Common substances of abuse

Substance Abuse and Dependency

Discuss the social effects of psychoactive substance use and abuse. What are some risk factors for first experimenting with alcohol and drugs? What are some intervention strategies?

The article by Grinsteinner (2006) highlights the permeation of alcohol in teen culture. For many teens, consuming alcohol is something of a rite of passage. This denotes that social dimensions play a great role in the decision to begin drinking. Indeed, while tobacco and marijuana use are observable among teens, the social effects of alcohol in particular are considerable. Grinsteinner relays that "according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, roughly 10.8 million underage persons ages 12 to 20 (28.7%) reported current alcohol use. Of these underage drinkers, 4.4 million were ages 12 to 17." (Grinsteinner, 1)

Grinsteinner goes on to point out that teens who drink alcohol before they are of age are four times more likely to form an addictive relationship with alcohol as they enter their post-adolescent and adult years. Moreover, more than 5000 teens are killed annually in alcohol-related traffic incidences. (Grinsteinner, p.1) These figures suggest that teen drug abuse, especially in this most common form, can have irreversible consequences.

The best intervention strategies are education and outreach programs. It may be a misnomer to suggest 'peer pressure' is responsible for high levels of cultural permeation where teen drug abuse is concerned. Instead, teens often insulate themselves in groups where substance abuse becomes an accepted normative behavior. In these context, little thought is given to the potential consequences. In a non-restrictive and dialogue-based context, parents and educators must take steps to make teens aware of the potentially irreversible consequences of substance abuse, particularly at so young and formative an age.

2. Identify the impact of crisis, disaster, and other trauma-causing events on persons with addiction.(a) level of addiction, (b) abuse or dependence, (c) social use, and (d) cultural specific intervention strategies.

Individuals suffering addition or dependence may find the symptoms of their condition intensified by the occurrence of crisis or disaster. Indeed, there is a considerable overlapping of substance abuse or chemical dependency and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Individuals returning for military combat, for instance, are highly vulnerable to PTSD and, therefore, are often especially vulnerable to alcoholism and habitual drug abuse.

There is also evidence that the cross-over between anxiety disorders and chemical dependency can made treatment of both conditions especially challenging. These may be interdependent disorders that are highly entwined dissonant response mechanisms. For instance, Losinno (2007) shows, "persons who are withdrawing from alcohol may experience overwhelming anxiety, accompanying these physical symptoms, and may resort to resuming drinking in order to feel 'normal.' If a person does not disclose their drinking behavior if they seek outside help, they may be misdiagnosed as having an anxiety disorder. Mixing alcohol and medications for anxiety disorders can have lethal consequences, as well as prolonging a process of addiction." (Losinno, p. 1)

This denotes that especially in the face of trauma, those who are predisposed to dissonant responses and unhealthy coping mechanisms will struggle at a higher level to be liberated of chemical dependency. With respect to treatment, outreach to specific risk groups such as those who are proven to be vulnerable to PTSD should be seen as a primary intervention strategy. Military veterans, families that have suffered the loss of a loved one, victims of system abuse and victims of traumatic injuries are all targeted candidates for this type of intervention.

3. Discuss genetic impact of chemical dependency? What is the likelihood of some individuals becoming addicted to alcohol/drugs?

As the discussion here above denotes, alcohol and chemical abuse are often socially-constructed tendencies, especially amongst younger abusers. However, with this high level of permeation, there is some question as to why only a fraction of abusers develop a dependency. One possible suggest is that some are genetically predisposed to such dependency. According to Gans (2006), for instance, "numerous pathways, as well as genes whose functions are currently unknown, may contribute to the genetic predisposition to drink high amounts of alcohol." (Gans, 1)