Miranda Palmer Substance Abuse Coun March 5, 2002 Rap #1: Please write two to three pages that explain where you are now with regard to attitudes and approaches to addiction. My visualization of addiction is very liberal including many addictive behaviors. Alcohol, drugs, gambling, sex all in a unique way affect brain chemistry and reinforcement schedules. The ability to see a wide variety of addictive behaviors helps me to connect with the idea of addiction. The understanding of my thought process and rationalization that happen when I think about eating a chocolate bar, or another chocolate bar, or the chocolate bar after that may not be far from that of someone termed an “addict.” For this reason, it makes it harder for me to moralize the behavior. In judging the lack of self-control in others, I am judging my own. Unfortunately, maybe this inability to judge others comes from not wanting to judge my own actions, which isn’t very scientific. Although moralizing doesn’t strike my fancy, the environmental concepts ring true for me. First, knowing how imperative modeling is in the development of children, it seems impossible to ignore. You see in families “inside jokes,” things that only make sense to them. In some ways, it seems in families with addiction, it all “makes sense” to them. Furthermore, the social learning in our media filled environment make it impossible to bypass the issues of addiction. Pictures, words, movies, music, the behaviors are modeled from every direction in every form. Each new type of media can help to teach children addictive behaviors. Of course, we must discuss the genetic influences, many it is passed down not through learning but through genetics. I have heard much about the studies that have moderate or weak
links of the heritability of alcohol addiction. However, we still don’t understand how it all works and it is still a long way from being able to explain every case alcoholism. Furthermore, in speaking of genetics, we must speak of disease. The disease concept that alcoholism is an incurable disease that worsens over time at an understandable rate. I think the stage thing is off the wall, it just doesn’t make sense to me. It also makes me wonder the issue of going back to a certain stage after prolonged abstinence. There are people that don’t do that… Were they never addicts? Are they just fooling themselves? Is it in their heads? I think of the disease model more in respects to treatment options. The eclectic view, which encompasses the essential pieces that work, is closest to my understanding of addiction. I see how “addiction” can be reached through many paths. And although some people may even take the same path, the “landmarks” which they remember from their path may be quite different. A person could be modeling behavior, covering up past pains and have a predisposition to addiction. Treatment should be individualized. As people all take different paths there, and have different places they would like to reach following addiction, different treatment is appropriate. However, I think there should be three main focuses in SAC: responsibility, healing and goal making. Responsibility is an important concept in addiction. Teaching people that they are ultimately responsible for their actions regardless of the life that they have had. Actions have consequences and that they have the power to make choices. Additionally, teaching that they cannot have responsibility for other’s behavior. This can include past, present and future. I think this deals with many important issues of addiction. Also, I think this is an important part of why AA has been so effective over the years.
Healing after significant trauma in life is important. Healing from the things that have happened before, during and after their addiction. Learning how to deal with pains, how to process it without substance, and heal themselves. Childhood abuse, shame, embarrassment, employment, medical issues are just some of the ways that people need to heal after addiction. Finally, goal making is an important concept to focus on. Making short term and long term goals. For someone with an addiction to be able to formulate the short term and long term consequences of their actions. To find ways in their own life tailored for them, by them that they can conquer their addiction. I am still very iffy on the concepts of addicts, problem drinkers etc. I do think it is possible for some people to have a problem with drinking and overcome it, but others not. And not because of a stronger moral fiber in one than the other, just in a different place, different things working for different people. But I don’t feel completely torn one way or the other.