Substance Abuse
Individuals take drugs for different reasons and while not every individual is exposed to a particular set of factors attains the dependency of drugs substances. Based on research most individual who develop drug dependency are mainly influenced by both internal and external factors (Burroughs, 2014). External factors that result into drug dependency are also regarded as environmental risks. The external factors of substance dependency include peer pressure, social transformations, drugs availability, cultural attitudes towards issues such as drugs, employment kind and employment status (Singer, 2006). In the context of the young individual, the major influencing factors are peer pressure and family conflict.
Based on the recent studies it is clear that friends and peers hold the greatest influence on most people and especially the adolescents (Singer, 2006). Based on research when an individual begins to take drugs at an early age this, therefore, means that the likelihood of the individuals becoming drugs addicts is very high. When children are given too much freedom to make their individual choices in regard to choosing friends this may result in a stray off the path and it becomes very challenging for the parents to refrain their behaviors. Peer pressure may appear from different angles as children want to try new things (Burroughs, 2014).
It is normally stated that teens utilize drugs if their friends are engaged in the use (Singer, 2006). The utilization of drugs, therefore, helps the teenagers to fit in the circles that have been drawn by their peers which allow them to easily blend with those crowds. This provides something for the teenagers to engage in when their days becomes long. On the other hand, adults also have the opportunity of being influenced by the persons that surround them this is for instance spouses who can be a source of pressure to utilize drugs (Singer, 2006).
For most individuals school offers the first opportunity of beginning drugs taking. This is mainly because in the particular environment one is away from those that they know well (Singer, 2006). The thrust of tasting the unknown is particularly high and this results in the interest of attaining companionship which may, in turn, lead most individuals to dangerous styles of living. This is the period through which individuals undergo through self-discovery procedure and since most individuals allow desire to guide them, loss of trucks occurs and getting back is not an option in most cases (Burroughs, 2014).
Media is another external factor that increases substance abuse and addiction risk in the society today. This is mainly because the media continuously portrays drugs as well as the utilization of alcohol as an entertainment that is accepted by relating the good times that can be achieved from this. The pressure of experimentation is thus increased and it is believed that once one is engaged in the addiction they can never turn back (Singer, 2006).Family conflict is another influence that drives individual to engage in drugs. Family relationship plays a great role in this environment, in turn, develops stress. For instance, if children are raised in a family that is full of arguments and where parents take drugs as well as alcohol these children are at an increased risk of developing addiction issue. The acceleration of taking drugs is mainly influenced by determining social behaviors and development (Hüsler, & Plancherel, 2006).
In addition, social structure and cultural can increase the likelihood of abuse. For instance poverty and the employment status affect social generations based on limited access to basic social needs and adequate knowledge of the effects of drugs (Hüsler, & Plancherel, 2006). An exposure to all these aspects earlier in existence results in moving to different paths which can be challenging to recover from. Drug availability implies that individual can easily access drugs without much hustle which increases their abuse thus resulting in addiction (Hüsler, & Plancherel, 2006).
After reading the books and gaining a better understanding of the contributing factors to substance abuse and addiction my attitude towards addicts has been transformed. This is mainly because I no longer view addiction and substance abuse as a personal choice but a circumstantial impact. Through the reading of the book I gained adequate knowledge in that those that are involved in substance abuse are mainly influenced by environmental and internal factors such as social status and mental illness.
It is, however, crucial to note that individuals are responsible for the choices they make in life whether they are good and bad. Everyone should be fully committed to their wellness. However, in certain circumstances, it is very difficult to resist pressure (Hüsler, & Plancherel, 2006). For instance individual from a poor background and from those cultures that hold a positive attitude towards drugs have a higher likelihood of engaging in drugs. This individual lacks education which implies that their knowledge in the context of drugs implications is very low in general. They, therefore, opt for drugs because their situations expose them to stressors and the only way that they can run from this and survive the harsh life is through taking drugs. Unemployment is not a personal choice and when most persons are caged in this situation their wellness is no longer important because they are generally deprived the opportunity of developing their lives (Delgadillo, Böhnke, Hughes, & Gilbody, 2016).
When one is brought up in a family that is characterized by drugs usage and conflict their development is based on this ground and therefore changing their perception may be challenging. From reading the books I now view the issue of drug abuse as an economic and social issue rather than a person issue. This is mainly because the addiction is basically influenced by environmental and social factors that one is exposed to (Delgadillo, Böhnke, Hughes, & Gilbody, 2016). This, therefore, implies that those that abuses drugs cannot be termed as bad people as they are a reflection of the environment that they were raised in. in addition, addicts to be after reading the books are not individuals who hold no morals and they are generally not weak persons. This is mainly because the individuals because morals are shaped by the society and the environment and if this surrounding is not grounded on any morals then this implies that the dependency of the individuals is basically rooted on substances (Delgadillo, Böhnke, Hughes, & Gilbody, 2016).
My impressions of addicts changed also because in the 21st century the risk factors are growing rapidly which implies that the ability to resist is very low. Everybody wants to be accepted and to fit in the society. This cannot be achieved without giving in some things in order to acquire companionship. It is unfortunate that acceptance is mainly attained through getting involved in negative conduct like the abuse of drugs. I now understand full that substance abuse and addiction is a critical illness that has resulted by different issues in the society and it can be solved with the utilization of adequate measures.
References
Burroughs, A. (2014). Dry: A memoir. New York: Picador.
Delgadillo, J., Böhnke, J. R., Hughes, E., & Gilbody, S. (2016). Disentangling psychopathology, substance use and dependence: a factor analysis. BMC Psychiatry, 161-10. doi:10.1186/s12888-016-0988-1
Hüsler, G., & Plancherel, B. (2006). A gender specific model of substance use. Addiction Research & Theory, 14(4), 399-412. doi:10.1080/16066350500521741
Singer, M. (2006). The face of social suffering: The life history of a street drug addict. Long Grove, Ill: Waveland Press.
