Personality and Substance Use Disorders - Discussion
Your post should be at least 400-450 words in length and should extend the discussion of the group supported by your course materials and/or other appropriate resources.
Substance Use Disorders
In society, many people link abusing drugs or alcohol to an individual's lack of personal responsibility or morality. Prior to American model Anna Nicole Smith's death, which was from an apparently accidental overdose of several prescription medications, her son, Daniel, had died just months before from an apparent drug overdose. This incident poses the question of whether the son inherited a vulnerability to addiction from his mother or was the habit picked up from living with her over the years.
To prepare for this week's Discussion, review the following sources in addition to this week's assigned Reading.
• Harvard Health. (2004). The addicted brain, a Harvard review. Harvard Health Publications: Harvard Medical School. Retrieved from
http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsweek/The_addicted_brain.htm
http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsweek/The_addicted_brain.htm
• In the case studies in the Course Home Tab, read Case Study 3 Ellis: Substance Use Disorder: Opioid
http://extmedia.kaplan.edu/artsSCi/PS440-1404A/case_studies/ps440_cs03_substance_use_disorder.pdf
Proceed with this week's Discussion by addressing the following about the nature of substance use disorders:
1. Provide an overview of the biological, psychological, sociocultural theories surrounding the causes of substance use disorders.
2. Next, select one of the theories (biological causes, psychological causes, or sociocultural causes) and defend and support how the selected approach can explain why people use psychoactive drugs, such as the individual in this week's case study.
3. Based on the selected cause, explain why it is difficult for a person to stop the drug or alcohol use and addiction.
The strongest answer will refer to the textbook and concepts from the Reading material or other credible sources.