...Twelve Step Program Unk Author1 1 Kaplan University Abstract This paper is about the twelve step program and the lasting affect it has on individuals who suffer from addiction. The twelve step program is a treatment program that holds people accountable for their actions to overcome their addiction and head down the road to recovery. This paper also explains an organization that I want to observe who implement the twelve step program among other things like a phase based treatment program. A phase based treatment program, is a structured program set up for individuals who recently were released from prison or jail. The program is intense and structured leaving the offenders accountable for their own actions, progress, and success. Once the offender has completed all their phases successfully they are up for graduation, where participation in their alumni is encouraged. Twelve Step Program Twelve step programs or self-help groups are designed to help in the treatment and recovery of addiction and are highly effective with a lasting success rate. The main focus of self-help groups are to bring people together who suffer from addiction and provide an emotional support system along with valuable information. Self-help groups are great for individuals to be able to relate to something or someone, because they may not get that opportunity out in their personal life. They get pressured into using, pressured into stopping, given ultimatums, etc. and all they really...
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...promise — a promise that the court will lighten the burden of people whose problems have become too difficult to overcome alone? What if ‘All Rise!’ became a pledge by the court to look beyond the chaos and wreckage in peoples’ lives caused by addiction and to see their potential? What if ‘All Rise!’ offered the promise to provide the treatment and other tools needed to help people permanently change their lives? When an addict rises out of addiction and crime, we all rise” (West Huddleston, 2011). I thought that was very well put. In this paper, I will touch on the history of drug courts, how they work, and the benefits to the American taxpayers as well as society itself. HISTORY In 1989, the first Drug Court came to be and was located in Miami-Dade County, Florida The Miami-Dade Drug Court ignited a sudden national transformation that has changed our justice system. Ten years later, 492 Drug Courts were in full swing. As of June 30, 2012, 2,734 Drug Courts were in service in every U.S. state and territory. Millions of lives have been changed, thanks to Drug Courts, and they are continuing to spread all over the country and the world. This year, 2,734 Drug Courts will serve over 136,000 people (National Association of Drug Court Professionals, n.d.). A variety of problem solving courts are using the Drug Court model to address additional issues that we face as a society. Problem-solving court programs are successfully challenging developing issues in the US. For...
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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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...Prescription Opioids Deanna Pannell Aurora University One of the growing problems in America is the abuse of prescription opioids. In the past 10 years, the misuse of prescribed opioids has gone out of control, making it a national issue that many people are attempting to attack. Prescription opioid use is increasing in public health, creating an epidemic that is growing rapidly. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse: opiates, depressants, and stimulants are the three drug classifications most commonly abused by Americans. A multitude of research on the subject has concluded that there is more than a single solution to the problem, such as taking immediate action as well as creating prevention strategies. I decided to do additional research on this topic since it plays a huge part in my career as well as personal life. Being a substance abuse counselor in the criminal justice field, I experience first-hand the effects of prescription opioid abuse. A large number of client’s participating in the TASC (Treatment Alternatives for Safer Communities) are dealing with prescription opioid abuse due to an injury or surgical procedure. On April 25, 2015, my first cousin died from a heroin overdose at the age of 23. After a football injury, he was prescribed Hydrocodone and became addicted. Since the pills are too expensive, he began using heroin and his battle ended 5 years later. In 2009, 16 million Americans age 12 and older reported taking a prescription pain reliever...
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...depression isn’t as big of a problem compared to some other diseases. However, depression can lead to many other types of problems that can affect your body and your mental health. It also can lead to suicide, the second leading cause of death. This research paper will inform people about the causes of depression, how people are affected by it, and how people can be helped through depression. How is depression genetic? Well it could be because...
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...from individual to individual, and is a part of everyday life. Learning to adapt to multiple different moods and personalities can be challenging for anyone, especially those designated to conduct research. There are many different angles in which a person’s mood can be studied. Methods include gathering data and examining different traits. Psychologists study common traits that are shared as well as unique traits referring to individual behavior. In research, they emphasize continued studies on mood and temperament traits. These traits proposed the questions of behavior. Such as why a person behaves in the manner that they do, the motivation behind why they behave in certain ways, and their ability to sustain. For the purposes of this paper, mood, psychosis, schizophrenia, and the biological, cognitive, and behavioral components of each will be analyzed. Part I: Mood Disorders To understand mood disorders, it is important to first understand the definition of mood. Hansell & Damour (2008) suggest that mood is a state of which includes cognitive, motivational, and physical processes, that influence every aspect of our lives. Mood disorders, which are also known as affective disorders, are a set of mental illnesses that psychologist and theorists have deemed to be distinguishing characteristics of behavior that it out of the ordinary. There are several different mood disorders, but amongst the most common are depression, schizophrenia, and bipolar. People who display...
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... A Paper Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for Health Care Policy and Applied Economics The Community Reinforcement Approach (CRA) is a comprehensive behavioral program developed by behaviorists Nathan Azrin and George Hunt. The Community Reinforcement Approach (CRA), originally developed for individuals with alcohol use disorders, focuses on the management of substance-related behaviors and other disrupted life areas for treating substance-abuse problems. It is based on the belief that environmental contingencies can play a powerful role in encouraging or discouraging substance abuse. To provide an alcoholic with the incentive to quit drinking, CRA has the following two major goals: (1) Elimination of positive reinforcement for drinking; and (2) Enhancement of positive reinforcement for sobriety. Accordingly, it utilizes social, recreational, familial, and vocational reinforcers to support change in an individual's drinking or drug using behaviors and assist consumers in the recovery process. The Community Reinforcement Approach (CRA) focuses on the management of substance-related behaviors and other disrupted life areas. In essence, the goal of CRA is to help individuals obtain knowledge of and embrace a meaningful and healthy way of life that is more rewarding than one filled with alcohol or drug misuse. This comprehensive intervention blends operant conditioning with a social systems approach to address multiple problem areas (Meyers...
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...Drug Addiction – A community problem Chad L. Salyer In this paper I will be discussing the growing drug problem in our communities and the approach that will be used to alleviate the problem. Drug abuse has been a continuing problem in our communities and is rising at an alarming rate. It has been spreading at such a rate that it is no longer isolated in poor, middle class or upper class areas. Prescription drug abuse and heroine has become the most common forms of drugs being used by addicts and is not only a serious health problem, but is also a problem that effects the entire community. For this study I will be focusing on the individual addict and then the environment in which they live. Though there are many prevention programs that exist, it seems that prevention and Law Enforcement are not able to slow or stop the problem. Drug abuse is rising at an alarming rate and is certainly not prejudice as to who becomes a drug addict. So how can we possibly combat a problem that seems immune to all the efforts that has been brought fourth? I believe the approach should begin with the individual and changing one’s habitual thinking. Education is key to not only prevention but to those already addicted to drugs. The main research question I am exploring is if the environment plays a significant role in the cause of drug addiction. It seems that not only prescription drugs, but also illegal drugs...
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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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...Client Paper Client Paper Human services can be very fortunate and rewarding field for both clients and professionals. When the professional is able to see the commitment from the client and witness the changes being made can motivate both the client, to be more self-sufficient and the professional, to continue helping. Clients on the other hand are in need of service that the human services provide. In order for the professional to be able to help the client they must first understand the client’s range of problems they face and the reason they are seeking professional help. Every human faces different types of problems. A human service professional must understand the characteristics and specialty of each specific problem of their client. Second the professional must possess specific helping skills that can better help the clients. As a professional working in the field of Human Services, having specific helping skills are vital to the effectiveness to the services as well as the goals of the client. There are so many different problems that affect so many different people each in a different way. Problems clients face range from unemployment, abuse (physical, mentally, violent crimes, culture changes, drug and alcohol addictions, and homelessness. All of these are examples of the wide variety of problems that clients needing human service face. Any of these issues can cause clients to experience different problems and handle things...
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...Psychology 100 April 11, 2013 Term Paper A problem of mine is that I never get enough sleep, usually because of the homework that I have to do. There are many things that cause this problem, as well as complications and solutions to it. One of the causes is lack of motivation to get to bed on time. I always wait until the last minute to complete my homework assignments, which causes me to stay up extremely late or wake up early in order to get everything done on time. This is because I never have the motivation to do my work unless the deadline approaches. Even when I do not have any homework to do, I can never get to bed at a reasonable time. I stay up doing unnecessary things on my phone and computer, even though I need to go to sleep. My lack of motivation is the reason that I do not get enough sleep. Motivation relates to the factors that direct and energize behavior. It explains variations in behavior as well as why people do what they do. It also explains why people behave in certain ways in order to reach a certain goal. One approach to motivation is the incentive approach. According to this theory, people are motivated due to the desire to obtain valued external goals. In my case, my incentive would be to get good grades. I realize that if I got more sleep or spent more quality time on my homework, the result would be that I would receive better grades. However, I do not possess this motivation. I continue to poorly manage my time even though I know that it will negatively...
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...Teen substance abuse can cause many problems in a young person’s life. The tragedy can cause breaking up of families and relationships, health issues/overdoses, and unwanted pregnancies. But what happens if the teen is still abusing substances while carrying a child? Drugs and alcohol can have an unbelievable affect on an unborn child, and the more the mother is irresponsible about it, the worse it will be. It is important for nurses to know how to handle this situation, whether it is protecting the health of the pregnant teenage mother, or the health of the newborn baby with complications. This paper will address the many symptoms and malfunctions that can occur when a teenager continues to use alcohol and drugs, even while carrying their child. Scope Statement The first database that was used was Nursing and Allied Health, which provided most of the information that is used in this paper. Typing in “teenage substance abuse and pregnancy” came up with a lot of results, but putting the cut off limit at around 10 years definitely helped with decreasing that number. Also, looking to see if the article had the full PDF text online was helpful. Keywords that were looked for when scanning an article would be pregnancy, any kind of substance that was abused, and statistic or graphs included was an attention grabber. After finding the three main scholarly articles very easily on Nursing and Allied Health, the next browser that was used was Google. After typing in the main topic, which...
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...What Am I A Thesis? Limiting a Subject Before writing a thesis statement, you must choose a subject or topic for your paper. After choosing a subject or topic, you then must go through a process of narrowing the subject. In fact, narrow the subject until you have a topic that can be treated effectively in the assigned length of your paper. In many respects, the narrower your subject, the better off you are, as long as you haven't narrowed it to a point where nothing much can be said about it. With a properly limited subject, you explore only a small part of your general subject, but you explore it thoroughly. A paper of 500 words on education, for example, is doomed to be superficial at best. The topic is way too large. It might be possible, however, to write 500 words worth reading if the topic were limited to one of your teachers, essay versus objective examinations, your reasons for attending college (narrowed down to just one reason if you have enough to say), college registration procedures, abolishing of F grades, college fraternities, physical education requirements, and so on. With a sensibly limited subject, you start to have a fighting chance of producing a good paper. You are no longer doomed to superficiality. If you write a description of one of your teachers, for example, you possess immensely more knowledge about your subject than does anyone who has not taken a course from that teacher. Certainly, you are no longer at the mercy of every thought about...
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...about what topic covers a multitude of citizens and is a significant issue and problem that affects the justice system here in the United States, almost automatically I was drawn to my deep passion for recovery based solutions to drug and alcohol addictions. I have found my experiences in recovery, to repeatedly be surrounded with the pain of those whom have suffered and are still suffering from effects of their addiction(s). Many addictions have grown out of the same medications that when used properly, provided the relief sought to provide pain maintenance and therefore relief of such pain. I firmly believe that without some form of spiritual maintenance, recovery- both physical and mentally- is an endless merry go-round of medical doctors and drug dealers. As a recovering addict/alcoholic myself, my daily walk exposes me to the ever increasing ideology, of not only addicts, but the public at large, to the thought process of finding relief for every day undesirable thought and undesirable actions (according to some), to be the quick fix, which historically has been called the “magic pill” or “magical elixir” cure. In the near future, I plan to be a recovery counselor and placement specialist. I hope to be able to provide some experience based direction, on the path of recovery, to those whom still suffer. I felt the need to understand not only the options being provided for said addictions, but the history that brought those available possible solutions into existence...
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...Whiteking.thaysha@yahoo.com Thaysha King Professor Nora Kabaji Freshman Composition Research Paper 27 March 2013 Alcoholics Anonymous the Truth about Alcoholism Alcoholism is the addiction to consuming alcoholic drinks. Just like any other addiction it is fostered by the regular consumption of alcohol. It is not wrong to have an occasional drink in a social event or to have a little wine with dinner but when it reaches to the point where the individual cannot go a day without alcohol in his system then there is a problem. Alcohol is a drug like any other but it’s the most popular and accepted drug in the entire world. It is legal to citizens above eighteen years to drink alcohol and it is very accessible to even teenagers. Consumption of alcohol is not a new thing, it has been there for centuries and many new brands are being produced every year. However, those many years ago, our fore fathers knew the restrictions when it came to taking alcohol. They did not over do it and they consumed alcohol mainly during social events hence they did not become addicted to it. In our society today, any time is a good time to take alcohol. Teenagers, young adults, adults and even old people are all taking alcohol at an alarming rate. They are doing it oblivious to the fact that they can become addicted. Why are there so many alcoholics in the world today? How does it affect them and the people around them? What can be done to cure our society out of this vice? We answer all these questions...
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