Substance abuse and drug addiction affects people from all walks of life. Drugs are available to those who want to consume them. Even though there vast amounts of literature and other informative and preventive data, people still choose to abuse drugs. Unfortunately, most of them become addicts and find it very difficult to escape their addiction for the reason that underlying issues may be causing them to seek and use drugs. There exists a number of special populations that are identified and may use drugs to cope certain stress factors in their life.
Drug addicts may be dependent on their specific drug of choice due to many reasons. Some may be beyond their control. Other reasons may include personal and/or family issues. None the less, there are many contributing factors that may compel and individual to seek a healing process in drugs. Busch, Weiss & Najavits (2005) state, “ individuals that have been diagnosed with mental illnesses such as anxiety disorder, depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia may also be drug users.” Although some of the individuals who meet this special population may be severely mentally ill, there are certain treatments that may offer a hope for overcoming addiction. Furthermore, Busch, Weiss & Najavits (2005) indicate, “psychosocial treatments such as cognitive behavioral therapy and psychopharmacological treatments may be helping factors in helping the drug user overcome addiction.
Another special population group that falls into
Addiction has a significant influence when the individual consumes a substance and employs in an activity that can be gratifying and the extended utilization becomes compelling and disrupts with the activities of daily living, obligations, comparatively, performance in the job, relationships, or health. Individuals who utilize various medications used in substance abuse may not be apprehensive of their demeanor; they may not be cognizant that their actions are disorderly and precipitating complications for themselves and the people around them Psychology Today (2015). A lot of drugs are addicting. Addiction is a lingering, recurring condition indicated by besetting drug pursuing and utilized in defiance of negative ramifications and by resilient distortion in the brain. Individuals who are addicted have robust yearning for the drug, making it laborious to cease usage. Medications used in substance abuse heightens the danger to injury or fatality from narcotized driving or defiling conditions such as Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome and Hepatitis from perilous sexual habits or
As I stated previously, drugs affect an individuals both physically and psychologically. They both tried to stop using, but failed because their body consumed a drug that altered their body’s functions. This cause them to be in a state of disequilibrium. We see that they no longer had control over their personal hygiene, morals and ethics. Family and friends came second to addiction. We also see the inability to cope with them as well. They sought drugs as a way to deal with life stressors. This is and would be considered, abnormal for a person to use drugs as coping mechanisms because drugs aren't natural produce by the human body. A person with an addiction needs drugs to
From the first essay, my knowledge about addiction/chemical dependence has expanded and grown in many levels and ways. One of the most important aspects of substance abuse that gave me a better understanding is dependence and its cause and effect. Although I knew people like experimenting with drugs for many reasons such as out of curiosity, have a good time, peer pressure, and other “compelling” factors. However, for so long I could not grasp why or how some people even among siblings become addicted to the drug or alcohol and some don’t. While I realize, multiple factors can contribute to certain illnesses, disorders due to genetic vulnerability, environmental stressors, social pressures, individual personality characteristics, and certain psychiatric problems, but which of those factors have the biggest influence. Prior to this class, I have mistakenly assumed that drug abusers lack moral principles or willpower…to some extent, so it was their initial decision to take the drug, however. Now I know, my perception was wrong, though I never judged anyone for such behavior, I rather was saddened.
According to UAB's health website, "Substance abuse is used to describe a pattern of substance (drug) use leading to significant problems or distress such as failure to attend work/school, substance use in dangerous situations (driving a car), substance-related legal problems, or continued substance use that interferes with friendships and or family relationships. Substance abuse, as a disorder, refers to the abuse of illegal substances or the abusive use of legal substances. Alcohol is the most common legal drug of abuse."
Drug addiction is a chronic relapsing brain disorder which produces compulsive drug seeking and use. The abuse of drugs leads to changes in the function and structure of the brain. Consuming chemical substances to achieve pleasure or euphoria The most commonly abused classes of prescription drugs according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse include opioids used for chronic pain; central nervous system (CNS) depressants used in anxiety and sleep disorder treatments; and stimulants, such as amphetamine among others, utilized to treat attention deficit disorder and narcolepsy.[4]
According to the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), the compelling feature of substance use disorders is that the grouping of psychological feature, physiological and activity manifestations in a person who often uses mood/mind-altering substances in spite of issues related to their use (American Psychiatric Association, 2013, p. 483). The DSM-5 identifies a very important characteristic proportionate to the severity of those disorders the underlying amendment in noesis that persists once detoxification leading to a detrimental sequence of actions such as relapse and cravings once the person is within the presence of feelings that are related to misusing drugs (American Psychiatrical
People are addicted to drugs for many reasons, whether it is the result of an unfortunate childhood, peer pressure, lack of self-discipline, or the guilt of being an addict. Most people begin to experiment with drugs in their early teens and college life. Once an addiction consumes their lives, they are no longer able to function productively on a daily basis; therefore, they turn to a life of crime to support their habit. Family members of drug addicts struggle with how to maintain a relationship with them without supporting their addiction. Once a person becomes addicted, it leaves no room in their life for anything or anyone else to influence them. If an addict wants to have a successful rehabilitation, they must admit they have a problem. One successful method of rehabilitation is to replace the high from drugs with a natural high released by endorphins from exercise.
In the United States there are 23.5 million people who are addicted to drugs and alcohol. Addiction affects a person spiritually ,emotionally and physically, it also causes chemical changes in the brain. Addiction I’m going to define by using the Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV-TR. The DSM defines substance dependence as a “maladaptive pattern of substance use leading to clinically significant impairment or distress” It defines these as the symptoms of substance dependence “tolerance as defined by A.need for markedly increased amount of the substance to achieve desired effect. B. Markedly diminished effect with continued use of the same amount of substance 2.the substance is often taken in larger amounts or over a
Addiction to substances represents one of the most insidious diseases known to mankind. Given the serious nature and sensitivity that surrounds addiction, the only viable path to recovery from this disease tends to be through spending time in a reputable drug and alcohol rehab treatment center. Any efforts to try to classify all addicts into one group represents nothing more than an exercise in futility.
And some substances are more addictive than others: Drugs like crack or heroin are so addictive that they might only be used once or twice before the user loses control.
Drug and alcohol addiction is a very serious and widespread problem in America, and across the globe. Drug addiction is a constant craving, seeking, and using of a substance, despite the negative consequences it may have on the addict or those around them. When drug use becomes more frequent, it is considered drug abuse. Once an individual’s drug abuse is can no longer be controlled, and they are using the drug to get through everyday life, it beomes an addiction. A person on drugs has an altered way of thinking, behaving, and perceiving. There are treatment facilities all over the world dedicated to help those suffering with drug addictions. All
Adolescence is the period when children socially grow and develop into adults. It is also during this time, that many children start to experiment with drugs and alcohol. According to Dictionary.com, substance abuse is “long-term, pathological use of alcohol or drugs, characterized by daily intoxication, inability to reduce consumption, and impairment in social or occupational functioning; broadly, alcohol or drug addiction.” While many adolescents may just experiment, addiction and abuse of substances is a very real possibility. Sharma found that most drug and alcohol users began using between the ages of fifteen and eighteen. The most common reasons given to them for initiation were peer influence, curiosity, and sense of growth (2015).
Substance abuse is one of the most detrimental social problems found in all societies. It has been the leading cause for generational breakdowns of families and communities, and is probably the most controversial social problem when developing corrective solutions. Substance abuse can be defined as the chemical dependence, or pattern of usage of both legal and illegal substances, that has adverse physical, psychological, and psychomotor effects on the human body. The use of substances does not always have to be a drug, but can also be anything taken into the body that can cause a mood-altering effect, such as inhalants or solvents. Additionally, substance abuse has many different faces and is the one social problem that crosses all
Drug addiction is a complex problem in society today. Addiction is a condition that extremely affects the person’s mind and body. Addiction also has wide sweeping effects on that person’s social connection and functioning. Unfortunately, many addicts don’t realize the social influence of their addiction until much of their functioning has greatly deteriorated.
For the research of drug use and societal or natural disaster there is various findings on drug users lives, before and after disasters. This paper gives a broad explanation of their trauma & stress, housing life styles, and health risk during times of disaster. These topics show the studies on people whom partake in drugs such as Crack/Cocaine Heroine on the day-to-day basis. The researched for this paper worked with the users directly to affect the health of those in these situations.