Substance Use Disorders Paper

Since I was young I was told I was a quiet child, very mousy like who was always hiding behind her mother’s leg. I would never leave my mother's side and if I was greeted by a stranger, I would retreat from them, so I was shy. My mom would encourage me to go and say hi to others or play with a child that asked me to join in a game. I would at times play with them, but I would always go back to my mom when I had enough playing or was stressed. While I am comfortable to explore and later going to my mom when I want to be safe, I was avoidance of others and never felt comfortable, but I did have fun when I was comfortable.

Parents who use drugs or alcohol are likely to overlook their children leaving them to their own diplomacy. Since such parents are often lost in their addictions, they are unable to provide the proper leadership that children need particularly throughout their growing days (Sindelar & Fiellin 2001). Teenagers bred in homes where a dear blood relation uses alcohol or drugs, have a superior propensity for developing the dependence afterward, generally because the family is more relaxed in terms of drugs use. The result of alcohol or drug abuse on relations involved and results may differ between families based on a numerous factors. Families affected by substance abuse have one thing in comparison; they reside in homes where traits

Growing up in the household under substances influence can cause severe damage to the child. Parental substance abuse has a significant impact on family function, and it may also contribute to child maltreatment. It heightens the risks to both of the physical and emotional safety of the children, and it generates children’s problematic outcomes. Children who grow up in such families may also experience mental health issues, social isolation, financial difficulties, and exposure to stressful life events and so on.

There are many models and theories which attempt to explain the causes of substance misuse and dependence. They range from those which highlight the importance of genetic and biological factors to those which stress social and psychological factors and those which may consider the ‘blame’ to be that of the dependent individual (Rassool 2009).

Evidence indicates that genetic factors may play a role in development of disruptive behavior disorders (Hansell & Damour, 2005). A biological structure of an infant’s brain has preposition genes and chemical responses to develop into an adult (Perry, 2002). Disorders in lifespan development are not biologically set to occur (Dombeck, 2010). Issues’ dealing with environment, education, and way of life has made changes in developments, childhood behavior keeps a child on a continuum between normal and abnormal behavior (Hansell & Damour, 2005). Several disorders currently exist in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-IV-TR) because studies on children, adolescent, and young adult disorders evolved from DSM-II (Hansell & Damour, 2005).

Over the years comprehensive research has been accomplished and has determined that children raised by substance using parents are at an increased risk for developing substance use disorders (SUDs) in adulthood as a result of familial dissemination of substance abuse through both the environments in which the children are raised and genetic susceptibility (Merikangas et al., 1998; Merikangas & Avenevoli, 2000). Unfortunately, there is an insignificant amount of literature examining the effects that the combined treatment and recovery of substance abusing parents has on the affected children.

Addiction is a multifactorial psychiatric disorder in which twin studies have established a compelling case for a genetic heritability of increased susceptibility in some human hosts more than others . Outside of genetics, addiction is partial to several environmental, behavioral, and developmental risk factors as “neither genetic nor environmental factors act in isolation to increase susceptibility to addiction.” Thus, there does not appear to be any necessary nor sufficient factors that are responsible for the increased likelihood of substance use/abuse and subsequent addiction.

The fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) divides the substance-related disorders (SRDs) into two sub-categories, namely, substance-induced disorders (SIDs) and substance use disorders (SUDs) (McCarron, Xiong, & Bourgeois, 2009). SIDs relates to the medical conditions that are caused by the use of substances. These conditions include intoxication and withdrawal syndromes. SUDs are defined as a patient’s recurrent behavior to use alcohol and/or drugs that cause clinical and functional impairment, for example, malfunction at school, work, home, and health problems (McCarron, Xiong, & Bourgeois, 2009).

The word substance can describe a drug of abuse, a medication or a toxin that produces psycho activation and alters cognitive, behavioral, and affective perception; furthermore, addiction has been conceptualized as a disease, yet little is known about the underlying pathophysiology (Johnson, & Vanderhoef, 2013). Most common theories that have contributed to some understanding to the substance abuse and addiction are described by Johnson & Vanderhoef (2013) as psychodynamic which within this theory is the oral stage fixation where a person seeks gratification through oral behaviors; maladaptive regressive behaviors

79). Overall, this is a problem, because there continues to be a lack of the public endorsement and support of those seeking treatment regardless of the addiction. Individuals suffer with addictive behaviors for many reasons that include genetic factors. These things are uncontrollable and are harder to be prevented. Inaba and Cohen (2014) stated, “One of the genes that signals a susceptibility to compulsive overreaction” (p. 7.47). The new definition of addiction non/substance and behavior is now based on the psychoactive drugs and certain behaviors that produce the surge of dopamine in the midbrain are biological substrate for addictive behavior (Smith, 2012). Overall, it is important to include all addictive behaviors and substance abuse when diagnosing individuals. It is more important to treat all conditions or addictions than it is to assume that it is not as an important or one is more problematic than one or the

The point of this article is establish ties between drug-addiction and deficiencies in the brain that regulate impulse control. The article shows that through the testing of drug-addicts brains and comparing their brain functions to those of their non-addicted siblings revealed that the deficiencies present in the drug-addicts also existed in the non-addict siblings, suggesting that drug addiction is hereditary. The article goes on to say that if that is true, it serves as a basis for the prevention of drug addiction since the non-addict siblings were able to exert some level of control over their impulses and not become addicted to drugs.

Romer, (2010) discusses that individual differences in impulsivity underlie a good deal of the risk taking that is observed during adolescence, and some of the most hazardous forms of this behavior are linked to impulsivity traits that are evident early in development (Romer, 2010). When working with Maria and her partner, I can identify how substance abuse effects their relationship. Maria is taking out her frustration by consuming alcohol until intoxicated, which leads to altered precipitations and emotions. It is evident that Hispanic family issues affect individuals and family members social and psychological functioning. In Maria’s case, alcohol abuse has become a pattern for her, causing dysfunctional issues within her

Parental and peer influence plays an important role in adolescent substance abuse. Peer pressure can influence each adolescent either indirectly or directly. Peer pressure is the most frequently discussed risk factor. Peer substance abuse is the leading cause of adolescent substance abuse. Parental influence can be positive or negative. They can have a significant influence on adolescents. Parents can influence their kids

Prevention methods for substance abuse are taught to children as early in their kindergarten years and follow throughout their lifetime. Current programs available are school-based programs, parent and family, work programs and community and public media campaigns.

When someone says, “You get that laugh or that smile from your father or your mother.” You don’t always believe them, but in some studies today it is said that if your parents or anyone in your family has a history of a drug addiction those traits in their genes have a decent chance of being passed down to the children causing problems for them later in life. According to the Drugs and Addiction article in the 2009 Addiction Journal, “Family, twin and adoption studies suggest that the heritability of substance use disorders is moderate to