Psychology and Health Issues
Doreen Austin
HCA/250

University of Phoenix

Psychology and Health Issues
Substance abuse is a large problem, that can be found everywhere, and is does not only affect certain groups of individuals. When individual’s turn to substance abuse and become addicted, they will be dependent on whatever it is they are using to prevent from having physical and psychological withdrawal symptoms, which creates a cycle many cannot break on their own. There are two main stages of addiction to substances, or addictions in general, which the first stages is dependence where the individual’s life is dominated by the search for the substance because they depend on it physically and psychologically (World Health Organization, 2013). The second stage is when the individual becomes tolerant to the substance, which causes the individual to start consuming larger amounts of the substance to reach the same effect they had when they first started using. As mentioned before, substance abuse is a very serious public health problem that affects individuals in all areas of their lives, and it does not matter what background they may be coming from. Substance abuse can bring along many problems for the individual that is addicted, as well as their immediate surroundings, including friends, family, and the work environment. There are many reasons as to why one may start using illegal substances or prescription medication, like having other psychological problems like anxiety, and depression for example. When one is already dealing with psychological issues starts to use substances, they will also start to have more problems, within their immediate family, at work, and with their surrounding social life. Individuals that are addicted to substances, may have a hard time to continue a normal life, and continue with regular routine’s like work or school, which will have long term effects personally and professionally. Individuals that suffer from addiction often lose their entire existence in the process, and seem to be a changed person, as their main focus will shift to achieving that first high over and over again, instead of living normal, and not disappointing individuals around them (Mayo Clinic, 2011).
There is a high risk for suicide and substance abuse in todays military, and the United States Army has different resources for Soldiers and their families. Though the government offers a lot of resources to any member of the armed forces, it seems that the person seeking help will face immediate consequences before receiving help. Within the military, any abnormal behavior will be reported through one’s chain of command, which will affect the individual immediately, professionally and financially. The improvements I would recommend for the ASAP (Army Substance Abuse Program) are simple, but I believe that they would be much more effective in giving affected individuals the chance to seek help. Seeking help for substance abuse is already a hard thing for an addict to do, and if one does seek help, he should be able to rest assure that his information will be kept confidential, unless he or she poses a risk for themselves or others. The steps taken within the military should not be activated until one is unwilling to enter treatment, and get helped. Substance abuse is more of an illegal offense, which will be punished as such within the military communities, with soldiers being released from duty immediately.
As mentioned prior in this paper, individuals that abuse substances, usually have other underlying psychological problems, and need to be treated for both to be able to live a normal life. Anyone can become addicted, and abuse substances; there is no scientific proof of certain groups being more likely to abuse substances. There are a few risk factors, such as a family history of substance abuse, peer pressure, and as mentioned prior other psychological issues like anxiety, depression, or PTSD (Post-traumatic-Stress-Disorder) for example. Anything that arises unexpectedly could cause one to start using and abusing substances, just because they may have never learned proper ways to cope with these issues, and the substance may offer short term relief from the worries that accompany these issues.
Individuals that are addicted to substances most times need professional help to be able to quit their addiction. There are many program’s in communities, as well as special centers for rehabilitation across the nation, that offer professional help, including help with the physical withdrawal, as well as the psychological withdrawal, and to deal with the cause of the addiction. In some cases medications may be used to slowly take someone of the actual substance, and medications for the withdrawal symptoms are available. Once the initial withdrawal is done, specialists can focus on the underlying issues that may have caused the individuals to turn to substances in the first place.
If an individual is addicted to substances of any kind, they may display behavior that are not considered normal, such as missing work, criminal behaviors such as stealing, and often these individuals use lies to cover up their problem. Once an individual is willing to seek treatment, they will most likely have to be monitored and learn new coping skills to ensure that they will not relapse. It is important that employers make it known within their company that there is a zero tolerance for substance abuse, but at the same time they should offer help to individuals that may need help with issues like that. Many individuals that go through rehabilitation at a center, also move into a sober living facility afterwards to have help in staying on the right path and reintegrate into normal society.
For one to recover completely, it is necessary to change old habits, and start with new ways of dealing with life, starting with which type of individuals the affected person surrounds themselves, and how they know to cope with problems that may continue to arise. It is very important to continue with lifestyle changes, and in the perfect scenario continue changing with the help of professionals. Psychological and physiological therapy will be needed to concur the addiction to substances, as one’s urge may be stronger than their will to quit and live a healthy and normal life. A supportive base will be needed, including a strong family support for one to be successful with becoming healthy and quit the addiction.
Substance abuse is a serious issue in today’s society, and many are helpless in the recovery process. If the individual is employed it may have negative effects on his or her employment, but in some cases the employer actually has resources, and help for the person affected. As we have learned in the past weeks, physical health goes hand in hand with psychological health, and we cannot neglect one and expect to still reach overall health.

References
ASAP. (2013, October 25). Army Substance Abuse Program. Retrieved from http://acsap.army.mil/sso/pages/public/resources/overview.jsp
American Psychological Association. (2013, October 25). Addictions. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/topics//addiction/
Mayo Clinic. (2011, October 1). Drug addiction. Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/drug-addiction/DS00183/DSECTION
World Health Organization. (2013, October 25). Substance abuse. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/topics/substance_abuse/en/