HISTORY, PHILOSOPHY, AND TRENDS IN ADDICTION (Essay Sample)

Student's Name Professor's Name Subject Title Due Date HISTORY, PHILOSOPHY, AND TRENDS IN ADDICTION History and philosophy of addiction treatment Addiction is a condition that arises after consuming a substance or engaging in an activity. The substances that one can consume and be addicted include alcohol, cocaine, and nicotine. The habits one can indulge into and be addicted are sex, gambling, and even shopping. Once a person is used to consuming a substance or engaging in a particular activity, addiction comes out as a result. Philosophy indicates that one's life dictates whether the activity being engaged in or substance taken will result into addiction. Repeated activities lead to addiction such as drinking of alcohol. The historical treatment of addiction was started by switching from one addiction substance to another. However, it was like a change of the cause but not healing the addiction. Even though the change of the substance consumed does not cure addiction, it reduces the diseases caused by the consumption of the substances. Today the treatment of addiction is trusted in one's beliefs and spirituality. Religion is taken to be the best way to cure an addicted person. Christians do belief that praying for an addict will help him/her to recover from the substance or the activity. Apart from spiritual beliefs, some people set steps in the process of healing from the addiction. When the steps are followed well, the rate of engaging in the activity declines as well as the amount of substance consumed reduces (Van, Wormer K. S, and Davis). Stigmas associated with addiction and treatment Addiction is no longer a moral failure but a change in the structure and functioning of the brain. When the brain is tuned to use a substance or to engage in a certain activity, it becomes a habit. Drug addicts, as well as sex addicts, receive all sorts of society prejudice and ridicule. An addict of something results in shame and guilt due to how the community refers to the addicts. They are assumed to be second-class citizens. The stigma of addiction impacts everyone in the society because of many reasons. The reasons include lack of seeking treatment. Also, the medical practitioners fail to treat the addicts properly. The addicts are discriminated in the society hence even funding for their treatment is a problem due to the isolation. For example, if an addict is associated with the use of marijuana he/she is sent to jail and in cases where addicts recover, they are always suspected to be in the same state of addiction. How to overcome stigmas associated with addiction Even though it is hard t overcome stigma on drug addicts, set up programs to educate victims will help. Centers like rehab can be set up to send addicts and let them take the recommended steps to recovery. Another way of overcoming stigma can be avoiding discrimination of the victims of addiction. Addiction assessments and treatment planning tools The assessment of addiction is done to have the basic overview of the screening, following the 12 steps of the ideal assessment, and involves the discussion of the key treatment considerations. The planning tools include the setting of rehabilitation centers and organizing programs that will educate the victims of the dangers of using the substances or being involved in the activities that lead to addiction (Simmons, Catherine A, and Lehmann). Individualized addiction treatment theories and approaches Addiction treatment approaches include medication, treatment of behavior, and the use of criminal justice system to treat. In the medications given are used to suppress the conditions and try to fight with the detoxification symptoms. The treatment of behavior is used to change the attitude towards the use of the drugs and engagement in addictive activities. The use of justice system is to tea...