Introduction
America Anonymous: Eight Addicts in Search of a Life tells about several individuals, each of which is dependent on different factors. The main idea of the work is that a similar situation arises not only when a person interacts with drug addicts but also in other, more common areas. Benoit Denizet-Lewis notes that most citizens confuse addiction with a lack of motivation and willpower, not counting this phenomenon as a disease.
Knowledge about Addiction
Chemical or pharmacological addiction means dependence on certain substances. The need for an object of addiction is expressed by physiological reactions. Such diseases include drug addiction, alcoholism, and substance abuse, which affect a person not only physically but also mentally (Denizet-Lewis, 2009). For example, one of the characters in the book was a drug addict who unsuccessfully tried to cure in a huge number of detoxification centers, but there was no result (Denizet-Lewis, 2009). In this example, the author emphasizes how severe and pernicious this disease is, which does not allow a person to function normally as a full-fledged subject of society.
Non-chemical addictions are expressed in the needs of the object, which is expressed in extreme psychological discomfort. In this case, psychosomatic manifestations are possible, and the number of psychological addictions is growing. Substantial include gambling addiction, workaholism, and a passion for computer games, food, or sex (Denizet-Lewis, 2009). The spread of various types of addictive behavior is a serious threat to modern society and requires the combined efforts of specialists in various fields.
Addiction is based on the desire to escape from reality by achieving an altered state of consciousness through the intake of psychoactive substances or by constantly fixing the attention to certain activities to develop and maintain intense emotions. Whatever a person uses to alter consciousness – chemicals, self-belief, behavioral abnormalities, and dysfunction of internal organs – only one biochemical mechanism is the desired target (Young, Mumby & Smolinski, 2020). It is a system of endogenous opiates – a natural reward. Even though society sees nothing in common between a degraded alcoholic, an immense housewife, a lover, and, for example, a monk, psychopathological and chemical disturbances of these organisms will be approximately the same.
People are individuals, and therefore everyone is looking for a way to find comfort. Desire becomes pathological when it acquires an irresistible character (Young, Mumby & Smolinski, 2020). New and new doses of the found substance or action aggravate the disease. The person becomes addicted and loses both health and freedom (Young, Mumby & Smolinski, 2020). The work of the centers of the brain responsible for will, and attraction is disrupted, and the functioning of the body as a whole is disrupted. Endless and meaningless pressing of the pleasure key and unaccountable repetition of stereotyped actions lead to degradation.
Clinical Guidelines
Medication is part of getting rid of chemical addiction. It is important to understand that without psychotherapeutic work, treatment is ineffective. Having gotten rid of somatic symptoms in the absence of an object of addiction, a person is faced with psychological discomfort. They will again look for a way to escape from reality (Zucker & Brown, 2019). For the treatment of alcoholism, drugs have sometimes been used that block the pleasure centers when alcohol enters the body. A person can stop drinking. However, there is a danger of alcoholism spilling over into another addiction. The formation of mental disorders is also possible. Only after working out the causes of addiction can one hope for a positive result in treatment.
There is a version that the real reason for drug addiction and alcoholism is not the formation of physiological dependence on the substance but the disorder of one’s own life. The use of psychoactive substances is the most affordable and quickest way to achieve a change in consciousness and feel happier. Drug treatment without work on life goals, and motivation, and without psycho correction will not only not bring results, but also cause suffering to the addict (Zucker & Brown, 2019). Patients will be deprived of their only meaning, and they will not be able to fill the resulting void with constructive thoughts and actions. The patient can get rid of non-chemical addiction by methods of psychotherapy. Individual needs to be prepared that psychotherapeutic treatment is not a quick process (Zucker & Brown, 2019). Only the consistency and regularity of the sessions will help the addict return to normal life. The duration of treatment is determined individually. If there are concomitant mental disorders, it is necessary to consult a doctor – a psychiatrist.
Educational Use of the Book
This question is extremely controversial because this work is specific. Most likely, this book should not be used for clinical purposes because it is no longer tied to a narrative. More effective information on the treatment of addicted patients is found in scientific works and clinical literature, which is recommended for use (Zucker & Brown, 2019). At the same time, thanks to this book, it is possible to identify several relationships in people’s lives, the knowledge of which can either prevent addiction or identify its root causes, thereby increasing the effectiveness of treatment (Zucker & Brown, 2019). Therefore, it makes sense to apply for the work in the process of training specialists since it provides a large amount of theoretical knowledge. For example, considering sex addiction, it can be revealed that the problems originated in the family, and psychological reasons should be sought in the patient’s childhood.
The Role of Indirect Factors in the Fight Against Addiction
However, it is necessary to highlight the special role of public awareness and social work in this area. As already noted, society often confuses illness with weakness, which gives rise to a negligent attitude toward the sick. With the awareness and competence of society, the chance of timely provision of assistance or elimination of triggers that allow the formation of addictions increases. Social workers make a huge contribution to the fight by allowing patients not only to be treated but also to adapt and then rehabilitate (Zucker & Brown, 2019). An important factor here is that with constant contact and care from specialists, the individual does not feel abandoned or lonely, which excludes the possibility of suicide or depressive pisses that aggravate the disease. In addition, it is always important for addicted people to have a living example of a healthy lifestyle in front of them, that is, to create a vision of an alternative life, which leads to the motivation to change.
Social Work
Even though in this area, they already have a cliché, that is, a certain norm of a typical type, an individual approach is needed for each patient. The 12-step model recommended in the book may cause some addicts to be ignored (Denizet-Lewis, 2009). Therefore, social workers cannot use one approach as a universal one, from which it follows that it is necessary to develop permanently. Although patients are recovering on their own, social workers are relevant for absolutely all types of addictions. In the context of social work, this book examines only one of the contributions to the struggle but does not fully cover this area.
References
Denizet-Lewis, B. (2009). America anonymous: Eight addicts in search of a life. Simon & Schuster.
Young, N. D., Mumby, M. A., and Smolinski, J. A. (2020). The recovery handbook: Understanding addictions and evidenced-based treatment practices. Vernon Art and Science Incorporated.
Zucker, R. A., and Brown, S. A. (Ed.). (2019). The Oxford handbook of adolescent substance abuse. Oxford University Press.