Substance Abuse And The Active Substance Abuser

According to the Diagnostic Statistic Manual 5 (DSM-5) substance use disorder is when the individual has a dependency on alcohol or drug, followed by penetrating craving and antisocial behavior to acquire the substance. The terms substance abuse and substance dependence refer to substance use disorder, which has been separated into three classifications as follows

One aspect of the model which is very interesting is the detoxification process. So many elements go into the relationship becoming so toxic. Most observers seem to think that it is because of an outside affair. Detoxification from a substance abuse perspective, is a set of interventions with a focus of managing present and withdrawal symptoms. Detoxification is not designed to repair any long term psychological issues but prepare them for rehabilitation (Lee et. al,

Drug and chemical abuse affect many families and that particular family that lives through a loved one who is an addict and the priority is to get help for the individual. In any intervention that involves drug addicts, a family's disposition is very important. Full recovery of any drug addict involves the restoration of the person's life as well as ensuring that those who are around the addict have the best ability when it comes to helping with abstinence which is a long-term goal. Abusers are often in denial or even believe that they are totally in control of their use of drugs

Lots of people, abuser and non-abusers blame alcohol and substance for their violent actions. While this may be true it’s not right to say flat out. Yes 93% of the persons causing violence on their spouses were alcoholics (Roleff, Tamara). Alcohol and drugs are in hankers but never and excuse and/or cause. Abuse is a choice (Introduction). Being a society of people who find it the easiest way to get out of a situation is blaming something on another thing. Substance abuse seems pretty common and generic. There are a lot of things that go into abuse before alcohol is brought into the picture. The fact that a spouse is jealous or controlling even just angry is magnified by the effect of alcohol (Roleff, Tamara) it makes everything a whole lot worse. The abuser being affected by alcohol is also a way so the abuser and the person being abused have something to blame it on (Roleff, Tamara). As stated before we are a society of giving out blame.

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

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is the most well-known and widely available self-help group for alcoholics in treatment and recovery. AA uses fellowship and a set of guided principles—the 12 steps—to help members achieve and maintain sobriety. The goal is total abstinence from drinking. In the beginning stages, “clients can be emotionally fragile, ambivalent about relinquishing chemicals, and resistant to treatment. Thus, treatment strategies focus on immediate concerns: achieving abstinence, preventing relapse, and managing cravings. Also, to establish a stable working group, a relatively active leader emphasizes therapeutic factors like hope, group cohesion, and universality. In the middle, or action, stage of treatment, clients need the group’s assistance in recognizing that their substance abuse causes many of their problems and blocks them from getting things they want. As clients reluctantly sever their ties with substances, they need help managing their loss and finding healthy substitutes. Often, they need guidance in understanding and managing their emotional lives. Late‐stage treatment spends less time on substance abuse per se and turns toward identifying the treatment gains to be maintained and risks that remain. During this stage, members may focus on the issues of living, resolving guilt, reducing shame, and adopting a more introspective, relational view of

Substance abuse is a tragedy that touches many lives. Abuse begins with a single use event that, with continued use and overindulgence, transforms into a battle. The abuser most always loses that battle. Personal relationships, social ties, and employment suffers. Irresponsible and erratic behavior becomes the norm, and though the abuser is aware on some level of the reckless and thoughtless acts that they commit, they continue to use and abuse their drug of choice. What starts as experimentation often ends in addiction. The best hope for a person in the grips of substance abuse is immediate,

The physical benefits of sobriety are impressive, but the emotional benefits are equally noteworthy. Addiction has been shown to alter the brain’s circuitry and, even more frighteningly, gene expression. These changes impact human behavior and interfere with your ability to make voluntary decisions, which causes you to focus all of your time and energy on seeking out and using drugs or alcohol. Needless to say, individuals who struggle with addiction also suffer from low self-esteem and low mood.

What qualifies the continued engagement in an activity or use of a substance as an addiction as opposed to an interest or hobby? In describing her own relationship with her lover, which had been downtrodden at the hands of her partner’s daily ritual with alcohol, Donna Steiner, in her essay Sleeping With Alcohol, reveals the negative effects that alcoholism, or addiction in any form, can have on the life, well-being, and relationships for the agent of the addiction, in this case her partner, as well as those people with whom she is close. While many characteristics are shared between sufferers of various types of addiction, there exist three essential components to all addictions: the detriment that the activity has, the compulsiveness of engaging in the activity, and the futility of the subject’s attempts to stop partaking, all of which can be observed of Steiner’s partner in Sleeping With Alcohol.

Substance abuse involves the usage of psychoactive substances like drugs and alcohol for various reasons like excessive stress, low self-esteem, loneliness and much more. However,

The experience of trauma can bring about feelings that are difficult for anyone else to understand. The feelings become even more complicated with addiction. It is important for practitioners to first understand the relationship of trauma and addiction to one another. Once the relationship is better understood, connections can be made to possible treatments and why those treatments should be used. Research testing these treatments can give possible avenues for practitioners to venture when faced with someone who is recovering from trauma and also facing a substance use disorder. The research available is a good start when trying to define the relationship between this co-occurring disorder.

Past research has shown that there is a correlation between substance abuse and mental illness. Some clinicians believe that the addiction should be treated first. Other school of thought believes that the mental illness should be addressed and treated first. The debate continues to go on as to whether the addiction or mental illness should be treated first. More clinicians are learning that if able, they should treat both at the same time. The goal should be to treat the addiction and mental illness at the same time to get the client stable and healthy. Both are important and should be treated as co-occurring. It seems unrealistic to think that one is not dependent on the other. Since co-occurring diagnosis happen more frequently in people who abuse substances or have an addiction, naturally substance abuse would have a negative effect on their family. Families get ¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬caught in the middle of their loved one’s addiction or drug use and becomes not only about the person using but impacts everyone around them. It is important to focus on the individual and the family. Family support is vital in increasing the chance of being

With the awareness of substance abuse as an illness, attention has also been directed to the families and loved ones of those who suffer. Why do families and loved ones stay with someone who is so obviously ill? Why do they tolerate being taken advantage of? One of the first books to address this issue is Codependent No More. According to the author, the issue at hand is codependency, where the individual in the relationship with the addict suffers from an illness as well. This paper is an analysis of the book compared with similar research on the topic.

Another characteristic experienced in both love addiction and substance dependence is withdrawal symptoms. Withdrawal symptoms are any physical or psychological disturbance experienced by a drug addict when deprived of a drug. Some drugs such as alcohol produce more physical withdrawal, while others such as marijuana produce more psychological withdrawal. Some withdrawal symptoms include anxiety, restlessness, depression, racing heart, palpitations, sweating and poor concentration. Reynaud et al. (2010) state that the absence of the loved person has similar symptoms to those of substance withdrawal; these include negative mood (irritability, anxiety, depression, anger), suffering and sensations of emptiness. “Withdrawal compels addicts to resume drug use to prevent or reduce physical symptoms and dysphoria” (Cami & Farré, 2003, p. 982). Therefore both tolerance and withdrawal symptoms are important for the maintenance of the addiction.

Alcohol dependence (alcoholism), occurs when the body cannot function without the effect of alcohol. Alcohol affects specific neurotransmitters in the brain and when the brain becomes accustomed to the alcohols affects it can no longer function properly signals without the help of the alcohol. Once someone has developed a dependency on alcohol, they will continue to drink regardless of any serious physical complications that are caused by alcohol.