¶ … Young People Misuse Substances
The misuse of substances involves more than just taking illegal drugs. Youth can also get involved with prescription drugs (either theirs or someone else's), or they can focus on alcohol or other ways in which they can get high (Alexander, Kruszewski, & Webster, 2012). There are reasons why they do this, of course, but those reasons are often highly varied depending on the youth in question. A number of young people misuse substances because of peer pressure (Ksir & Ray, 2002). They meet other young people who are into that particular lifestyle, and they want to be liked, accepted, and appreciated. Because they want those things, they turn to abusing or misusing substances, as well. That gets them accepted by their peers, but shunned by other youth who do not abuse substances. It can also get them failing grades, disease, and an early death, if they continue down that path. While many young people experiment with substances once or even a few times, most either stop at that point or they avoid the experimentation altogether (Walker & Young, 1986).
For those who head down the path of substance abuse and misuse, there...
Substance misuse does not necessarily have to be abuse. For example, a young person may not be taking illegal drugs and getting high, but he or she may be taking a friend's anti-anxiety medication because of nerves. Since that medication is prescription and was not prescribed for that person, that is misuse of that substance (Alexander, Kruszewski, & Webster, 2012; Ksir & Ray, 2002; Lowinson & Ruiz, 2005; Nutt, et al., 2007; Walker & Young, 1986). When substance issues are thought of by most people, the concern is generally over abuse of illegal drugs, but there is an entire group of young people who are misusing medications and other substances, and these young people are not really being noticed. When they are not noticed, they cannot get the help they really need to stop the behaviors that can get them into serious trouble with the law and with their family (Nutt, et al., 2007). The misuse of substances can also turn into abuse at a later date.
Once a young person starts taking a particular kind of medication or other substance that is either illegal or not prescribed for him or her,…
Some patients knowingly abuse the healthcare system to obtain drugs and substances, which only adds to the complexities of the substance misuse relationship with the medical community. In 2008, the National Survey on Drug Use and Health reported approximately 4.7 million Americans used pain medications for non-medical use within the last month (Fishbain et al., 2010). This statistic is only one indication of the substance misuse prevalence and its
Treatment is also viewed as a tool to address an adolescent's use of one substance, whereas prevention programs address the risks of multiple substances (Sussman, 2011). Prevention programs that have provided some evidence of effectiveness include school-based educational programs and family-based programs (Sussman, 2011). Educational programs typically focus on social influences that lead to substance abuse, and work to build personal and social skills to help avoid abuse in
Substance / Alcohol Abuse among the Elderly Substance/alcohol abuse among the elderly 60 years and older Alcohol and substance abuse among the elderly is a significant social problem, not only because people in this age group tend to have very permissive attitudes towards social drug and alcohol usage but also because the stressors that accompany aging may result in increases in drug or alcohol usage to problematic levels. While people may begin
Interventions to Reduce Adolescent Substance Abuse The purpose of this paper is to provide a review of the relevant literature to describe current government initiatives for addressing substance abuse by adolescents in the United States. An analysis of what is being done as well as what is not being done is followed by an examination of gaps in the current initiatives. In addition, a discussion concerning the health advocacy groups that
Help her to realize that having a child may interfere with her future career, but that many mothers have successful home and job lives. There are an infinite number of options, and a determined teenager can find a way to success. Do not skirt around the issues of danger, however, as teenagers are more likely to miscarry or have other complications with their pregnancy such as premature labor and
The presence of violence is one of the most dangerous behaviors associated with substance abuse particularly with alcoholism for the reason that it is a behavior that can cause significant injuries or fatality associated with substance abuse consequences. Substance abuse is a psychological and mental morbidity as a form of another issue for the fact that it signifies maladaptive behaviors that are not usual for a normal person. These