No matter what television channel, radio station, or magazine a person takes interest in, substance use and addictions can be found. The media plays a major role in portraying substance use in both good and bad lights. Certain songs and television shows can make drinking and doing drugs seem fun, while other shows or songs show the bad effects that can happen from partaking in substance use. Whether the media portrays the information in a good or bad manner there is a major influences on those watching, listening or reading the story.
Through research it seems to be that television greatly portrays substance use and has the biggest effect on the adolescent population. It has been found that of the television shows most popular to the adolescent population 53% of them portray alcohol use (Grube, 2004). The use of alcohol can be found in shows rated from TV-G to TV-14, meaning that very young children are watching these shows. Although drinking is found in 53% of the shows, only 23% of those shows have alcohol use led to negative consequences. So far there is no definite information as to exactly the effect that alcohol use in television shows has on adolescents. Few studies have determined that those children who watch a lot of television had a higher rate of initiating drinking then those who watched little to no television (Grube, 2004). Aside from alcohol being overly portrayed in television, commercials about tobacco are common. These ads are geared at young adults and according to the Surgeon General tobacco ads increase smoking among the youth population. Tobacco use can also be found in 19% of all television shows (Strasburger). Along with television shows, the use of alcohol is greatly portrayed in films. It has been found that 93% of the top 200 movie rentals in the years 1996 to 1997 showed alcohol use. The use of alcohol in these movies were typically tied to wealth and luxury (Grube, 2004). The portrayal of alcohol use in such positive lights and tied to successful traits can lead to misperception of alcohol to adolescents. They see the positives of alcohol and don't realize that alcohol use can have many bad consequences. The portrayal of illegal drugs is typically seen in movies more than television shows. In a study it was found that 22% of the movies studied had a drug scene, none of which showed the negative consequences of drug use (Strasburger).
Music and music videos are just as guilty at portraying alcohol and substance use as movies and television shows are. In a 1996 to 1997 study it was found that 22% of all songs mentioned beer and malt liquor, 34% mentioned wine or champagne, 36% mentioned mixed drinks or hard liquor and 34% mentioned the word booze (Grube, 2004). Although many people would expect only rap music to be promoting alcohol use, the references are also found in country, top-40, alternative rock and heavy metal music. When looking at music videos it was found that rap songs had a much higher rate of portraying alcohol, with blues music having the lowest rate. It was also found that the portrayal of substances in music videos varied by the network showing the videos, with MTV having the highest rate and CMT having the lowest rate (Grube, 2004).
In this day and age celebrity depiction of substance use is commonplace. Many celebrities are now known for their substance abuse problems rather then the work that they do as a singer, actor, etc (Foster, 2011). The media is full of stories about celebrities being arrested or entering rehab for their addictions. This stigma of celebrities and substance abuse can cause a major problem for young people because they tend to see celebrities as their role models. If a child had a role model who was addicted to any type of substance that could be very confusing for the child because they could then think it might be okay for them to follow in those footsteps.
Overall, the media plays a major role in depicting substance use. Whether its celebrities, movies, television, or music alcohol and drug use can always be found. Because of the importance and popularity of the media now a days it is very easily for the young population to be influenced by the things they see their role models doing, they see on television and hear in movies.
References
Foster, W. H. (2011, March 2). Substance abuse isn't just a celebrity problem . Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/william-h-foster/substance-abuse-prevention-_b_829099.html
Grube, J. (2004). Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK37586/
Strasburger, V. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/126/4/791.full
Sunday, May 5, 2013
Sunday, April 28, 2013
Habits Summary
Throughout the semester I have been trying to break my habit with the social media site, pinterest. When assigned the project at the beginning of the semester I had a very hard time coming up with a habit that I had. I don't do anything like smoking, biting my nails, drinking excessive amounts of coffee or soda, so it was difficult to think of something that was a habit for me. One day, while procrastinating studying for a test, it dawned on me that I tend to get onto pinterest when I want to procrastinate. Due to the amount of pins on pinterest one could spend hours on the site looking at all of the different clothes, recipes, houses, etc. It was then that I realized that I had a habit of getting onto pinterest and that it could be used for the assignment ahead of me. At first it was difficult to limit my habit. Most of the time it wasn't that I was going through withdrawal and felt I had to get on the site, it was that I forgot I was trying to avoid the site. A lot of the times I'll have logged on the site for a few minutes before I realized that I was suppose to stay away. Most of the time I would log off, but sometimes I stayed on being that I hadn't been on in a while. As the semester progressed it became easier and easier to stay away from the site or even just keep track of how often I logged on. Weeks where I had a lot of down time, it was harder to stay away because when sitting in my room I didn't have much else to do. The weeks though where I had tons of papers, tests, or presentations it was very easy to stay away from pinterest, because I knew how much of an impact going on the site would have on getting my work done.
Being that both of my roommates are also in the Addiction and Society class, we all helped each other to stay away from our habits. I would tell my roommates that if they saw me on my computer for a long time and did not see any textbooks or papers around me, to ask what I was doing, because I was probably on pinterest. By asking them to do this I was able to be reminded of when I was logging on the site and that I should get off of it or limit my time on the site. Throughout this assignment I knew that I would not be able to not get on the website for the entire semester and so my main goal was to just limit the amount of times and length of time that I visited the site. Since having a habit of going on pinterest is not dangerous and does not interfere that much with my life, I knew that just working to limit the amount and not abstain from the site was a safe way to go.
From this assignment I was able to learn a few different things about myself. First off, I learned that I spent a lot more time on pinterest than I should and that I typically only got on the site when I did not want to do my schoolwork. I always knew that I would get on when wanting to avoid work but never really realized that that was about the only time I did log onto the site, besides late at night when I could not fall asleep. Secondly, I learned that I am not addicted to pinterest. Throughout the whole semester I never had feelings of withdrawal and felt that I just had to get onto the website. I could go an entire week without getting on and it wouldn't even cross my mind. That was an important thing to learn because it showed me that there is no real threat to how much I get on pinterest, it's just my way of procrastinating. And finally, I learned that when I am trying to get an important paper or project done that I should stay away from my computer. Ever since I learned of the site, pinterest has been my biggest way to procrastinate, which can be a bit of a problem. It was never so bad that I would not get my work done but it did lead to some stress and last minute completion of schoolwork. By learning that pinterest was my outlet for procrastination I was able to learn that I needed to stay away from the internet while doing homework, or when I was on the site I learned how to limit my time so that I did not procrastinate too much. Some of the times when I would work diligently for a few hours I would reward myself with a few minutes on pinterest.
From doing this assignment and the concepts learned in class, I can see how it would be very hard for someone with an addiction to overcome it. Although I did not experience any symptoms of withdrawal I could imagine the struggle that would come with those symptoms. I was able to see symptoms of withdrawal in my one roommate who gave up doritos. There would times where she would just be sitting in our room talking about how much she really wanted doritos but knew she had to stay away. I also feel as though it would be hard for someone with an addiction to realize and admit that they had a problem. I had a difficult time realizing that I got onto pinterest a lot more then I thought, and so I could easily see how someone addicted to any substance may not even realize that they have a problem. When trying to overcome an addiction or habit the best support system would definitely, in my opinion, be friends and family. By telling your friends and family what is going on and what you are trying to work towards, a person would have all the support they need in close distant. My roommates were a major help in keeping me away from pinterest. By having a support system like that a person has people that they can trust and know that they will always be there for them, even in their rough patches. Also, from what I have learned through class and attending a meeting, I think that 12-step meetings are helpful to those trying to overcome an addiction. These meetings kind of go along the same line of having a support system that is close to you, but without having to involve family members. Certain people may have reasons as to why they don't want their family to know about their problem, or sometimes just having outside people can be comforting. I also feel that 12-step meetings are helpful because the people there are going through the same thing or have already gone through it. They know exactly how you are feeling and are able to give you pointers on how to deal with what you are feeling. Having any type of support system from a group of people, whether family, friends or strangers, is the best type of support I can think of.
Although habits are very hard to overcome and break, I do believe that they can be broken. It is not an easy or a fast process but it can be done. Trying to break a habit can be a very difficult, grueling process but as long as a person has dedication and is really motivated to break the habit, it can be done. Personally, I feel as though addictions cannot be cured. It is definitely apparent that a person can quit an addiction and stay away from that substance or object forever but I feel as though that temptation is always there. Through learning about the addiction cycle and even seeing first-hand addiction stories, I have learned that an addiction is never truly gone. As Brittany, the guest speaker in our class, talked about she will forever have an addiction but just knows how to manage her addiction. If a person is strong enough, and stays dedicated to staying away from their addiction, it is definitely a possibility to stay clean for life, but an addiction is never truly cured. By doing this assignment I was able to connect so many of the concepts learned in class to real life situations. Being a hands-on learned this made my learning experience that much better and helped me to even better understand all that was talked about in class. This class gave me a greater appreciation for those struggling with an addiction. I never was one to think that it was incredibly easy to overcome an addiction, but I did not realize how difficult it was and how many different factors went into it. Addiction and habits are a hard thing to overcome but with dedication and motivation it is possible.
Being that both of my roommates are also in the Addiction and Society class, we all helped each other to stay away from our habits. I would tell my roommates that if they saw me on my computer for a long time and did not see any textbooks or papers around me, to ask what I was doing, because I was probably on pinterest. By asking them to do this I was able to be reminded of when I was logging on the site and that I should get off of it or limit my time on the site. Throughout this assignment I knew that I would not be able to not get on the website for the entire semester and so my main goal was to just limit the amount of times and length of time that I visited the site. Since having a habit of going on pinterest is not dangerous and does not interfere that much with my life, I knew that just working to limit the amount and not abstain from the site was a safe way to go.
From this assignment I was able to learn a few different things about myself. First off, I learned that I spent a lot more time on pinterest than I should and that I typically only got on the site when I did not want to do my schoolwork. I always knew that I would get on when wanting to avoid work but never really realized that that was about the only time I did log onto the site, besides late at night when I could not fall asleep. Secondly, I learned that I am not addicted to pinterest. Throughout the whole semester I never had feelings of withdrawal and felt that I just had to get onto the website. I could go an entire week without getting on and it wouldn't even cross my mind. That was an important thing to learn because it showed me that there is no real threat to how much I get on pinterest, it's just my way of procrastinating. And finally, I learned that when I am trying to get an important paper or project done that I should stay away from my computer. Ever since I learned of the site, pinterest has been my biggest way to procrastinate, which can be a bit of a problem. It was never so bad that I would not get my work done but it did lead to some stress and last minute completion of schoolwork. By learning that pinterest was my outlet for procrastination I was able to learn that I needed to stay away from the internet while doing homework, or when I was on the site I learned how to limit my time so that I did not procrastinate too much. Some of the times when I would work diligently for a few hours I would reward myself with a few minutes on pinterest.
From doing this assignment and the concepts learned in class, I can see how it would be very hard for someone with an addiction to overcome it. Although I did not experience any symptoms of withdrawal I could imagine the struggle that would come with those symptoms. I was able to see symptoms of withdrawal in my one roommate who gave up doritos. There would times where she would just be sitting in our room talking about how much she really wanted doritos but knew she had to stay away. I also feel as though it would be hard for someone with an addiction to realize and admit that they had a problem. I had a difficult time realizing that I got onto pinterest a lot more then I thought, and so I could easily see how someone addicted to any substance may not even realize that they have a problem. When trying to overcome an addiction or habit the best support system would definitely, in my opinion, be friends and family. By telling your friends and family what is going on and what you are trying to work towards, a person would have all the support they need in close distant. My roommates were a major help in keeping me away from pinterest. By having a support system like that a person has people that they can trust and know that they will always be there for them, even in their rough patches. Also, from what I have learned through class and attending a meeting, I think that 12-step meetings are helpful to those trying to overcome an addiction. These meetings kind of go along the same line of having a support system that is close to you, but without having to involve family members. Certain people may have reasons as to why they don't want their family to know about their problem, or sometimes just having outside people can be comforting. I also feel that 12-step meetings are helpful because the people there are going through the same thing or have already gone through it. They know exactly how you are feeling and are able to give you pointers on how to deal with what you are feeling. Having any type of support system from a group of people, whether family, friends or strangers, is the best type of support I can think of.
Although habits are very hard to overcome and break, I do believe that they can be broken. It is not an easy or a fast process but it can be done. Trying to break a habit can be a very difficult, grueling process but as long as a person has dedication and is really motivated to break the habit, it can be done. Personally, I feel as though addictions cannot be cured. It is definitely apparent that a person can quit an addiction and stay away from that substance or object forever but I feel as though that temptation is always there. Through learning about the addiction cycle and even seeing first-hand addiction stories, I have learned that an addiction is never truly gone. As Brittany, the guest speaker in our class, talked about she will forever have an addiction but just knows how to manage her addiction. If a person is strong enough, and stays dedicated to staying away from their addiction, it is definitely a possibility to stay clean for life, but an addiction is never truly cured. By doing this assignment I was able to connect so many of the concepts learned in class to real life situations. Being a hands-on learned this made my learning experience that much better and helped me to even better understand all that was talked about in class. This class gave me a greater appreciation for those struggling with an addiction. I never was one to think that it was incredibly easy to overcome an addiction, but I did not realize how difficult it was and how many different factors went into it. Addiction and habits are a hard thing to overcome but with dedication and motivation it is possible.
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Journal Review: Sexual Orientation and Substance Use Among Adolescents and Young Adults
For this journal article review I decided to read an article titled "Sexual Orientation and Substance Use Among Adolescent and Young Adults." After reading Chapter 11: Gender and Sexual Orientation Differences in the book Addiction Treatment I was very interested in the differences that occur in substance use due to a person's sexual orientation. That difference is not one that most people would think about and so I wanted to learn more about it.
The purpose of this article was to look at the impact that self-identity, sexual attraction and sexual experience have on substance abuse among adolescents and young people. In order to see the association between these three traits and the use of tobacco, drugs and alcohol, the researchers used the National Survey of Family Growth Cycle 6, conducted in 2002. This survey consisted of 2062 females and 1901 males, aged 15 to 24 years old. The age range of 15 to 24 was chosen because this age range covers the primary sexual development and the time when adolescents are transitioning into adulthood and look towards coping strategies to help them with their problems. Within the study the researchers developed specific definitions for sexual experience and sexual identity. Sexual experience was split between males and females with specific criteria needed for a sexual experience to be considered in the study. Sexual identity was spilt into three categories, those who identify as homosexual (gay, lesbian, or bisexual), heterosexual and those identifying as uncertain or something else. With the specific criteria and the results from the National Survey of Family Growth Cycle 6 the researchers were able to come up with conclusions on the relation between substance use and sexual orientation. It was concluded that substance use varied significantly between gender and across the dimensions of sexual orientation. Researchers also concluded that sexual experience had a major impact on substance use. Both females and males with no sexual experience had the lowest accounts of substance use, while those with sexual experiences with partners of either gender had the highest number of substance use cases. The data in this study can show that there is less of an association between sexual orientation and substance use then there is sexual experience and substance use. These results show that more testing is needed in order to show if sexual orientation has an effect on the rates of substance use.
The information in this study can be related to facts talked about in the Gender and Sexual Orientation Differences chapter in Addiction Treatment. The data in this study slightly contradicts the information described in the chapter. The chapter talks about how substance use, like tobacco and alcohol, are seen to be higher in those of the homosexual orientation, while the study has inconclusive results as to if sexual orientation has an effect. The difference of information could be due to the age range of the information in the book and the study. Ages 15 to 24 were focused on in the study, while the book focuses more on the adult population. These differences in age could be a major factor in the difference of content. At a younger age sexual orientation may not have an effect on substance abuse for reasons such as there is not as much discrimination towards younger people who identify as homosexual, or people at that age range may still be figuring out what their sexual orientation is. The older category looked at in the book may have been through more experiences of hatred or hard-times and so their orientation could have a major effect on their substance use. This difference in information shows that more studies need to be conducted in order to determine the exact correlation between sexual orientation and substance use.
References
Brewster, K. L., & Tillman, K. (2012). Sexual orientation and substance use among adolescents and young adults. American Journal of Public Health, 102(6), 1168-1176. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2011.300261
Wormer, K. S. V., & Davis, D. R. (2009). Addiction treatment, a strengths perspective. (2nd ed.). Brooks/Cole Pub Co.
The purpose of this article was to look at the impact that self-identity, sexual attraction and sexual experience have on substance abuse among adolescents and young people. In order to see the association between these three traits and the use of tobacco, drugs and alcohol, the researchers used the National Survey of Family Growth Cycle 6, conducted in 2002. This survey consisted of 2062 females and 1901 males, aged 15 to 24 years old. The age range of 15 to 24 was chosen because this age range covers the primary sexual development and the time when adolescents are transitioning into adulthood and look towards coping strategies to help them with their problems. Within the study the researchers developed specific definitions for sexual experience and sexual identity. Sexual experience was split between males and females with specific criteria needed for a sexual experience to be considered in the study. Sexual identity was spilt into three categories, those who identify as homosexual (gay, lesbian, or bisexual), heterosexual and those identifying as uncertain or something else. With the specific criteria and the results from the National Survey of Family Growth Cycle 6 the researchers were able to come up with conclusions on the relation between substance use and sexual orientation. It was concluded that substance use varied significantly between gender and across the dimensions of sexual orientation. Researchers also concluded that sexual experience had a major impact on substance use. Both females and males with no sexual experience had the lowest accounts of substance use, while those with sexual experiences with partners of either gender had the highest number of substance use cases. The data in this study can show that there is less of an association between sexual orientation and substance use then there is sexual experience and substance use. These results show that more testing is needed in order to show if sexual orientation has an effect on the rates of substance use.
The information in this study can be related to facts talked about in the Gender and Sexual Orientation Differences chapter in Addiction Treatment. The data in this study slightly contradicts the information described in the chapter. The chapter talks about how substance use, like tobacco and alcohol, are seen to be higher in those of the homosexual orientation, while the study has inconclusive results as to if sexual orientation has an effect. The difference of information could be due to the age range of the information in the book and the study. Ages 15 to 24 were focused on in the study, while the book focuses more on the adult population. These differences in age could be a major factor in the difference of content. At a younger age sexual orientation may not have an effect on substance abuse for reasons such as there is not as much discrimination towards younger people who identify as homosexual, or people at that age range may still be figuring out what their sexual orientation is. The older category looked at in the book may have been through more experiences of hatred or hard-times and so their orientation could have a major effect on their substance use. This difference in information shows that more studies need to be conducted in order to determine the exact correlation between sexual orientation and substance use.
References
Brewster, K. L., & Tillman, K. (2012). Sexual orientation and substance use among adolescents and young adults. American Journal of Public Health, 102(6), 1168-1176. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2011.300261
Wormer, K. S. V., & Davis, D. R. (2009). Addiction treatment, a strengths perspective. (2nd ed.). Brooks/Cole Pub Co.
Sunday, April 7, 2013
Journal Article: Culture Influence on Substance Abuse
For this journal article review I used an article titled "Mexican/Mexican American Adolescents and keepin' it REAL: An Evidence-Based Substance Use Prevention Program." The main point of this article was to address the process that social workers go through in order to develop prevention models for youth populations. Federal, state, county, and municipal levels require that prevention curriculums be chosen from pre-approved evidence based approaches, but it is not always the case that specific settings have set programs. And so this article goes into the steps that social workers took in order to test an evidence-based practice with the Mexican and Mexican American adolescent population. The study consisted of 3,402 students of Mexican heritage at 35 different Arizona schools. There were also 11 control sites involved in the study. The study was conducted by performing pre and post questionnaires completed by the students at the beginning and the end of the school year. The test were split up into two groups of Latino and multicultural versions. Throughout the school year the students participated in prevention programs that were administered during the school day. At the end of the study, from the results of the pre and post questionnaires, it was determined that those from the Latino version reported less marijuana, alcohol, and substance abuse then those in the control group. The study also determined that those in the Latino version had higher confidence in staying away from substance use, as well as stronger intentions to stay away from drugs. It was found that those in the multicultural version reported less substance use as well. Even though the two versions, when compared with control groups, had a lower use of substances, there were no significant differences when the results were compared with a non-Latino version. This article teaches the reader that prevention programs created specifically for those with a mexican heritage are very effective. There are not many preventions developed specifically for this population and so this article shows that there would be a benefit from creating more prevention programs. Although the study was very successful in its finding it is important for more research to be conducted.
This article applies to concepts developed in Chapter 10: Racial, Ethnic, And Cultural Issues, from the book Addiction Treatment. Within the chapter it discussed how there is a high substance use rate within the mexican heritage and so this article describes how it is important to target this specific population. Due to the fact that education levels have historically been low for this population it is important to work on educating the youth about the effects of drugs and alcohol so that they can stay away from the substances before they follow in the same path of many of those before them. The content in both the article and the book show it is important to focus on specific prevention programs for different heritages because of the differences in cultures. By creating specific prevention programs, professionals can better apply the information to concepts that are meaningful and hit home with this population of youth.
References
Kulis, S., Marsiglia, F. F., Elek, E., Dustman, P., Wagstaff, D. A., & Hecht, M. L. (2005). Mexican/Mexican american adolescents and keepin' it real: An evidence-based substance use prevention program. Children & Schools, 27(3), 133-145.
Wormer, K. S. V., & Davis, D. R. (2009). Addiction treatment, a strengths perspective. (2nd ed.). Brooks/Cole Pub Co.
This article applies to concepts developed in Chapter 10: Racial, Ethnic, And Cultural Issues, from the book Addiction Treatment. Within the chapter it discussed how there is a high substance use rate within the mexican heritage and so this article describes how it is important to target this specific population. Due to the fact that education levels have historically been low for this population it is important to work on educating the youth about the effects of drugs and alcohol so that they can stay away from the substances before they follow in the same path of many of those before them. The content in both the article and the book show it is important to focus on specific prevention programs for different heritages because of the differences in cultures. By creating specific prevention programs, professionals can better apply the information to concepts that are meaningful and hit home with this population of youth.
References
Kulis, S., Marsiglia, F. F., Elek, E., Dustman, P., Wagstaff, D. A., & Hecht, M. L. (2005). Mexican/Mexican american adolescents and keepin' it real: An evidence-based substance use prevention program. Children & Schools, 27(3), 133-145.
Wormer, K. S. V., & Davis, D. R. (2009). Addiction treatment, a strengths perspective. (2nd ed.). Brooks/Cole Pub Co.
Sunday, March 31, 2013
In The Movies
For an "In The Movies" assignment we were asked to choose a movie that portrayed addiction. I decided to watch a movie called "Walk The Line" portraying the struggles in life of Johnny Cash, a country singer. Overall, I feel as though the movie did a great job at showing his addiction and the struggles he faced going through withdrawal and recovery. In the movie when Cash first began using drugs it was due to peer pressure, a common theme learned about in class. Throughout his career Cash saw nothing wrong with his drug use and used it as a coping mechanism for his emotions. After one time of overdosing, after being rejected by June Carter, his future wife, his friends and family became aware of his addiction and tried to keep him away from the drugs.
The movie did a very good job at showing the stages of withdrawal that Cash was going through. After this incident he began to use again and was even arrested for his use. His drug use eventually caused him to lose his first wife and children. All of these events in his life caused him to continue his use and go through the cycle of quitting and starting to use. After a low point in his life, with the help of June Carter, he finally turns his life around and stops using prescription drugs. Throughout the movie I had different feelings towards Cash for his using. At the times where he used for an emotional coping device I did feel bad for him because he felt his life was so bad that that was what he had to resort to. But also the times where he was just using because all the other musicians around him were using or when he close to having his life back together, I felt angry at him for doing it. From what I have learned in class about the addiction cycle, you could definitely see how Cash went through that cycle and why he continued to use drugs. The movie, in my opinion, was very accurate at portraying addiction and the cycle that people go through. I would definitely recommend this movie to anyone wanting to see a movie portrayal of what addictions look like.
The movie did a very good job at showing the stages of withdrawal that Cash was going through. After this incident he began to use again and was even arrested for his use. His drug use eventually caused him to lose his first wife and children. All of these events in his life caused him to continue his use and go through the cycle of quitting and starting to use. After a low point in his life, with the help of June Carter, he finally turns his life around and stops using prescription drugs. Throughout the movie I had different feelings towards Cash for his using. At the times where he used for an emotional coping device I did feel bad for him because he felt his life was so bad that that was what he had to resort to. But also the times where he was just using because all the other musicians around him were using or when he close to having his life back together, I felt angry at him for doing it. From what I have learned in class about the addiction cycle, you could definitely see how Cash went through that cycle and why he continued to use drugs. The movie, in my opinion, was very accurate at portraying addiction and the cycle that people go through. I would definitely recommend this movie to anyone wanting to see a movie portrayal of what addictions look like.
Sunday, March 24, 2013
Journal Article: Substance Abuse and Psychological Disorders
For this article summary I used an article called Bipolar Spectrum-Substance Use Co-occurence: Behavioral Approach System (BAS) Sensitivity and Impulsiveness as Shared Personality Vulnerabilities. It is known that bipolar disorder and substance use are related to one another and that the impulsivity seen in those using drugs can be easily seen in those affected by bipolar disorder. Because of the noted similarities between the symptoms and characteristics between these disorders researchers decided to do an experiment to find the correlation between the two. According to the article this study was the first to try to find the correlation between the BAS sensitivity scores and the impulsivity scores found when people suffering from bipolar disorder and substance use were tested. The main points of this study were to test the hypotheses "that both high self reported BAS sensitivity scores and high self-reported impulsiveness would be associated with lifetime bipolar spectrum and substance use disorder diagnosis, would predict substance use problems prospectively and would mediate the co-occurence of bipolar disorder and substance use. With a sample size of 132 participants with bipolar spectrum disorders, from two large universities, and 153 control participants, the hypotheses were tested with the use of nine different assessment tools. Tools like the GBI, BDI, and HMI were used to test the symptoms of bipolar and depression, while the DAST, MAST, Exp-SADS-L were used to test for substance use disorders. Along with tests for bipolar symptoms and substance use there were two test used for looking at BAS and impulsivity scores. At the end of the testing, there was a four month follow up that consisted of the use of the Exp-SADS-C test to assess the changes that had occurred since the original testing. From the testing it was found that those individuals on the bipolar spectrum had higher rates of substance use problems. Overall the test showed that "bipolar spectrum status is associated with prospective substance use, that BAS sensitivity and impulsiveness both are associated with bipolar spectrum status and that BAS sensitivity and impulsiveness both are associated with prospective substance use."
After reading this article I could easily see how the article related to the facts talked about in the book. In Chapter 8: Substance Misuse With A Co-Occuring Mental Disorder or Disability, there was a lot of talk about how bipolar disorders relate to substance use. Many of the facts that I read in the book were very apparent within the article. In the chapter it was discussed how for professionals it is hard to tell if the characteristics of how a person was acting came from either the psychological problem or the substance use. Although not directly stated in the article, the part about the impulsivity between the two disorders made this fact very apparent. Specific tests were done to show that there is a high amount of impulsivity in both substance use and bipolar spectrum disorders, which could cause professionals to be at a lost as to which disorder the impulsivity is stemming from. In the past people would rarely be treated for both of their disorders which in turn could cause more problems in the future due to neglecting one disorder. And so the correlation between substance use and psychological disorders is a area that definitely needs more attention due to the seriousness of the manner.
References
Alloy, L. B., Bender, R. E., Wagner, C. A., Whitehouse, W. G., Abramson, L.Y., Hogan, M. E., & Harmon-Jones, E. (2009). Bipolar Spectrum -- Substance Use Co-Occurance: Behavioral Approach System (BAS) Sensitivity and Impulsiveness as Shared Personality Vulnerabilities. Journal Of Personality & Social Psychology, 97(3), 549 -565.
After reading this article I could easily see how the article related to the facts talked about in the book. In Chapter 8: Substance Misuse With A Co-Occuring Mental Disorder or Disability, there was a lot of talk about how bipolar disorders relate to substance use. Many of the facts that I read in the book were very apparent within the article. In the chapter it was discussed how for professionals it is hard to tell if the characteristics of how a person was acting came from either the psychological problem or the substance use. Although not directly stated in the article, the part about the impulsivity between the two disorders made this fact very apparent. Specific tests were done to show that there is a high amount of impulsivity in both substance use and bipolar spectrum disorders, which could cause professionals to be at a lost as to which disorder the impulsivity is stemming from. In the past people would rarely be treated for both of their disorders which in turn could cause more problems in the future due to neglecting one disorder. And so the correlation between substance use and psychological disorders is a area that definitely needs more attention due to the seriousness of the manner.
References
Alloy, L. B., Bender, R. E., Wagner, C. A., Whitehouse, W. G., Abramson, L.Y., Hogan, M. E., & Harmon-Jones, E. (2009). Bipolar Spectrum -- Substance Use Co-Occurance: Behavioral Approach System (BAS) Sensitivity and Impulsiveness as Shared Personality Vulnerabilities. Journal Of Personality & Social Psychology, 97(3), 549 -565.
Thursday, February 28, 2013
AA Meeting
This past week I attended a Newcomers AA meeting in Lancaster at a local church. While there I saw many different things that both surprised me and even inspired me. The meeting was an open, discussion meeting. The meeting was started with an introduction by Leonard, who was running the meeting. He talked about the purpose of the meeting and talked about other meetings that are available that people could sign up for. After the introduction different people read sections from the AA handbook that they use, as well as the twelve steps of AA meetings. Once the readings were concluded Leonard talked about the topic he chose for the day's meeting and shared an experience he had with the topic. Then around the room different people would talk about things that they felt applied to the topic as well.
Overall, there were not many people in attendance to this meeting. There were nine men that attended the meeting. From my observations majority of them came from Lancaster or a nearby city and from listening to their stories many of them grew up living on the streets. About four of the men at the meeting were alcoholics who had been sober for at least more then 10 years. To me it seemed as if they came to this newcomers meeting in order to provide a sense of hope and stability for the newcomers fighting their addictions. One of the men there said that he had just celebrated his 26th year of being sober and another said that he made it priority to attend a meeting every night of the week in order to stay on top of his sobriety. The man running the group, Leonard, also said how it was his birthday and he couldn't be more happy to be at the meeting and not out drinking like he use to typically do to celebrate his birthday or other events.
Along with the members who had been sober for a good amount of time, there was one young man who was in his first 90 days of fighting his addiction. He talked about how he had already attended a meeting that morning but felt like there was something drawing him to this particular meeting and he could not of been more happy that he had attended it. Leonard had introduced the topic of the day to be "Just For Today", and the young man talked about how that motto is the one thing that he is trying to live by. He told us how he takes each day one step at a time and had recently bought a book on the topic of just one day at a time and only being a quarter of the way done the book he felt more inspired then ever to take it one day at a time and beat his addiction. I felt inspired by his story because he was so new at trying to beat his addiction and yet seemed so determined to succeed and not fall back into his old patterns.
Another man told his life story, which also made an impact on my life. He talked about how he grew up in a house with an alcoholic father and a mother who passed away when he was six years old. The man said how he never knew anything else then alcoholism and so from the time he was 12 to 24 he drank a great deal. At 24 though he realized he had dreams he wanted to accomplish and decided to overcome his addiction. He was able to overcome it and got married, had children, and became an architect, like in his childhood dreams. After many years though he reached a breaking point again and started to go to the bars and nightclubs. He told us how he almost lost everything in his life. He was about to be homeless and almost lost his wife and kids. Once again he realized that this lifestyle was not what he wanted and that he needed to be there for his family so he started attending AA meetings and now has been sober for quite a few years. It was inspiring to see how thankful he was for overcoming his addiction and finally being able to be there for his family.
I personally was not very involved in the meeting. When we first arrived they asked us if it was our first meeting so we said that we were students there to observe and so they asked us a bit about what our assignment was and where we went to school. When the serenity prayer was cited I joined in on that, and at the end of the meeting everyone stood in a circle, held hands and prayed, which I also partook in.
Overall, I feel as though this meeting was helpful to the participants that attended. Many of them talked about how the meetings have helped them to stay on track and give them a sense of a higher power that is guiding them through their journey. They all seemed to be very supportive of each other and talked about how inspired they felt by the things they talked about at the meeting.
The concepts I observed in this meeting can definitely relate to the concepts we have learned in class so far. The biggest connection I saw was the cycle of addiction. Every member in attendance to the meeting talked about how at one point or another they have all gone through a relapse. Them saying this made me remember how the cycle works and when things go bad in a person's life they begin to use again and then that same order just keeps occurring. A common concept this meeting related to was the idea of what an addiction is. Just as we talked about the definition in class and the characteristics that come along with addiction, I saw that in all the stories told by the members. Attending this meeting definitely gave me a better understand of how addictions can really affect a person's life and gave me a new insight to how AA meetings really work. I enjoyed this experience and am very glad that I attended this specific meeting.
Overall, there were not many people in attendance to this meeting. There were nine men that attended the meeting. From my observations majority of them came from Lancaster or a nearby city and from listening to their stories many of them grew up living on the streets. About four of the men at the meeting were alcoholics who had been sober for at least more then 10 years. To me it seemed as if they came to this newcomers meeting in order to provide a sense of hope and stability for the newcomers fighting their addictions. One of the men there said that he had just celebrated his 26th year of being sober and another said that he made it priority to attend a meeting every night of the week in order to stay on top of his sobriety. The man running the group, Leonard, also said how it was his birthday and he couldn't be more happy to be at the meeting and not out drinking like he use to typically do to celebrate his birthday or other events.
Along with the members who had been sober for a good amount of time, there was one young man who was in his first 90 days of fighting his addiction. He talked about how he had already attended a meeting that morning but felt like there was something drawing him to this particular meeting and he could not of been more happy that he had attended it. Leonard had introduced the topic of the day to be "Just For Today", and the young man talked about how that motto is the one thing that he is trying to live by. He told us how he takes each day one step at a time and had recently bought a book on the topic of just one day at a time and only being a quarter of the way done the book he felt more inspired then ever to take it one day at a time and beat his addiction. I felt inspired by his story because he was so new at trying to beat his addiction and yet seemed so determined to succeed and not fall back into his old patterns.
Another man told his life story, which also made an impact on my life. He talked about how he grew up in a house with an alcoholic father and a mother who passed away when he was six years old. The man said how he never knew anything else then alcoholism and so from the time he was 12 to 24 he drank a great deal. At 24 though he realized he had dreams he wanted to accomplish and decided to overcome his addiction. He was able to overcome it and got married, had children, and became an architect, like in his childhood dreams. After many years though he reached a breaking point again and started to go to the bars and nightclubs. He told us how he almost lost everything in his life. He was about to be homeless and almost lost his wife and kids. Once again he realized that this lifestyle was not what he wanted and that he needed to be there for his family so he started attending AA meetings and now has been sober for quite a few years. It was inspiring to see how thankful he was for overcoming his addiction and finally being able to be there for his family.
I personally was not very involved in the meeting. When we first arrived they asked us if it was our first meeting so we said that we were students there to observe and so they asked us a bit about what our assignment was and where we went to school. When the serenity prayer was cited I joined in on that, and at the end of the meeting everyone stood in a circle, held hands and prayed, which I also partook in.
Overall, I feel as though this meeting was helpful to the participants that attended. Many of them talked about how the meetings have helped them to stay on track and give them a sense of a higher power that is guiding them through their journey. They all seemed to be very supportive of each other and talked about how inspired they felt by the things they talked about at the meeting.
The concepts I observed in this meeting can definitely relate to the concepts we have learned in class so far. The biggest connection I saw was the cycle of addiction. Every member in attendance to the meeting talked about how at one point or another they have all gone through a relapse. Them saying this made me remember how the cycle works and when things go bad in a person's life they begin to use again and then that same order just keeps occurring. A common concept this meeting related to was the idea of what an addiction is. Just as we talked about the definition in class and the characteristics that come along with addiction, I saw that in all the stories told by the members. Attending this meeting definitely gave me a better understand of how addictions can really affect a person's life and gave me a new insight to how AA meetings really work. I enjoyed this experience and am very glad that I attended this specific meeting.
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