Psychology Essay: Critical Analysis of Drug Use and Addiction Factors

This essay provides a critical analysis of the reasons behind drug use, exploring various factors that contribute to substance abuse. It examines the psychological, social, and environmental influences on drug-taking behavior, including experimentation, family history, loneliness, and peer pressure. The essay also discusses the prevalence of drug use, particularly among young adults in the UK, and highlights the negative consequences of drug addiction, such as health problems, legal issues, and societal stigma. Furthermore, it delves into addiction models like the disease model and reinforcement models, as well as the attitudes of the public, government, and the legal context surrounding drug use. The essay also touches on the pharmacological and psychological harms of drugs, their impact on legal and social contexts, providing a comprehensive overview of the complexities of drug use and addiction.

Critically analyse the
reasons why people take
drugs.

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................6
REFRENCES...................................................................................................................................7
.........................................................................................................................................................7

INTRODUCTION
Drug is a chemical that interacts with proteins within body to affect a physiological
function. Apart from pharmacology, drug is any substance other than food which provide
nutritional support when it is inhaled, injected, smoked, consumed, absorbed throw patch on the
skin as well as dissolved under the tongue and it result in temporary physiological modification
in body (Miller, W.R and Rollnick, 2012). This report is going to analyse reasons behind people
drugs taking which include attitude of public, government and media towards drug taking
people. It will also highlight, theories of substance addiction.
MAIN BODY
Reason for taking drugs vary from individual to individual. Most Common reason behind
taking drugs is particular person want trying to fix issues of their life and they see drugs as the
solution of all problems. There are numerous other reasons why a person take drugs. some major
reasons are; first is Experimenting- This scenario is basically seen in young people. They are
curious and want to do experiment with drugs or alcohol and doing this give them feeling of
enjoying life because after taking drugs individual get free from their tensions and feel like
enjoying as well as youngsters want to try everything which may be the reason of taking drugs;
second is family history- It is seems that up to 70 % of people take risk of addiction due to the
reason of genetic predispositions or any family issue/ problems which leads to drugs addition.
Family reasons are wide and it may tress a lot to individual which force them in taking
substances. third is loneliness- In this situation, a person starting taking drugs when they feel
lonely or isolated from their family and friends. When an individual have no one to live with
them they take help of drugs for coming out of loneliness. Last reason is peer pressure- It
generally occur at the stage of adolescents and young adult. In this, individual feel pressure
around them and also they want to fit into some level due to which they start taking drugs
(Halpern, 2013).
Prevalence rate refers to the rate or proportion of individual in a population who are
having specific disease or attribute within a specific period of time. In United Kingdom people
that take drugs are under the age of 16 to 24 are increasing during last year and this age group
people are double in ration compare to wider. there is an upward trend apparent in
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the use of Class A drugs, particularly among 16 to 24 year old (Around 1 in 5 (19.8%) adults
aged 16 to 24 had taken a drug in the last year, 2017).
Proportion of 16 to 24 year old reporting use of drugs in the last year, 1996 to 2011/12
It is also seen that percentage of taking drugs is high among the persons who go clubs and
festival goers in comparison with other whole population. People take drugs mostly in these two
time period because they are in the mood of enjoying as well as happy. Now a days trend of
consuming alcohol as well as drugs is increasing due to people enjoying mood as well as parties
also. In England, death due to ecstasy pills reached to highest stage in 2016 as compare to 2010,
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Illustration 1: Proportion of 16 to 24 year old reporting use of
drugs in the last year, 1996 to 2011/12

the rate was increased up to 63 in 2016 from 10 in 2010. Their is also rise in numbers of death
from 112 in 2011 to 371 in 2016 due to cocaine. In-taking combination of different drugs cause
very dangerous, it is more harmful as compare to any other drugs and due to using combination
of drugs 5507 peoples death in 2016 and 337000 persons get admitted in hospital in England in
year 2016-2017. When individuals all these circuits get disrupted then their capacity of
person free choosing and not to use drug is loose by him/her. In simple term it can be said that,
the inability of stop using drug is known as addiction (Carter and Burke, 2017). There are several
characteristics of Addictive behaviour such as produces pleasurable state, loss of control, not
able to block impulse to do behaviour, continue consume substances by neglecting its harmful
effects.
McKim had give three model that why individual get addicted to substance uses i.e.,
disease model, physical dependency model and positive reinforcement model explanation of
these are as follows. Disease model is not clear that how people catches such type of disease and
no one is agree with it because of its unclear concept. Most of the people are not agree with it
due to its not clear theory.
Out of these physical dependency says that after repeated exposure of several substances
back-down symptoms seems if dugs get discontinued. If an individual stop consuming
substances then result of it is unpleasant as well as step-down in such impact would therefore
represent negative reinforcement (Lancaster and Ritter, 2014). It is the reinforcement of action
which end an dislike information as well as could explicate why addicts go on to use substances.
However, few addicted will tolerate removal evidence as well for decreasing level of tolerance it
has been advice to use substances at a lower dose which result in less expenditure on
purchasing.
Substances used is refers to the variety of drugs used by a person, way drugs are being
perceived will vary in different culture and subculture. Not every substance use are harmful but
excess use of any substances has a potential to cause harm. Some examples of substance which
are harmful are alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, heroin, magic mushrooms etc. Use of substances may
cause wide rang of harm such as physical- use of substances affect a person physically which
include unexplained weight loss, abnormal patterns of sleep, memory loss, jerking or twitching
movements, cause bloodshot eyes and inability to remain awake when a person is not moving.
Symptoms of substances uses vary from person to person it basically depend on the type of drug
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which he/she is addicted to (Baker, Edwards and Doidge, 2012). Negative effect of drugs on
female can be on their hight, weight, first menstrual cycle, regularity of periods, breast
development, function of ovaries, pregnancy and health of unborn babies. Use of drugs and
substances can affect a male body in various ways such as height, weight, male hormone level,
testicle size and function, muscle mass and development, age at which vice gets lower and age at
which facial and body hair get increase.
Behaviour theory - Positive reinforcement model states that addictive substances are
positive reinforces because it result in learning a new response as well as in maintaining present
behaviour. For ex - If an individual is associated with consuming an addictive drug such as
injecting or smoking will increase its probability. There is an way of examination this claim is to
testing the reinforcing characteristics of substances on animals. It has been already identified that
conventional inputs aid bar-pressing in animals, although if a drug maintain its outcome like bar-
pressing in an animal, it is a reinforcing input. Whereas, Disease reinforcement model as per this
models substances are given to particular person because of some health issues according to the
consultancy of doctor. Apart from this, there are some drugs which consume with the motive of
reducing heath issues.
Attitude of public or society and government is different towards drug taker they all see
him/her at different level. Society generally don't involve drugs addicted people in any activity
and try to maintain distance from them because they usually lie on everything which mislead
peoples, drugs taker manipulate people especially their loved once, major reason behind people
ignorance is that substances consuming person get engaged in criminal activities more and more
as well as they shift blame of such activities on others (Robinson and Scherlen, 2014).
sometimes, drug addicted don't see where they are sitting or standing easily get abusive in public
places. But there are such people also who behave positively towards the drugs taker by offering
them treatment as well as compassion to individual who want to overcome from drugs problem.
As well there are some individuals who don't want treatment to come out from these issue then
society leave them alone. Most important is that there are several peoples who take responsibility
of holding person for their crimes which can harm others.
Drug addiction continuous to take massive toll in terms of economic loss and human
misery. The attitudes of government is negative in nature as this addiction is chronic, relapsing
disorder that provides difficult treatment challenges that are ranging discipline (Gambrill, 2012).
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As this drug consumption are intrigued by fact of drug taking behaviour on common humans as
well government. Herein , some people are engaged into excess of drugs taking in moderation
and it lead to depression, contribution to the development and maintenance of drug abuse and
addition of people. Moreover, this result into negative impact on government as well on human
as fascinating possibility of recreating localised neurological changes in absence of drug
administration. Unfortunately, government behavioural measure different types of studies often
for weak in order to bring awareness among general people from such harmful activities.
Stigma PDUC is a long-lasting mark of social disgrace that has a profound effect on
interactions between the stigmatized and the unstigmatized. In this society treat drugs user
discriminatingly compare to non-users which give negative impact on the behaviour of people
and they start consuming drugs more and more.
Harm for psychology- It occur due to association between mental illness and used
substances. Various outcome from study and statistics is that use of high rate of substances
among peoples which leads both low and high prevalence mental disorder among addicts. Their
is an evident that now cannabis are used precipitate psychotic symptoms which is found in some
people who are get predisposed due to schizophrenia. On the basis of psychological context,
motive to adopt drugs can be come up as physical advantage- like better performance and pain
control, social advantage- such as emotional and personality, and psychological advantage- like
anxiety, pressure, stress and fatigue.
Pharmacological harm is also due to substances use- Drugs and substances used has
biochemical impact which plays important role for pharmacological engagement. It takes
basically three forms that is pharmaceutical assistance with withdrawal process, blocking and
aversive agents and drugs substitution therapies (Waddington and Smith, 2013). There are
different classifications which are used by pharmacologists that is based on primary properties
of substances to interact with its nature and the way they can use it.
Use of substances and drugs affect legal context- To control the use of drugs United
Kingdom and Western World use and attempt laws and regulations regarding the legality or
illegality of certain substances. Through legislations and rules society and legal bodies try to
establish formal guidelines. Legal bodies develop laws which establish and restricts the
manufacturing, importing, selling or possession of substances and drugs under this evaluation. In
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UK cannabis is describe as class B drugs whereas cocaine is class C drugs. Both of them create
the situation of possession which is depend on the situation and type of substances used. There
are different types of criminal drugs and alcohol charges such as possession of an illegal
substances, possession of controlled substances without prescription, physical or sexual assault,
child abuse, driving while intoxicated, underage drinking etc (Burls, 2014). These charges may
result as jail time for addict and a person who is host of other legal consequences may incurred
loss of custody, divorce, fines, loss of a career, eviction, bankruptcy and so on.
In taking of drugs affect the social context- The use of drugs or substances affect a person
within its society and cultural context, this will come up as toxic trio whose most common issue
are related to domestic violence, mental illness and substances misuse. The drugs abuse on social
effects are isolation- in this drugs and substances user maintain and create a connection only with
drugs of his choice; Financial- if a person is depend upon the drugs it will affect its financial
strain, buying drugs become important for drugs addicts then fulfilling daily responsibility;
Relationship- taking drugs also affect the relationship of a addict person, their relationship
become dysfunctional and co-dependent feel and recognize effect of drugs in their life and it also
affect the relation with family due to this family will get dissolved, children acquire emotional
issue and trust can be break.
Additionally, it is a type of disease as well as respective disease can pose a series of
negative consequences on a person well being, physical health and professional life. There are
many consequence of substances use or drugs addiction which affect the life of drugs addict or
abuse in various ways such as social, legal, financial and physical and mental health (Carlen and
Worrall, 2013). The consequence of drugs is depend on the duration of progression and type of
drugs a person is being in-taking.
Consequence of substances used on life of addict are loss of job, relationship change
with both friends and family, development of aggression towards friends and family members,
create reason for divorce, suspension or expulsion from organized activities like sports team and
so on.
Some of most common legal consequence of substances uses are large fines, large jail
sentences, probation, arrest record that make difficulty to a person to find job, occur in difficulty
in transportation and driver's license suspension, Strict community server requirement, in certain
communities restriction of living etc.
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Substances use may include various type of mental health consequence such as
depression, anxiety, memory loss, aggression, mood swings, paranoia, psychosis and so on.
Taking of drugs in regular manner can also cause death by overdose or heart attack or cancer or
AIDS (Halpern, 2013).
Consequence of substances used on physical health are organ damage, hormone
imbalance, cancer which is caused due to use of nicotine or steroid, prenatal and fertility issue,
gastrointestinal disease, HIV/ AIDS and many more.
CONCLUSION
From the above discussion it has been concluded that, overconsumption of drug result in
adoption which is injurious for individual person in terms their health, financial and legal level
etc.. attitude of public, government and society is different towards drug taker that is not good
for him/her. Drugs taken as per the doctor prescription such as paracetamol is not injurious but
overconsumption of this is misuse and may result in harm for life.
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REFRENCES
Books and Journal
Miller, W.R. and Rollnick, S., 2012. Motivational interviewing: Helping people change.
Guilford press.
Halpern, D.F., 2013. Thought and knowledge: An introduction to critical thinking. Psychology
Press.
Carter, L. and Burke, T., 2017. Reason in law. Routledge.
Lancaster, K. and Ritter, A., 2014. Examining the construction and representation of drugs as a
policy problem in Australia's National Drug Strategy documents 1985–
2010. International Journal of Drug Policy. 25(1). pp.81-87.
Robinson, M.B. and Scherlen, R.G., 2014. Lies, damned lies, and drug war statistics: a critical
analysis of claims made by the office of National Drug Control Policy. SUNY Press.
Gambrill, E., 2012. Social work practice: A critical thinker's guide. Oxford University Press.
Baker, S.E., Edwards, R. and Doidge, M., 2012. How many qualitative interviews is enough?:
Expert voices and early career reflections on sampling and cases in qualitative research.
Waddington, I. and Smith, A., 2013. Sport, health and drugs: A critical sociological perspective.
Routledge.
Burls, A., 2014. What is critical appraisal?. Hayward Medical Communications.
Carlen, P. and Worrall, A., 2013. Analysing women's imprisonment. Willan.
Online
Around 1 in 5 (19.8%) adults aged 16 to 24 had taken a drug in the last year
, 2017.[Online]. Available through<https://www.drugwise.org.uk/how-many-people-use-drugs/>
Proportion of 16 to 24 year old reporting use of drugs in the last year, 1996 to 2011/12,2016.
[Online]. Available through<https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2012/sep/28/drug-
use-age-popular-cannabis#data>
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