobias, and a few more. Although there is no cure for anxiety disorders
support that they need. Sadly even our heroes can fall. When we look at substance abuse we all have preconceived ideas as to what we believe a substance abuser looks like. However the stigma does not always fit the idea of what a substance abusers looks like and what they do. In America alone there are over 300,000 nurses who are suffering from substance abuse. Approximately every one in ten nurses is suffering from substance abuse (Crowley, 2013). This surprising statistic shows the need for change;
Alcoholism Alcohol Dependence is a disease characterized by: a strong need or compulsion to drink, the frequent inability to stop drinking once a person has begun, the occurrence of withdrawal symptoms (nausea, sweating, shakiness) when alcohol use is stopped after a period of heavy drinking, and the need for increasing amounts of alcohol in order to feel an affect. Most experts agree that alcoholism is a disease just as high blood pressure, diabetes and arthritis are diseases. Like these other
traces of the medicinal use of marijuana were found in the Ancient Chinese, recently the legalization of medical marijuana has been a controversial issue in our society. In the past two decades, twenty eight states have legalized medicinal marijuana use for the treatment of certain diseases. Medical marijuana has been proven to help treat many diseases such as HIV/AIDS, Alzheimer’s, Cancer, Epilepsy, and many more. Regardless,there is still controversy surrounding cannabis use as a primary or adjunctive
Mental Health in America What do you think of when someone brings up the topic of mental health in the country? Many people are influenced by negative stigma and preconceptions associated with mental illness. Those with mental illnesses are all too commonly subjected to these negative stigmas. These views can lead to discrimination, which may be the cause of why those suffering from mental disorders are so poorly cared for and often don’t seek treatment. The Mayo Clinic reports that some harmful
The True Road to Recovery For years, many new and innovative recovery options have sprouted up in response to the growing population of addicts in America. Although each individual program has the same ultimate goal, they each take a different approach. The specific approach taken by each program is what can make or break the success of recovery for an addict. The most popular of these programs are twelve-step programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous. However, twelve-step programs are not the
Women experience depression at twice the rate of men. Gender differences emerge first at puberty and occur mainly in the common mental disorders such as depression, anxiety among others. These disorders, in which women predominate, affect approximately 1 in 3 people. The frequency of major depression in adults is estimated to be 7 to 12 percent in men and 20 to 25 percent in women in a community and this constitutes a serious public health problem (NIMH, 2006). Several and variable factors in women