Treatment for Substance Abuse, Essay Example

Substance abuse is the consistent and excessive consumption of substances that is above and beyond a prescribed dosage.  Substance abuse can often lead to psychological or physical addiction.  Many people have experienced problems with addition from cigarettes, narcotic agents, and alcohol consumption.  Due to the added costs of purchasing the drugs, receiving treatment and rehabilitation for addiction, and the illegal aspect of the drugs, our culture considers substance abuse the social plague of our time.  It impacts everyone whether politically, economically, socially or medically.  Meanwhile, the mass media continue to portray illegal substances and narcotics in many positive ways that only expands the problem.  Movies, TV shows and many different forms of advertisements show people smoking pot, doing illegal drugs, drinking alcohol or smoking cigarettes.  Most people are only seeing the positive aspects of these substances because of the ways they are portrayed in the media.  Very seldom do people get to see the impact that addiction and abuse have on the person, the family, and society.

Society views substance abusers similar to the way they view mental patients – they are outcasts of society and publically shamed and can often be ridiculed for their problems.  In many cases people believe that substance abusers are abusing drugs on purpose and that addiction is not real.  They believe that anyone can control their addiction and quit at will, which is not true because certain chemicals and substances can be physically or psychologically addictive.  In the media, mainstream culture uses humor to associate with substance abuse.  TV shows like “That 70s Show” show teenagers and young adults sitting around smoking pot, laughing among friends and having a good time.  There is a rift between these two alternative views where part of society views it as a shameful outcast behavior, while others believe it to be normal, acceptable and funny.

Marijuana is an illegal substance in the United States, although some states have already legalized its use in the medical field.  It can help deliver a sense of calm and reduce pain for patients, especially individuals that are recovering from cancer treatments.  There is a mild euphoria associated with marijuana in some people, but it is not enough to make people highly addicted in most cases.  The overall benefits of marijuana are very clearly shown, which is why it should become legalized in the United States for medicinal purposes only.  If marijuana is legalized to be purchased for any purpose, it can promote substance abuse similar to that of cigarettes and alcohol.  Many proponents of legalization argue that marijuana could be legally sold and taxed, which would help provide more money to the government and allow less strain taxing citizens.  These benefits are very strong toward legalizing marijuana as long as it is in mild doses and for medicinal purposes only.

Treatment for substance abuse can come in the form of therapy, rehabilitation, and even hypnosis.  In the medical profession, most people check themselves into rehab centers to “dry out” or put themselves through a withdrawal period to cure them of the substance abuse problem.  Therapy can also be used where addictions are psychological.  Psychologists can help the abuser understand why he or she uses the drug, the dangers of using it, and provide steps to eliminating it from their lives.  Hypnosis has also been used to cure psychological addiction.  Although this is an alternative treatment, it can sometimes cause great changes and help them quit the habit completely.  Our society should take steps to understand the extent of substance abuse and the great social costs that are associated with it.  There are so many negative impacts of substance abuse that the mainstream media must cease providing media that promote using these substances.  Also, society cannot cast away these individuals.  Instead, members of society should accept the problems of substance abuse and help these individuals receive the treatment they need so it will no longer be considered our “social plague.”