Substance abuse Eunice Armstrong Psy 270 Axia College University of Phoenix The sociocultural theory states that people use substance abuse because of stress and the environmental factors due to the fact that socioeconomics and unemployment are evident. Thus, they use drugs as a means to relief themselves from stress. In addition, the behavioral/cognitive viewpoint also points to the situational substance abuse as a cause that is contributing to the condition as well.
Furthermore, the behavioral/cognitive viewpoint holds that substance abuse patterns are developed through operant conditioning, when the individual uses substance abuse to release tension in his or her stressful situations. Hence, this temporary release becomes a habit as the individual begins to carry expectancy as a reward and a pattern of substance abuse through motivation becomes established. In view of this, an individual begins to use substance abuse in all his or her stressful situations, and when feeling tension, regardless of the nature of his or her external circumstances.
According to the reading, both behavioral/cognitive and the sociocultural view clearly demonstrate that socioeconomically depresses communities and the middle class communities where people are experiencing low socioeconomics and unemployment especially in our current economy. In contrast, the biological theory also supports the claim due to its scientific empirical data. According to the reading, research also showed the link between substance abuse, genetics and biochemical factors.
According to researcher, individual is seen to become addicted because their natural brain chemical levels are not within normal range, because the individual self medicate him and herself with substance abuse as a resources of altering his or her biochemical levels artificially. In conclusion, in sociocultural therapies, there are self help programs, such community prevention programs, culture, and gender sensitive programs that are all commonly employed for that kind of treatment. Further, there are also social group therapies that are used in all the three theories.
For example: Social group therapies are Alcoholic anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous. Behavioral/cognitive therapy combinations also include relapse prevention therapy and behavioral self control. Biological treatments also use detoxification, antagonistic drugs and maintenance therapy. Another example of maintenance therapy is the use of methadone to allow the abuser to be stable without harmful drugs. In case of antagonistic drugs, a chemically induced ill feeling, is experienced when the drug is taken. Thus, these entire viewpoints have value in their evaluation of the cause and effects of substance abuse.
However, in my own opinion, I believe that the best treatments for cure are behavioral/cognitive theory, and the combination of drug therapy. Week Five CheckPoint: Substance Abuse Avail. PointsPoints Earned •?? Selected viewpoint is described; ‘why’ question is addressed. 1414 •?? Causal factors and treatments for the various perspectives are discussed. 1414 Spelling/Grammar22 Late Penalty 10% per day Total 3030 Eunice, Great job on your Checkpoint! You clearly stated the viewpoints, supported it with causal factors and provided detailed treatment methods! Super effort!
