Addiction- Abstract

For my project, I am focusing on addiction. More specifically, I’m focusing on the role parents play in the prevention of addiction. One of the most important parts of preventing addiction is not D.A.R.E or programs at school for the children. It’s so vital for parents to have a good connection with their children and to be talking to them and having open, nonjudgmental conversations with their children about drugs prior to them being introduced to them. “School and community programs that educate adolescents about the devastating consequences of addiction can reduce the numbers of teens likely to try cigarettes, alcohol, or drugs. But specialists emphasize that families play a major role in preventing addiction. Families that nurture strong bonds between parents and children, that emphasize parental involvement in children’s activities, that set clear and reasonable limits, and that consistently enforce discipline are creating conditions likely to prevent a child from abusing drugs.” (“Addiction”)

            My first source is called “The Science of Addiction”. From this article, I learned about what addictions are and the affect they have on the brain. “’Addictions,’ says Joseph Franscella, director of the division of clinical neuroscience at the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), ‘are repetitive behaviors in the face of negative consequences, the desire to continue something you know is bad for you.’” The next article, titled “Behavioral Addictions” taught me about impulse control disorders. These include more than just substance abuse and include many other types of addictions. “…An impulse generally involves urges that produce a strong drive to perform the behavior, which may feel good at the time but ultimately produces regret…” Last, is an article called “Addiction” which taught me about the process of addiction. It also briefly mentioned how parents can help with prevention, which I quoted in the first paragraph. Another valuable source is my mother, who is an addictions counselor.

            I believe that addiction can in many ways be prevented. Programs designed to teach parents how to talk to their children and how to act with their children will help with this because parents will learn their vital role in preventing their children from experimenting with drugs later on in their lives. The stronger a parent-child relationship is, the less likely it will be that their children will develop dangerous addictions later in life. I plan to somehow communicate with the elementary schools and persuading them to develop some programs that will do some of these things and teach the parents of their students about their role in prevention, the variety of addictions that their children can develop, how important it is for them to create safe and healthy environments for their kids while growing up, and what they can do to help.

Addiction- Post 3 ("Addiction")

After reading this article, I think that the real issue with addiction is teaching children and teenagers the benefits of sobriety. Most teens will try drugs and it's difficult for anyone to stop them. But, I think that what schools need to stress instead of what drugs will do to a person is what can be accomplished by not doing drugs. The main people that can prevent children and teenagers from becoming addicts are parents. "Schools and community programs that educate adolescents about the devestating consequences of addiction can reduce the number of teens likely to try cigarettes, alcohol, or drugs. But specialists emphasize taht families play a major role in preventing addiction. Families that nurture strong bonds between parents and children, that emphasize parental involvement in children's acitivities, that set clear and reasonable limits, and that consistently enforce discipline are creating conditions likely to prevent a child from abusing drugs." This seems to be a very accurate assumption, becuase it seems that those with strong and close families are less likely to want to try drugs because they don't really feel the need to or they don't want to hurt or upset their family. But, those who are from broken or distant families don't feel that either anyone will care or that anyone will stop them from becoming addicted to drugs. I think that instead of the programs that are at school now, we need more people talking to parents about their role in their children's vulnerability to addiciton. The article also meantions advertisments and the media's role in the prevention of addiction. But, I think that the bigger issue is how the media makes drugs and alcohol seem fun, exciting, and harmless. Actors, actresses, and music artists are shown addicted to drugs or trying them. This provides negative role models for children and adolescents instead of positive ones that prove that sobriety can help an individual acheive much more than drugs and alcohol can. I know that without my sober parents, I would have a much more difficult time being sober because I wouldn't have anyone to look up to. So many teens are expereimenting with drugs and don't realize the affect that they are having on one another and their parents don't see that by passively allowing their children to do drugs they are encouraging their negative behavior. As I said in other posts, everyone has the potential to become an addict. But, everyone also has the potential to prevent addiction for both themselves and those around them. I think it's okay to try new things and maybe experiement with drugs, but if it gets to the point of addiction, there's no turning back. Everyone needs to help each other on the road to sobriety and recovery instead of dragging one another further down a hole of self- destruction and substance abuse.

Addiction- Post 2 ("The Science of Addiction")

"'Addictions,' says Joseph Frascella, director of the division of clinical neuroscience at the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), 'are repetitive behaviors int he face of negative consequences, the desire to continue something that you know is bad for you.'" Everyone has the potential to be an addict. According to this article, due to heredity, some people are more susceptible to becoming addicted to a specific substance such as alcohol. But, no one is immune to becoming addicted. Almost anything enjoyable can turn into an addiction. This is a bit frightening because there are many things that people enjoy and that they do every day. But, once a person is addicted, it's very difficult to turn back. As I've heard before, once an addict always an addict. Even if someone stops drinking or doing their drug of choice or eating compulsively, they are still an addict. This article offers some possibilities for counteracting addictions. For example, doctors have focused on the neurotransmitter dopamine. "The hope is that if you can dampen the effect of the brain chemical that carries the pleasurable signal, you can loosen the drug's hold." Therefore, blocking the D3 interrupts a lot of the drug's affects, according to Fank Vocci. In order to really help an addict recover, it is important to look at the rehabilitation programs available now and their affect on those who attend them. Addictions are so difficult to treat because of the affect their drug usage has had on their brain, and how difficult it is to reverse these changes. "If the damage that lingers in an addict's learning abilities also hangs on in behavioral areas, this could explain why rehabilitation programs that rely on cognitive therapy--teaching new ways to think about the need for a substance and the consequences of using it-- may not always be effective, especailly in the first weeks and months after getting clean. 'Therapy is a learning process,' notes Vocci. 'We are trying to get [addicts] to change cognition and behavior at a time when they are least able to do so.'" Now, evidence is supporting the 90-day rehabilitation model becuase it is just about how long it takes for the brain to reset itself and shake off the immediate influence of a drug. But despite how healthy an addicts brain may look eventually, the author stresses that they will always be in recovery and will never lose their vulnerability to their drug of choice.

Addiction- Post 1 ("Behavioral Addictions")

Most people like to be in control of themselves. But, imagine if that is not possible? For 8-35 millioni people suffering from an impulse control disorder and therefore a behavioral addiction, this is their reality. Impulse control disorders are "manifested by an inability to control the frequency or extent of a certain behavior or the impulsive urges that cause the behavior." (Hollen) There are many impulse control disorders, including compulsive computer use, compulsive shopping, self-injury, intermittent explosive disorder, kleptomania, pathological gambling, pyromania, sexual addiction, and trichotillomania. Eating disorders such as bulimia, anorexia, and obesity may also fall into this category. The biggest issue I see with these disorders are the fact that they are uncontrollable. It is so important for one to have some degree of self-control. Those suffereing from an impulse control disorder or behavioral addiction are not able to control the behaviors they participate in. Another issue is that so many cases are unrecognized, undiagnosed, or misdiagnosed. More often than not, individuals choose not to report their behavior because they are ashamed of it or when they go to a doctor they are diagnosed with depression and/or anxiety disorders. Though mental disorders and addictive behaviors "feed off of one another" (Hollen), it is important that the patient is diagnosed with both if both are present and treat each disease instead of just one. The last issue presented by this article that accompanies impulse control disorders are that "roughly 50 percent of people diagnosed with impulse control disorders also have a history of substance abuse." (Hollen) This is yet another problem with the disease becuase it adds on more addictions and also allows treatment for the substance abuse and not the impulse control disorder. I think that I will look into how these addictions are hidden, and how to break through the walls that society has created that makes individuals ashamed of their addictions and habitual behaviors and instead figure out at as soon as possible how to treat them.

Race in America

I read the article “U.S. Whites Edging Toward Minority Status”. This article explained how by the middle of the century, whites will most likely be the minority in America. This is really interesting because whites in America, as both Hacker and Wise wrote, whites think that they are superior to other races and have an advantage in this country for being white. When whites are no longer the majority in America, it’s going to be interesting to see if the racism intertwined with our society will diminish or begin to. It will be hard for whites to have an advantage when suddenly they are the minority in public places and at schools like so many other races have had to deal with for a long time in this country. I also read the article “Commentary: Why Americans Can’t Get Over Race”. This article talks about many similar things to what Hacker and Wise wrote. The author described how difficult it is nowadays to talk about race in any context. In order to start dealing with the problem, we need to be able to talk about the problem both blacks and whites together. But, it is nearly impossible to do this because all discussions end up in arguments or indifference. “We are convinced that what is needed in America is a serious, open, civil dialogue on racial, ethnic and religious prejudice.” (Cohen) It’s interesting because this article talks about Obama and his role in America and the racial issues that remain in America today. I think that this helped to apply what I learned in the packet from Hacker and Wise to what is going on today. In the articles that I read, there seems to be a bias towards tolerance and reconciliation of blacks and whites. This is not a bad bias in my opinion, but it still seems to be there. This is good but it does not provide the opposite side of the argument; people who want things to remain the same or even grow more segregated than we already are.

Hidden Bias

The test that I took proved that I am slightly to moderately biased towards whites. This information makes it seem like it is not entirely a person’s choice whether or not to be racist or not. Stereotypes are learned at a really young age, so it is something that is subconscious and not necessarily what we think about every day. The decisions we make and the words that we choose to use I think are based on these stereotypes that we develop far before we even know what stereotypes are. Biases are also developed like this. I think they are determined by the society and surroundings a child is brought up in/ around. Almost everyone has a bias, it’s hard not to. These biases are not something though that I or probably most people think about on a daily basis. Instead, they are reflected in our choices and views about different people and ideas. I think that my hidden biases influence me in ways that I am not consciously aware of. They influence the way I talk and the way I automatically think about a person when I see them. They control how I feel about certain people and situations and how I handle them. I think that our hidden biases influence us far more than anybody realizes.

Obama's State of the Union Address

I really liked Obama's speech. I agree with the majority of what he said. I think it is so important for the American people to work together and trying to solve the problems our country is facing for the greater good of the entire country. It was really awesome to see democrats and republicans sitting together and at times clapping together, and it makes me believe in the future of America a little more. Although we all have different perspectives and view points, it is important for Americans to put aside their differences and work for the greater good instead of their personal desires. Obama is speaking to all the people, not just one party. He is trying to persuade everyone to unite and come together as the united country we say we are. I also really liked what he said about education. The future of America is in the hands of the children, who will eventually be running everything. In order for our country to be the best place it can be, it is vital that all American children have an equal opportunity to aquire as much knowledge as they can about the world and about the vast amount of opportunities available to them through the pursuit of knowledge. It is so important that teenagers and children are lucky enough to have inspirational, caring, and intelligent teachers like we at Deerfield are so lucky to have. Without education, there is no possibility for the future; in order to figure out what else is out there, everyone has to know what already exists. Despite all of the criticism and hate that people send in Obama's direction, I think this speech was really inspiring and hopeful. He helped me be more optimistic about the future and I think that is what make him a good president. He is not focused on personal benefit nor supporting only one party's beliefs. Instead, he's trying to help the greater good and bring the counry together. Some call this socialist, I think he is what the country really needs if Amerians just work with him and stop fighting with eachother because it is not getting us anywhere. If anything, it is holding us back.

"Beautiful Boy" Response 3: Methamphetimine

The most prominent and apparent issue in this book is drug and alcohol abuse. David Sheff does a beautiful job of illustrating and recounting his son, Nic’s, addiction to methamphetamine. From a frighteningly young age, Nic’s relationship with drugs and alcohol began and continued to escalate. Sheff describes all the factors that go along with drug addiction including personality changes, the hurt and pain it results in for family members and loved ones, and the numerous attempts to become and remain clean. He wrote all about methamphetamine; described its history, popularity, and destruction. It has been and continues to be one of the most abused drugs in the United States. Meth destroys a person on the inside and outside. It can change a good kid into a criminal; a monster. “Meth use is an epidemic in many states, but the enormity of the problem has only recently been acknowledged in Washington, partly because of the lag between the time it took for the newest wave of addicts to fill up the nation’s hospitals, rehab facilities, and jails. Former Drug Enforcement Administration chief Asa Hutchinson called methamphetamine ‘the number one drug problem in America.’ It is overwhelming law enforcement, policy-makers, and health-care systems.” (111) In health class sophomore year, I learned a little about meth and irreparable damage it causes to those who are addicted to it. Sheff brought life to this issue. With him, the reader is taken through the timeline of Nic’s meth addiction and shown firsthand the consequences that meth results in for both the addict themselves and those who surround and care about him or her. It was heartbreaking at points, seeing the situation from a parent’s perspective. The entire book it just seemed unfair and selfish. It’s different seeing an addict through the eyes of his father rather than through his own eyes. The addiction that Nic developed to methamphetamine consumed his life. He was no longer himself, he was the drug. He didn’t care anymore about surfing and music and all that he loved. His life was taken over by his drug addiction. It’s scary how quickly and easily an addiction can happen. Especially with meth, which can become an addiction the first time it is used. Beautiful Boy taught me a lot about meth and gave it a face, a personality; life. It’s not just something that homeless people use as I thought before. It is available and not difficult for anybody to develop an addiction to methamphetamine. This fact is scary because anyone can be an addict, even those who don’t seem to fit the profile.   

"Beautiful Boy" Response 2: Parent-Child Relationships

Another issue that this book presented was that of parent child relationships as they are growing up. Throughout a child's life, their parents have a huge impact on their lives. Sheff struggles to come to terms with the fact that parents make mistakes and that it's not completely his fault for Nic becoming an addict. "'Families may well have caused pain for the addicts. They may well have failed the addicts in some significant way. (After all, what human relationship is perfect?) But addicts bring up these problems not to clear the air or with the hope of healing old wounds. They bring them up solely to induce guilt, a tool with which they manipulate others in pursuit of their continued addiction.'" (146) Upon reading this, which was written by Beverly Conyers, he is taught that although of course an addicts' family life had an impact on the person and addict they became in later life, they are not solely responsible. Blame is something that addicts and their families struggle with greatly. It's very difficult for their families to not place all the blame on themselves and for addicts to not place the blame on their family. Sheff and Nic's mother divorced when Nic was a very young age. This had a major impact on him, especially when his mom moved to New York and he had to spend his summers with her every year. "I know that the divorce and custody arrangement were the most difficult aspects of his childhood. Children of divorce use drugs and alcohol before the age of fourteen ore often than the children of intact families. In one study, 85 percent of children of divorce were heavy drug users in high school compared to 24 percent of those from intact families." (177) Divorce therefore has a major impact on children. Being from a divorced family, it is easy for me to relate to this. Divorce is really difficult for kids and though I was 12 when my parents divorced, it had a major impact on me and the person I am now. For me, I believe the struggles associated with this made me a stronger person, but for Nic that was not the case.

"Beautiful Boy" Response 1: Addiction

"When my child was born, it was impossible to imagine that he would suffer in the ways that Nic has suffered. Parents want only good things for their children. I was a typical parent who felt that this could not happen to us-not my son."  (16) The author of the book, Beautiful Boy, David Sheff struggles throughout the book to deal with just this- that addiction can happen to anyone. No one, despite race, religion, location, or any other societal factor, is invincible to addiction. "Addiction is an equal-opportunity affliction- affecting people without regard to their economic circumstance, their education, their race, their geography, their IQ, or any other factor." (178) That is the scary part of addiction, because it is in each person's hands whether or not they avoid addiction. As a parent, Sheff describes how difficult this is because you just have to hope that your child will make good choices. Through Sheff's eyes, I was able to see Nic's downfall and ultimate addiction to methamphetimine and how much he struggled to overcome this addiction. Many people refer to drug addiction as a disease, and ultimately it is. But what is so difficult to understand when your family member is an addict, is that it is a disease that they did to themselves. "People with cancer or emphysema or heart disease don't lie and steal. Someone dying of those diseases would do anything in their power to live. But here's the rub of addiction. By its nature, people afflicted are unable to do what, from the outside, appears to be a simple solution- don't drink. Don't use drugs. In exchange for that one small sacrifce, you will be given a gift that other terminally ill people would give anything for: life." (178) This book taught me a lot about addiction, a topic that I thought I knew a lot about already. In the ways that Sheff described it though, I was able to see how horrible of a disease it truly is. It will kill them, they can stop it, and a lot of the time don't see this until it's too late. Drug addiction clouds their minds, impairing them from deciding that they want to live in exchange for doing drugs.