Social Work: Substanc Substance Abuse

According to the SAMHSA (2010) report on the national survey on drug use and health almost 22.5 million people are reported to be associated with substance abuse disorder (SAMHSA, 2010). This illness was found to be very common in all age groups, both sex, and seniors. There are several effects on these individuals and their families. Many people who suffer from substance abuse disorders fail to acknowledge these serious consequences. First of all, no response of pain relief can be seen with smaller doses of pain medications, as their bodies are used to high levels of various substances at the same time. Nurses become frustrated when they try to treat and help these patients with pain. Sometimes it is difficult to think about ethical principles when nurses have to deal with such patients with pain and suffering.

It should be noticed that in the recent few decades, the science developed at an astonishing pace, and the problem of substance abuse cause a huge public concern. Currently, substance abuse has already become a pandemic around the world. It costs individuals substantially, and it of their family as a whole. It is essential for the society to help those people who struggle with drug addiction to get rid of their pain and get back their health and balance life. Therefore, I understand the substance abuse is a tough area, and people who are struggling with addiction really need help. During the course of the interview, I

In the United States, many Americans can argue that we are facing a drug epidemic whether it is alcohol or illicit drugs other than medicinal marijuana. In response to this drug epidemic, organizations were created that are supported by the government and law enforcement in an effort to give addicts a chance to get clean. For example, Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotic Anonymous are two organizations that focus on helping people who struggle from alcoholism or any addiction cope with the symptoms of withdrawal in efforts to stay clean with the support of their organization’s community. Although these two organization’s goals are similar, they attack these problems differently beginning with step one out of their twelve step program to help addicts get clean.

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

Substance abuse counseling can be a rewarding career for anyone who has a desire to help people who are battling an addiction to drugs or alcohol. A substance abuse counselor can work in hospitals, prisons, therapeutic facilities, and halfway houses. The purpose of a substance abuse counselor is to help those who have an addiction manage it. In this paper I will be discussing Texas state counseling laws and the ACA ethics code and how these two can guide my work as a substance abuse counselor. I will also discuss the characteristics of a counselor, review my strengths and any challenges I may have as a counselor, and discuss my perceptions of substance abuse that may impact my ability to become an effective counselor.

I had the privilege of talk to Diana W. Bear of the Inter-Tribal Substance Abuse/Prevention & Treatment Center. She is a Counselor at the facilities at Miami, Oklahoma. She confided in me why she pursued a career in substance and alcohol prevention as a second career in her life. She also had family member that difficultly with addictions and wanted to know more about addiction. With her desire to learn and overwhelming desire to want to help others to overcome it. She started by enrolling in some online class and finished up with attending Pittsburg State University for part of her college career. She started out as doing her practicum at the same facilities as she later got a job; she has been a counselor with Inter-Tribal Substance Abuse/Prevention & Treatment Center for now ten years.

One of my main reasons for wanting to become an alcohol and substance abuse counselor is to assist and educate individuals on the effect of substance abuse. For example, from my childhood I have seen my father drank alcohol on a weekly basis, today he is a sober and coherent. Sadly to say this situation has became an enormous devastation in lives of families today. It produced abused, incest, violence, separation, resentment and low self-esteem within the family circle.

“Catherine” is a 31 year old, divorced female who is currently employed as a receptionist at a local human service organization. Last week, she began a treatment program for alcohol and cocaine dependency. Catherine lives with her 5 year-old daughter, “Joy,” in a home near her place of work. Despite little earnings from her job, she has managed to take care of herself and her daughter without monetary support from Joy’s father. Catherine was married to Joy’s father when she was 25 years old, but they divorced after he started abusing her physically. Joy’s father was an alcoholic, a condition that contributed towards the demise of their marriage. Catherine has not had contact with her former husband since they ended the marriage. Catherine’s mother, a widow, has been of great support. Catherine’s cousins, “Jane” and “Cynthia,” have also been of great help. Catherine stated that Jane and Cynthia, are the only family she feels she can depend on. Catherine is the eldest of four children.

Substance use disorders and addiction are affecting Americans at an alarming rate. People of all backgrounds, cultures and socioeconomic status have suffered the impact this epidemic is causing on loved ones, friends or maybe even themselves. Some individuals seek treatment and with the help of a support network they can change their life. Others are not so lucky. It is estimated that 62,497 Americans died from drug overdoses in 2016. That is more casualties than the Vietnam War (Lopez, 2017). This number does not include deaths resulting from diseases of long term use such as liver cirrhosis, hepatitis and AIDS. It would be easy to conclude these addicted individuals died in vain simply due to their poor life choices and lack of morals, but

The reason I selected Standards for Assessment in Substance Abuse Counseling is, because of personal past experiences. Therefore, I have developed a passion of wanting to help people afflicted by substance abuse issues overcome this deadly obsession breaking the chains that bind them.

One of the mental health issues that could occur from childhood abuse is the use of illicit drugs or alcohol abuse. Childhood abuse is related to drug or alcohol dependence, more than any other psychiatric disorder. Survivors of childhood abuse are 13 percent more likely to abuse alcohol and 26 percent likely to abuse drugs. Male child abuse victims with more six or more childhood abuse experiences are over 4000% more likely to use intravenous drugs as adults. The higher rates of substance abuse problems among adult survivors is to self-medicate from symptoms common with anxiety or depression. Childhood abuse typically ends up in addictive behaviors, but it doesn’t have to. A good support system and care from the right people will help adults abused as children to live a normal life. Along with a higher risk of addiction,

The text thoroughly describes the narcotics, stimulants and depressants, as well as, their effects on society and its members. In social work it is important to identify interactions between persons and their environment, because conditions in which a person lives may have a positive or negative impact on their life. Previous legislations, organizations and associations effectively changed public attitude towards alcoholism and many programs were implemented across the nation. Since substance abuse is a worldwide social issue, programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) spreaded throughout and impacted other countries. Although, great efforts were implemented to prevent substance abuse, changes in U.S social welfare policy and governmental funding for prevention and treatment programs have a strong effect on the social workers ultimate goal: social

Substance abuse and addiction have become a social problem that afflicts millions of individuals and disrupts the lives of their families and friends. Just one example reveals the extent of the problem: in the United States each year, more women and men die of smoking related lung cancer than of colon, breast and prostate cancers combined (Kola & Kruszynski, 2010). In addition to the personal impact of so much illness and early death, there are dire social costs: huge expenses for medical and social services; millions of hours lost in the workplace; elevated rates of crime associated with illicit drugs; and scores of children who are damaged by their parents’ substance abuse behavior (Lee, 2010). This paper will look at

Every year, thousands of students graduate and enter full time jobs in the workforce excited to begin their careers. However these young adults do not realize some of the immense pressures that await them, this can arise from tight deadlines and high expectations that they may not feel they can live up to in the first few months. This can cause many of these transitioning graduates to panic and look for ways to calm themselves down once they get home from work. With the stresses of work continually wearing on their mental health, many people become vulnerable to drug abuse. One studied also showed that 8.7 percent of full-time adult workers aged 16 to 64 used alcohol heavily in one month, 8.6 percent used illegal drugs, and 9.5 were dependent on one or both of the substances during the year. Yet it is not only the middle class workers that are susceptible to the lure of drugs and alcohol. As we know there is a high percentage of the wealthy population that feel these substances are the answer to some of their problems in life, whether it’s to fit in, to achieve a high in a lifestyle which already provides them so much, or to just experience something new, many affluent individuals find themselves caught in a cycle of addiction which is tough to break. Although, no matter what background you have there is always a way to get your life back on track if you truly want too, there are many different methods to combat these addictions and rehab centers that provide intervention

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