Summary of Episode
The 24th episode of the sixth season of Intervention featured the story of a girl, Tina, who was sought out by a friend to help rebuild her life after beginning active drug use. A woman first went to the city to meet the patient’s family. She refused to accept help and insisted that she had to accept the effects of drugs as a consequence of her own choices. The patient mostly takes Fentanyl and crack, which are common in the Kensington area.
The episode’s directors take the time to show Tina’s social background. A well-organized supply chain of drug manufacturing has formed in the vicinity of the girl’s residence. A large number of families who are not marginalized end up as clients of drug dealers. Children, after a time, repeat the scenario of their parents, which leads viewers to believe that the daughter Tina also has the prerequisites to begin to use psychoactive substances.
Drug of Choice
It is known from the family situation of the main character that she has a daughter but no husband, while her mother died of an illness provoked by drug use. From the woman’s environment, the most influential and referential is a young man who supports Tina’s lifestyle. The woman refuses any intervention or treatment in rehabilitation centers, so there is no way to talk about the positive effects of any therapy (Intervention Full Episodes, 2019). The former is an opioid analgesic often prescribed to patients during anesthesia.
Medically, this drug is called according to the active substance fentanyl citrate, with the unofficial name Apache or China Girl when sold on the illicit market. For a long time, this substance has been produced in the form of ampoules, but in 90 years, after the spread of the use of this substance by drug addicts, patches containing the active substance of this drug have found active use (Danielson et al., 2009).
Of all the drugs studied by science, Fentanyl is the most addictive in the shortest period, as a stable dependence can be formed within three days, which can be neutralized with a serious medication-assisted psychotherapeutic treatment (Danielson et al., 2009). The mechanism of action of this substance is that within 4 hours, a person who has taken an injection develops withdrawal syndrome accompanied by vomiting, pain in various parts of the body, and depressive disorder.
Equally often, Tina resorted to using Greek, which is called hard or iron in slang. A distinctive feature of this drug is its unstable concentration, which makes it especially prone to overdose. Crack is a kind of cocaine spread in the form of a light-yellow crystalline mass, which is used in the form of smoking.
The reason for the spread of this type of psychoactive substance is its cheapness compared to other types of hard drugs. The low cost of the product leads to the fact that the smoking mix is often found in additional toxic substances that increase the risk of overdose and death (Famy et al., 1998). The addiction is formed rather quickly as the crack begins to affect the organism within the first minutes, causing the need for repeating the dose rather quickly. Both of the above substances cause withdrawal syndrome in the body, provoking digestive system disorders and mental and emotional disorders.
The history of tin use is not fully disclosed in this episode, as there is no exact data on when she first tried psychoactive substances. An important factor influencing the formation of such a lifestyle was the girl’s environment, which made her try drugs in the company of friends when she was a teenager. A pronounced addiction, which significantly affected her quality of life, began at an older age after the birth of a child. Since then, the woman had developed a life rhythm in which drug use was once every two or three days.
The exact dosage is not known, but it is clearly shown that the woman has been injecting and smoking various mixtures. Drug addiction has affected all aspects of the life of the heroine of the film, as she began to experience serious health problems, smoking addiction, as well as mental instability. Women do not find the resources to maintain a good relationship with their families, and while being in close contact with drug suppliers, they have the risk of becoming involved in a crime.
Assessment
An essential factor to consider in making an accurate diagnosis and formulating a treatment plan is how much consumption affects Tina’s daily life. It is clear from the video that the woman is experiencing degradation in her health, relationships, and psychological stability. Based on this data and the heroine’s appearance, one can conclude that there is a moderate level of disorder. The latter could be marked as F19.20 in the DSM-5 (American Psychiatric Association, 2022).
There is reason to believe that, for her age and substance use experience, the woman appeared to be sufficiently stable to have the highest degree of dependence. From her behavior, one could see that she was irritable and emotional, but her mind worked satisfactorily, and there were no outward signs of severe exhaustion (Hartney, 2023). She seemed to be finding ways of not using drugs too often so as not to overdose, but from the concern of the family, the background was suggestive of a worsening of the situation.
Of the symptoms that exist for this disease, four main ones fit. They include wasting time looking for and using drugs, refusal of household and professional responsibilities, a tendency to increase the dose, and awareness of the problem, but not being able to cope on one’s own. During the filming, the girl openly admitted to being addicted but was not ready to accept help from outside; Tina’s close people, at the same time, said that she stopped any communication with them and is taking more and more doses.
Risk and Protective Factors
The key risk factors preventing the woman from coming to sobriety are a complete lack of motivation, as well as contact with people who maintain the same lifestyle. It should be noted that there are active attempts on the part of the family to change the situation and to offer heroin treatment and quality care. Given Tina’s adamant refusal to intervene, it can be assumed that the missing factors are persistence and radicalism on the part of her environment. It is necessary to break her contact with people who are interested in her continuing to use psychoactive substances.
Treatment
At the time of diagnosis, I expect to see a disorder of the gastrointestinal tract as a fit of rage. This manifestation is the consequence of the two types of substances that Tina regularly acquires. Given the severity of the side effects, medication is essential in the case of these women. Triaptide, which has a relaxing and restorative effect on the central nervous system, and Tramal, which has an analgesic effect, may be suggested (Hartney, 2023). However, the most critical phase of treatment is psychotherapy, which includes group sessions. It is essential to consider joint sessions with immediate family members.
I would suggest inpatient treatment as a form of work for the rest of the patients. With such a regimen, the woman can continue to perform household chores and spend time with close relatives. At the same time, doctors can see her if necessary. Depending on the evaluation behavior, the form of treatment can be changed because the risk and avoidance of Tina’s intervention remain pretty high.
Medication methods that focus on psychotherapy are most effective with patients who have a short history of use and those who take drugs occasionally (Hartney, 2023). In case this addiction has been activated under unfavorable social conditions. It is accompanied by a lot of psychological trauma for the patient and their environment; the focus is often shifted toward psychological treatment.
Reactions
While watching this clip, I strongly desired to interfere in this situation and motivate the girl’s relatives to be more persistent and active in communicating with the heroine. Along with it, I experienced compassion and hope that her daughter will find the ability to help her mother. Moreover, there was a desire to turn to social support services so that the latter would provide appropriate support for Tina and her family. Her reasons for refusing help could be pressure from her boyfriend, with whom she needs to get in touch.
References
American Psychiatric Association. (2022). DSM-5 TM (5th ed.). Psychiatric Publishing.
Danielson, C. K., Amstadter, A. B., Dangelmaier, R. E., Resnick, H. S., Saunders, B. E., & Kilpatrick, D. G. (2009). Trauma-related risk factors for substance abuse among male versus female young adults. Addictive Behaviors, 34(4), 395–399. Web.
Famy, C., Streissguth, A. P., & Unis, A. S. (1998). Mental illness in adults with fetal alcohol syndrome or fetal alcohol effects. America Journal of Psychiatry, 155(4), 552–554. Web.
Hartney, E. (2023). DSM 5 criteria for substance use disorders. Verywell Mind. Web.
Intervention Full Episodes. (2019). A&E. Web.