Drug and Alcohol Addiction

Drug and alcohol addiction is the repeated and excessive use of drugs and alcohol to achieve a certain effect that can develop a physical and psychological dependency with many causes, types, symptoms, and treatments. There are various kinds of treatment for them both. The cause of substance abuse have been examined through several studies which showed drugs and alcohol are used to get relief from untreated mental or physical pain, through genetics, and low self-esteem. It is very important to know information about drug and alcohol addiction because not only is it a battle for the individual it impacts their family as well.

“Whether a drug is considered good or bad depends not on objective conditions but on subjective concerns. Subjective concerns are not fixed, but changed over time. These concerns, and the views they generate, influence how people use and abuse drugs, whether a drug will be legal or illegal, and what social policies people want to adopt” (Henslin, 2008, p. 87). Drug addicts depend on the regular consumption of a drug to make it throughout the day.

Drug addiction has been a problem for many people for centuries. Many drugs that were used for medical purpose such as opium, heroin, and cocaine resulted in problems that led to these substances becoming banned. Addiction is now widely classed as a disease which is progressive, incurable and will lead to death or institutionalization if not arrested. Addiction affects all those whom are close to the individual that finds themselves powerless to stop seeking and consuming drugs habitually and their lives begin to suffer (Sage, 2009). According to Lewis, people do not agree that treatment works. The stigma of drug addiction interferes with the acceptance scientific knowledge of this problem and the attempts to remedy it (1997).

Most researchers use statistical procedures to elaborate on information to summarize the characteristics of people in the study of to convey data collected in a study. In studying drug and alcohol addiction, the use of descriptive statistics is appropriate to help the researcher to summarize and make understandable the effects of drug addiction. In different studies different forms of statistical procedures are use to convey data (Aron, Aron, & Coups, 2008).

Henslin (2008) stated how each theory has a different understanding of drugs as a social problem. The symbolic interactionists see drug addiction as powerful symbols that affect social life. Drugs can be viewed differently. Some drug users may see drugs as a diversion and they can do without them. Some drug users may see drugs as if they cannot do without them. Functionalists examine drugs as functions and dysfunctions. Any drugs that are used are dysfunctional when it interferes with people’s physical or social functioning. Conflict theorists view drugs as being used a political tool. By making a drug used by a common group illegal, the authorities can unleash