Literature Review
People having a problem of addiction take time to respond or obtain professional medical help and treatment. There exists a wide range of problems which is related to their alcohol addiction or other substance misuse or psychiatric condition due to these. There can also be external conflicts such as wrong perceptions, conflicting philosophies and limitations. There can be one’s own belief which can act as a hindrance to one’s treatment and recovery. Lack of clarity and knowledge can lead to wrong conceptions which can create complexities in the treatment process and service delivery,
We are aware of issues of additions of alcohol or substances. Any abnormal appetite for a certain thing can be termed as an addiction. When treated population groups are studied one can understand what addictions are, how it is perceived by different groups of people and what it takes to break the cycle. Very less academic research studies are found in this regard. It is mainly because the conception of addiction to alcohol is perceived as an individual’s personal choice from the perspective of the individual. On the other hand from the perspectives of the treatment circles the same thing is considered as a disease. Although scare researches have performed surveys and undergone qualitative studies to estimate to what extent the stigma to alcohol or substance abuse is spread in Australia and how different are the perceptions about the same prevalent here.
The right way to address alcohol or substance misuse and addiction problem is the primary research problem in this literature review. A lot of stigma is associated within the population which uses or misuses substances like alcohol (Haber, 2009). The choice and perception of an individual who is an addict directly impacts his treatment and recovery. It has been observed that alcohol addiction is a disease in the books of a medical practitioner. The same thing is considered as a personal choice by the addict. This literature review researches the concept.
A physical need or a psychological need for using something, taking something or doing something is addiction as its consequences are harmful to an individual. Addictions can be associated with alcohol, caffeine, nicotine, drugs, gambling or misuse of substances (Anonymous, 2016). Addictions can occur in relation to anything.Abuse of other drugs and alcohol is ranked sixth contributor to diseases in New Zealand. The WHO or World health organization has declared that population health is reduced and health related costs are increased due to alcohol addiction. The treatment services have reduced the huge burden which has been formed in New Zealand due to misuse of alcohol. In the year 2011 the DHB or District Health Boards in New Zealand has treated approximately 34000 New Zealanders for issues of addiction and other associated issues. In the year 2003 it was 22000 (Friedmann, Hendrickson and Gerstein, 2003). The quantity has been increasing ever since.
Research Problem
Starting of an addiction can be of varied reasons. When it comes to alcohol addiction it is the “feel good” factor which makes such an addiction begin. Both mentally and physically its impact can be felt (HealthDirect, 2017). The feeling is that of enjoyment and pleasure and hence it urges an individual to perform it over and over again. A stigma and a misuse of a substance is a closely related thing. It is important that it gets de stigmatised. The individual who is affected with a misuse of alcohol will be able to remove all the constraints by doing this and it will impact on the treatment positively (Changing Minds Campaign, 2003). Misuse of alcohol is accepted with high intensities in some parts of the society. A high use of alcohol in a pub on a Saturday night for an example can ultimately lead to emergency medical care or unfortunate events like accidents. Still there is a broad acceptance of alcohol use, drinking and driving behavioral patterns. It is important to ascertain to what level a person is getting stigmatized in their drinking life stage. In terms of alcohol as a drug over use the medicine world considers it as a mere will power or faith or belief using which people can just stop using it (National Committee for Addiction Treatment, 2011). The rehabilitation services often require motivation to be the driving factor and acts as a psychological technique of treatment for individuals having addiction to alcohol or use or misuse of substances.
Addiction to alcohol and other substances like drugs is a complex type of a disorder. It involves many aspect of the functioning of a normal human being in the society. It affects an individual’s family life, work, school, relationship and the society. Due to its intricate complexities treatment of drug addiction is directly dependent on how an individual perceives the drug overuse as. It is important to understand this that an individual needs to perceive addiction as a disease. It is only then they can be motivated to perform abstinence. In Australia over 14,500 drug treatment specialized facilities are present which provides professional counseling, medication, behavioral therapy, case management and other treatment services to people who are affected with such disorders (Roche, Bywood, Freeman, Pidd, Borlagdan and Trifonoff, 2009). A wide range of medical practitioners are involved in providing medical treatment services. Treatments are given in clinics and offices of physicians, inpatient, and outpatient or in a residential settling. In every circumstance the approach is the same. The general thought prevailing is that it is a disease and it will be treated.
Literature Search – Theories
Experts consider that the experiences experienced by addicts are similar in nature. Addiction related with drugs or alcohol gives a different kind of an addiction that what people experience when they are addicted to other things like shopping, racing or gambling. There are many commonalities in the behavior showcased by alcohol addicts. Medical science is having a clear perception that using things like alcohol in extreme quantities on a daily basis is harmful to the brain of a person (NIDA, 2011). As per the NIDA it kills the cells of the human brains.For medical science it is nothing but a disease.
During the last phase of the 19th and 20th century a theory was developed that alcohol or drug or substance addiction is a disease and not any type of a moral weakness. However there was inadequate knowledge about ways to treat this disease. Most of the therapies which were used to treat an addicted person limited itself on the psychological areas and in modifying lifestyle habits and behaviors. Most of them still considered that it comes under the scope of psychiatry which is closely knitted with moral weakness. It has been proved with time that lower levels of dopamine is the reason of many compulsive or impulsive human behaviours. It clearly defines addiction as a kind of a brain disorder.
People in general begin using anything in abundance for end number of reasons. Primarily when asked any addict to any drug or alcohol says that it gives them a feel good sensation. It makes them feel much better than how they feel when they are sober and hence they cannot stop using the same thing over and over again. Initially using these seems to be creating a positive effect. People who are addicted to alcohol or any other substance also have a strong perception that they can control it and that they knows it is just a choice they are adopting. However when use of any such substance becomes an abuse than their sense of self control or judgment gets impaired seriously. Brain images found in people before and after extreme use of drugs showcases the change in the physical features of the brain. These are those areas of the brain which is related to decision making, critical thinking, learning and controlled behavior. Extra proteins get created on overuse of drugs like cocaine and these proteins get bonded (Agarwal and Lynskey, 2006). Usually these proteins are used for transporting dopamine. Since they cannot transport it any longer the dopamine continues to stay there stimulating the nearby neurons. Pleasure feelings and excitements get prolonged.
Some people show RDS behavior while others do not. There can be many reasons. Family environment, home, drug availability, nutrition, stress, early use, peer pressures all are these reasons. A very preventive technique used by medical practitioners is to develop tests based on genetics. During adolescence these tests can ascertain how much an individual is vulnerable to such abuse. In many parts of the world Dopamine Agonist Therapy is used to treat addicts (Blum, 2002). Cravings are reduced and any behavior or relapsing or seeking drugs or alcohol is reduced using such therapies (Ethan, 2016).
Conclusion
Over dependence on alcohol or to other drugs or misuse of substances in many ways is a genetic disorder. There can be many varied reasons why an individual starts overusing such substances. However it is clear that it is the over confidence and one’s perception about these things which makes them continue (Dick and Agarwal, 2008). Medical science treats such things as diseases while addicts consider them as personal choices.Treatment of such addiction must follow by placing themselves in the perception of the addicts and convert their personal choice to somethingpositive.
References
- Agarwal, A and Lynskey, M. (2006). The genetic epidemiology of cannabis use, abuse and dependence. Addiction Journal. 101(41),p801–812.
- (2016). Introduction.Nordinwelfare. Available: https://www.nordicwelfare.org/PageFiles/5181/44publikation.pdf. Last accessed 13th July 2017.
- Blum, K. (2002). The Addictive Brain: All Roads Lead to Dopamine. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs,. 44 (2), p134-143.
- Changing Minds Campaign. (2003). 1 Drugs and Alcohol – Whose problem is it anyway? Who cares?. Available: https://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/pdf/whocares.pdf. Last accessed 13th July 2017.
- Dick, D.M and Agarwal, A. (2008). The Genetics of Alcohol and Other Drug Dependence. Drug Journals. 31 (2), p1-8.
- Ethan, C. (2016). Dual Diagnosis: Mental Illness And Substance Abuse.Available: https://www.dartmouth.edu/~eap/library/dualdiagnosis1.pdf. Last accessed 15th July 2017.
- Friedmann, P.D., Hendrickson, J.C and Gerstein, G. R. (2003). The effect of matching comprehensive services to patients’ needs on drug use improvement in addiction treatment. Research Report. 2 (1), p1-11.
- Haber, P (2009). Guidelines for the Treatment of Alcohol Problems. Sydney: University of Sydney. p225.
- (2017). What is addiction? HealthInfo. Available: https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/what-is-addiction. Last accessed 13th July 2017.
- National Committee for Addiction Treatment. (2011). Addiction treatment is everybody’s business. Journal Review. 4 (3), p1-20.
- (2011). Drug Facts:Comorbidity: Addiction and Other Mental Disorders -NIH.Available: https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/comorbidity-addiction-other-mental-disorders. Last accessed 15th July 2017.
- Roche, A. M., Bywood, P., Freeman T., Pidd, K., Borlagdan, J. and Trifonoff, A. (2009). The Social Context of Alcohol Use in Australia. Adelaide: National Centre for Education and Training on Addiction.
Order an Essay Now & Get These Features For Free:
Turnitin Report
Formatting
Title Page
Citation
Outline
