Introduction
The Basketball Diaries by Kalvert (1995) is a film that tells the story of a young basketball player, Jim Carroll, who, due to certain life circumstances, begins to take drugs and becomes addicted. These circumstances significantly complicate his life, which leads to a series of problems due to criminal activity. A character who starts on drugs goes on to experience depression and anxiety as a side effect of his addiction. In this regard, it is necessary to consider the symptoms of mental disorders depending on their demographics and treatments.
The Symptoms and Theories
Substance dependence is a form of mental disorder associated with substance abuse. They are characterized by a person’s use of drugs, including alcohol, despite the negative consequences for physical, mental, and social health. Symptoms of such a disorder can be called the development of tolerance and the appearance of withdrawal (Koob, 2021).
This leads to an increase in the dosage of the substance throughout dependence to obtain the desired effect. At the same time, a person can also show aggressiveness and atypical behavior due to a change in their mental state (Mollick & Kober, 2020). These symptoms are observed in the film’s characters, which may indicate the events’ realism.
Many scientists actively investigate this topic and derive various theoretical developments based on their empirical data. One of the most common theories associated with this disorder is the assumption of a genetic predisposition to drug use (Smolarz et al., 2021). Thus, people with a long family history of drug use may be more likely to develop the disorder. In addition, environmental factors such as trauma, stress, or the availability of drugs may contribute to the development of a drug use disorder.
Demographics of the Clinical Population
Drug dependence disorder can develop in everyone regardless of gender, race, or age. However, some social groups have a higher chance of developing an addiction when they start using drugs. For example, in the age group, people in the 18-25 year range are at higher risk of developing a substance abuse disorder (Filia et al., 2022). In addition, another feature of the development of this disorder is associated with gender since men are more likely to be addicted (Filia et al., 2022). Thus, a clear demographic of the clinical population can be distinguished since the most frequent people suffering from it are young men.
Treatment Strategies for the Disorder
The treatment of drug addiction disorder can have different options, but an integral part is drug treatment. This is because the body must be cleansed as best as possible from the long-term effects of harmful substances (Reynoard et al., 2020). However, this treatment cannot be effective independently, requiring a combination of psychological interventions. In addition, it is also possible to use group therapy to achieve better mental health outcomes.
Outcome Research
A significant amount of research is being done on drug addiction to find out the primary effective treatment methods and the causes of the disorder. Research confirms that drug treatment is the leading way to manage drug addiction (Di Lorenzo et al., 2020). Meta-analysis studies have shown that these treatments are effective in reducing drug use, improving mental health, and reducing criminal behavior. However, treatment outcomes may vary depending on individual factors such as age, gender, and culture.
Summary
The characters of the film The Basketball Diaries reflect different forms of drug addiction, which significantly affects their lives and activities. This disorder is a pressing problem in modern society, affecting people of all ages, genders, races, and cultures. In doing so, medicine provides treatment options such as medication, psychotherapy, and group therapy strategies. These evidence-based methods can significantly alleviate symptoms and smooth out the effects of taking drugs.
References
Di Lorenzo, R., Perrone, D., Montorsi, A., Balducci, J., Rovesti, S., & Ferri, P. (2020). Attitude towards drug therapy in a community mental health center evaluated by the drug attitude inventory. Patient Preference and Adherence 14, 995-1010. Web.
Filia, K., Menssink, J., Gao, C. X., Rickwood, D., Hamilton, M., Hetrick, S. E., Parker, A., Herrman, H., Hickie, I., Sharmin, S., McGorry, P. & Cotton, S. M. (2022). Social inclusion, intersectionality, and profiles of vulnerable groups of young people seeking mental health support. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 57, 1-10. Web.
Kalvert, S. (1995). The Basketball Diaries. New Line Cinema.
Koob, G. F. (2021). Drug addiction: hyperkatifeia/negative reinforcement as a framework for medications development. Pharmacological Reviews, 73(1), 163-201. Web.
Mollick, J. A., & Kober, H. (2020). Computational models of drug use and addiction: A review. Journal of abnormal psychology, 129(6), 544. Web.
Reynoard, J., Schmitt, C., Torrents, R., & Simon, N. (2020). Toxicological considerations in the prescription of baclofen for the treatment of substance use disorders. Expert Opinion on Drug Metabolism & Toxicology, 16(4), 309-317. Web.
Smolarz, B., Szyłło, K., & Romanowicz, H. (2021). Endometriosis: epidemiology, classification, pathogenesis, treatment and genetics (review of literature). International journal of molecular sciences, 22(19). Web.