The Medical Models Of Addiction

756 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The effects of divorce on children research

such things as gambling, shopping, alcohol, drugs or even sex. As professionals working with addicts we must take into consideration that there are a number of theoretical models that can help us understand what our clients are going through. Being familiar with different aspects of addiction will create more competent social workers in the process. Addiction is a complex brain disease with serious, interacting physical and mental effects caused by long-term abuse of alcohol and drugs (South Miami Hospital website, 2016, para. 4). Individuals who suffer from addiction are being robbed of the quality life that s/he deserves.
In working with those with addiction, the medical model involves many different avenues of the disease. The essential …show more content…

3). Another strength in using the medical model for addiction is that it will only allow to works for those involving chemical substances; not shopping or sex addictions (MyAddiction website, 2015, para. 3). Some limitations for this model is that it does not take into consideration one’s environment. What exactly is the client faced with every day? Is their environment healthy or does it portray a non-healthy atmosphere? Another downfall is that the model does not consider one’s family history. The medical model not only covers the genetic aspect of the addiction, but also the addictive chemicals, and the risks …show more content…

Being that some of the limitations with the medical model have to do with the environment and family history, this is a major influence in Marge’s drinking. Marge has a stressful environment, she is raising a family, has diabetes, unemployed, and a son who is difficult to raise. Another aspect is Marge has depression and a family history of alcohol disease. It is not that Marge is weak or no will power, it is the fact that Marge has a disease and needs helps coping with the whole issue not just the medical part. In order to treat the alcohol disease, one must work on the underlying issues at hand as well as the alcohol consumption which is used to cope with other

Show More
Related

  • Substance Abuse: Compaing the Medical/Disease Model and the Social Model

    1790 Words  | 4 Pages

    Many people dislike the term ‘addiction’ in relation to drugs or other substances, particularly as it infers that a person is powerless over their use of a particular drug or in some circumstances, a number of substances. Whilst others maintain it is this powerlessness that is the foundation of diagnosis and treatment – that treatment is not possible without recognition of addiction itself as the ‘problem’ being addressed. The professional and public perception of addiction is complicated. There are many approaches and models to explain addiction, the role of the addict, and their environment. This essay will compare and contrast two of these approaches, the medical/disease and the social model. Initially this essay will describe the origins of each model, and follow by explaining their respective strengths and weaknesses, and finish with an overview of the key differences between them. This essay will conclude by demonstrating that a holistic approach, and a cross-pollination of these models is the most successful approach to treating addicts. As is the case for all diseases, there are multiple treatment options, and as ever person is different, the results in each individual cannot be predicted.

    Read More

  • Neil Levy's Article: Addiction Is A Brain Disease?

    1019 Words  | 3 Pages

    According to Leshner, drug addiction is a chronic brain disease that is expressed in the form of compulsive behaviors (Leshner, 2001). He believes that drug addiction is influence by both biological, and behavioral factors, and to solve this addiction problem we need to focus on these same factors. On the other hand, Neil Levy argues that addiction is not a brain disease rather it is a behavioral disorder embedded in social context (Levy, 2013). I believe, drug addiction is a recurring brain disease that can be healed when we alter and eliminate all the factors that are reinforcing drug addiction.

    Read More

  • Overview of Cocaine

    1765 Words  | 4 Pages

    Smyth, N. (1994). Addictions counseling: a practical guide to counseling people with chemical and other addictions/The addiction process: effective social work approaches/Clinical work with substance-abusing clients (book). Social Work, 39(5), 616.

    Read More

  • Gerald May's Addiction And Grace

    1081 Words  | 3 Pages

    It is imperative for a counselor to identify these qualities and know how to navigate an addict through these phases. Addiction has psychological, neurological, and spiritual elements that are important to understand in order to provide quality counseling. Psychologically, an individual suffering from addiction will often practice various methods of self-deception: denial & repression, rationalization, hiding, delaying tactics, breakdown, and collusion. Habits are formed in three stages. During stage one, a person learns that a specific behavior either provides pleasure or pain relief. Stage two is when a person actively seeks the effects of that behavior in everyday life, causing the formation of the habit. Finally, in stage three, a person is now dependent on the effect of the behavior and develops feelings of distress when the behavior and feeling are not easily

    Read More

  • Addiction & Grace: Love and Spirituality in the Healing of Addictions.

    1953 Words  | 4 Pages

    In the book, Addiction & Grace: Love and Spirituality in the Healing of Addictions, May explores how addiction develops and can be treated from a psychological, physiological, and spiritual standpoint. This theme is clearly shown throughout the text as it shows addiction from a whole person's perspective. The book covers the development of addiction from desire through the experience of addiction. The key focus is on looking at the matter of addiction from multiple stand points then broken down by explaining how addiction is an issue psychologically, physiologically, and spiritually. By focusing on these three areas, the author is able to present the reader with a clear understanding of addiction from all sides of the problem.

    Read More

  • Abstinence Experience Assignment

    1177 Words  | 3 Pages

    Therefore, when I work with substance abusers I will show empathy, encourage and validate their successes and their feelings about any failures. In addiction, I will help the person learn from their failures and normalize the situation. Furthermore, I would attempt to ensure that the person had several coping strategies in place, to help when he or she finds themselves in a difficult situation. Moreover, I intend to ensure the client has all the tools he or she needs to succeed while getting to the root of their problem through counseling.

    Read More

  • Relapse in Substance Abuse Treatment

    1167 Words  | 3 Pages

    McGovern, M. P., Xie, H., Segal, S. R., Siembab, L., & Drake, R. E. (2006). Addiction treatment

    Read More

  • Biopsychosocial Model Essay

    1028 Words  | 3 Pages

    The model of addiction etiology that best describes why people get addicted and how best to help them is biopsychosocial model. The biopsychosocial model, first developed by cardiologist Dr. George Engel, is today widely accepted by the mental health professions. The biopsychosocial model describes addiction as a brain illness that causes personality and social problems. The biopsychosocial model lets us to make solid and accurate differences between substance use, abuse, and dependence. It also allows the signs of addiction to be recognized and structured into progressive stages.

    Read More

  • General Theory of Alcoholism

    1296 Words  | 3 Pages

    There are many theories of alcoholism, and some approaches explain and treat certain alcoholics better than others. One of the common themes throughout the readings is that addicts display a range of personal and situational problems. There is no "typical" addicted personality or emotional problem (Allen, 1996). Because of these facts, it comes as no surprise that there are also no typical assessment or treatment for these individuals. For instance, a medical/disease model of alcoholism may be more useful to some alcoholics than others. The point is that instead of rigidly applying one model, a counselor's goal is to use the models that are most effective to the particular alcoholic in question.

    Read More

  • Drug Abuse and The Theories Behind Addiction

    955 Words  | 2 Pages

    After long-term use the consequences were unpleasant. She neglected her children and could not maintain a romantic relationship. Her excessive drinking embarrassed her family. It seems she was not getting the same relief from the alcohol causing her to find ways to drink more (i.e., making herself sick). As a result of years of use she had entered a neuro-adaptive state where tolerance had caused an increased need for alcohol. This state also accounts for the extreme withdrawal symptoms she experienced when she quit drinking.

    Read More

  • Pharmacotherapy in Drug Addiction

    1380 Words  | 3 Pages

    Addiction is a dependence on a substance where the individual who is affected feels defenseless and unable to stop the obsession to use a substance or prevent a particular behavior. Millions of Americans have addictions to drugs, alcohol, nicotine, and even to behaviors such as obsessive gambling. Pharmacotherapy is a treatment process in which a counselor can use a particular drug to counter act an addictive drug or behavior. Not all counselors agree with this type of treatment. However in order to provide a client with an ethical treatment and unbiased opinions they should be made aware of all scientific evidence of different treatment options. “Thus, attention to addiction pharmacotherapy is an ethical mandate no matter what prejudices a counselor may have” (Capuzzi & Stauffer, 2008, p. 196). Some particular pharmacotherapy’s a counselor may use for the treatment of addiction are Bupropion (Wellbutrin, Zyban), Disulfiram (Antabuse), Naltrexone (ReVia, Depade), Methadone (Dolophine), and Buprenorphine (Temgesic, Suboxone).

    Read More

  • Drug Addiction: A Brain Disease?

    746 Words  | 2 Pages

    George F. Koob defines addiction as a compulsion to take a drug without control over the intake and a chronic relapse disorder (1). The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders of the American Psychiatric Association defined "substance dependence" as a syndrome basically equivalent to addiction, and the diagnostic criteria used to describe the symptoms of substance dependence to a large extent define compulsion and loss of control of drug intake (1). Considering drug addiction as a disorder implies that there are some biological factors as well as social factors.

    Read More

  • The Myths Of Addictions : Addiction

    1385 Words  | 3 Pages

    So, it is clear that addiction is all around us and can attack anyone of us at any given time. Even studies conducted show that people neglect to speak around their dependency for two primary reasons. Foremost, because people do not comprehend, or they bear a total misconception to their addiction, that they do not realize that addictions can be critical to their overall wellness. Moreover, second, many people believe being an addict will never happen to them, but, in reality, most addictions start off as simple little habits. Such as starting with one drink after dinner and before you know it you are drinking several drinks a day. However, one does not opt to be addicted to a substance, because addictions are physical defects in the brain, a disease, and not one’s choice.

    Read More

  • Theory of Alcohol Addiction: Case Study

    834 Words  | 2 Pages

    There are many assumptions of why an individual may use different substances and perhaps go from a “social” user to becoming addicted. Understanding the different theories models of addiction many help in the process of treatment for the addict. Although people in general vary in their own ideologies of addiction when working as a clinician one must set aside their own person beliefs. Typically as a clinician it is best for the client to define how they view their addiction and their view may encompass more than one of the five theories. Some theories suggest genetic and other biological factors whiles others emphasize personality or social factors. In this study three theories are defined and given to three different people with different cultural backgrounds, different ideologies, different experiences, and most importantly different reference point of addiction.

    Read More

  • Drug Addiction as a Disease

    899 Words  | 2 Pages

    Drug abuse and addiction are issues that affect people everywhere. However, these issues are usually treated as criminal activity rather than issues of public health. There is a conflict over whether addiction related to drug abuse is a disease or a choice. Addiction as a choice suggests that drug abusers are completely responsible for their actions, while addiction as a disease suggests that drug abusers need help in order to break their cycle of addiction. There is a lot of evidence that suggests that addiction is a disease, and should be treated rather than punished. Drug addiction is a disease because: some people are more likely to suffer from addiction due to their genes, drug abuse brought on by addictive behavior changes the brain and worsens the addiction, and the environment a person lives in can cause the person to relapse because addiction can so strongly affect a person.

    Read More

More about The Medical Models Of Addiction

Open Document