The Temperance Models Of Drug Addiction

Drug Addiction can affect anyone of any age at any time. Drugs come in many forms and can be ingested in different ways. While different drugs may have different effects on the mind and brain one common factor is the continued use even after problems arise in the abusers personal life. Substance abuse does not only affect the person abusing the drug, but also those around the person, especially family and friends. These people are the ones that tend to either perpetuate the problem or help to prevent the problem from continuing. Substance abuse is a huge deal not only because of the harm that it brings to the abuser and his family, but also because of the amount of money that our nation, alone, spends on the cost of drug addiction. We spend …show more content…
Temperance advocates believe that the best way to treat drug addiction is through abstinence. An example of the temperance model in action would be US prohibition or even the heavy taxation on cigarettes that we see in some places today. The temperance model believes that societies have obligations to protect their citizens from the dangers of different substances. Another model of drug addiction is the psychopathology model of drug addiction. In this model drug addiction is seen as a consequence of other mental disorders. Because drug addiction is usually comorbid with other disorders it is often difficult to disentangle the overlapping symptoms of drug addiction. It is imperative that the underlying disorder is correctly diagnosed, especially when taking treatment of the substance abuse into account. The brain-disease model is probably one of the most well-known models when it comes to how substance abuse develops and manifest. This models is strongly supported by scientific evidence and states that the addiction is a disease with biological, genetic, neurological and environmental sources of origin. In this model addiction is said to be an irreversible disease as one with the disease will always have to be careful of relapse and continue to seek …show more content…
The first step in effective treatment is to detoxify the person, which is usually done in a detoxification center where the patient can be monitored and taken care of as physical withdrawal symptoms can be severe and in some cases can end up killing a person. Medication in conjunction with rehabilitation can greatly increase a person’s chances for recovery and increase their chances to not relapse. Some medications used are methadone, naltrexone and Antabuse each having a different way in which they may help a person suffering from substance abuse. There is aversion therapy which may use a medication like Antabuse in order to make a person not want drink alcohol anymore as the Antabuse mixed with the alcohol will cause a volatile reaction in the body. There is replacement therapy in which we replace the use of the drug with the use of a legal and non-destructive medication, like if we were to give a heroin addict methadone in order to replace their need for heroin. There is also craving reduction therapy in which we give a person something in order help reduce their craving, for example if we were to give someone anti-depressants in order to curb cigarette cravings. When going into a rehabilitation center it is important that the therapist outline the goals and treatment plan for the individual before they start. This is