...management in medicine is a treatment plan that gives immediate rewards for desired changes in behavior. It is based on the principle that if a good behavior is rewarded, it is more likely to be repeated. This is often used in the treatment of drug and alcohol abuse, and is being studied as a smoking cessation method. Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit substance in the United States, with approximately 5.5 million regular weekly users and high prevalence among young adults. In recent years, there has been a significant increase in marijuana use as well as in rates of marijuana use disorders among adults in the 18- to 29-year old age range, most markedly among members of ethnic groups. This paper will define contingency management and how it is implemented by a competent and trained human service worker. By using contingency management the effective treatment of marijuana abuse and the ability to abstain will be investigated. Introduction Contingency management in medicine is a treatment plan that gives immediate rewards for desired changes in behavior. It is based on the principle that if a good behavior is rewarded, it is more likely to be repeated. This paper will define contingency management and how it is implemented by a...
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...Running head: DRUG PROFILE PAPER Drug Profile Paper Sherita Brown Axia College of UOP Drug Profile Paper In this paper I will examine abused substances and their various effects; I will also explain the psychology and Physiology of drug addiction. Addiction begins as a high, as an illusion of being in control, but it eventually turns on the individual. The results are pathological relationships to a mood altering experience that brings negative, life destructive consequences. People become addicted to drugs due to a combination of factors. For example, genetic factors: some people may inherit a vulnerability to the addictive properties of drugs, meaning that the risk of substance use disorders is higher for individuals who have close relatives with substance abuse disorders (www.drugpolicy.org). The environment is another factor, for example, the home; neighborhood or community where people live has an influence on whether or not an individual develops a substance abuse problem. Additionally, research shows that more than half of people with substance problems also have mental health issues such as anxiety or depression. We can become addicted to anything that alters the consciousness and alters the mood. Psychological characteristics of an addict are more impulsive and more lacking in impulse control, they are inclined to act in accordance with their mood of the moment and tend not to plan for the future. The most common illegal stimulant is cocaine and amphetamines;...
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...Drug Profile Paper 5/17/16 PSY/425 Chemical Dependency in the Workplace Stacey Lederberg Explain the psychological and physiology of addiction: Simply put phycology is the understanding of human behavior and physiology is the study of the physical function of humans. In the following paragraphs I will discuss the psychological and physiological issues of addiction. According to psychologists there are a few different causes for addiction. Some people get into an addiction or harmful behavior because of an abnormality. Another reason people get into an unhealthy addiction because of the environment they are in. The last one is someone’s beliefs or thoughts create feelings that cause addiction because these feelings are not realistic. When you think about addiction there are actually quite a few definitions. This is because there are so many substances that are addictive and each one has its own disorder. Addiction can be many things from illegal drugs, prescriptions, inhalants to gambling, hoarding, sex etc. The cause of an addiction has many factors that encompass it including biological, psychological and environmental. Because humans are wired to seek out reward and avoid discomfort it makes sense that addictions pacify the seeking of pleasure and erase pain. In the brain of an addicted person drugs, alcohol or any other substance target the CNS (central nervous system). The substance causes a hostile takeover in the pain-pleasure...
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...College Abstract This paper explores the psychological effects of street drugs, classified as legal, illegal and controlled substances. The legal drugs that I cover are caffeine, alcohol and nicotine. The illegal are marijuana, cocaine, ecstasy and heroin. I will also discuss controlled substances, but mainly in reference to prescription pills. I discuss the short-term and long-term effects of all the drugs I cover as well as withdrawal symptoms. I will close with drug abuse treatment help and support and follow with my conclusion. Psychological Effects of Street Drugs A street drug is defined as any substance taken for nonmedical purposes. They can be legal or illegal and are comprised of amphetamines, barbiturates, opiates, psychoactive drugs and as well as natural sources. A drug is a chemical substance that has known biological effects on humans. For this paper I will be discussing drugs under the three categories of being legal, illegal and controlled substances. The most common legal drugs I will discuss are caffeine, alcohol and nicotine. The more common illegal drugs that I will discuss are marijuana, cocaine, ecstasy and heroin. There are numerous controlled substances as well and it is defined as a drug or chemical that is regulated by the government. For controlled substances I will only be covering prescription pills. Legal Drugs Caffeine is a central nervous stimulant that can change drowsiness to alertness...
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...that there are many different definitions and understandings of adolescents, most of which are not as directly related to chronological age (Santrock, 2001). Adolescents are a very special population because these are often the years in which childhood and adulthood become blurred, roles, expectations and needs change, as well as significant physical and psychological growth. As we also know, experimentation is often characteristic of adolescence and this experimentation can be physical, sexual or philosophical; all of which may possibly lead to drug use. This paper seeks to examine the question of whether or not drug abuse is related to psychosis in adolescents. Literature Review Adolescent Drug Use According to a national study in 2006, over 60 percent of reported that drugs were used, kept and sold on their school campuses on a regular basis. These drugs included popular illicit drugs such as marijuana and Ecstasy as well cocaine and prescription drugs (Eaton, 2006). While many people appear hopeful at the minor decrease in use of illicit drugs by adolescents in recent years, many fail to recognize the corresponding increase in teens using and abusing prescription drugs. Prescription drugs have become increasingly popular with...
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...hyperactivity, inattention, and impulsivity (Rodriguez, 2010). In order to treat such a disorder, cognitive stimulants are used to counteract the symptoms and calm the patient in order to for them to focus. However, these medications have a paradoxical effect on people who do not suffer from such a disorder. This has caused many people, mostly college and high school students, to use them for cognitive enhancement rather than to treat a condition. A study completed by DeSantis and Hane (2010) surveyed and analyzed information given to them by an undergraduate sample, to find out their justifications for using these pharmaceuticals illegally. Of the arguments presented by the undergraduates, there were four main contentions: comparison-and-contrast, all-things-in-moderation, self-medicating, and minimization (DeSantis & Hane, p31). This paper will focus on comparison-and-contrast, and how the arguments are inconsistent with facts and information available. Due to the amount of compelling research completed in this area, DeSantis & Hane completed an additional experiment to concur and elaborate on the great findings found in the other studies; one of which found as many as 34% of the student sample using a form of cognitive stimulant (p32). DeSantis and Hane surveyed a selection of 175 students from a South-eastern university who have used Adderall, Ritalin, or other stimulant for recreation or as a study tool. In order to understand the rationale of the students who use the...
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...How effective is the use of medical marijuana? Can the treatments benefits outweigh the risks? In recent years the debate over the use of medical marihuana increased rapidly. Whereas a patient suffering from chronic pain in California can easily get a doctor’s prescription for medical cannabis, the German patient suffering from the very same symptoms would not be allowed to treat his ache with marijuana, which is the most common name for the hemp plant, or Cannabis sativa. Cannabis can be classified as one of the oldest drugs known to humanity. Its history dates back until the Neolithic times in China about 6,000 years ago. From there, the plant spread to India and the Middle East where it widely served as an analgesic, anticonvulsant, antispasmodic, antiemetic and hypnotic (Hall &Degenhardt, 2003). Moreover the hemp was reported to be a successful appetite stimulant as well as effective in treating a number of disorders, including tetanus, neuralgia, asthma and migraine as well as in alcohol and opium addiction and in the treatment of mental illnesses (McKim& Hancock, 2013). Not recognized at first as a substance producing intoxicating effects, marijuana’s use spread soon all over Europe and the U.S. in the 19th century, where it was used for medical purposes. The plants medical benefits were substituted in the early 20th century by pharmaceutical opiates, acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) and sedatives like chloral hydrates and the barbiturates, which could be given...
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...Dean’s List And More A Research Essay About Why College Students Are Using and Abusing Stimulants To Get By February, 2014 Abstract Prescription stimulant use as academic performance enhancers is increasingly widespread among college students and the prescription stimulant use as "cognitive enhancers" has been described among undergraduate college students. Adderall and Ritalin are the most popular among the students. Some use the drugs to stay awake to study to get by with good grades, even with acknowledgement of the dangers of using. However, the use of prescription stimulants among future graduated students is at risk. Table of Contents Abstract…………………………………………………………………………………... 2 Chapter 1 ……………………………………………………………………………..….. 4 Purpose of the Study ……………………………………..……………… 4 Statement …………………………………………………..……………. 4 Research Questions …………………………………………..…………. 5 Significance of the Study ……………………………………..………… 5 Delimitation ……………………………………………..……………… 5 Definition of Terms …………………………………………..………… 6 Chapter 2 Literature Review…………………………………………………………….. 7 Chapter 3 Research Methods …………………………………………………………… 18 References ………………………………………………………….…………………… 22 Appendix A ……………………………………………………………………………… 23 Dean’s List and More Nature of Study If you are a full time student with heavy load of courses while working to support your lifestyle, then you will be worrying where you can find the time. Undergraduate college students do stress...
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...Introduction The question of whether or not to legalize drugs in America has been a strong debate for many decades. Each year there has been a growing number of deaths because of drugs in the United States. With these numbers, there are still wide spread efforts to legalize illicit drugs around the country. This paper will research drug legalization in the United States versus other countries, the positives and negatives, and a reasoned opinion on the topic. When debating the issue of drug legalization and crime, there are questions to ask: Do drugs cause crime and do they inevitably lead to crime? If drugs are made legal, would there be less crime? If the government subsidized addicts, would they still engage in criminal conduct? What would happen if drugs were legalized (Hartnett, 2005)? States like Washington and Colorado have made Marijuana legal, all other states and countries are watching the results. They are watching what legalizing marijuana does for the economy, tax revenue, and crime reduction. There is an international impact with marijuana legalization. History behind the drug war Throughout the history of the drug war, both state and federal law enforcement agencies have cracked down on both drug abusers and drug dealers. During the late 60s, the U.S. government founded the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs (BNDD). The BNDD worked a study to find a correlation between crime and heroin addiction. They found that 44 percent of...
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...The topic of prostitution and drug use has been an ongoing battle over the decriminalization of these so called victimless crimes. They are both correlated to sociological factors, such as, race, gender, socioeconomic standing and age, which, increases the likelihood of becoming involved in prostitution and illegal drug use. They are correlated to each other because prostitution is a means of income to support drug use and drug use is used to make a prostitutes work “bearable”. This paper will discuss in detail, prostitution and illicit drug use, including the contributions of sociological variables. Furthermore, it will distinguish whether the two are truly victimless crimes. Finally, it will include a personal opinion regarding the decriminalization of drug abuse and prostitution. Prostitution is associated with sexual services for hire. Lyn Stankiewicz Murphy defined prostitution as “a behaviour that involves the exchange of sexual services for economic compensation in the form of drugs, money, or needed resources” (2010, p.775). There are several types of prostitutes that are based on their status. From lowest status to highest, they are: streetwalkers, bar prostitutes, house prostitutes, massage-parlour prostitutes and escort service prostitutes. Streetwalkers are those who solicit their availability on the streets and are most often ran by pimps. Bar prostitutes work in bars and lounges, while house prostitutes “operate illegally and on a small scale” and are “managed...
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...[pic]Drug dependence - Overview Alternative Names Drug addiction; Addiction - drug; Dependence on drugs Definition of Drug dependence: Drug dependence means that a person needs a drug to function normally. Abruptly stopping the drug leads to withdrawal symptoms. Drug addiction is the compulsive use of a substance, despite its negative or dangerous effects. A person may have a physical dependence on a substance without having an addiction. For example, certain blood pressure medications do not cause addiction but they can cause physical dependence. Other drugs, such as cocaine, cause addiction without leading to physical dependence. Tolerance to a drug (needing a higher dose to attain the same effect) is usually part of addiction. Causes, incidence, and risk factors: Drug abuse can lead to drug dependence or addiction. People who use drugs for pain relief may become dependent, although this is rare in those who don't have a history of addiction. The exact cause of drug abuse and dependence is not known. However, a person's genes, the action of the drug, peer pressure, emotional distress, anxiety, depression, and environmental stress all can be factors. Peer pressure can lead to drug use or abuse, but at least half of those who become addicted have depression, attention deficit disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, or another mental health problem. Children who grow up in an environment of illicit drug use may first see their parents using drugs. This may put them at a...
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...Symptoms Page 8 -------- Ethnic and Cultural Page 9 -------- Cont. Ethnic and Cultural Page 10 ------ Cont. Ethnic and Cultural Page 11 ------ Societal Attitudes and Stigma Page 12 ------ Cont. Societal Attitude and Stigma Page 13 ------ References Audience Teenagers abuse a variety of drugs, both legal and illegal. Legally available drugs include alcohol, prescribed medications, inhalants (fumes from glues, aerosols, and solvents) and over-the-counter cough, cold, sleep, and diet medications. The most commonly used illegal drugs are marijuana (pot), stimulants (cocaine, crack, and speed), LSD, PCP, opiates, heroin, and designer drugs (Ecstasy). The use of illegal drugs is increasing, especially among young teens. The average age of first marijuana use is 14, and alcohol use can start before age 12. The use of marijuana and alcohol in high school has become common. The audience for this informational seminar would be aimed to Middle school teachers and administrators prior towards the students entering high school. These are people who educate students, most of whom are in sixth through eighth grades. They help students build on the fundamentals they learned in elementary school and prepare them for the more difficult lessons they will learn in high school. To understand the prevalence of drug abuse among students, school leaders and health educators can add questions about drug abuse to health risk surveys...
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...suggested that marijuana is the root cause of many mental disorders. In spite of government warnings about health risks, many people see it as a harmless substance that helps you to relax and ‘chill’ – a drug that, unlike alcohol and cigarettes, might even be good for your physical and mental health. On the other hand, recent research has suggested that it can be a major cause of psychotic illnesses in those who are genetically vulnerable. This paper looks at the research on mood disorders and the use of cannabis for its treatment. It will brief on the types of mood disorders, their symptoms, and treatment and finally discuss both positive and negative effects of using marijuana as a ‘cure’ for mood disorders. WHAT ARE MOOD DISORDERS? Mood disorders, or affective disorders, are mental health problems such as all types of depression, bipolar disorder, and mania (Klasco, 2011). The disorders in this category include those where the primary symptom is a disturbance in mood; in other words, inappropriate, exaggerated, or limited range of feelings. There are chemicals in the brain, called endorphins, which are responsible for positive moods. Other chemicals in the brain, called neurotransmitters, regulate endorphins. Most likely, depression (and other mood disorders) is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain (The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center). Life events (such as unwanted changes in life) may also contribute to a depressed mood. WHAT IS MARIJUANA? Marijuana...
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...Legalization of Marijuana The plant cannabis sativa, better known as marijuana or hemp, has been used by many in different ways. It has been grown to provide food for villages and towns, and used for cloths, sails on early ships and most commonly rope. Many famous writings were written on hemp paper such as The Bible and a draft of the U.S. Constitution (Cronin, 1993). For many years people have smoked marijuana for recreational purposes. Although it was illegal to possess, smokers may still have partaken in the ritual of getting high, stoned, bombed, blitzed are only some of the terms that are used. Many will claim that marijuana is not a bad drug and many will say it is. In this argument we will identify that if it is true to fact or is it just a ploy by the government to keep it illegal. The use for medical purposes has also come to scrutiny as well. The majority of Americans choose the same issues as the most threatening to the nation. Invariably among these one will see “drugs” as a major concern of most Americans. There is speculation that this is due to a perceived association between drugs and crime (Inciardi, 1999). A good deal of the argument over government policy towards drugs centers on the least unhealthy and most socially accepted of the illegal drugs, marijuana. Marijuana, scientifically known as Tetra-hydro-cannabinol (THC), belongs to its own group among other legal and illegal drugs. It is neither a narcotic, such as heroin, nor a stimulant, such as caffeine...
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...behavior until their drug abuse interrupts their lives. The most prevalent drugs of abuse among teenagers include alcohol, marijuana, and prescription drugs as well as common over-the-counter medications such as cough syrups containing pseudoephedrine and inhalants. This paper focuses on the drug abuse of prescription medications among teenagers from age 13 to 18 that has emerged as a public health concern and one that has evolved into epidemic levels. This seeks to elevate the visibility of the elapsed challenges, and problems associated with this epidemic. Prescription Medication Abuse: A Public Health Threat There is a compelling rationale that prescription medications are intentionally to be taken under the direction of a physician because if improperly consume these can be hazardous. Subsequently, teens are crafting decision to abuse prescription medications based on lack of information. In fact, numerous teens assumed that prescription medication abuse is safer than abusing illicit medications. Unfortunately, drug abuse pertaining to medication prescription is on the rise. This is the primary reason why this is relevant to me, more over because I have two teenagers. In 2004, approximately 15 million Americans between the ages of 12 and up took prescription medication illicitly. Painkillers, anti-anxiety medications, stimulants, and steroids are some powerful prescription medications that teens abused. How are these prescription medications...
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