Difference Between Substance Abuse And Treatment

Substance abuse and treatment is something that is very important to know for working in human services. Throughout history, communities have always used different substances but now most societies are regulating the use of these substances. This can be seen with the rise of alcoholism and the prohibition era. The prohibition ultimately failed because people were still getting access to alcohol. Today, over one half of the US population drinks alcohol. I also learned that there is a difference between alcohol use and abuses, although today, there is more of a shift from substance abuse to substance use. Substance abuse is an overindulgence of an addictive substance where one becomes dependent, while substance use is when one uses drugs or alcohol. And what is becoming more popular is a substance use disorder, which is when the substance use aids to the distress a person may feel. Addiction treatment in the US has shaped health care today. An example is Managed Care, which is when the cost of treatment is taken care of by one company and use doctors that are delegated do the treatment. Also, addiction could be understood in a biological manner, the addictive disease model, or in a social or behavioral perspective, behavioral/environmental model, or in a combination of both, the academic model. Those who struggle …show more content…
Substances that can lead to addiction are often placed in these communities by powers at large (Native Americans and alcohol, along with the crack cocaine epidemic in Black/Latino communities in the 70s and 80s). We also have to take into account the lack of resources in low-income communities, along with the lack of social capital that these individuals have. If you have the money or the resources you would be able to at least have the options to go to these treatment