On my arrival in the United Kingdom from my native Zimbabwe, I had my first meeting with an individual with a serious heroin addiction when I found myself sharing a flat emergency accommodation at Lady Beck Close in Leeds. Items of value went missing until the person responsible approached me and accepted responsibility. He apologised for the thefts but explained at length the serious problem with substance misuse that he had. He explained how he dropped from University where he was studying dentistry because of drugs. He expressed his desire to quit but failed despite the care, support and help he received from so many professionals.
This conversation, unfortunate as it was, aroused my interest in substance misuse and its effects to the abuser,
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For the 9 years that I have worked as a mental health support worker I have come across cases involving drug addiction and mental health. My passion to work with and help those in need of services grew over the years as I came to realize that with the right services and support, one can eventually become clean of drugs and reintegrate into society and live a normal life. I have been privileged to work with genuinely enthusiastic and caring colleagues who have enhanced my professional identity which makes me so proud to be part of a wider health care industry. I’m fortunate to have tremendous amount of sincere affection for service users and staff and this had made me resilient in adversity, and have a passion to want to do the right …show more content…
I have gained great insight into the roles of services that help people going through a crisis. I work as part of primary working team and my role is to help the primary worker and the associate worker in coming up with a treatment plan for our allocated patient. I regularly attend multi-disciplinary care review meetings where we decide and carry out present care needs, plans, and wishes and identify future input and support, goals and any desired future outcomes for our service users. I work with the other members of staff and outside agencies to promote empowerment, individuality, rights as enshrined by the law, personal responsibilities, self-identity and self-esteem. I work as part of a team including an occupational therapist that puts care plans and assessments into action to help people with basic life skills. I have gained knowledge in providing information to service users to get access to information relevant to their needs and wishes as well as assisting them in attaining a reasonable level of independence, communication and social living
Caring for an individual who is facing a life threatening illness is often completed by a multidimensional team, including doctors, nurses, therapists, and caregivers, as well as family members. Social workers are an integral part of this team, since they are usually the healthcare workers that are involved in the evaluation and assessment of patients and their family members’ needs and concerns at the end ...
Life wasn’t always so bad, or at least that’s what they told me. From what I remember of my child hoods great memories my family speaks so highly of, if there were any at all, are all clouded in my mind by the what I can remember my life being. At times I find myself going thru old pictures of when I was a child and think to myself. Why can't I remember this day? I looked to be a happy healthy baby then my heart turns in a cold way. Growing up to a parent addicted to drugs and alcohol is no way for a child to be raised. I had to grow up at an early age and didn’t truly get to experience life the way a child should. My family tells me Marquise you were so loved by so many people and your Mom tried to do the best she
This experience helped me to recognize the internal struggle that a substance abuser faces on a continuous basis. In addition, I know that an individual can have a difficult time changing their behavior even when they have a strong desire to change; the smallest thing can cause a person to relapse.
Drugs and Behavior, Rebecca Schilit and Edith Lisansky Gomberg, Page 62, SAGE Publications, Inc.- 1991
Almost two years ago I was that suffering junkie and was in a treatment facility where I was then introduced to the program of Narcotics Anonymous. By working this program I have been able to stay clean for almost a year and a half now. I support this organization because I believe in what it stands for, anyone can stop using and find a new way to live. They don’t treat the dirty, homeless, junkie like a hopeless lost cause. They see that junkie as a man or women in pain who needs help. I come from a long line of addicts and have seen family and friends lost to the disease of addiction. They’ve ended up dead by overdose or taking a gun to their head. It’s tragic but these losses remind me that I could be next. Narcotics Anonymous taught me that I never have to use again, even if I want to. I am no longer ashamed of my past and the decisions of the people around me because this fellowship gave me the courage and support I needed to change. I can't change what I did while I was using, but I am responsible for my recovery and what I do
It was the late 19th century when a lot of conflict for families from the Industrial Revolution and illegal drugs had easy access to anyone in the United Sates. These illegal drugs like morphine, cocaine, and alcohol were available through manufacture, delivery, and selling. It was proved that the over use of alcohol and violence in families’ homes were linked together around the 1850’s and that women and children were being abused by the father and husband from the letters and journals that were wrote. These were times when women were stay at home mothers and it was the man’s responsibility to be the provider for the wife and children. Because of the abuse in the household it led up to the temperance movement. The purpose
Social workers in the healthcare field can be very beneficial to an interdisciplinary team. Throughout the semester we have looked at how social workers bring their professional and distinct skill set and beliefs to these teams. There are many stereotypes and biases surrounding social workers and other professionals on interdisciplinary teams. Social workers also have different views than other healthcare professionals and use their skills in communication to help the clients they serve, along with various other skills that are unique to social workers differing from other professional in the healthcare field. A social worker’s skill set can be extremely useful when working with specific populations at risk. The relationship between health and the role of the social worker can be different from other social worker roles in different fields. However, it is clear that social workers and interdisciplinary teams can be beneficial for everyone.
Human services professionals are those who facilitate and empower those in society who require assistance in meeting their basic human needs both emotionally, mentally, and physically. Human services professionals work with diverse cultures in many different settings to provide prevention, education, and resources for individuals, families, groups and communities. Some of the populations served are, children and families, adolescents, and the homeless. To support groups in crisis human services professionals must be committed, patient, possess listening skills, and have an ability to be empathetic without reducing one’s ability to be empowered (Martin, 2011).
Case management must believe in the autonomy of the client. We must be committed to the process and we will implement the principles taught in order to obtain total client participation and empowerment (Woodside & McClam, 2013). The drugs are not the only problem; the way of life that has debilitated them and left them on the streets has to be addressed and the case manager has to look at the back story that has delivered the addict to their current situation. Those that suffer from abuse, mental illness and/or trauma creates a person that only knows how to cope with life by turning to substances for an escape from reality. In case management, there are many problems in working with the homeless addicted population. This population finds it difficult to maintain or keep up with any goals, so it would have to be the social workers main objective to keep the lines of trust and communication open for greater outcomes at every level of treatment. It is a challenge and the case manager has discovered that if the approach is multidimensional; the addiction can be combated by providing hope and a chance to break free from these cycles of addictions leading to a better way of
Despite how hard one works to overcome a substance addiction or those who have even mastered their sobriety; a negative stigma generally haunts them throughout their life. For individuals coping with addiction and the day to day difficulties, which addiction presents, they often feel many negative sentiments from society. Together with the task of managing their symptoms, low self esteem, a fear of relapse, depression and the negative stigma from the general public can only be seen as a bleak road to recovery.
To provide personal and practical care services for people with learning disabilities and a wide range of complex needs.
The chances are that we all know or have loved ones with an addictions to either drugs or alcohol. Still today, one of the biggest challenges is being able to talk to that person about their addiction. Even though I personally have not had the opportunity to speak to a loved one or acquaintance about an addiction. Research shows when confronting a person with a problem; it takes preparation, patience, and being totally honest with that individual. Talking to someone with a dependency is something that most people avoid because people like myself would not want others mending in our lives; we, even, tend to believe that it is not our problem how much our f...
The use of drugs is a controversial topic in society today. In general, addicts show a direct link between taking drugs and suffering from their effects. People abuse drugs for a wide variety of reasons. In most cases, the use of drugs will serve a type of purpose or will give some kind of reward. These reasons for use will differ with different kinds of drugs. Various reasons for using the substance can be pain relief, depression, anxiety and weariness, acceptance into a peer group, religion, and much more. Although reasons for using may vary for each individual, it is known by all that consequences of the abuse do exist. It is only further down the line when the effects of using can be seen.
There are many addictions in the world, and drug addiction is the biggest. People may experiment with the drug for many reasons. “If your drug use is causing problems in your life, then you likely have a drug abuse or addiction problem”.(Lawrence Robinson pg.1) Many people start out using drugs by peer pressure or out of their own curiosity. Stress, anxiety, lows self-esteem and depression could be another factor to start using drugs. The drug takes over your body and gives you a good feeling that many people tend to enjoy. The urge to use the drug can keep increasing rapidly after the first use. The urge can become so severe that your mind can find many other ways to deny the factor of addiction. Very few drug addicts can feel and realize when they have crossed the line with drugs. A drug addicts mind can build up a very large tolerance for the drug that they start to abandon the activities they used to do on a daily basis like showering, hobbies, socializing and even being associated with family members. The person with the addiction will continue to use the drug knowing that it is harming there body, but they don’t have any remorse. A drug addict will often try to hide their problem, so they can continue to use without anyone’s input. Family and friends may try to use preaching methods or tell the user that they need to stop using the drug. This method is not ...
Drug abuse has been a hot topic for our society due to how stimulants interfere with health, prosperity, and the lives of others in all nations. All drugs have the potential to be misapplied, whether obtained by prescription, over the counter, or illegally. Drug abuse is a despicable disease that affects many helpless people. Majority of those who are beset with this disease go untreated due to health insurance companies who neglect and discriminate this issue. As an outcome of missed opportunities of treatments, abusers become homeless, very ill, or even worst, death.