Sociocultural Determinants of Substance Abuse
Several “biological, social, environmental, psychological, and genetic factors are associated with substance abuse. These factors can include gender, race and ethnicity, age, income level, educational attainment, and sexual orientation” (Galea, Nandi, & Vlahov, 2004, p. 38). Moreover, substance abuse is intensely predisposed by relational, domestic, and communal changing aspects as well.
Household, social networks, and rivalry stress appear to be primary triggers of substance abuse amongst youngsters. For instance, various studies imply that the abuse of cannabis among acquaintances and relatives is an important factor in teenagers’ present cannabis consumption. The comprehension of these influences is important for decreasing the number of people who abuse substances and alcohol and refining the well-being and protection of all citizens (Spooner & Hetherington, 2004).
Widespread Use of Substance Abuse
According to the 2013 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 229,000 Americans ages 12 and older reported current (past-month) use of LSD, and 33,000 reported current use of PCP (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2013). Among high school seniors, salvia was significantly more popular than LSD or PCP when it was added to the Monitoring the Future survey in 2009. Past-year use was reported to be 5.9 percent for salvia, 2.7 percent for LSD, and 1.3 percent for PCP. Fortunately, rates have dropped for saliva significantly — to 1.8 percent in 2014 — with LSD, and PCP use is dropping slightly. (Johnston, O’Malley, Bachman, & Schulenberg, 2014, p. 37)
Indirect and Direct Financial Costs
The abuse of drugs requires the expenses of almost four hundred ninety billion dollars annually for the United States. This involves expenses in health care, gone wages, and expenses that are related to criminality and misfortunes. This amount of monetary funds is a massive problem that distresses every layer of the public, the people who squander the drugs, and the people who don’t. The expenses on substance abuse appear to be as considerable as those on further enduring illnesses. For example, diabetes costs the American government almost one hundred thirty-two billion dollars a year; while cancer requires one hundred seventy-two billion dollars a year.
Psychological and Physical Costs of Substance Abuse
The physical and psychological costs of substance use and dependence have a tendency to diverge based on the specific drug elaborated; however, the common impacts of drugs or dependence on any substance can be overwhelming. In the psychological aspect, substance abuse can induce not only euphoria but personality disorder, clinical depression, or even suicidal thoughts with substance disengagement. In the physical aspect, substance abuse will result in reactions that include marked lethargy and decreased inhalation, a fast heartbeat, and seizures with shivers.
The Link of This Addiction to Crimes and Accidents
More than sixty percent of grown people who are serving time in federal prisons are accused of drug-related offenses. Around fifty to eighty percent of all children exploitation and abandonment instances demonstrated by child protection services include some level of drug usage by the parents of the abandoned children. A quantity of criminals in the residents alters the crime ranks as well. It is known that criminals are more expected to violate the law if they are not able to accomplish individual objectives through legal revenues. This suggests that the incentives of the offenders are increasing with the general increase in the level of drug use in society.
Implication with suicide
During the last century, an overall escalation in suicide was documented across Europe, with the intensification in the second half of the twentieth century limited to the youngsters, to be precise. Frequent examinations of those who abuse substances display that previous suicide efforts and existing suicidal thoughts are prevalent. “Recent evidence from veterans indicates that men with a substance use disorder are approximately 2.3 times more likely to die by suicide than those who are not substance abusers. Among women, a substance use disorder increases the risk of suicide” (Galea, 2002, p. 137).
Several features of the addiction dynamics can be recognized. These are denial, displacement, fantasy, projection, rationalization, intellectualization, reaction formation, regression, and repression.
Denial
Denial is the rejection to admit actuality or facts; this behaviour implies that for a substance abuser a hurting occasion, thought or sensation ceased to happen. It is thought to be one of the most basic of the defence mechanisms.
Regression
Regression is the deterioration of a former period of progress while facing intolerable thoughts or compulsions. For instance, a teenager who is stunned by negative feelings due to substance abuse might come to be dependent and begin to display the performance from his former childhood.
Projection
Projection is the wrong ascription of unwelcome beliefs, moods or instincts onto another individual who does not possess beliefs, moods or instincts. This denial mechanism is applied particularly when the beliefs are intolerable for the individual to convey, or he or she feels entirely wrong for having them.
Reaction Formation
This defence mechanism is the adapting of unwelcome or hazardous beliefs, moods or instincts into their contraries. For instance, substance offenders can convert their addiction into a positive outcome with outside help.
Rationalization
Rationalization is placing the beliefs, moods or instincts into an altered light or providing a dissimilar clarification for the discernments or actions of an individual as a result of altered reality.
References
Galea, S. (2002). Social determinants and the health of drug users: socioeconomic status, homelessness, and incarceration. Public Health Reports, 177(1), 135-145.
Galea, S., Nandi, A., & Vlahov, D. (2004). The social epidemiology of substance use. Epidemiologic Reviews, 26(1): 36-52.
Johnston, L. D., O’Malley, P. M., Bachman, J. G., & Schulenberg, J. E. (2014). Monitoring the future national results on drug use: 1975-2014. Overview of key findings on adolescent drug use. Ann Arbor, Michigan: The University of Michigan.
Spooner, C. & Hetherington, K. (2004). Social determinants of drug use. Sydney, Australia: National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre.