...Code Date Psychology Drug Abuse Introduction The aim of this research paper is to discuss contributions offered by anthropology especially, ethnography in the study of addiction and recovery basing arguments from the book, ‘Anthropology of Addiction and Recovery’. The paper further lists the criteria for substance use disorder and thereafter gives an explanation to the negative impacts of alcohol on Native American nations. Finally, the paper will show detailed information on how specific cultural knowledge was used to market cigarettes. Four specific contributions that anthropology, especially ethnography, has offered in the study of addiction and recovery. Ethnography is the study of people, culture and how the environmental and cultural factors affect values and behaviors of a person or groups of people in a social setup. A study of ethnography conducted outside United States of America reveals that the number of drug ethnographies has grown steadily since 1960s because many social issues are associated with drug use. Ethnography illustrates that drug use is not one phenomenon, but many since specific drug is used in specific situations. According to Glasser (2012), Ethnography clarifies the different implications of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs in the life of an individual. According to Glasser, Ethnography also explains the psychological and physiological implications of the use of such drugs. Ethnography further indicates that drugs are used within a subculture...
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...Reference Database: “Addiction” by Nancy A. Piotrowski, Ph.D Addiction is when the human body becomes dependent on a substance. Prolonged use of any psychoactive drug will determine a persons dependency. The addiction can affect a person psychologically and physiologically; this will show in an addicts tolerance and withdrawal symptoms from a drug. Tolerance will involve the biological system such as the human body, changes in the body after a drug is present, and environmental or behavioral conditioning. The way the human body processes a drug is by absorbing a drug through the bloodstream. Once in the bloodstream it will be delivered to different organs and they will metabolize the drug and eliminate it from the body. After frequent use of a drug, the way the body processes a drug may change. When this occurs the body is able to rid itself of the drug more efficiently. This leads to reduced effects from the drug than when it was initially consumed. When this happens an increase to the dose will be required to get the desired effect. Many changes will occur in the body once a drug is present. It will change the sensitivity in specific areas of the body where the drug has an impact. For instance, there may be a direct or indirect impact on different areas of the brain. A direct impact may lead to a change in the brains receptors. When there is an indirect impact it will show in tissue tolerance and functional tolerance. Environmental and behavioral conditioning...
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...Drug addiction is most often defined as a chronically relapsing disorder in which the addict experiences uncontrollable compulsion to take drugs, while simultaneously the repertoire of behaviors not related to drug seeking, taking, and recovery, declines dramatically."(1) Recent scientific research has shown significant causal relationships between drug addiction and genetic predisposition as well as between addiction and environmental factors. Both genetics and the environment influence the brain, which in turn effects the behavior of usage. Once an individual begins using psychotropic substances, such as cocaine or heroin, measurable changes in brain chemistry and physiology perpetuate the cycle of addiction. Thus, we have an example of brain affecting behavior, which in turn, affects the brain. This cycle is particularly extreme and insular in the situation of drug addiction where free will and decision making are quickly and severely impaired. In this paper, we will first explore the genetic and environmental theories on drug addiction. We will then investigate how the behavior of drug addiction changes the brain to perpetuate the circle of cause and effect between the brain and behavior. Genetic Influences on the Behavior of Drug Addiction: Addiction does not result from a single gene. However, multiple genetic trends have been identified as crucial contributors to the illness of addiction. Alcoholics and cocaine addicts often express the A1 allele of the dopamine receptor...
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...New Crisis In 1980, a letter printed in the New England Journal of Medicine would start to change everything. The letter insisted that addiction to these new drugs was rare, especially in those with no prior history of addiction. Slowly, physicians started prescribing more and more synthetic opioids to their patients, especially those looking to avoid riskier orthopedic surgeries for their chronic pain and those suffering from terminal illnesses. Medical professionals were able to feel good about their ability to help their patients avoid surgery and help them effectively (some for the first time) manage chronic pain. In the 90s, everything changed. There was a swift shift (fueled in a big way by pharmaceutical companies) away from the tentative, opioid-shy opinions of past medical professionals. A new way of thinking emerged in which managing pain became the first focus of treatment. The pain scale illustrations that we have all seen in countless doctor’s offices were produced and used as a first line of questioning in all emergency rooms, urgent care facilities, and doctor’s offices. OxyContin, thought by many to be the drug that started it all in regards to the current opioid...
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...Alcohol and Drug Addiction Liberty University Abstract This paper is a reflection of addiction in the United States and the statistics that prove addiction is a major issue within the country. Discussed in the paper will be first the primary causes of addiction and risk factors that may lead to an addiction in an individual. Going further into the problem, the cycle of addiction and how to break free of the cycle and an individual’s addiction is talked about. Since there are different drugs that can cause addiction, a breakdown of certain drugs is given. These drugs include alcohol, prescription drugs, heroin, and marijuana. Next, the side effects of drug addiction to the drugs chosen are described in depth as well as the signs that can be viewed in screening for drug addiction. Resources available to drug addiction are touched on and treatment options to explore what can be done if an individual does suffer from drug addiction. Finally, what human service professionals are doing to assist individuals who are addicted and how they can improve on training to ensure that addiction can be caught early enough to make a difference? Introduction to Drug Addiction Addiction is a chronic disease of brain reward, motivation and memory in individuals who submit to any number of different drugs available to them. Such chronic need for the drugs leads to manifestations biologically, psychologically, spiritually and even socially in any given individual (ASAM, 2014). These, however...
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...Understanding Early Drug Use and Its Benefits on Future Drug Treatments Laura-Ryan Brooks Argosy University Abstract Drug abuse is a growing problem in the world today. Past studies have been conducted in efforts to recognize similar patterns in addicts’ lives that may have contributed to their behavior. The emerging results from this research suggested that it was due to several maltreatments occurring during the addicted individual’s adolescent years that were behind their early drug use. It is during the critical years of adolescence, when the brains of young adults are still developing, that the youth of today are most susceptible to a number of issues that can lead towards drug addiction, such as problems at home, abuse, and peer-pressure. Exploring these adversities will help shed some light on why adolescents make the decision to use drugs. This paper will address what influences drug use and how this knowledge can help treat addiction. Issues surrounding why addicts began drug use and how this information could be beneficial in treating substance abuse in the future will be explored. . Understanding Early Drug Use and Its Implications on Future Drug Abuse Treatment Addiction has been defined as a “misguided attempt at self-repair” (du Plessis, 2012 para. 53). But who is in danger of becoming addicted or may be feeling the need of some “self-repairing? During a 2013 testing of the Substance Use Risk Profile Scale (SURPS), a tool to assess certain...
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...number of resources available to the families that are affected by drug abuse within the family unit. Due to the very sensitive nature of dealing with drug addiction within the family there need to be options for parents, siblings, spouses, etc to guide them as they attempt to make sense of what is happening to their families. Not only does the drug abuser suffer because of their lifestyle choices but the family must deal with emotions such as: a sense of helplessness, lack of control, guilt, pity, sadness, and fear for their loved one. This paper will discuss the information received from just three online articles regarding options available to those suffering from the affects of drug abuse within the family. Article #1: Project Know. Understanding Addiction: Support Groups for Families of Addicts This article outlines the various options available to those dealing with drug addiction within the family unit. The article presents options such as Al-Anon, Nar-Anon, Gam-Anon, Co-Dependents Anonymous, and COSA. Each of these programs helps to provide a better understanding of addiction for family members and spouses of addicts. By allowing for meetings with others dealing with similar circumstances there is an increased support which is essential to the recovery process for both the family member and the addict. Often family members feel a sense of guilt falsely believing that they have contributed to the addiction somehow and they find themselves making excuses for their relative’s...
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...Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders Amber M. Paradise Kaplan University Abstract This paper explores four articles about research on the complicated relationship between mental health and substance use disorders. I focused my research on the relationship between depression, including post-partum, and alcoholism. In this paper, I will explain why my client, Rhonda is considered dually diagnosed, I will explain the health problems that can occur from using alcohol and the effects alcohol has on the brain and body, I will explain how alcohol impacts depression, and last, I will explain the specific problems that exist in treating the dually diagnosed individual. An individual who has any combination of a mental disorder (anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder) and addiction (drugs, alcohol, sex, gambling) is considered to be dual diagnosed. (Foundations Recovery Network, 1995) In one article, Paljärvi (2009) states “experimental studies have found that alcohol intoxication can produce even severe depressive symptoms during heavy drinking episodes.” Becker (2012) states in his article, “Alcohol has anxiety-reducing properties and can relieve stress, while at the same time acting as a stressor and activating the bodies stress response systems.” According to Evans and Sullivan (2001), individuals with a history of alcohol dependence, especially those early in recovery and those who are older, show significant cognitive impairments. Individuals with major depression also...
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...Forgiveness Therapy (FT) as a tool for treating clients dealing with substance abuse related to negative emotional overload. They focused on anxiety, depression and anger which, according to Lin, are triggers for substance abuse (2004, pg. 1114). They set out to talk and interview forty three potential participants who were recommended by their counselors from a residential drug rehabilitation center. This population was chosen due to the rigid course of treatment they were already receiving from the treatment facility in response to the personal calamity being experiences by the client. These were the most severe cases since they usually experienced repeated relapses, petty crimes and a lower motivation for change. While conducting the research what they found was not really surprising but rather normal for this group of clients. The participation started to fall off and by the end of the research they had fallen to less than half of the original commitment. Seven men and seven women finished the project with seven random clients receiving FT and the other seven the standard Alcohol and Drug Counseling (ADC). Although the researchers said the final fourteen participants was a rather small number it was, in fact, not unusual. Lin says, “Given the high levels of mobility and chaos that characterize the lives of this client...
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...Garret Necaise 5/7/12 PSY 435 TuTh 11:00-12:15pm Article Critique #1 (Addiction Theories) “Television addiction: Theories and Data Behind the Ubiquitous Metaphor” This article was presented in the American Psychological Association by Robert Mcllwraith, Robin Jacobvitz, Robert Kubey, and Alison Alexander. Mcllwraith is the head of the Department of Clinical Health Psychology and the director of the Rural and Northern Psychology Program. Jacobvitz is a Psychology educator and consultant in Albuquerque, NM. Kubey is the professor of Journalism and Media Studies, and director of the Center for Media Studies at Rutgers University. Alexander has a Ph.D in Communication at Ohio State and has taught research methods, writing, media and society, and seminars in children and television. The reader population for this article is focused on an interest or relation to television addiction. The authors wrote this to present four theoretical models of television addiction derived from existing psychological data on this subject. These models are valuable because they give the reader a viewpoint on where this type of addiction is based from: the television's effects on imagination, the arousal level affected from the effect of television, a manifestation of a dependent or addictive personality, and a pattern of uses associated with the television medium. However, it still remains to be determined whether or not this use of television for effect modulation represents a significant...
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...people who are looking for counseling when the counselor’s personality is genuinely helpful (Truax & Mitchell, 1971). In this paper I will try to explain my own personal model of helping. I will use my real life experiences, suggest some useable applications, and cover some of the problems my model may cover. I will also try to address and overcome multicultural issues. Hopefully I will be able to address any limitations as well as the strengths my model may have. I will also identify some types of people my model will be able to help. Not until lately did I even dream my interest in helping others would make me want to be a counselor. I want to help people the way I was helped when I went into rehab for drug addiction. The counselors there were some of the most understanding people I had ever met and they did not judge me. They made sure I realized they were there to help me. I am also a 5 year chip toter of NA (Narcotics Anonymous). My sponsor said I had so much empathy for other members and was such a good listener I should choose counseling as a profession. Back then I did not think I was cut out for it but now I think I would be a great counselor if given the chance in an arena other than NA. A lot of people once they have been a part of NA become sponsors. As a rule of thumb it is suggested to be and feel secure in your own recovery before trying to help someone else. Being a sponsor can be dangerous because...
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...Forgiveness Therapy (FT) as a tool for treating clients dealing with substance abuse related to negative emotional overload. They focused on anxiety, depression and anger which, according to Lin, are triggers for substance abuse (2004, pg. 1114). They set out to talk and interview forty three potential participants who were recommended by their counselors from a residential drug rehabilitation center. This population was chosen due to the rigid course of treatment they were already receiving from the treatment facility in response to the personal calamity being experiences by the client. These were the most severe cases since they usually experienced repeated relapses, petty crimes and a lower motivation for change. While conducting the research what they found was not really surprising but rather normal for this group of clients. The participation started to fall off and by the end of the research they had fallen to less than half of the original commitment. Seven men and seven women finished the project with seven random clients receiving FT and the other seven the standard Alcohol and Drug Counseling (ADC). Although the researchers said the final fourteen participants was a rather small number it was, in fact, not unusual. Lin says, “Given the high levels of mobility and chaos that characterize the lives of this client population, this...
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...African Americans and Chemical Dependency Name: Insitution: African Americans and Chemical Dependency Abstract Chemical dependence is the use of chemicals, which may include alcohol, drugs, and other substances that may affect normal physiologic or psychological processes, in an uncontrolled, compulsive way. It is often referred to as substance abuse. Substance abuse has been the subject of many a discussion, due to the adverse effect it has on human health, relationships, and many other spheres of human life. This paper will evaluate the incidence and prevalence of substance abuse in differing populations, with a special emphasis on African Americans. This paper will also review the steps of care that victims of chemical dependency are taken through in the rehabilitation program, with a focus on Africa American populations. Additionally, the paper will review the professional resources that are used in the treatment of chemical dependency victims among African Americans, and finally, the paper will explore the issues that impact treatment and recovery from chemical dependency among African Americans. African Americans and Chemical Dependency African Americans have historically been consistently ranked among the racial/ethnic groups with the highest rates of substance abuse. In recent years, however, the statistics seem to have improved when compared to overall ratings. According to Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), alcohol use seems...
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...are the determining factors that lead to developmental delays when a child is exposed to trauma? Give details on the prevalence of different types of trauma and if they differ among different cultures. Make sure to support everything you report with at least 2–3 current APA citations and then a reference page at the end. Review the Essay Grading Rubric before submitting. Your paper must be at least 600 words. Abstract Trauma is an experience that all people are potential vulnerable towards. Trauma comes in many forms ranging from non-typical situations of abuse and neglect to intense reaction to life events such as the death of a loved one or a natural disaster. Trauma may be experienced personally or may result from witnessing a particular event. The effects of trauma are long lasting, though not necessarily irreversible. Trauma may result in a variety of mental health or addiction diagnosis and often has significant impacts on neurological development. While trauma has many negative effects, there are many approaches to trauma that may minimize these effects. One such approach described in the paper is a spiritual approach. Spiritual development and application may provide understanding and hope after a person has experienced trauma and is often a successful means of recovering from the effects of a traumatic experience. SAMPLE Trauma Kuban (2012) defines childhood trauma as any experience that a child perceives as terrifying and feels hopeless and powerless...
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...lasting effects that touch upon every member of families and society as a whole. It is an ever-growing epidemic that can easily take over a person’s whole life if they let it. Anyone who listens to the news or is aware of his or her surroundings can see that we are engulfed in a drug crisis. This paper will examine how the relationships of friends, family, co-workers and society suffer from exposure to an addict. It will also look at how we as a society can help to foster reform. Addiction touches everybody in some way, shape or form. It affects people physically, psychologically, and financially to name a few. Substance use disorder negatively affects emotional...
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