Substance Abuse Related Disorders - Research Paper Example

The exact reason for the disorders is unknown, but many scientists and doctors have tried to understand these causes and have come up with models which could explain them better. These causes could be divided into two categories: psycho-social causes and psychological causes. The psycho social causes include a number of factors, such as peer-pressure. This is most common among teenagers as these kids started hanging out with the wrong sort of people and feel obligated to indulge in such activities in fear of becoming alienated from the ‘cool’ crowd.

Some say that culture has a major role to play as well. In countries such as Saudi Arabia, alcoholism is not as common as it is in the United States, because of the limited availability of alcoholic drinks and the fact that they are not socially acceptable. The ‘opponent process’ model presented by Richard Solomon states that one psychological event leads to another psychological event which is the opposite of the first one. For example the pleasure experienced when taking heroine is countered by the withdrawal symptoms one experiences afterwards.

The psychological reasons involve how a person gets addicted to a certain substance. If a person focuses on one certain behavior, it could lead to the shutting down of other activities. This is what happens to a person who is a victim of substance dependency. All the brain can think about is taking that particular drug, which could lead to that person relinquishing activities like sleep, food, work, etc. (Gordon) The indicators and signs one could detect in a person suffering from substance related disorder include confusion, aggression when confronted about drug dependency, constantly making excuses to use drugs, not eating properly, not worrying about personal appearance, irritability, starting to isolate oneself and not taking any interest in ones surroundings.

For example, to identify alcoholic dependency the person must exhibit tolerance, withdrawal symptoms and reduced activities. Once these symptoms are identified it would be appropriate for the patient to undergo a wide variety of exams and tests to identify the exact problem. There are a number of toxicology screen tests that could be performed on blood and urine samples to identify the type of chemical present in the body. The first step of treatment for drug disorder patients is acceptance. Once patients realize that they have a drug problem, they can begin to receive treatment.

(Hamid Ghodse, 2011) If a patient is in a state of constant denial, he will probably have a very hostile attitude and might become a threat to one self and to others.