Substance Abuse Psychology

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

Ms. Client is a twenty-two-year-old, Caucasian female was referred for a psychological evaluation by Dr. B., Clinical Psychiatrist and her therapist for her excessive use of cocaine, Xanax and other substances. Dr. B. stated Ms. Client has been experiencing loss of interest, feeling like a failure and frequently crying. Additionally, she complains that her struggle with substance abuse has impacted her social, emotional and behavioral functioning. Ms. Client was admitted to the facility following a relapse. This is her sixth substance abuse treatment program. The purpose of the current evaluation is to (1) assess present level of functioning, (2) determine diagnostic impressions, (3) to identify relevant treatment and service needs.

Practice models used in treatment of substance abuse have up until recently only been recommended for the intervention of younger addicts. As a result, treatment approaches for older adults are lacking in evidence. However, screening for substance abuse is the first step towards determining if a more thorough assessment is needed. Cook et al. (1998) reported that it is necessary to take a holistic approach to treatment, and take a broader focus than just the chemical abuse because as people age their psychological and health problems become more complex (p. 146). Older adults face life changes and lack of poor support networks are more deeply felt. Bogunovic (2012) answered that, “A comprehensive evaluation should include a thorough physical examination and laboratory analysis and psychiatric, neurological, and social evaluation.” Such measures are effective when paired with screening

There are many assessment processes that are used to identify substance abuse as well as many other disorders that are addictive. These processes include the SBIRT, AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test), NIDAMED, CAGE AID (which is used frequently within the counseling foundation), AUDIT-C, and also the DAST-10 which is an assessment process used to evaluate drug abuse within the patients. These are many different processes that are currently used to identify these addictions in clients. The activity of identifying these processes can be over a period of time or can be evaluated in that same day or after the evaluation is completed.

Addiction claims the user through physiological dependence that creates a need for the drug of choice on a very basic level. Through repeated substance abuse, the user gains tolerance for the drug, needing it in larger amounts, and on a more frequent basis, until the body cannot function normally without the drug. Withdrawal symptoms now also occur upon attempting to halt use. This is how substance abuse becomes the disease of addiction.

For this paper I attended three Alcoholic Anonymous meetings held every Saturday at the University Presbyterian Church from 7:30-8:30 pm. As I walked into the Church for my first AA meeting I was already feeling a little nervous and intimated. I made my way to the back of the room and sat in the last row while I observed all of the members of AA hugging each other, talking to each other like family, and sitting really close to each other. It felt as if I was intruding upon a bond that is so intimate and close. These particular meetings had two speakers who were asked to tell their stories about substance use and how it all began. In all honesty, I felt very uncomfortable listening to someone else’s story of whom I did not know personally and being at an AA meeting for the first time, I felt as if I was not supposed to be listening to any of it.

I want to start by saying I have appreciate your post for the past 7 weeks. I have tried to pick others but I always seem compelled to respond to yours. Substance Abuse Counselor are definitely needed these days. I am a product of two parents who have died of congestive heart failure because the use of drugs throughout their life. No one wants to lose a family member to this disease. I pray that you are able to help heel people along with utilizing God’s words. May you find your field rewarding and may your mind be strong to for those who need

When referring to quality of life for an individual with substance abuse, also referred to as substance use disorder (SUD), through practice and research, the nurse is able to identify, test, and apply interventions that promote quality of life (QOL). According to Lubkin and Larsen (2013), “Application of research findings to an individual’s quality of life enables nurses in clinical practice to plan and deliver evidence-based care” (p. 183). With the use of evidence base practice, the nursing interventions can be individualized to the preferences and values of the client, which will ensure better adherence to along term commitment plan. Quality of life assessments can be used to evaluate the impact of substance abuse on the client and their

Drug abuse is on the rise. While the use of drugs like cocaine and heroin is in a state of decline in certain parts of the world, prescription drugs abuse is on the rise (UNODC, 2013). Prescription drugs that were prescribed with the intention to do well are now one of the leading causes of self-harm. Drug abuse has no gender or social class, it can affect people regardless of social status and wealth, and now more than ever we need to understand the reason behind the abuse. What psychological factors could cause an individual to abuse drugs in the first place? In this research essay, I will discuss how each one of the major school of psychology perspectives could attempt to explain a

Hallucinogens act as sympathomimetic agents, producing effects resembling those resulting from stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system (e.g., excitation, increased energy, distortion of the senses). Therapeutic medical uses for lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) have been proposed in the treatment of chronic alcoholism and in the reduction of intractable pain, such as terminal malignant disease and phantom limb sensations. At this time there is no real evidence of the safety and efficacy of the drug in humans. Examples: LSD, mescaline, phencyclidine (PCP).

Many people in the world are addicted to drugs and any kind of high they get is good for them. They get addicted and without help they will only get worse. The use of drugs makes one depend on them and you can slowly lose family, a job and your entire life. This dependency leads to addiction whether it be drinking or drugs. Substance use disorder refers exactly to its' name, it is substance use or substance dependency. Substance use also known as drug use disorder is a condition in which the use of one or more substances leads to clinically significant impairment or distress. You can miuse and abuse a drug, and although it sounds the same, they are two different scenarios. A drug misuse is using a drug for purposes it is not intended for.

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.

Substance use may be viewed as recreational to some, however to others, it is the beginning of the road to an addiction. According to the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: DSM-V (2013), a diagnosis of substance use disorder is based on evidence of impaired control, social impairment, risky use, and pharmacological criteria. Substance use disorders occur when recurring drug use, including alcohol, causes clinically and functionally significant damage, such as health problems, disability, and failure to meet major responsibilities at work, school, or home. These criteria are nearly identical to that of addiction, which is a reason they are used interchangeably. In the last decade, substance use, particularly illicit drug use, has been increasing ("DrugFacts: Nationwide trends | National Institute on Drug Abuse", 2014). Is this due to the high stress society in which we live, or an individual’s predisposition to addiction? In all likelihood it is a combination of both, as well as emotion regulation, a process which allows for the evaluation, monitoring, and modifying of emotional reactions to accomplish goals. This paper will address the possible role of emotion regulation on substance use disorders and the research behind it.

People with an addiction often struggle to break free because they treat only the physical element. The mental patterns that influence substance abuse must be changed if any addiction treatment to be successful. Understanding these patterns, and how to break them, can help you create a life free of addiction and its harmful consequences.

Personality theory helps to tease out the relationship between individual personality and their drug use pattern. The theory posits that people have something wrong in the emotional or psychic life that makes drugs attractive to them. One personality theorist believed that euphoria derived from drugs is an easy way out for immature individuals who lack responsibility, a sense of independence, and the capacity to postpone self-indulgent gratification for the sake of attaining long term goals (Ausbel, 1980, pp.4-5). To another personality psychologist drug abuse is a defence mechanism for eliminating feelings of inferiority or inadequacies in some individuals. Low self esteem can initiate drug abuse and causes of low self esteem vary from individuals to individuals however common causes include parental neglect, physical or social deformity, peer rejection and finally poor coping abilities or mechanism that are either socially disvalued or self-defeating (Kaplan, 1975, p. 129). Hans eyesenck suggested and believed that people tend to seek out ways to modify their temperament and bring themselves to an even and stable state. For example he reasoned that introverts, whose brains are over excited and always gnawing at