DB 1 development of substance abuse

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Liberty University *

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306

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Psychology

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Feb 20, 2024

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docx

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Uploaded by DeaconElephantMaster743

The authors of our week's textbook detail many elements that contribute, affect, or lead to substance abuse. After thoroughly analyzing all the options, I have chosen the following three aspects to be most important in the development of substance abuse: heredity, environmental, and psychoactive drugs. As a recovering substance addict, these three elements were the most influential during my addiction. Heredity describes the traits and characteristics we inherit from our parents and family genes. Most people know that hair color, eye color, etc., are genetically inherited. However, in recent years, there has been development in the connection of over 89 genes connected to drug abuse, and another 900 are suggested to assist in the vulnerability of developing an addiction (Inaba & Cohen, 2014, p. 2.38). This is groundbreaking in further understanding how substance abuse and addiction begin. This also correlates with the next aspect of environmental factors. Environmental factors also include behavioral and stress- related elements in the individual's life. These factors include but are not limited to sexual/physical/emotional abuse, stress, love, family relationships, and peer pressure (Inaba & Cohen, 2014, p. 2.40). When an individual experiences excessive pain, they find coping mechanisms to deal with that pain, mask the pain, or alleviate that pain. Substance abuse is one of the top contending mechanisms to deal with pain, whether it be emotional or physical. Understanding that as a child's brain develops, it remembers the coping mechanism chosen with as much clarity as the stress and pain experienced is essential (Inaba & Cohen, 2014, p. 2.40). Lastly, my final aspect is psychoactive drugs, these drugs are singlehandedly capable of altering the functioning of our central nervous system (Ibana & Cohen, 2014, p. 2.41). Because of this fact a single use of a psychoactive drug can increase the susceptibility and vulnerability of individuals even with no predisposition to substance abuse or addiction (Ibana & Cohen, 2014, p. 2.41). I chose these three aspects, as stated above, simply because they aided in developing my addiction. After reaching two years of clean time, I can clearly look back and see how each aspect played a part. My mother is still suffering from active addiction. I was sexually and physically abused as a child and found my coping mechanism in substances. They took the pain away (temporarily). So many factors play a role in developing substance abuse and addiction, but these three are the most critical and prominent aspects. References Inaba, D., & Cohen, W. E. (2014). Uppers, downers, all arounders: physical and mental effects of psychoactive drugs (8th ed.). Cns Publications, Inc.

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