Substance Abuse Essay

Submitted By lindasagginario
Words: 844
Pages: 4

Substance Abuse
When you are talking about the different views on substance abuse you are talking about the sociocultural view, cognitive - behavioral view, psychodynamic view, and the biological. Each of these views believes that that something different causes individuals to have problems with substance abuse.
Sociocultural view on substance abuse says that individuals have a substance abuse problem because of pressure from their peers, stress from everyday life, as well as economic problems. Although I understand that people get pressure from their peers in thinking that they have to look, act, or do certain things in order to fit in. I also understand the pressures of everyday life and the constant heart ache that it can cause when you feel like you are stuck and going nowhere in your life. I can even understand economic problems and the stress that it can cause and the feeling of needing to get away. When it comes to the treatments that they believe will work for individuals substance abuse problems they believe are a good source of treatment are self-help groups. Self-help groups refer to the programs like narcotics anonymous, alcoholics anonymous, and marijuana anonymous. Whereas I think these are great programs where people can go and talk about what they are going through without feeling like they are getting judged I do not believe that these programs by themselves would keep someone from their drug of choice if they really want to do it.
Psychodynamic view on substance abuse believes that an individual that suffers from substance abuse is because of the lack of nurturing during childhood. Many people can look at their childhood and say that they did not get that feeling from their parents as they were growing up that their parents cared. I see this everyday where I work, and these children truly have gone through their life not knowing what unconditional love is and turn towards a drug to make that feeling go away. Psychodynamic view on substance abuse believes that the best treatment is centered on the resolution of their underlying needs and conflicts. This form of treatment is usually a form of therapy to help them get a better understanding of what their needs truly are and how they can start healing.
Cognitive – Behavioral view on substance abuse believes that individuals that suffer from substance abuse are individuals that suffer from anxiety, depression, as well as many other issues. My sister is not only a recovering alcoholic but her substance of choice was cocaine. She would drink to escape from any form of conflict and found that after a while when the alcohol did not work anymore she went to cocaine and then told me she spent most of her tome chasing the original high. The treatments that they suggest are detoxification, outpatient as well as in hospitals and clinics. Although there are studies showing that this form of treatment works for some, I do not feel that this would keep a person off their drug of choice. All that would have to happen is for them to go back around their friends and get that urge and they are right back to square one.
Biological view on substance abuse believes that an individual suffering from substance abuse because they inherited it from their family genetics. This is basically saying that if your