SoCW-6202-WK2-Responses

Response: Overcoming Chemical and Behavioral Addictions

·      Respond to two colleagues who chose different clients than those you chose.·      Provide a different perspective regarding the potential challenges that the clients might face for overcoming his or her addictions. 

Use the Resources and the current literature to support your ideas.

References (use 2 or more)

Laureate Education (Producer). (2012a). Behavioral and chemical addiction [Video file].

Doweiko, H. E. (2015). Concepts of chemical dependency (9th ed.). Stamford, CT: Cengage.

Garcia, F. D., & Thibaut, F. (2010). Sexual addictions. The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 36(5), 254–260. 


Grant, J. E., Potenza, M. N., Weinstein, A., & Gorelick, D. A. (2010). Introduction to behavioral addictions. The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 36(5), 233–241. 

Hoffmann, B. (2011). Pathological gambling: An example of non-substance related

Colleague 1: Cassandra

According to Grant, Potenza, Weinstein, and Gorelick, “behavioral addictions are often preceded by feelings of “tension or arousal before committing the act” and “pleasure, gratification, or relief at the time of committing the act” (Grant, Potenza, Weinstein, and Gorelick, 2010).   All the individuals from the media piece exhibit a level of behavioral addiction while that is the main addiction for Jason.  Another similarity with everyone in the media piece as it relates to behavioral addiction, is the onset of their addictions was during their adolescent or youth adult years (Grant et.al, 2010).    Jason is recovering from a gambling addiction.  He acknowledged how at a young age he received a rush from winning a thousand dollars after sneaking into a casino.  He described the addictive feeling whether he was winning or losing (Laureate Education, 2012).  Jason’s gambling was pathological in nature; he no longer considered the consequences of gambling, only thriving on the feeling he received (Hoffman, 2011).   He identified how his gambling negatively impacted other areas of his life and he knew he needed to change.  The challenges Jason face is staying away from the people, places and things which he believed contributed to him relapsing.

Odessa described herself as an active addict.  She began drinking at a young age.  Drinking was her introduction to addiction; however, not viewed as the gateway until her behaviors progressed to other drugs.  She acknowledged smoking marijuana, then using cocaine which grew to her using crack cocaine.  Behaviors which she shared escalated in her early twenties.    She talked about doing whatever she had to do to get the drugs and that was when she realized she needed help (Laureate Education, 2012).  The first challenge she was admitting she was an addict and learning how to trust others to remain clean.  Odessa will also be challenged with staying motivated to be clean (Brunelle, Bertrand, Landry, Flores-Aranda, Patenaude, and Brochu, 2015).  In order for her to do so, she will need to be open to others feedback on how to remain clean and sober.  Odessa’s addiction was both chemical and behavioral.   

Colleague 2: Kamice

            All chemical and behaviors have the ability in altering the mood in a person that can be potentially addicting (Laureate Education,2012). Reviewing the media, two clients whom I selected was Gretchen and Jason, Gretchen had a chemical addiction. Gretchen began taking pills in the 3rd grade, because she was on Ritalin. She came from a chaotic family who parents were both addicts. Gretchen parents used drugs in front of her when she was a child; as she grew older she assumed it was a normal and used with them as if nothing was wrong. Jason had a behavioral addiction, which was gambling. Gambling usually begins in childhood or adolescence, with males (Grant, Potenza, Weinstein, & Gorelick, 2010). Jason addiction started at the age of 14; he snuck into a casino with a fake ID and won $1000 playing black jack. Ever since the win, he became excessively addicted in that activity. I’m not sure if he finished college or not, but he did have a job where he took out $30,000 out of his 401K plan and gamble it all and lost it. Jason missed work to go to the casino to gamble, he didn’t care if he won or lost he just needed to be at the casino.

Challenges

            Gretchen and her addiction, a challenge for her was using with her mother. When she realized that it was wrong and she had no support from her own mother; to her that was a hurtful feeling. She felt as though her mother wasn’t no role model to guide her in the right path; instead her mother bought her down along with her engaging in negative activities. Jason and his addiction, a challenge for him was losing his job and leaving him with nothing such as no home, job, friends nor family, basically his who livelihood. When both clients faced their challenges that’s when they seek for help to get their life back on track.