Reflective Account On Substance Abuse

Substance abuse is the habitual use of mind altering substances (Substances). Addicts have a false or altered look on reality; they need help seeing what is wrong with the life style they are living. Nikki Sixx once said,” Addiction- When you can give something up at any time, as long as it’s next Tuesday!” Recovery is teaching a person to break old habits. Substance abuse counselors are very important, not only in the mental health field, but in society as well.

According to C. Wright Mills (1959), sociological imagination is the ability to appreciate a different (wider) perspective of the self in relation to others and to society than the narrow perspective of the self that comes most naturally to the individual. Today, sociological imagination is a concept that is considered central to the study of sociology and other disciplines such as social psychology because the ability to shift from a personal perspective to a more objective perspective is crucial to understanding other people and to understanding the norms, values, and expectations of other societies that may differ substantially from the society of the researcher or student.

While most live and go on with life in a pretty average way other choose to live a life where risk is almost the main aspect. Drug and alcohol use for many is a death sentence. What compels people to destroy their lives, their relationships and sometimes their own family? What effect does this have on the Native American population? It has long been known that Aboriginal people suffer from alcoholism in vast numbers but with this paper we will get an in depth look at how this happened and why is it still a problem. We will also see the effects this has on future generations, who grow up in such an environment and even those genetically inclined to such addictive behaviours. And according to the DSM-III-R there is a difference between abuse and dependence, “abuse being one or more of the following occurring in a 12 moths period; failure to fulfill major obligations at work, home or school, substance use in physically hazardous situations, substance related legal problems, and continued use even when suffering social and interpersonal problems because of substance use. Also the symptoms must never have met the criteria for dependence. Dependence on the other hand, is three or more of the following, occurring anytime in the same 12 month period; a need for increased amounts to achieve “high” or diminished effect of particular amount over time, withdrawal when not using or need for something to replace substance when not available,

While consumption of alcohol is a socially acceptable practice in our society, issues arise when abuse occurs. Donatelle and Thompson (2011) define alcohol abuse as the "excessive consumption or a level of consumption that interferes with work, school, or social and family relationships" (256). As with other drug addictions, this abuse is disruptive to the alcohol abusers life as well as to those close to them. Moreover, alcohol abuse is accompanied by many devastating effects for all demographics. The harms associated with the misuse and abuse of alcohol includes: harm to oneself, negative effects on friendships and social life, and negative affects to physical

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

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.

A vulnerable population are people that have specific characteristics, or risk factors, that increase the probability of developing health problems (Harkness & DeMarco, 2012, p.103). A Vulnerable is important because anyone can become a part of this population. One is going to be describing the characteristics of substance abusers. Next, give the common health issue and needs. Then, give specific resources that Peoria have to offer. Finally, how substance abuse relates to Healthy People 2020. Overall, this will give one an overview of the vulnerable population such as substance abusers.

People drink in many ways, for many different reasons. We drink socially, to gain acceptance into a group. We drink alone to ease stress, to cope with our problems, or we “drink because we like the taste or how it makes us feel”#. Often drinking is a learned behavior, starting out as a social drinker; you quickly become psychologically and physically dependent. When someone reaches this stage they are often classified as an alcoholic. To an alcoholic, drinking becomes a compulsion; they cannot stop themselves from having another drink, like a social drinker can. In many cases alcoholics don’t even have to drink continuously in order to be an alcoholic. One the problems of alcohol addiction is that it’s something that doesn’t just effect the individual but it effects, friends and family as well. Spouse abuse, child abuse and dysfunctional family relationships can all be influenced by alcohol abuse.

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 is a disorder that takes control of a person’s life. It is a beast that tears a person apart; from their being to the lives of their loved ones. This disorder is not biased in anyway; rich or poor, male or female, employed or unemployed, young or

Drinking can cause a person to have a complete personality change and become violent or hostile after drinking. They may also become irritable or panicky during times when a drink is expected. An alcoholic may drink to the point of black out; this is where they don’t remember what they’ve done or said that happened during a bout of drinking. A definite red flag for alcoholism is when a person has to have to drink in the morning when they first wake up.

There are several different ways to describe substance abuse. So many people think that substance abuse only pertains to alcoholism. There is several other substances that may cause someone to be diagnosed with substance abuse disorder. Some of those things include: marijuana, alcohol, stimulants(cocaine and amphetamines), Hallucinogens, Inhalants, sedatives, and even nicotine. Even though some people may not see some of these things as things that may become addicting they are. More and more people are becoming addicted to the smallest things such as alcohol. For hundreds and thousands of American citizens alcoholism is become far too common. Alcoholism is a disease that affects many people in the United States today. It not

When I began this class I had a very specific experience and understanding of addictions. One of the major influencers in my view of addictions has been my mother. This is something I never fully processed until I began really learning about addictions and what they do to people. I had impressions of addiction which were completely off base, and I had never taken the time to filter my prejudices through the reality of addictive disorders. Nevertheless, this project and this class has had a wonderful effect on my perception of those struggling with addictions.

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

Relaxation, celebrating, and socializing are often reasons people engage in alcohol. However, the enjoyment of alcohol in moderation may become difficult for some individuals to manage when using alcohol as coping mechanisms or scapegoat, for other underlining issues: personal, social and work-related concerns. Unfortunately, lack of proper management may or can result into alcoholism. According to the DSM-V alcoholism is diagnosed as alcohol use disorder or alcohol addiction, in which a person becomes physically and psychologically dependent on alcohol to the point that he or she cannot function without it (American Psychiatric Association,2013).

My reflection paper is on the subject of substance abuse. As the structure of society changes, the acceptability of one drug or another changes. I have dealt with my own experiences of substance abuse personally and through family and friends throughout my community. I believe there are many underlying problems Native people face today that lead to substance abuse. So, drug use and alcoholism is not the problem in my town, those are more like side effects of something deeper. I would have to agree most with the symbolic interactionist perspective as far as the labeling theory goes. There are also many images in the media that depict the use of drugs and alcohol to make it seem like even though it is bad, it is sometimes okay. These images sparked my own curiosity to experience a fun high or a night out with friends and hopefully getting lucky. I had so many questions about drug use and alcohol. My older siblings and cousins were involved in those circles so it was only natural that me and my cousins and peers who I grew up with got into smoking marijuana and buying drinks on the weekends. I did not know at the time about the dangers of underage drinking. I also had very little knowledge of the condition of my mental health at my young age. Eventually I found out that I had an addictive personality and I got myself into a downward spiral of substance abuse.