Substance Abuse And Addiction Essay

Adolescent substance abuse is a phenomenon in our country that has been steadily inclining ever since the 2000’s. The effects of this incline are very straight forward and call for action. The facts are that alcohol and drugs are the leading causes of crime among youth and that alcohol and drugs are the leading factors in teenage suicide. (National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc., 2014) Because adolescence is such a crucial developmental age the effects of alcohol and drug use are catastrophic. To fully understand this phenomenon we must firs operationalize all of the factors we are trying to study. The DSM V classifies substance abuse as,

Over the last few days at Providence Crosstown Clinic, I have gained a tremendous amount of insight into the field of addiction and substance use disorder. Crosstown Clinic is an addictions treatment clinic with an interdisciplinary team that cares for over seventy clients with substance-use disorder. Clients come into the clinic three times a day and are given either DEM (diacetylmorphine) or HME (hydromorphine). DEM is an addictive drug derived from opium that produces an intense euphoria, also known as “high”; whereas, hydromorphone is a synthetic narcotic analgesic, similar to morphine and heroin. During the first few days, I have learned Crosstown clinic began as a study to assess long-term opioid medications effectiveness, also known as the SALOME trail, to test whether hydromorphone, a licensed medication, is as good as diacetylmorphine, the active ingredient of heroin, at assisting people who suffer from chronic opioid addiction and who are not benefiting sufficiently from other treatments. I was told by the clinic nurse that the test found that hydromorphone is almost the same as DEM; however, clients prefer DEM better since it gives them a longer “high”. I have yet to work with clients with substance use disorder, and I am excited to learn more about alcohol and substance use like alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, and amphetamines.

Substance abuse and misuse are common among our patients population because of the lack of education and information from healthcare providers. As a pharmacist, I think that I can prevent drug abuse by having over the counter (OTC) drugs that are subject to abuse on sight, so I can approach whoever is looking for those drugs, ask if the drug is for them, professionally evaluate if they really need the drugs in question, and counsel them about how to safely use them. When it comes to prescription drugs that can create a state of dependence and abuse in my patients, I will always make sure that they are using the medication accordingly to their physician’s recommendation, and I will monitor their physical and mental state every time they would

The topic of this paper will be substance abuse in adolescents. I will mainly focus on family structure, neurobiology, prevention, and treatment of the adolescents. I decided to research this topic because many of my acquaintances and family members have had to deal with substance abuse, especially during their adolescent phase. The driving point for me was that I wanted to understand why substance abuse in adolescents kept occurring and how I could help make the adolescents that are in my life situations better.

A strong urge and desire for drugs are feeling and signs of drug addiction and abuse for some adolescents ((Goldberg, 2014). Often time’s adolescents will explore and experience whatever drug is the latest or newest trend in society. During teenage years some adolescents become

Around the world we are finding that most adolescent are experiencing drugs and alcohol. This has been a huge issue for years. This has become a trend in society as of today. This paper will discuss the perspective of adolescent alcohol and drugs. This paper will also identify and inform you on the common predictors of adolescent substance abuse. Substance abuse can lead to negative behavior such as problems at home and school, loss of friends, health issues, and lack of memory. This paper will focus on how peer, family characteristic, and individual and factors link with substance abuse in adolescents. It also will show a connection and variables linking to factors in at risk youth. It is a fact that most adolescent are influence by drugs and alcohol because of their peers, family and individual characteristic.

Adolescent substance abuse is a big concern in the country today. There are many risk factors that can contribute to adolescent substance abuse. Peer pressure has continued to be one of the leading risk factors. Adolescents substance use increases health problems, dependence on drugs, conduct disorders and other risky behaviors leading generally to poor social consequences. Parental influence plays a great role in what a teenager becomes because teenagers mostly learn by example. The counselor helps provide therapy to those impacted by effects of substance abuse. The effectiveness of such therapy may require inclusion of family friends and other forms of positive support the teenager has. Some schools and organization, and communities have programs that help teach adolescent on the dangers of drug abuse. It is important to make these programs appropriate for the age concerned in order to get them attracted and compliant.

Adolescents should understand the implications of becoming addicted to alcohol or nicotine. When a child begins using alcohol or nicotine before the age of 15 their risk of becoming addicted is much higher than usage at a later age. It is also important to know the potential risk factors for substance abuse. A child’s personality that exhibits anger and impulsivity is at a higher risk of abuse. Adolescent’s that experience family conflict, excessively promiscuous parents or a family that is distant or hostile is also at a greater risk for substance abuse. Last if an adolescent’s context can contribute to abuse if there is easy access to drugs or alcohol as well as social contacts that also use drugs or alcohol will tolerate friends that

The use of alcohol in teens has been a major problem in recent years. There is a study show that alcohol is a strong factor which made people addicted “The past decade, alcohol expectancies have been shown to be powerful predictors of drinking and it is now believed that they act as a common pathway for the influence of more distal risk factors for alcohol abuse” (Houben, 2006). Throughout the years, one can see the growing amount of alcohol consumed by those who did not reach the age limit. While referring to the alcohol consumption by the individuals of high school age, it appears that they become addicted. Moreover, the range of the problem is even bigger because of much research shows that teenagers become addicted by age 13 to 14. Moreover, there was a study conducted of Columbia University that shows general alcohol consumption in correlation to the amount consumed by teenagers (Dosomething, n.d.). Namely, 11.4% of drinkers among the overall alcohol consumption are teenagers (Dosomething, n.d.). While looking at the number of overall consumed alcohol, another problem comes up. It appears that teenagers who are active alcohol consumers during their teen years also have a tendency to drink too much alcohol when they grew up. In other words, they might tend to alcohol abuse for no reason, just because they were used to drinking in their teenage years. Also, The statistics also show that people between 12 and 20 years claimed that they consumed alcohol in the recent 30

Around the world drug use is a major problem, drug use can lead to AIDS, STDs, Hepatitis, and several other communicable diseases as well as several social problems. Children participating in drug use at such young ages typically stems from a home problem, such as watching their parents perform the act of doing drugs. Many people who have experienced psychological trauma turn to substance abuse for a coping mechanism. Experiments with children and young adults that have experienced different things in their childhood such as sexual abuse, physical abuse from parents or other family, and mental abuse are being performed to see if the experience they have went through is leading them to drug abuse. As stated in the article by Maia Szalavitz “How Childhood Trauma Creates Life-long Adult Addicts”, “Early

This paper explores various ways adolescent brain is susceptible to risky behaviors such as drug use and the factors that influence a future drug addiction. Adolescence is a time of growth both physically and mentally as well as emotionally. Risky behaviors, such as drug use, are likely to appear during this time. It isn’t until early adulthood that the prefrontal cortex, the area of our brain responsible for logical thought and reasoning, is developed. Many underlying factors of substance abuse are well known, such as family dynamics, genetics and mental illness. Studies have shown that genetics influence a predisposition to addiction/alcoholism and influenced by family dynamics. Several studies have shown how integral a supportive family

Even more interesting is a sample taken that showed that those adolescents who start drugs and alcohol at a younger age like 15, are more likely to keep up the habit as opposed to someone who starts using at an older age. (Dewitt, Offord, pg. 7.) Drug and alcohol use also increases when young people leave for college. (Dewitt, Offord, pg.7.) All these results show how imperative it is for a young adolescent to have parental guidance and love during their life.

Anyone that 's living in today’s society should be bothered by the use of drugs in the world. But do we as citizen bother to make a difference and take a stand against drug abuse. Drug abuse not only affects the person, but also have an impact on the people around them. Substance abuse and addiction can affect different things in life that a lot of people don 't make aware of, such as destroyed and broken families, ending careers, deaths, domestic violence, child abuse, and physical abuse. Throughout this paper I will refer to my interviewer as Mr. Officer. He is 32 years old, single, and have three years of European college education. He does not have any children. As far as socioeconomic status he is working class, who comes from poverty like majority of our black folks. But he chose to make a difference by thinking outside the box and he became a police officer. Also he’s a CEO of Mac 's & Gross Property Management LLC. Not only is he the police officer that takes a stand against drug abuse, but also the voice we need to hear. The purpose of this interview is to get the insides of how a drug abuser can have an impact on society and what Mr. Officer can do to make the changes we need in the communities.

As most teenager’s cross between childhood to adulthood, whether to drink or smoke is one of the most difficult choices they have to make. It is perfectly natural to want to try new things from time to time, but to abuse drinking should not be one. No matter what one argues, during this period, most teens are likely to try alcohol and or drugs not knowing the effects it has on their brain or health. Teenagers who grow up around parents who abuse alcohol follows their parent’s footstep. It is important that parents talk to their kids at a much younger age about the use of alcohol. Ninety percent of times, once they get addicted to drinking it is hard for them to stop. There are many reason why teenagers drink alcohol, but the most common reasons are because of peer pressure, to have fun, or wanting to look or feel grown.

Teenagers are surrounded daily by different issues and problems. Some know how to deal with them; others create bigger problems for themselves. A problem that a teenager could come across can vary in its extremity. A major problem, that forms from other problems, is drug and alcohol abuse/use. Drug and alcohol abuse has become a huge problem among teenagers. It can start for multiple reasons. Every person has a different reason. The most common reasons or excuses for teenagers are boredom, depression, the pure enjoyment of the feeling they get, the need or desire to be like or join everyone else, peer pressure, media, television, and celebrities. The problem that comes with the usage of drugs and alcohol is that it impairs