Psychology of Drug Addiction: A 12 Step Visit Reaction Paper

Running head: PSYCHOLOGY DRUG ADDICTION A 12 STEP VISIT REACION PAPER
Psychology of Drug Addiction A 12 Step Visit Reaction Paper
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author Note:

1PSYCHOLOGY DRUG ADDICTION A 12 STEP VISIT REACION PAPER
Drug addiction is a serious problem in modern society affecting irrespective of any
demographic group across the globe. The drug abuse results in illness and lethal outcomes in
a huge number, which is also increasing day by day (Kornblihtt et al., 2013). Drug abuse not
only affects the individual, rather the entire family and closely related persons are also
psychologically affected to some extent. This reaction paper will be discussing my personal
experience and learning after visiting a 12 step group organization for a meeting. Therefore,
the main focus of this paper is the direct and passive effects of drug addiction on the
individuals, their families and the society. This reaction paper reflects my prior and post
visiting expectation about the issue. Apart from that the paper will be also discussing how my
insight and to believe about the issue and affected individuals have been changed. It will also
evaluate the long-term effect of this experience over my counseling procedure. Additionally,
this paper is also included the strengths and weaknesses of a 12 step group named CA and
two alternative groups namely SMART recovery and Women for Sobriety.
I thought that the meeting would be very strictly controlled by the authority where
each of the individual speakers has a specific time to speak about the current issues and
causes regarding the drug addiction and substance abuse throughout the world. I also
assumed that there would be a very precise limit of time for the care receivers also to discuss
the past experience and their current situation with respect to the support they have been
provided from the organization. I had thought that I would gather some additional knowledge
that can help me to dig deep into my existing concepts and perception about the psychology
of the individuals regarding their addition towards drugs. Because of having some specific
knowledge about this issue I was not prepared to experience any new perception about the
issues, effects and causes regarding the drug abuse. However after attending the meeting,
some of my previous beliefs about the psychological cause and condition for being drug
addicted have been changed unexpectedly. On the other hand, I saw that the psychological

2PSYCHOLOGY DRUG ADDICTION A 12 STEP VISIT REACION PAPER
attachment between the addicted person and the Recovery Team members is exceptionally
healthy. From various speeches of the speakers, I have come to know that many of the
members of recovery team ware drug addicted individual. These sufferings and receiving
assessment encouraged them to become a member of counseling and recovery teams.
According to the definition of Drug, it is a chemical substance used to change the
biochemical condition of a human body to treat physical and mental illness under the
surveillance of low governance (Sofuoglu et al., 2013). However, these drugs are also
produced and used illegally to have overnight altered and pleasure sensations. These
substances make their consumers addicted to these and also have long-term lethal side
effects. Ecstasy, GHB, Rohypnol, Ketamine are some low effective drugs and LSD, PCP,
DMT, Psilocybin, Cocaine are some of the high affecting drugs (Jentsch et al., 2014). These
drugs are usually taken through injection, snorting, smoking or ingesting orally. Additionally,
Weed, Marijuana, Bath salt are other very commonly used highly addictive substances.
According to the statements and social interpretations by socio-psychological experts drug
abusers generally become addicted because of their emotional and mental crisis (Petrova et
al., 2015). Most of the addicted people choose the drug to escape from their reality of
extreme depression, pain and loss. On the contrary, another group of sociologists argues that
drug abuse is a result of peer influence at teenage. In most case of teenage drug addiction, the
teenagers often feel curiousness about these substances because of its availability and intense
usage. Gradually this curiosity becomes an addiction and feedbacks their amplified
depression and anxiety that are caused by regular intake of these drugs (Boileau, Nakajima &
Payer, 2015). The illegal drugs can be categorized into three classes namely, low effective,
moderate effective and highly effective substance. People often start with low effective
substance and are gradually ended up having highly effective drugs. Regular intake of low or
moderate effective drugs has severe long-term side effects such as neurological disorders,