Substance Abuse and Dependency Discuss Research Paper

' If a person does not disclose their drinking behavior if they seek outside help, they may be misdiagnosed as having an anxiety disorder. Mixing alcohol and medications for anxiety disorders can have lethal consequences, as well as prolonging a process of addiction." (Losinno, p. 1)

This denotes that especially in the face of trauma, those who are predisposed to dissonant responses and unhealthy coping mechanisms will struggle at a higher level to be liberated of chemical dependency. With respect to treatment, outreach to specific risk groups such as those who are proven to be vulnerable to PTSD should be seen as a primary intervention strategy. Military veterans, families that have suffered the loss of a loved one, victims of system abuse and victims of traumatic injuries are all targeted candidates for this type of intervention.

3. Discuss genetic impact of chemical dependency? What is the likelihood of some individuals becoming addicted to alcohol/drugs?

As the discussion here above denotes, alcohol and chemical abuse are often socially-constructed tendencies, especially amongst younger abusers. However, with this high level of permeation, there is some question as to why only a fraction of abusers develop a dependency.One possible suggest is that some are genetically predisposed to such dependency. According to Gans (2006), for instance, "numerous pathways, as well as genes whose functions are currently unknown, may contribute to the genetic predisposition to drink high amounts of alcohol." (Gans, 1)

However, it is more likely that one's genetic predisposition is only one of many factors that help to predict one's likelihood to form an addiction. Accordingly, we find that "there are a variety of causative factors which can be at work in producing alcoholic behavior, including genetic, environmental, and experiential factors, and alcoholism can be produced by any one of these factors even though the others are absent." (Swegan, 1) This is to suggest that the ability to predict a likelihood of chemical dependency is formed on a wide cross-section of characteristics, of which genetics and social context are both substantial determinants.

Works Cited:

Gans, S. (2006). New Genes Found for Excessive Alcohol Drinking. About Alcoholism.

Grinsteinner, K. (2006). Targeting Teen Drinking. Hibbing, MN: The Daily Tribune.

Losinno, N.D. (2007). Double Trouble: Anxiety and Substance Abuse. Employee Assistance Program Manager.

Stephens, P. & Smith, R. (2012)......