Crosstown Clinic Reflective Essay

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Recovering from addiction presents you with challenges to say the least. You have to give up your drug of choice, which can be scary, literally painful, and sometimes, even sad. It’s the sadness, or rather the emotional side of addiction that I want to address here.

Substance abuse disorders are common in our society. It is a disorder that each one of us will most likely experience through a family member, friend, or our self. I felt very drawn to this topic due to the fact that I have a family that has background of substance abuse and I myself have battle the demon. Not until I struggled with my own addiction did I become more tolerable and understanding to those that have a substance abuse disorder. Substance abuse is not something anyone wants to have; it is a disorder that takes control of a person’s life. It is a beast that tears a person apart; from their being to the lives of their loved ones. This disorder is not biased in anyway; rich or poor, male or female, employed or unemployed, young or

Substance use disorder, misuse, and dependence are among the most prevalent causes of adolescent morbidity and mortality in the United States (Brannigan, Schackman, Falco, & Millman, 2004; Newcomb and Bentler, 1988a; Sussman, Dent, and Galaif, 1997). Substances of all types are being widely used or misused by teens and emerging adults in the United States (Johnston et al., 2004). Adolescent substance misusers experience numerous social, economic, physical, and legal consequences, for example, truncated development (Newcomb and Bentler, 1988b). Substance use–related disorders are associated with such problems as poor academic performance, job instability, teen pregnancy, and the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases. Crimes such as stealing, vandalism, and violence are associated with “heavy drug use” in adolescence. Adverse immediate consequences occur (e.g., overdoses and accidents). Also, drug-using youths are more likely to develop disorganized thinking and unusual beliefs that may interfere with problem-solving abilities and emotional functioning and may lead to greater social isolation and depression (Sussman and Ames, 2001), though the prevalence of dysfunctional thinking is not known. Substance dependent adolescents endure consequences of additional problems such as drug tolerance effects, withdrawal symptoms, and preoccupation with using a drug to the exclusion of other activities.

Substance misuse behaviour is the use of psychoactive substances in a manner that is harmful to the drug user, which often leads to addiction and thus the perpetuation of the substance misuse behaviour itself, the resulting substance dependence is a facet of substance misuse behaviour characterised by a strong desire to continually take the drug in uncontrolled manner, which leads to withdrawal symptoms once the dosage of the drug is discontinued (Koob, Sanna & Bloom, 1998). This disorder has its roots in both neurobiological and social processes (Galizio & Maisto, 2013), this essay will critically discuss both the biological and social catalysts in which substance misuse initiates and leads to substance misuse behaviour, with reference to the psychopharmacology of individual substances, biological processes as well as specific examples of social and psychosocial theories.

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.

First let’s take a look at the difference between substance abuse and substance addiction. A common misconception

Whether it started as a weekend drinking routine or a reliance on recommended anesthetics, an addiction is one reason why the lives of numerous high scholars, grown-ups and even ladies are destroyed. Setting up a battle against this issue is difficult, however is feasible. The introductory step towards recuperation is to look for addiction treatment from wellbeing specialists. Dependent people are furnished with fitting restorative care and can have entry to offices and assets that will help in the recuperation process.

In order to discuss the treatments for addiction and the failings thereof, we need to start by defining what addiction is. Once we’ve done so then we will discuss the different treatments available. Only after all this will we discuss the failings of the programs. While a major part of this paper is based on the cited works, some part of it is based on personal experience. I have struggled with addiction in the past, thankfully I’ve been clean for 15 plus years. Some very close friends have also struggled with addiction and sadly some have died because of it. I work as a Paramedic and see the results of addiction very regularly. The United States, and a lot of other countries, is in the midst of the worst Heroin and Prescription Drug abuse epidemic ever.

When it comes to an addiction, one of the most effective ways to get clean is through a rehabilitation program. Counseling options, detoxification and support groups are some of the proven methods of obtaining sobriety. If you or a loved one is suffering from an addiction, you can begin your recovery by getting help. There are trained professionals and counselors available who can guide you along the road to recovery.

It is well known that any form of substance use can be fatal, but so can a lot of other things: choking, accidents, health issues, and sheer bad luck. However, there is something special about substance abuse - fatalities from substance use are considered preventable. Take deaths associated with driving under the influence of alcohol, lung cancer brought on by smoking, or heart attacks associated with cocaine use. A person could die in a car crash, from lung cancer, or a heart attack without ever touching alcohol, cigarettes, or cocaine respectively. However, there is an increase in death associated with these items. The most curious part of this is the legal versus illegal categorization of substances. According to the Center for Disease Control, tobacco is considered the leading cause of preventable death (CDC, 2016). Yet, not only is it legal, a person in the U.S. can purchase cigarettes as young as 18, which is three years earlier than the legal age to drink alcohol. This knowledge leads to questions about addiction and prevalence of substance use. Besides being readily available and highly addictive, are there other factors in the use and abuse of legal substances and are they good indicators of illicit drug use? There is clear evidence to support that children, adolescents, and adults learn and emulate what they see on television. The American Academy of Pediatrics has done research and come to the conclusion that “the causes of adolescent substance use are

Addiction refers to a brain disorder that is caused by continuous exposure to a certain substance that is beneficial irrespective of possible negative consequences. Wise and Koob (2014) continues to define drug addiction as a ceaseless sickness portrayed by impulsive medication chasing and use, notwithstanding results that are hurtful. It can be described as a brain disorder since medications is known to change the mind; it changes both the structure and function of the brain. These changes can be enduring and can lead to practices that are unsafe and self-dangerous. This paper attempts to answer the question whether drug addiction is a choice or a brain disease.

There are an estimated 23 million Americans currently fighting a drug or alcohol addiction. Each of these individuals has a network of family, friends and loved ones who are impacted by the addiction. For these people, learning how to help an addict is important. Without help, many addicts will have problems staying sober on their own.

Don’t ever drink alcohol or you will become an alcoholic and die. Lately, a controversial issue has been whether or not addiction is a disease or a choice. Some believe that addicts made the choice to try their drug of choice and are in turn responsible for whatever addictive behavior they acquire from that decision. On the other hand, some believe that addiction is the body’s genetically acquired response to the consumption of drugs or alcohol. In sum, then, the issue is whether society has corrupted us into viewing all addicts as losers with too much time on their hands or if we as a society have turned our backs on the struggling soccer mom that drinks too much wine at dinner because her brain is insisting that she needs more.

The biggest social problem in my community that has the biggest impact on the future of the children, in my opinion, would have to be the incredible amount of substance abuse that occurs in a town with a population of only (approx.) 1,400 people. I say this because this problem isn’t something that only a couple of the citizens suffer from and it doesn’t just happen behind closed doors. A surprising amount of people in this community are openly addicted to one drug or another and that is not including the possible others who are extremely good at hiding it. It is pretty easy to spot the ones who don’t mind letting others know that they are intoxicated, even in public, as they walk around with dazed expressions, slurred speech, impaired motor functions and are sometimes hostile for no reason. They are the ones who you see randomly roaming around the local grocery store, gas station or restaurant in plain sight of (sometimes) their own children and any other family that happens to be near them.