Discussion Topic 1
There are a variety of activities, behaviors, or even hobbies upon which some individuals can become psychologically dependent. Some of these activities may not be as life threatening as chemical addictions or eating disorders, but they can have profound negative effects on the individual and society. We don't really know the reason why some people compulsively engage in a behavior, while others can engage in the same activity without becoming psychologically dependent upon it. In general, any behavior that is compulsively done by a person to the extent that it causes physical, social, or psychological problems to the individual, his/her family, or society would be considered to be an addictive behavior for that individual.
- Using information from your book or another source, discuss two specific behaviors that are classified as addictions.
- What characteristics lead to classification of those behaviors as "addictions"? You will need to research what these characteristics are and provide those sources.
Remember to correctly cite any source you use and if you use direct quotes, use them sparingly and include quotation marks!
Discussion Topic 2
A significant number of people today are what is called "social drinkers." Discuss why this might be more prevalent in young adults in higher education and just beginning their careers. Describe at least three characteristics that make the social drinking different from alcoholism.
The ultimate goal of addiction treatment is to enable an individual to achieve lasting abstinence, but the immediate goals are to reduce the abuse, improve the patient's ability to function, and minimize the medical and social complications of drug abuse and addiction. There are many different types of treatment approaches and components for treatment of addiction that have been developed and tested for efficacy through research supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). Some examples include:
- Relapse Prevention
- Matrix Model
- Supportive-Expressive Psychotherapy
- Individualized Drug Counseling
- Motivational Enhancement Therapy
- Person-centered therapy
- Behavioral Therapy
- Multidimensional Family Therapy (MDFT) for Adolescents
- Biophysical Addiction Treatment
- Cognitive-behavioral Therapy
Select one method of treatment, describe how it works and explain why you think it would be successful.
Be sure you provide complete citations for your sources and if you use direct quotes, use them sparingly and be sure to use quotation marks. Don't forget to correctly cite any source you use.