Application Of Theory Of A Mental Health Issue

According to the American Society of Addiction Medicine, genetics account for over fifty percent of addiction disorders. Elders having a past with drugs, the addict

There is no doubt that there is a prevalence of substance abuse throughout several age groups. To a certain extent, a society is faced with the reality of controlling substance abuse. Or allow it run rampant throughout the community. Often times, we hear and read about the level of substance abuse among teen, young adults and mid-aged

There are many models and theories which attempt to explain the causes of substance misuse and dependence. They range from those which highlight the importance of genetic and biological factors to those which stress social and psychological factors and those which may consider the ‘blame’ to be that of the dependent individual (Rassool 2009).

Almost one hundred years ago, prescription drugs like morphine were available at almost any general store. Women carried bottles of very addictive potent opiate based pain killers in their purse. Many individuals like Edgar Allen Poe died from such addictions. Since that time through various federal, state and local laws, drugs like morphine are now prescription drugs; however, this has not stopped the addiction to opiate based pain killers. Today’s society combats an ever increasing number of very deadly addictive drugs from designer drugs to narcotics to the less potent but equally destructive alcohol and marijuana. With all of these new and old drugs going in and out of vogue with addicts, it appears that the increase of misuse and

Substance abuse is a very widely known public epidemic in today's society. Many people are unfortunately plagued by this issue. According to Emedicinehealth.com (2012), “People abuse substances such as alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs for varied and complicated reasons, but it is clear that our society pays a significant cost,” (para. 1). People that are affected by substance abuse includes a very different range of people. Many that abuse the substances end up having health-related problems which in turn increases the need for health care. Other people that are affected by substance abuse are the family members and friends of the abusers because they have to deal with the person abusing the substances. Things that can be abused are

Although the collection of findings from several types of genetically informative research designs does provide compelling evidence for the influence of genetics and heritability on the risk for addiction, they do

The definition provided above is accessible and easy to understand; however, it initiates false beliefs among individuals because it fails to acknowledge that drug addiction is a mental health problem. Moreover, when words such as, “dependence”, “control” and “craving” are used to define drug addiction, it leaves an impression to the reader that addicts are indeed “people who cannot control their impulses.” Consequently, when we fail to recognize that drug addiction is a mental health problem, our focus is diverted towards the physical aspect of drug addiction. This could cause the belief among individuals that drugs alone cause the addiction. It is essential to acknowledge that there are chemical hooks in drugs; however, individuals need to understand that drugs alone do not cause the addiction. We need to identify and distinguish the “root cause” of addiction and ask ourselves: what caused the individual to take the drug in the first place?

Genetic factors, such as having a family history of drug abuse, has a major influence on the likelihood that someone will fall into a cycle of drug abuse and addiction (Volkow, 2007; Horvath et al., 2013). From a biological perspective, we address issues by attending to the underlying biological cause. Since we know that addiction can be influenced by chemical changes in the brain, we can combat it and prevent relapse by restoring brain chemistry through the use of medications, such as those that eliminate the pleasurable effects of drugs, and ideally through total abstinence from drugs (Horvath et al.,

Substance abuse is the harmful or dangerous use of any psychoactive substances including drugs, alcohol and even tobacco. The term ‘Substance Abuse’, as understood today was first used in 1987’s DSM-IIIR, before that social & cultural factors were not considered. Even with that change, many Americans still today consider drug and alcohol abuse to be moral weakness or character defect.

Substance abuse disorders is easily defined when an “individual continues to use the substance despite experiencing negative consequences from their use. These negative consequences can include health problems; difficulties in their family, work, and social life; and financial and legal problems. They are said to be dependent on the substance when,” in addition to theses negative consequences, they build tolerance and experience withdrawal if they stop using the drug” (Martin, 2007, p. 265). Substance abuse dates back to the early Americans colonies with beer that was brought over by the pilgrims and more popularly the ratification of the Constitution to prohibit the use of alcohol

Both biological and psychological theories of addiction influence current practices. Biological theories emphasize the importance of physiological factors including genetics. Thus, when counselors have therapy with clients, they may think about the reason why some people tend to be unable to control themselves once they begin. It may because heredity that happen within the body. However, psychological theories have different views of addiction, which consist of personality theories and other related psychological theories. It may be explained by personality disorder

In 1960 E.M. Jellinek a scientist, was credited for introducing this controversial and initially popular model of addiction from past research of the late 1930`s and early 1940`s. His findings have received wide acceptance however, the research from which he

One contemporary psychoanalytical view of substance abuse is that it is a defense against anxiety (Thombs D 2006). Addicts often abuse alcohol and other substances to guard against anxiety and other painful feelings like shame, guilt, loneliness and depression. Psychological problems including substance abuse disorders are viewed as a result of inhibited ability to make authentic, meaningful, and self directed choices about how to live.

One question that arises from this discussion is, if heroin produces these effects on the central nervous system, then why are some people more likely to become addicted than others? Wouldn't everyone eventually become addicted to the drug? One possible answer to this question is that while everyone has the potential to develop a heroin dependency, some people may be more likely to do so, or may have a more severe problem with the addiction. For example, some people may have greater difficulty synthesizing endorphins and therefore would have more trouble forcing their bodies to make it on its own. In addition, some people are more likely to fall into depression which influences drug use. If a person has high cortisol levels to begin with (which influence depression), he or she may become more severely depressed and therefore have a more difficult withdrawal period (4).

Within the last year, drug abuse has caused the United States a riveting $800 billion due to crime, lost work productivity, and most costly, healthcare. The hard-working government is taking measurements into their own hands to combat drug abuse, but first they must understand the causes. According to the National Institute of Health, 50 percent of the the time drug abuse and/or addiction is heritable (NIH 1). Passed down, and somebody must break the chain. A Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics source states that “genetics and environmental factors“