Substance addiction afflicts one in twelve Americans and involves millions more family members and friends. The statistics are scary; in the United States an estimate of 88,000 deaths a year is a result of excessive alcohol abuse while deaths from cigarette smoke exceed 480,000 a year. About 100 Americans per day died from drug overdose in 2013(Kane, G. 2015). Substance abuse is a serious condition that should not be ignored or minim- ized. It is a devastating disease with serious social consequences and a relatively high death rate (Volkow, K. 2015). If untreated, substance abuse can develop into alcoholism or drug dependence. It is very important to recognize the symptoms and signs of substance abuse early (www.ncadd.org). It can be difficult to diagnose a drug or alcohol problem, and it takes time to determine what might be a drug or alcohol problem and what might be a mental disorder (Kane, G. 2015). Substance abuse is a family disease that affects everyone close to the abuser.
Not only does the substance abuser need help so do you, even if you don’t think so at the time. Help, education, and support is needed for everyone involved enabling them a way to find healthy methods to overcome the negativity of the disease. In this paper I will discuss the concerns we should have when dealing with substance abuse. Substance abuse threatens not only one’s personal health but the communi- ties’ stability which cost an estimated 600 billion dollars a year in the United States.
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
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
The definitions have progressed from tolerance or withdrawal symptoms from a specific drug to chronic intoxication, continued use with increased dosage, dependence, and damaging effects to user (Reinarman 2005). Both of these definitions proved to be too restrictive because all drugs do not have the same effects on every user. The current definition used by physicians and the criminal justice system is based on seven criteria (Reinarman 2005). The constant evolution of how the professional world views drug dependence mirrors society’s change in the understanding of addiction. Historically, “the drink” was viewed as the devil and drugs were often thought to be the cause of many criminal acts (Schneider 2003). After the medicalization of addiction and dawn of decriminalization of drug abuse, public opinion of deviant alcohol and drug use has changed. For the family unit, it is much simpler to accept and approach treatment for addiction if it is classified as a medical disease. In society, drug users can be framed as patients instead of criminals based on current standards. By looking at addiction as a treatable set of signs and symptoms instead of holding the individual accountable for actions they committed while intoxicated, the disease concept releases a lot of the stigma that goes along with
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
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
Long term, it is much easier and cheaper to perform preventive health care than to try to manage acute and/ or chronic diseases. All at risk individuals should be given education on the dangers of developing a substance abuse problem, emphasizing that it can happen to anyone- young or old, rich or poor, etc. Health care providers need to address the supposed invincibility commonly associated with those who excessive drink alcohol or use drugs. These individuals are not quite as invincible nor do most have everything as under control as they may think. Although many may know the dangers, it is important to explain that the negative health impacts may not be noticeable right away, but the damage is still being done. Additionally, these at risk patients should work with social workers or case management to set up referrals to substance abuse cessation programs within the
One has created a teaching brochure to help identify three concepts, which may lead and assist in caring for the substance abuse patient. The concepts will help providers to be empathetic, trustworthy, and intelligent to the patient’s backgrounds and beliefs. The brochure speaks of the concepts and reasons it will aid in the patient success in recovery. If these patients are seen as a lost cause and providers do not listen or rectify the problem the population of the substance abuser will grow and increase the death rate and increase dangers to others as well. Substance abuse does not only endanger the patient but the people around him or her. For example, a person who is drinking and driving can hit a pedestrian walking and cause fatal danger to that person.
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 a diagnosable health problem, but often viewed as a moral failing which can compound the issues of people seeking services for sobriety (Bland & Edmund, 2005). Substance abuse can also cause reduced inhibitions, clouded thought processes and lesser abilities to access threats which may cause a person to miss the warning signs of an abusive person. While they may lessen the self -protective instincts of victims, the side effects of substance abuse are often noticed by manipulative
The most common health issue and need that substance abusers have are short- term and long-term problems. The health issues that this population have is neurological problem no matter what type of drug it is it effects the brain (Drug Abuse and Addiction: Signs, Symptoms, and Help for Drug Problems and Substance Abuse, 2013). Drugs alters and changes the way the brain looks and function. According to the helpers guide (2014), stated that drugs effects the dopamine levels in the brain, which causes that pleasure feeling that the brain would want on a regular. The substance take on the form of the person behavioral patterns such as eating and drinking (Drug Abuse and Addiction: Signs, Symptoms, and Help for Drug Problems and Substance Abuse, 2013). The need for this community is having more resources out there to help people that do not have family members supporting them to get the right help. Another need is helping people that want to get help but cannot afford treatment and educating this population about the different resources that is available to them to help them recover. The community needs to be open more for substance abusers to seek out treatment and more encouraging for this population to speak out.
Alcoholism is the most common drug abuse problem in the United States. Eleven million Americans suffer from it. This abuse occurs in several different ways: loss of control over drinking, getting drunk daily, or drinking every weekend. It is usually marked by withdrawal symptoms and by increasing tolerance for alcohol. It is a chronic, progressive, relapsing brain disease. Five percent of Americans die of alcoholism and ninety-five percent of alcoholics die of alcoholism. Its physical, social, and psychological effects tend to get progressively worse (High Cost, 2015).
ith over 30 million Americans currently struggling with substance abuse or alcoholism, it is shocking to remember the byproduct and repercussions of such a deadly epidemic. Economically, at a state and federal level, the price of addiction manifests through lost productivity and other devastating ways. Fatalities, traffic accidents and injuries related to substance abuse take thousands of lives each year, not to mention the accidental overdoses that occur more frequently amongst prescription drug addicts.
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
Drugs users should be treated not belittled for their use of drugs. Addiction is defined as a condition in which a person engages in use of a substance or in a behavior for which the rewarding effects provide a compelling incentive to repeatedly pursue the behavior despite detrimental consequences. Society has been increasingly seeing that drug rehabilitation programs are more accessible (Economic Voice Staff, 2014). They are becoming more accessible because people are speaking up and not wanting their loved ones to suffer and be
To the outsider, the lives of substance abusers often look like a series of crises 'waiting to happen.' Often, the extent to which substance abuse is causing devastation in the life of the sufferer is more manifest to outsiders such as friends or relatives than the abuser him or herself. Crises relating to substance abuse may be biologically-related (such as a medical crisis brought about by abuse); legally related (a conviction for abusing an illegal drug, drug-dealing, or DWI); or psychologically-related (the abuser seeks treatment for another psychological condition, such as depression, which is caused by the abuse or for which the abuser is using the substance as a form of self-medication) (Kanel 2011: 221). Regardless, a crisis can actually be a fruitful opportunity to precipitate change in an abuser's life. Because drug abusers are often very ambivalent about giving up abusing drugs, it may take a crisis for the user to hit 'rock bottom.'