Women's Relapse Case Study

Throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, industrialized nations have seen the medicalization of a plethora of diseases including the ongoing trend of acknowledging addiction as a ‘brain disease.’ The claimsmaking made primarily by Nora Volkow in the documentary Addiction encompasses the constructionist ideologies of socially constructing a problem, or in the case of deviant drinking and drug use, a disease. The functionality of medicalization in America is seen with many different conditions and diseases. For example, the recent spike in the prescription of medications for ADD and ADHD is a prime model for how a deviant set of traits can be spun into a more socially acceptable and treatable “disease.” Whether or not drug and alcohol addiction

Predominantly, the idea of addiction falls under the sociological concept of deviance. Research has identified drug use predominantly as a problem of young males, whereas prescription drug use is principally a problem of middle-aged and older women (Adrian, 2003). According to the sociological idea of conformity, individuals who are around others who misuse substances or use them illegally will eventually give in and follow the norm their social group has initiated and partake in addictive substance use. Hence, because of sociological research, it is evident that drug use and abuse and addictions are a deviant behavior that individuals have learned through the idea of conformity and following an idea popular in an individual’s culture or

All around the world anyone can find people that are addicted to some form of drug. Drug addiction is a huge issue that has been occurring for about thirty years now and is occurring to this day for many reasons. Some of those reasons may be that something is going on back home and they have had enough, or because of stress, peer pressure, biological reasons and the list goes on. However, there has been law enforcement due to drugs since the mid 1980’s. People have many viewpoints to when it comes to drug use and addiction. There are three perspectives people have that view the use of drugs and drug addiction which are structural functionalism, conflict, and symbolic interactionist.

Additionally, management of money and life skills should be addressed in conjunction with fair drug abuse, as issues gradually erupt the addicted female begins to address their issues and gradually prepares for them systematically as she begins to transition to independence he in her communal environment the critical component of treatment includes the psychosocial evaluation, treatment planning, individual and group counseling, psychoeducation and interactive group therapy. If all of these are used in conjunction with cognitive behavioral and other therapeutic approaches to treatment inclusive of 12-step concepts. Reference If these board concepts are addressed thoroughly in treatment the chemically addicted female can develop a solid foundation in which to learn to address and cold with her many issues. Not only has the responsibility been placed on the treatment environment, communal environment, but also much of the responsibility has been placed on the individual. This becomes essentially a valuable tool then the addicted woman can learn to set responsibility for herself give back to her community while building skills and self-esteem that help her gradually improve her own life. Reference

The purpose of this paper is to explore the multicultural reaches of substance abuse by examining populations that are often overlooked in addiction studies. Over the past several decades, many general studies have been done about the prevalence and effects of addiction. These studies often focus on risk factors, daily use and/or treatment, and information is gathered through polls and observations. Most of these studies, however, are nonspecific regarding social and cultural factors. I will focus on how addiction affects three vulnerable populations: the elderly, disabled, and gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgendered populations.

It is no secret that studies throughout the years have proven that substance addiction is more common in men than it is in women. In a majority of the studies done, medical professionals have been able to prove that males start using drugs from a younger age, go on longer usage spurts more often, are more likely to abuse tobacco products and alcohol, and are more likely to engage in binge drinking, where they consume five or more drinks in a short period of time (The Recovery Village, “A Study of Drug Addiction Between the Genders”). Up until the 1980’s only men were setting the standards for addiction treatment. Though both men and women were studied, the studies were done from a male perspective. This same perspective was the one that set the precedence for drug abuse prevention programs and for the rehab facilities. The treatment modalities were ones that tended to be designed with an emphasis on the needs of the male clientele with the female clientele being pushed through a one size fits all style treatment. This however, started to change in the 1980’s after the second wave of the women’s rights movement occurred. Women began to question

In “the American journal of drug and alcohol abuse”, it expresses how each ethnic group placed in the dependency of drugs and provides a breaks down by females and males who either had prior family history of substance abuse in the home with white females being at a higher risk than the other races alongside while males (Arria, 2009). Hence, it was a matter of time she would be introduced to more illicit drugs due to the lack of surveillance in addition to being involved in potentially partaking in the activities that would later place her in the situation she is currently

Reported that he "got in trouble due to comsuming alcohol", and that "I need to comply with treatment because I don't want to go to jail".

If recovering from drugs and alcohol is a process, then a relapse is an event. However, how a relapse is interpreted can be debated. In abstinence-based programs such as Narcotics Anonymous (NA), the basic text notes that relapse does occur and may be the result of an individual not following the program. If an individual stops following the basic principles of the NA program, old thoughts and behaviors may return which can lead to them to engage in the use of drugs or alcohol. Furthermore, the NA text suggests that these behaviors are “reservations” (p. 79) and because addiction is a disease, relapse can occur. As such, any individual who begins using drugs or alcohol again has relapsed. The basic text of NA describes relapse as a “reality” (p. 78) and states “It can and does happen”. When it does, the individual

Being able to identify these stressors, and high-risk situations, serves to provide needed insight that guards against potential relapse. Relapse prevention programs go further, equipping the patient with the needed tools and skills that they can use to disarm the stressors and resulting triggers that cause emotional and mental disturbance. Relapse prevention programs also contain aspects of improving physical health, as overall health, mind and body, is indicative of a greater chance of long-term recovery. This is why supplemental therapies such as yoga, art, and music are important. These participatory therapies help the patient to express themselves, have an outlet for their thoughts and energy, and get practical experience in the ways to calm themselves, and head-off

A person enduring the trials of alcoholism will often suffer from a relapse. It is improbable, not impossible, that any person pursuing a life free from alcohol dependency will not have multiple relapses, which often are impulsive and craving like. Alcohol dependency is often a chronic and relapsing illness (“Factors In Alcoholic Relapse”). The best preventive measure to a life independent of alcohol is the understanding of the factors prior to relapse. During the recovery from alcohol dependency a relapse is often precipitated by emotional stress, boredom, and lack of support.

The patient was placed on hold due to his AWOL status. The patient provide an explanation stating he was not feeling well. This writer discussed with the patient about the importance of daily dosing and th erisk factor of missing a dose will put him at risk for a relapse, at which the patient agreed. The patient then reports he relapsed yesterday and used heroin, 10 bags by IV due to missing his dose. The patient signed a AWOL notice. Furthermore, the patient may consider going inpatient to further help with this relapse so that he can get clean. The patient is aware to notify this writer as soon as possible about his consideration of going inpatient. The patient has a court hearing on 03/07/2016 to address his DUI case.

Substance use disorders are complicated illnesses that present unique threats to women 's health. Medical research is showing that women who abuse alcohol, tobacco and other drugs may develop addictions and substance-related health problems faster than men. Alcohol consumption is most common among women between the ages of 26 and 34 and women who are divorced or separated. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism defines a light drinker as one who drinks about 1 to 13 drinks a month; a moderate drinker as one who drinks about 4 to 14 drinks a week; and a heavier drinker as one who has more than two drinks a day. Women are more vulnerable to alcohol-related organ damage,

This goes back to the theory that most women turn to substances for self-medicating purposes due to unresolved traumas or events in their lives. Women’s addiction is also different because women not only self-medicate because of traumatic events, but also to function as a working mother/woman in a fast paced world. According to, “The DASIS Report (May 2005)” women were less likely than men to detoxify. One reason is because they are in denial and try to rationalize their substance abuse. So they are less likely to seek help unless it is court ordered because children were involved. SAMSHA, stated that as of 2008, 1/3 of the population being treated for substance abuse were women. According to SAMSHA’s November/December 2008 Newsletter, 6.9 million women are not receiving treatment. Approximately, 94% feel they do not need treatment. This has been a drastic increase over the past 10years. SAMSHA also revealed that women have more barriers when seeking treatment such as, young children, poverty, low-income, stigmatization and have the inability to pay for treatment. This goes back to pay in-equality and the Equal Rights Amendment.

Along with gender differences, other factors that influence the addiction of alcohol amongst women include genetics, neuropsychology, and environment. The environmental factor plays a big role in alcohol addiction amongst women, especially in the family context. Holdcraft and Iacono wrote in an article, “Women have been found to have more drinking-related familial consequences while men suffer more adverse social, occupational, legal and violence-related consequences” (pp. 1026). Women of alcohol addiction have developed this disease more than not through some type of influence by family.