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Week 1 - Assignment: Examine Personal Beliefs Related to Substance Abuse

Week 1 - Assignment: Examine Personal Beliefs Related to Substance Abuse

Zachary Gaboriault

National University

PSYC-6110 V3

Dr. John Mitchell

April 16, 2023

Substance use and abuse has been a sore topic for me. I was surrounded by substance abuse from a young age and continued to watch it consume members of my family and friend group, including several ex-girlfriends, mother, two aunts, and more.  It took many years to learn and come to terms with this fact and, although it was initially a sad reality for me at such a young age, I came to learn what addiction was at a young age. In this regard I suppose it prepared me for the temptations of teenage and early adulthood because I was already armed with knowledge of what substance use and abuse looked like, how it progressed, and what the end-stage looks like. Over the course of this blog entry, I will seek to define substance abuse, as well as answer the following questions:

What is meant by the statement that substance abuse occurs on a continuum? Do you accept this idea, or do you think that there are fundamentally different characteristics that separate substance use from substance abuse or addiction?

The costs of substance use disorders in society are significant. What are some of the specific contributing factors that are behind some of these costs?

Do you think that the problem of substance abuse is blown out of proportion by the media, or perhaps underreported? Explain your position.

It is my hope that this blog entry not only be informative but be a cautionary tale for those who have wondered these same questions as well as those who have dealt or are currently dealing with substance abuse in their family/friend group. Frequent substance use and abuse are overall very dangerous and we shall discuss further details as we progress.

So, what exactly is substance abuse? More commonly referred to as drug abuse, the term substance abuse refers to an individual’s usage of legal or illegal products that are detrimental to one’s health in order to achieve an altered physical and/or mental state. Methods usually vary between breathing them in, snorting them up the nose or injecting them into the bloodstream (Wulffson, R. L., MD. 2022). The list of substances is long and can range anywhere from readily available substances, like caffeine, nicotine or over-the-counter medications like ibuprofen, to more deadly substances such as cocaine or heroin. Substance use occurs on a spectrum that starts with non-use. The end of the spectrum would be categorized as the opposite of non-use, which is dependent use, meaning the individual abuses the substance compulsively and requires it in order to avoid withdrawal symptoms. In-between these stages, and in order of severity, include experimental use (where somebody is curious about the effects of using it but is unsure), recreational use (where somebody is utilizing a substance recreationally and mostly situationally, like drinking alcohol or taking drugs only before they go to a nightclub), and regular use (where somebody ingests a substance on a scheduled basis, such as always drinking on a Friday night after receiving a paycheck) (2). This idea is one that I accept and makes sense, both on paper and in real-life situations I have observed. A particular situation I witnessed was a friend of mine was curious about ecstacy after becoming involved in the nightclub scene and began using it every time they went to the club, thus constituting recreational use. Even with this recreational use though, the next-day side-effects were quite severe and often included feelings of depression, fatigue and suicidal thoughts.

When someone is diagnosed with a substance use disorder (a.k.a drug addiction) there is no cure for it, as there would be a cure for a physical wound you treat with antibiotics and a bandage. Substance use disorder requires treatment that can take months or even years and can be something that the diagnosed person has to deal with for the rest of their life. This is where treatment for a substance use disorder can become costly because the diagnosed person must meet with licensed professionals who can diagnose them, treat them, and sometimes prescribe them medication to help in the process of becoming sober. Many people diagnosed with a substance use disorder find relief in behavior therapy, which attempts to get to the root of their maladaptive behaviors but requires many sessions before real progress can be made (Spiegler, M. D. 2023). There are some free options when it comes to obtaining some form of therapy, including peer-support groups like Alcoholics Anonymous, but attaining sobriety has a higher success rate when multiple methods are combined that includes therapy, support groups and medication if necessary.  

When it comes to how media reports topics such as substance use and abuse, in my opinion, a lot of the articles are accompanied with titles that almost come across as clickbait. Many mainstream media sources try their best to maximize their reach and views, so a clickbait title that grabs your attention and makes you want to read it is their goal. It would seem that is their only goal though, as most reporting of substance use and abuse do not offer honest reporting that includes helpful information and resources people can use to get help, but rather include politics and scare tactics that benefit them, not the reader. This only works to increase the stigma surrounding mental health and mental health disorders, the larger umbrellas that substance use disorders fall under. In general, individuals struggling with mental health issues like substance use disorder feel embarrassed talking about it and seeking treatment, because they are afraid to be perceived as weak by their friends and family. In fact, in the year 2020 only 46.2% of Americans diagnosed with a mental illness received treatment for it (Harmon, A. 2023). We should all be working together to eliminate the stigma of seeking and obtaining treatment for mental illness across the board.  

References

Continuum of Substance Use and Abuse -. (2020, October 8). https://alcoholrehab.com/drug addiction/continuum-of-substance-use-and-abuse/

Harmon, A. (2023). Mental health stigma . Salem Press Encyclopedia of Health.

Spiegler, M. D. (2023). Behavior therapy. Salem Press Encyclopedia of Health

Wulffson, R. L., MD. (2022). Substance abuse. Salem Press Encyclopedia of Health.