Substance Abuse
Substance abuse can be defined by a harmful use of drugs or alcohol that are not intended for its purpose. Substance abuse often has negative consequences on the individual's health, family life, work, relationships, and generally tends to impair daily functioning. For example, someone who is abusing alcohol may miss work or responsibilities at work due to their substance abuse, have legal or financial issues due to their use, or participate in dangerous situations, such as driving under the influence. The problematic pattern of substance misuse, leads to addiction or what's termed in the DSM 5 as a substance use disorder. In order for a diagnosis of a substance use disorder to apply, there must be 2 criteria of 11, in the DSM to fit and needs to occur within a 12 month period. This includes, 1. the fact that the substance was often taken in larger amounts or over a longer period that was originally intended (Volkow & Blanco, 2023)This can happen when someone starts getting into the habitual pattern of getting intoxicated with the substance, showing this is not a one time experience but a routine, ritual or maladaptive pattern displayed. 2. There is a persistent urge to use, with unsuccessful efforts to control the use. This is shown when there is a desire to quit, but there is an inability to do so given the impact the substance has on the brain. 3. There is a great deal of time and effort spent on activities to acquire the substance, use the substance or recover from its effect on the body. Oftentimes, substance abuse has negative impacts on the body in the form of withdrawals and with individuals with this disorder there is a great deal of time and effort spent on getting the substance, whether it means using transportation, communicating with others, or spending all their money to get the substance. It also means that they dedicate a lot of their life to actively using. 4. The use of the substance causes a failure to fulfill duties in life, such as work, school, or homelife. This is where other people often will notice that the person has a problem and may try to help them 5. There is a continued use of the substance despite its negative effects on social or interpersonal problems. This can happen especially when the individual is unaware of the effects it has on how they behave when with others. Some individuals can cheat on their partners, or even physically or verbally abuse their loved ones. 6. Social, occupational or recreational activities are reduced or given up due to the use of the substance. There is a sense of isolation with this disorder, where the individual may not care about their current relationships as much, or the passions they used to have 7. Use of the substance even though it is physically dangerous. Individuals may drink and drive, or go to work intoxicated, where it may be dangerous to use, the individual does not have a sense of danger 8. Use of substance despite psychological or physical problems it has caused or exacerbated. Individuals with this disorder may disregard, or be in denial around the impacts the substance is having on their body and mind. 9. A higher tolerance, and need for an increased amount of the substance to achieve the desired level of intoxication, or the decreased effect with continued use of the same amount of the substance. When individuals become addicted to a substance they may need more than they originally were using. 10. Withdrawal which has a characteristic syndrome for the substance or the substance is taken again or another related one to avoid withdrawal. Oftentimes the withdrawal can be so difficult to bear or in the case of alcohol lethal, therefore the individual will use more to avoid the negative consequences or aftermath of the substance. In terms of literature review and statistics, the percentage of individuals between 15-64 who have abused a substance once in their lifetime was 5.6% globally (Alhammad et al, 2022). Moreover, the issue of addiction has multiplied among younger individuals, such as young adults and adolescents especially between the years 15-30. Also, men are more likely to have substance use issues, more so than women (Alhammad et al, 2022). This may be due to societal pressure to be perceived as strong and a reluctance to showcase emotion in their lives. Additionally, the maximum use appears between the ages of 18-25, and using these substances caused 14% of health issues among young men. Existing research reveals that 11.8 million people die due to alcohol abuse. Cannabis is the the most used drug globally, with an estimate of 200 million individuals addicted to this substance. When taking a biopsychosocial approach to addressing the issue of substance abuse, we can see that there are multiple factors which may cause substance misuse in an individual. It can have genetic components, as Kenneth et al (2022) argued that some individuals are born with a risk of addiction, and when this is coupled with life stressors, these individuals can have a difficult time recovering, without treating the brain's dopaminergic changes caused from addiction. which makes short term recovery difficult without the addition of medication and lifestyle changes. There are certain medications that can help with the chemical brain changes such as (buprenorphine and naloxone) for opioid addiction and naltrexone for alcohol addiction. Hinostroza, & Mahr (2025) remarked that the biopsychosocial model is the most recognized approach in the health care system known for its consideration of biological, social, and psychological factors which in combination can cause addiction. This model helps clinicians assess, treat, and develop plans to match client needs. Those who have had adverse childhood experiences, or trauma are more likely to develop addictions, as this can be an easy coping mechanism (Hinostroza, & Mahr, 2025). Therefore, environmental factors have an impact on the development of addiction as well as genetic factors.
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