Assisting the Youth and the Ending of My Blog

The youth population is one out of hand fulls of populations that are effected by drug or alcohol use. I wanted to talk a little about the youth population since it is one I enjoyed doing research on for this weeks assignment within the course. I am going to mainly focus my discussion on a method used to help youths that are struggling in this post. During this period of a youths life they are experiencing all sorts of things, from peer pressure, finding themselves, and other such situations. Drug and alcohol use is something they face as well and for some it can lead them down a difficult road. The method used to help youths in situations such as first time users and non users, I found to be interesting to go over. The method is called primary prevention and it aimed at assisting the young population.

It is stated by authors Inaba and Cohen (2011) in the text Uppers, Downers, All Arounders that “primary prevention tries to anticipate and prevent initial drug use” (p. 8.12). This method helps inform non users of drugs and helps first time users in understanding the consequences of the actions they carry out. After hearing about this method and reading information on it, I do feel that is one that can really guidance and assist the younger population. It is said that it is educational, easy to understand, and provides skill building exercises (Inaba & Cohen, 2011, p. 8.12).

On another note I will also like to express the ending of my blogging for now. I had created

this blog for course purposes, but to also share my view on the different subjects of drug and alcohol use. I did very much enjoy my time doing this and I am very happy to have connected with you my fellow classmates as well Instructor Lori Bednarchik. Professor Bednarchik thank you for creating this great project!I do still want to continue blogging, but I will not be doing so constantly. I am three months away from finishing my degree so I will be quite busy with assignments. Although, when I do have free time or when I have something to share as well as discuss I will create a blog post. 

Thank you everyone who took the time to read my postings and visiting my blog! I really appreciate it!

Reference

Inaba, D. S., & Cohen, W. E. (2011). Uppers, Downers, All Arounders Physical and Mental Effects of Psychoactive Drugs (7th ed.). Oregon: CNS Productions, Inc.

Drug use in Pregnancy

      Drug use during pregnancy is such an important subject to review and to become aware of. This area was one of the many mentioned in this weeks reading and I wanted to create a blog post about some of the seriousness that comes with drug usage. Authors Inaba and Cohen (2011) of Uppers, Downers, All Arounders express that “the health of both the mother and the child should be the primary focus of drug abuse in pregnancy” (p. 8.19). This statement I fully agree with and feel that all mothers as well as mothers to be should focus on their well being for the benefit of their baby. The effects of drugs on a baby can range from the type of drug used, but all can cause a physical or mental issue. 

  Take for example the use of a drug like marijuana and even alcohol can create behavior problems in early childhood. A baby that is exposed to cocaine can have a tendency to have a smaller head which indicates a lower IQ, as it was noted on the webMD.com website. The consequences in drug use when pregnant are serious for moms to know about and to become familiar with. This can help them to think before doing, inform others on the dangers and help them become educated on the subject. I also feel that it is helpful mothers knowing that “non-judgmental information a long with sufficient prenatal care and drug treatment programs have proven to be the most effective methods in preventing” (Inaba & Cohen, 2011, p. 8.19).



References

(n.d.). Drug Use and Pregnancy. Webmd.com. Retrieved March 25, 2014, from http://www.webmd.com/baby/drug-use-and-pregnancy
 
Inaba, D. S., & Cohen, W. E. (2011). Uppers, Downers, All Arounders Physical and Mental Effects of Psychoactive Drugs (7th ed.). Oregon: CNS Productions, Inc.

Images from Microsoft Clipart

 Alcohol Use   

     For today’s blog post I wanted to go in a different direction, alcohol use. I came across a small section in our class text book on advertisement for alcohol in the media. In this section it lightly touched on the way alcohol is presented differently within the media, for example “in programs and in advertising, it seems that beer is OK” (Hart & Ksir, 2013, p. 188).On the television and computer I see all types of alcohol advertisements that is true to this. They appear in my opinion to look good, glamorous, fun, exciting, and tempting. Companies and brands provide advertisements that are appealing to people so that their products will do well and sell. Some of the reasons why people buy alcohol are to have a fun time, they enjoy the feeling they get from it, and some even drink it to wash their issues away.

 I feel that if there is going to be advertisements on alcohol, then there should be ads that are informational as well. These ads should provide information on the effects of alcohol and what can occur when having to much. There are some ads that are helpful and insightful, but they are not as common as others. On the television all I see is commercials promoting alcohol, insurances, restaurants, vehicles, and phone companies. Now you can't stop someone from making a choice that they decided on their own, but you can inform them on the pros and cons of it. Having a drink here or there is fine from my perspective. If you are going to drink, do so being fully aware of your actions and with responsibility. 

 
What are your thoughts on how alcohol is advertised?

References

Hart, C. L., & Ksir, C. (2013). Drugs, Society, and Human Behavior (15th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.

Images from Microsoft Clipart

 The Struggle

      In this blog post I wanted to just talk about the struggle of a recovering addict. I decided to talk about this subject because I got the idea from this weeks assignments on the different drugs and how they were advertised in the past. In learning about these areas I thought about the struggle that comes with recovering from being dependent on them. Having an addiction is a struggle, it takes a toll on the individual and their surroundings. I have two very close people in my life who struggle with their addiction and the process of recovering from it. They have their moments where they are doing so well and then run into these road blocks that triggers something inside them that ends up leading to a relapse. Their addiction has effected who they are as person, their friends, family members, and work. It has changed their physical appearance and attitude in life. Their friends and family become worried for them or angry at them. When distracted by their issue they do not focus correctly on their work. They have both been struggling with this issue for some time now, but have been able to stay on a positive path for the last few months. I feel that what has helped them stay strong down this path is the change they made in themselves. They wanted to make the change and I think that is one of the main sources of help that is keeping them on this path. They have also much more support and guidance in their recovery. 

What do you think is some ways to help someone stay on a positive path when in recovery?

      Many people who are recovering from an addiction struggle with keeping away from their old habits. I came across this story of a women who is 38 years old and she discusses her struggle. Her story is short in length, but provides insight and inspiration. All her life she has struggled with the use of some type of drug or alcohol, but when reaching a part in her life she decided and made the change in becoming better. 

Her name is Kandis Benton and this is a link to her story http://www1.krtv.com/news/former-meth-addict-recounts-struggle-to-get-clean/
  

From A Users Perspective 

     Getting a clear understanding of how it is to use a certain drug is not only helpful in the sense of knowing why people take them, but eye opening as well. It gives others a chance to see through the users perspective, such as what they are feeling when taking it, what they enjoy about it, and why they began using it in the first place. Many of the reasons way individuals use drugs is for the feelings they get out of utilizing it, how it helps with taking away pain, or how it keeps their mind off things going on in their lives. On the National Institute on Drug Use website the drugs people use effects largely on the motivation and pleasure pathways of the brain. Provided in the text Uppers, Downers, All Arounders Physical and Mental Effects of Psychoactive Drugs by Authors Darryl S. Inaba, Pharam and William E. Cohen there are different areas within the book that gives readers the opportunity to see the opinion of a recovering addict and addict. For example in the section on heroin use there are variety of areas where individuals express why and how they felt when using heroin.

A 20 year old male who is addicted to heroin discussed how heroin is there for any type of pain he is going through. Stating that “it's just like medicine pretty much. And I don't know, after while it became more like life itself. Like I need it just to exist” (Inaba & Cohen, 2011, p. 4.13).

Another 72 year old recovering user expressed “it's like putting your troubles in one bag and you have a solution for it and that's heroin. Your one problem is to worry about getting your heroin every day” (Inaba & Cohen, 2011, p. 4.14).

I thought it was interesting to reading the different point of views of individuals who use or used drugs, I seen it as a window to their world. You get to become familiar with why they take the certain drug, whether they did it to take pain away, get away from issues or for the feeling of it as mentioned earlier.

References

Inaba, D. S., & Cohen, W. E. (2011). Uppers, Downers, All Arounders Physical and Mental Effects 

     of Psychoactive Drugs (7th ed.). Oregon: CNS Productions, Inc.

(2008, July). Addiction Science: From Molecules to Managed Care. drugabuse.gov. Retrieved 

     March 13, 2014, from http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/addiction-science/why-do-people-

     abuse-drugs/why-do-drugs-make-people-feel-good-or-feel-better

Images from Microsoft Clipart

    Caffeine

     Everyone has come across caffeine, whether they have through a drink or food. It is “the most popular stimulant in the world and the worlds most popular mood-altering and habit-forming drug” (Inaba & Cohen, 2011, p 3.35). Caffeine is found in items like soda, tea, chocolate, coffee, and energy drinks. This particular stimulant was one of the many mentioned in this weeks reading for my COH 318 course. I wanted to discuss caffeine in a blog post to get others point of view on the subject. What do you think, is caffeine a serious addictive stimulant like other drugs? Is self control with something such as this stimulant the key to preventing dependence?

     I think it can be, there are some situations where an individual will become dependent on it and can not function without it. In these cases people have used it consistently and are use to having a daily dose of it. Becoming more informed on this subject will help others have a better understanding of the drug. To much caffeine can be dangerous for some, as it is noted in a article on about.com it causes signs like jitteriness, irritability, headaches, and dizziness. Although, on the other side having small doses of the stimulant can actually be fine for an individual. “In low doses, caffeine can increase alertness, dissipate drowsiness or fatigue, and facilitate thinking” (Inaba & Cohen, 2011, p 3.39). Knowing what is to much and what amount is fine can lead to a better sense of self control with the intake of this stimulant.

References

Inaba, D. S., & Cohen, W. E. (2011). Uppers, Downers, All Arounders Physical and Mental Effects 

     of Psychoactive Drugs (7th ed.). Oregon: CNS Productions, Inc. 
 
Goodwin, L. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://coffeetea.about.com

    /od/caffeinehealth/a/Excess-Caffeine-Symptoms.htm

Images from Microsoft Clipart

Hi All! 

This is my first time blogging so I am very new at this. The main focal point of my blog will revolve around information on drug and alcohol use for my COH 318 course. Super excited to give this a go and getting to know you all! Here it goes! =))


Sofia