Substance Abuse Related Disorders - Essay Example

? Substance Abuse Related Disorders Substance Abuse Related Disorders Substance abuse related disorders refer to those disorders thatare caused by the abuse of drugs like cocaine, opiates, alcohol, heroin and other drugs which are excessively used by people. These drugs affect the behavior, emotions and normal thought process of people. The initial effects of these drugs used by people are soothing and calming, which are the main attraction for the abusers, however, consequently they lead to substance-related disorders (Duran & Barlow 2010). DSM-1V-TR describes the criteria for substance abuse which includes, failure to follow daily responsibilities, repeated excessive use, encounter with legal issues caused by substance overuse and continuous usage of the drug in spite of the physical or mental harms it is causing (Kring et al 2010). Substance abuse and related disorders have been highlighted through many incidents relating to many famous and renowned personalities. In 1970, the death of two famous rock stars Jimi Hendrix and Janis Winehouse, belonging to musical bands was owing to substance abuse. Some contemporary stars like Amy Winehouse, Kate Moss, and Rush Limbaugh have also been diagnosed with substance abuse related disorders and this signifies the high abuse of drugs (Durand & Barlow 2010). Some of the important substances that are abused include alcohol, nicotine, marijuana, opiates, stimulants and hallucinogens (Kring et al 2010). Substance Abuse Related Disorders are classified by division into two main categories by DSM-IV. These are Substance Use disorders and Substance-Induced Disorders. The former includes disorders related to abuse and dependence while the latter is caused by intoxication, withdrawal effects and mental abnormalities caused by this usage (Ruiz et al 2007). Alcohol is one of the majorly abused drugs all over the world. It is important to differentiate between alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence. People experiencing alcohol dependence symptoms present with sleep disorders, muscle tremors of fingers, eyelids, lips and increased blood pressure, temperature and pulse. However, according to the DSM-IV-TR criteria for alcohol abuse, a person experiences negative effects on his/her social and occupational life owing to the excessive usage (Kring et al 2010). Short-term effects of alcohol are produced by its interaction with the neurons of the CNS. Person complains of a slow thinking process and memory loss which is primarily caused by glutamate receptor inhibition. With prolonged abuse, endocrine gland defects, heart failure, Vitamin B deficiency and amnesia are produced. Hypertension, sexual disturbances, stroke and pancreas abnormalities are also some of the long-term defects. Alcohol abuse during pregnancy can result in fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) in the child. The decreased fetal growth results in cranial, facial and limb deformities in the fetus (Kring et al 2009). Apart from alcohol, other substances included in the category of depressants include sedative and anxiolytic drugs which include barbiturates, benzodiazepines like Valium (Durand & Barlow 2010). Nicotine, Cocaine and Caffeine are included in the category of stimulants which cause a person to behave in a more active and alert manner after the abuse of these substances. In cocaine abuse disorders, the clinical features include increased alertness, blood pressure and pulse. The person is euphoric and has decreased appetite with insomnia. Repeated usage can cause this disorder and the person initially has a feeling of power and extreme strength. Nicotine use disorder is caused by excessive and repeated usage of nicotine which is an addicting agent present in tobacco. Nicotine is consumed through smoking, inhaled and also used in an injectable form. It stimulates the CNS initially and relieves anxiety and stress along with improving the mood of the person. However, in large doses and repeated use it results in high blood pressure, irritability and restlessness. It also increases the risk for diseases of the heart and due to its carcinogenic nature increases the risk of cancer. Extremely high doses can cause convulsions and even prove to be fatal. Criteria for caffeine use disorder given by DSM includes five or more symptoms which include restlessness, excitement, insomnia, defective speech or thought process, increased heart rate, blood pressure or motor co-ordination defects (Durand & Barlow 2010). Opioids refer to chemical substances derived from opium and have an addictive effect on the user. They temporarily alleviate pain and provide a soothing effect. Morphine, heroin and opiates are all included in this category (Durand & Barlow 2010). Morphine was initially used only for medical purposes but later it started being used by drug abusers due to its addictive properties. Heroin is another derivative of opium which is abused and can result into opioid use disorders (Kring et al 2010). Marijuana and LSD are the two illicit drugs that constitute the hallucinogens and are routinely used by an approximate 14.6 million people in the United States. Clinical features of Cannabis use disorder include abnormal behavior and psychological changes which include anxiety, euphoric behavior and judgment alterations. A person with this disorder has blood-shot eyes, increased amount of appetite, dry mouth and a considerably increased heart rate (Durand & Barlow 2010). Marijuana induces hallucinations in heavy doses along with mood swings, feeling of fear and panic. Long term usage of marijuana results in lung abnormalities due to its carcinogenic constituents (Kring et al 2010). Designer drugs, steroids and inhalants are other form of substances which are also abused commonly by people. Inhalants include volatile substances like hair sprays, spray paints, gasoline, nitrous oxide, nail-polish remover, airplane glue and dry-cleaning fluid. They produce rapid results because of their quick absorption through the blood stream and the person experiences dizziness, euphoria and fatigue. Long-term usage can result in bone marrow, liver and kidney associated problems. Steroids have an anabolic action and this property is used by many people illegally and abnormally to improve their strength and physical activity. The dissociative anesthetics, which are also referred as designer drugs, induce feelings of drowsiness, relief from pain and an experience of out of body feeling. These drugs increase visual, auditory, sensory and gustatory responses of the person. Some names of dissociative drugs include Phencyclidine (PCP), ketamine and Gamma-hydroxybutyrate. These drugs cause aggressiveness, reduced feeling of pain, state of calmness and increased impulses (Durand & Barlow 2010). Many treatment modalities are available for the treatment of the substance abuse related disorders. Alcoholics Anonymous is the largest self-help organization that was established in 1935. People willing to recover from their addiction and disorder join this group and in a course of several meetings, awareness and support is given to these people. Couple therapy is another way which has been established as an effectual therapy. Contingency management therapy is a treatment for alcohol abuse disorders where people are taught to control their alcohol drinking problem through their behavioral approach. People are encouraged to stop drinking by being given tokens of appreciation for their sincere efforts. Medications include nalaxone, acamprosate and Antabuse which are more effectual with cognitive therapy. Psychological treatment for nicotine abuse includes avoidance of smoking if that is the main source of nicotine. The doctor and the relatives of the person encourage and force the patient to stop his addictive habits. Nicotine replacement therapies are also common which include nicotine gums and nicotine patches. Nicotine patches are effective after 8 weeks of continuous use. Antidepressant medication, buprioprion, is also given in combination with the patches and shows an effective outcome (Kring et al 2010). Amantadine, Disulfiram and Propanolol are some medications which are used to treat the withdrawal symptoms of cocaine and heroin. For opioid treatment the major priority is detoxification which is achieved through opiate agonists like Buprenorphine. These agonists are then tapered down by the medical doctor until complete detoxification is achieved (Ruiz et al 2007). Substance Abuse Related Disorders have increased in number owing to the large amount of drugs that are abused. These range from alcohol and nicotine to drugs like marijuana. They produce negative effects on the health of the users and can even prove to be fatal in extreme cases. Different forms of treatments are available for overcoming these disorders which include medications as well as support therapies. References Durand, V. M., & Barlow, D. H. (2010). Essentials of abnormal psychology. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning. Kring, A. M., Johnson, S. L., Davison, G. C., & Neale, J. M. (2010). Abnormal psychology. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons. Ruiz, P., Strain, E. C., & Langrod, J. (2007). The substance abuse handbook. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Read More