The Roles of Psychology and Sociology in Drug Abuse - Essay Example

The Roles of Psychology and Sociology in Drug Abuse The psychology of drug abuse is profound and powerful. According to studies, the psychological factors are the deciding ones for any potential user, even if a preexisting propensity to drug abuse is present. If a person is raised in a stressful environment and has a low sense of self-esteem or a moderate to high degree of trauma, the risk factor of drug abuse is greater. If the person is not well versed in good decision-making skills and simply seeks to escape pain or gain pleasure through artificial means, a behavioral addiction is likely to occur. Psychological stress and sociological peer pressure can contribute greatly to an individual's decision to experiment with drugs. For the amount of time the drug is effective, the individual loses psychological control and also experiences an alleviation of stress. These results can lead to repeated use as the reward of escaping stress or psychological pain becomes more important. If an individual becomes a frequent user, psychological influences to treat them are not important enough; cognitive abilities have been altered and a different set of priorities have been established. There is a difference between abuse and addiction; a drug abuser can have set limits regarding frequency of use. They can understand that people who express concern for them care about them. They use drugs to help alleviate whatever is stressing them or to increase their sense of well-being (Addiction Science Network, 2000). The drug addict will continue to use the drug despite the negative consequences, try to set limits on use but continually exceed those limits. They will engage in arguments with those who express concern for them, feeling resentful and a sense of disregard for them. Sociologically there are several contributions to drug abuse. One is ease of access, another is peer pressure, another is exposure in media and over-discussion everywhere. A teenager will be drawn to what is forbidden and different and dangerous; before the advent of drug abuse it was fast cars, smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol or sneaking into forbidden territory. Now the temptations are much less innocent and much more dangerous. Some theorists blame lack of societal control for drug abuse, others say it is exposure to others who use drugs and are an influence. Still other theories say it is the tendency for individuals to label themselves as different from society and unable to cope with the rules and mores of their culture. It is easy to make a theory, even easier to track the changes of society over time and the effect of societal pressures such as the media and consumerism and the sheer force of having to keep up with everyone else in grades, clothes, shoes, cars and other items that has social significance. It is easy to observe from the outside, but not easy to live within the pressures or even the boredom. Some sociological factors include the way individuals are brought up; if parental expectations are too high or too much too soon, the pressure from within the family unit takes away the safety net for a young person coming home from school. It has been well documented that film stars such as Marilyn Monroe and Judy Garland used drugs and alcohol to escape the enormous public pressure put upon them by their own successes; drug and alcohol abuse/addiction is rampant in the film, television and video industry today with usage as a normal part of a program. In everyday life, the pressure to "perform" can be just as damaging, with aggressive parents at the sports field or dance class, the critical parent checking grades, the bullying siblings who overtly or covertly destroy self-esteem. If the home is not a safe haven with a sense of structure and ethics, drug abuse is more likely to occur. In looking at these factors, we must also look at how these intermix in relation to crime. Psychologically, a drug user will have their cognitive functions altered and will commit an act while under the influence that they likely wouldn't if they were clean. This is the prime factor relating drug abuse to crime; first of all, certain drugs are illegal to possess or use, so even that is a crime in and of itself. Some substances incite violence in their users, such as crystal meth. The functions of reasonable thinking are eliminated under the influence of this drug especially, and paranoia or violent behavior can be triggered by an otherwise normal event. Psychologically, drug users under the influence are operating under a different form of logic; one that often doesn't harmonize with the law. Robberies, assaults and murders are common drug related crimes. In 1998, between 42.5 and 82.1 percent of male arrestees tested positive for drug use, depending upon the city where the reports came from (Michele Spiess, Deborah Fallow, 2000). Males are still the largest group arrested for drug-related crimes, in the 80th percentile compared with about 14% of female arrestees. Psychological factors and sociological factors are not difficult to analyze even by a lay person when it comes to drug related crimes. Let us use a hypothetical individual, Tom, who is an average American 16-year-old and has been introduced to drugs. Here is a likely chain of events that can lead Tom into being arrested for a drug related crime: Tom decides he likes the effects the drug gives him and he wants more. Tom's supplier tells him that it costs "x" dollars for a dose, and Tom doesn't have the money. Tom takes money from his mother's purse to buy the drug, later lying about his act when confronted. Tom begins to steal items and money wherever he can, sell the items and buy more drugs. Tom is eventually arrested for theft. This is an over-simplified version of a complex group of factors that can lead to drug related crimes. The psychological and sociological factors leading up to the initial decision of Tom's to take the drugs are omitted, but it doesn't take much to mix and match the chain of events (factually) that lead to drug related crimes. The altered psychological functions along with the sociological ramifications of entering into a different group of people (from friends and family to drug users and dealers) leads an individual down a damaging path that can turn deadly. References "A Primer On Drug Addiction." (2000), Addiction Science Network. |Online|, available at: http://www.addictionscience.net/ASNprimer.htm Spiess, Michele; Fallow, Deborah. (2000), "Drug Related Crime", Office Of National Drug Control Policy. |Online|, available at: http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/publications/factsht/crime/ Read More