Alcohol Dependency

[Name of the Institute]Alcohol Dependency

Introduction

The paper aims at assessing various aspects of alcohol dependency, which may affect the health and life of an individual. In the light of provided instructions, the paper identifies and explains various socio-cultural determinants of substance abuse and the underlying reasons of its widespread. The paper discusses various financial, physical and psychological costs, which are associated with substance abuse. In addition to this, the paper identifies link between substance abuse and crime in combination with implications for interpersonal relationships. Moreover, the paper sheds light on dynamics of addiction by identifying and explaining five defense mechanisms. Finally, the paper sums up overall understanding of substance abuse.

Discussion

According to Federal Government (2013), substance abuse to alter behavior or individual mind is increasingly becoming a health concern for American individuals. Over the past decade, rate of alcohol usage among adults has shown considerable impact, which resulted in death losses. According to research, various factors including social, genetic, environmental, and psychological may addict a person to substance abuse (Federal Government, 2013). However, community and interpersonal dynamics may have strong influence on the substance user.

Socio-cultural Determinants of Substance Abuse

According to Galea and Vlahov (2002), substance abuse is found to have causal relationship with the socio-economic status of an individual. Poor social condition may induce a person to become drug addict. Among various socio-cultural determinants, increasing social exclusion and lower levels of socio-economic community status paves the way for inappropriate education quality, which increases the probability of risky behavior such as drug use (Wood, 2012). In addition to this, addiction to substance abuse has become a widespread phenomenon. Illegal drug dealers and street gangs provide easy access to drugs, which has resulted in growing problems of health. This widespread use of drugs and alcohol has associated finance and physical cost for the US economy and society at large (Wood, 2012).

Financial Costs of Substance Abuse

According to NIH (2008), growing rate of drug addiction and substance abuse has resulted in direct financial costs of $ 559billio per annum (figure 1). In addition to these financial costs, addiction and substance abuse results in an indirect cost of lost productivity, declining health status, increasing crime rate and impoverishing social conditions.

Figure 1: Finance Cost Associated with Substance Abuse (NIH, 2008, p. 1)

Psychological and Physical Costs of Substance Abuse

Substance abuse may have short run and long run effects on the physical and psychological health of an individual. In the short run, addiction to drugs and alcohol may cause overshadow, changing emotions, imprecise hearing and vision problems (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2004). It may cause severe damage to psychological health of an individual. It can alter different areas of brain, which may have impact on learning, judgment and decision making ability of an individual. In the long run, substance abuse may result in skin problems, damage to body organs (including liver, heart), deficiencies of vitamin and calcium, memory loss and sexual inability (NIH, 2004).

Link between Substance Abuse, Crime and Accidents

According to NCADD (n.d.), abuse and addiction among ...