Care of Individual Who Is Substance Dependent - Coursework Example

Care of Individual who is Substance Dependant Introduction The term, substance dependence is related to the fact, when a person develops a need for aspecific substance and cannot tolerate the symptoms if the substance become unavailable to him. In this type of scenario, the dependence on substances like, drugs, alcohol or tobacco gives the worst results and leads to harmful incurable diseases like cancer. The ones, who had developed substance dependence, should be given utmost care to overcome the results of their addiction. In general, a person develops substance dependence without much knowledge about the exact consequences and this is seriously seen in the youth. In the young age, a person is not very aware of the end results of substance dependence and hence, falls in the trap for the mere enjoyment of the time being. The worst results are seen in case of drug addictions, where a person becomes so much dependent on drugs that the unavailability makes them uncontrollable and they can do anything to get the substance of addiction. In such, scenario they are admitted to the rehabilitation centers by their respective families for their treatments and help them to get rid of the addiction. A person, who is admitted to the rehabilitation center or health center for the treatment of their addiction, is firstly treated by the nurses of those centers. Therefore, the nurses should be very caring and should provide the patients the necessary help to overcome the consequences of their addiction and substance dependence. The nurses, who are associated with such kind of work of treating addicted patients, should possess proper training and knowledge on the subject. As this sort of problem is increasing day by day and every country is affected hence, there should be proper and adequate education on substance dependence problems in the undergraduate and post graduate levels of nursing curriculum in every country. This measure will enable every nurse to get the basic idea of who to handle such patients and how to take proper care in treating them. There should be some social programs on this issue to highlight the care factor in such scenario so that, the family members of the addicted person are also aware of the modes of care which are needed to support the individual to overcome the substance dependence. (WHO, 2004; pp. 1-9) The nature of substance use and misuse In case of substance dependence, the nature of substance used is various forms of narcotics such as drugs, alcohols, tobacco, etc. The different forms of illegal drugs are made from opium which soothes pain and induces sleep. The substances are generally used under strict regulations and proper medical licenses for the purpose of making pain-killers and stress relievers but they are also misused by certain sections of people in the form of illegal drugs for addiction. The drug addiction is characterized as the neurological changes that happen in the brains due to over consumption of drugs like, heroin, cocaine, LSD, etc. In the same way alcohol is used mainly in the manufacturing of medicines under the proper Government license but there is also provision of controlled licensing in case of beverage manufacturing. The Governments have imposed ceilings on the beverage outputs but still there are illegal manufacturing of alcohol based drinks which are highly consumed by certain sections of individuals resulting in addiction. The regular consumption of tobacco is also a form of addiction and it is consumed in various ways by different individuals in forms of cigars, cigarettes, etc. These misuse and over consumption of the above mentioned substance results in substance dependence and finally leads to various incurable diseases which might cause death. (WHO, 2004; p.4) The epidemiology of substance use and misuse The term epidemiology signifies the origin of diseases and how they are transmitted in a patient’s body. In this case, the individuals who are suffering from the problem of substance dependence generally, after a period of time get affected by diseases like nerve disorders, liver failure and cancer. The excess consumption of illegal drugs results in nervous breakdown and neurological disorders in brain. If any individual is addicted to alcohol, then the over consumption of that will result in liver failure after a certain time. The consequences of over consumption of tobacco is the also can be severe as this leads to tooth problems, mouth ulcers, lung infections and most fatal of them all cancer. The transmission of these diseases happen with the continuous and increasing consumption of these deadly substances but it is not very easy for an individual to quit the habit of consumption. Hence, they should be provided support from their family members to overcome these habits and given proper care by the nurses of the rehabilitation centers and hospitals to revive from the caused diseases. (WHO, 2004; p.224) Theories and Causations There had been lots of discussion happening all over the world regarding the issue of behavioral measures against the individuals who are suffering from substance dependence. There is a theory on cognitive behavior which was proposed by Ronald Kadden deserves mentioning to understand the behavioral approach towards substance dependence. According to the theory, an individual misuses the substances like, drugs and alcohol to meet their certain needs. The needs can be in the form of stress relief or nice feelings. So the main task of the treatment is to identify the needs of every individual who are suffering from substance dependence and develop skills to provide them with some alternative ways to meet those particular needs. The theory focuses on the behavioral approach that should be taken by others to support those individuals to overcome their substance dependence. In that case, they should be treated with utmost love and affection so that their desired needs can be identified easily. Once the needs are identified then they can be provided with alternative solutions to meet their needs. Therefore, the cause of the substance dependence can be easily identified as the particular needs of every individual who misuse these sorts of substances to sustain the process of achievement of those needs. (Kadden, 2002) Ethical and legal issues related to it In light of the topic of substance dependence, an individual who is substance dependent and consuming illegal substance is ethically wrong. The constant dependence on illegal drugs can also misdirect him to do things which are ethically wrong. In their mode of intoxication, they can become violent and can do lots of unethical things which they would not have done in their real sense. The treatment of such individuals also requires ethical approach from the doctors and nurses of the health centers and the addicted individuals should be provided proper attention. (WHO, 2004; p.224) There are also certain legal issues related to the substance dependence. In case of consumption of illegal drugs, an individual might get imprisonment as a crime against law. Consumption of certain substances like alcohol and tobacco products at public places can also make an individual liable for the punishment. In case of the treatment of addicted individuals, if the doctors use illegal drugs, which are not permissible under Government regulations, then the doctors and the associated health center is also liable to the punishment and even that can result in loosing their license. (Duck, 2008) Bio-psycho-social complication of substance dependence The substance dependence can cause lots of complications in relation with bio-psycho-socio scenario of an individual. The substance dependence as discussed earlier causes lots of biological disorders in a human being. It causes lots of harmful diseases if the consumption is sustained over a long period of time. The diseases can be fatal in certain cases and sometimes results in organic disorders. The over consumption of alcohol or tobacco may cause trouble of heart and lungs and hamper the daily life of the individual. The unavailability of the substance of dependence may cause psychological imbalance in an individual. For instance, if a drug addict is restricted from consumption of drugs then he might go crazy and his focus will be directed on the means of getting the substance and will do anything to fulfill his needs. These things will lead to psychological complications in the individual and strict restrictive measures from family and friends sometimes make these people mad. As we are human beings and we all live in society, surrounded by our families and friends who love us, the consequences of substance dependence affects others more than they affect an individual. Hence, the substance dependence of an individual also creates complications in their social life and hurts the ones who love them. (Elsevier, 2009) Treatment and Assessment In case of substance dependence disorders, the treatment is quite complex and it involves efforts from the individual to maintain the proper structure of living that is, maintaining the health guidelines and attending the self-help group meetings. Although there is some debate about the potential benefits of the pharmacologic agents but still pharmacotherapy might prove beneficiary in certain cases as a treatment of substance dependence disorder. There is also use of antipsychotic drugs in treatment of substance dependence disorders on patients having schizophrenia, which was proved to have potential benefits. These medications are generally used as the treatment of specific psychotic disorders but had been seen effective in reduction of the consumption of substances and gradually overcoming the substance dependence. There are lots of debatable discussions on this issue; some are of the view that the antipsychotic medications have potential benefits in controlling the substance dependence whereas, others have the reverse view point. The treatment of such patients also comprises of love and care from their respective families, which gives them the necessary support to overcome their substance dependence and lead a healthy normal life. (Sattar, Bhatia, and Petty, 2004) Range of interventions There are lots of interventions being made related to this issue of substance dependence of individuals. As discussed above that some antipsychotic medications proved to be beneficiary in the treatment of substance dependence disorders. In context of that a new medicine, quetiapine had been tested on few patients in a rehabilitation center over a 3 months period. These patients comprised of drug addicts, alcoholics and others all having substance dependence disorders. The majority of the patients showed improvement with increase in sleep and reduction in anxiety. This proved that the use of quetiapine in medication of such cases has potential benefits and is useful in reducing the substance dependence. In the other interventions, there are lots of rehabilitation centers being developed with updated technological infrastructure to treat these individuals and lots of promotional activities being happening around to raise the awareness of substance dependence and its consequences among people. (Sattar, Bhatia, and Petty, 2004) Social Policy initiatives There are many social initiatives being taken to help the individuals who are suffering from substance dependence. There are lots of rehabilitation programs being organized by local NGOs to help the addicted individuals to interact with others who had successfully came out of the substance dependence and addiction. In these sorts of gatherings and discussion the treated individuals share their experiences with the addicted ones and inform them about the consequences of these addictions. The increasing awareness in the society about the drug addictions and its consequences are also forcing the families to send their members, who are substance dependent, to the rehabilitation centers for proper treatment. The social media is also playing a vital role in raising the awareness of this issue; there are lots of news coverage and television broadcast regarding the effects and consequences of substance dependence. There are also awareness campaigns being conducted by various local groups to spread the message in the society. In this awareness programs, there is also participations of family members of the addicted to understand and learn the proper ways of taking care of the individual, who is suffering from the substance dependence problems. (WHO, 2004; p.247) Health promotion initiatives There are also various health promotion initiatives taken by the different health organizations in every nation along with the World Health Organization (WHO). From the day of its foundation, World Health Organization had been playing the major role in supporting each country to promote the awareness against psychoactive substance usage. In the year 2000, the Department of Substance Abuse and Department of Mental Health was merged because both of them had similar approaches in order to reduce the usage of psychoactive substances. The Government of every country is taking promotional initiatives to raise the awareness of problems of substance dependence. There is also tightening of restrictions on trading of illegal drugs by Governments of various countries so that; the illegal substances are out of reach of the common man. There are lots of awareness campaigns in the form of advertisements from the Department of Health, broadcasted on television to promote health related issues like this one. The campaigning of this issue of substance dependence and its hazards is also done in various hospitals and health centers of every country, where the exact message can easily reach to the common man. (WHO, n.d) Conclusion From the above discussion on the substance dependence problems of individuals, we understood the fact that tightening restrictions are not the exact way of treating those individuals. The addicted individuals should be treated with utmost love and affection by the persons who are in the charge of their treatment. They can be the nurses of the hospitals and health centers or can be their family members but their duty is to identify the cause of their addiction and the exact needs, which they are fulfilling by consuming such substances. Once the need is identified then it becomes easy to predict alternative solutions and then the task is to incorporate these solutions in the patient’s life to help him overcome the dependence on those substances and lead a normal healthy life. These measures might sound easy but in reality they are quite tough to implement. The addicted individuals generally do not cooperate with the process of rehabilitation and does not disclose the exact needs of such consumption. In such cases, the person in charge of their treatment had to be very patient and deal accordingly with the individual. Reference 1. Kadden, R. M, (2002), Cognitive-Behavior Therapy for Substance Dependence: Coping Skills Training, Department of Psychiatry, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington. Available at: http://www.bhrm.org/guidelines/CBT-Kadden.pdf (accessed on January 30, 2010) 2. Elsevier (2009). Childhood Risk Factors For Developing Substance Dependence. ScienceDaily. Available at: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091021100740.htm (accessed on January 30, 2010) 3. Sattar, S. P, Bhatia, S.C and Petty, F. (2004), Potential benefits of quetiapine in the treatment of substance dependence disorders, the Department of Psychiatry, Creighton University School of Medicine and Omaha VA Medical Center, Omaha, 29(6): 452–457. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC524962/ (accessed on January 30, 2010) 4. Duck, J. (2008), Bush Signs Substance Abuse Law, Reflects on Past Drinking Problem, abc news. Available at: http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/04/bush-signs-subs.html (accessed on January 30, 2010) 5. World Health Organization, (2004), Neuroscience of psychoactive substance use and dependence, World Health Organization Publishing. (accessed on January 30, 2010) 6. WHO (n.d), Management of substance abuse, World Health Organization. Available at: http://www.who.int/substance_abuse/en/ (accessed on January 30, 2010) Read More