Disabilities and addiction
Certain disabilities contribute to addictions where the patients tend to overuse the medications intended for those disabilities. There is a big list of disabilities since they have different categories. The list has developmental disabilities, mental disabilities and physical disabilities. Substance use or addiction is also a disability where any addiction becomes a disability by itself. (Gold broom, 2009)
Addictions as well are many and in the 21st century, the common addictions are drug addictions. These are maybe marijuana and cocaine addictions. For example, a person suffering from diabetes is more likely to be a marijuana addict since the doctor has given restrictions of using alcohol. The addicts argue that marijuana has no sugar and therefore does not raise insulin levels therefore addiction. Addictions also include sex, gambling, and alcohol and all of them have a certain association with disabilities. Like talking of addictions, many people suffering from HIV and AIDS get addicted to sex, whereby they believe having more sex could cure the viral disease. (Gold broom, 2009)
Some addictions end up becoming disabilities and some are more complicated than others are. It is true that a disability of any kind equals to the other but certain disabilities are heavier. For example, gambling is more of an addiction but some go to an extent of saying it is a disability since it is already in the brain while an addiction to caffeine is just an addiction. Mostly, the disabled people need certain pleasures which when repeatedly used turn to be addictions. Repeatedly using alcohol to reduce pains when one has cancer becomes a habit and when not controlled becomes an addiction.
Various conditions and Alcohol addiction:
Consumption of alcohol is a social related activity and most people use it only when in social places. Alcohol gives pleasure and happiness when drunk, certain body nerves become numb thus controlling levels of pain, concentration and brain functioning. Cancer, which is a disability, causes a lot of pain in the body and some pain relieving drugs become immune to the body. Cancer patients look for many alternatives to control pain and most of them settle for alcohol. The continuous use becomes a habit and eventually becomes an addiction therefore cancer disability gear towards alcohol addiction. Scientifically, the only way to control or curb addictions is through rehabilitation, which in this case is relapse prevention. (Goering, 1995)
PTSD and Addiction
PTSD patients are individuals who have experienced traumatizing events, individuals experience stress which individuals are usually unable to coupe with, as a result they are likely to be alcohol dependent and this result into alcohol addiction.
Depreciation and addiction:
Depression occurs when an individual feels sad or stressed for a long period, depressed individuals are likely to abuse drugs and alcohol because alcohol provides relief. When the effect of alcohol wears off, the feeling returns and therefore they are likely to be addicted to alcohol. Cocaine is associated with Depression whereby it causes depression, for this reason, depressed individuals are also likely to be cocaine addicts.
ADD and addiction:
Studies show that ADD children are likely to have at least one parent who was also had the condition, family ADD conditions and its frustrations leads to drug dependencies especially alcohol abuse and other drugs. Drug abuse also reduces the effectiveness of medicated drugs and therefore it is recommended that individuals should not abuse drugs during the treatment period.
Bipolar and addiction:
This condition has various symptoms, which include depressive and manic, depression, which is an angry or sad mood. Individuals feel helpless, despair and often have suicidal thoughts. Mania on the other hand refers to rushed speech, conflicting ideas and reckless behavior. This condition is likely to affect teenagers and for this reason, individuals are likely to be addicted to various drugs including cocaine, marijuana, alcohol and other drugs. Individuals having this condition should not consume alcohol because it reduces the effectiveness of drugs. Cocaine and other psychoactive drugs are not recommended because they induce mania and depression.
MS and addiction:
In some countries, there is no prohibition of marijuana. Many prefer smoking it to cigarettes arguing that it does not cause cancer. Well, the stimuli reaction of the body is different as compared to other drugs. It increases the heartbeat rate where it the blood pumps faster than normal. There have been cases of cardiac arrest especially for the first timer users of marijuana. There has been a standing controversy of using marijuana in the medical field. Doctors use marijuana to control the multiple sclerosis commonly referred to as MS. Marijuana prevents the muscle tones that cause spasm and muscle stiffness to people diagnosed with MS. The continuous use of this drug in pain reduction for MS patients becomes an addiction. MS gears towards marijuana addiction especially because of the medical prescription. many marijuana addicts are MS patients because they abuse the prescription, which is only supposed to control the nervous system for pain reduction during the muscle stiffness. When taken according to the doctor’s prescription cases of addiction fade away but excessive use gears towards marijuana addiction. Use of marijuana is not acceptable in all countries therefore punishable by law unless on doctors prescription. Schizophrenia condition also influences the frequency of drug use, individuals with this conditions are likely to be addicted to psychoactive drugs especially marijuana. (Conrad, 2000)
Physical disabilities and gambling addiction
Gambling is an activity of getting money through betting. Gambling has enriched many people and many refer to it as the game of the lazy. Many physically disabled people maybe with chopped legs, hands, or those that cannot depend on other manual works for money often turn to gambling. Most of them gamble to scare away boredom but end up getting addicted. Gambling addiction is different from other addiction s and relapse prevention has different measures of dealing with addiction since to some extent it is also a disability. Physical disability highly contributes and gears towards gambling addiction. (Horne, 2010)
Relapse prevention, addiction and disabilities go together since the RP distinguishes the cause of an addiction and immediately gets to know how to prevent it. Disability is not a choice but addiction is a choice and that is why RP is important in cases of addiction.
References
Boorse, C. (1977). Philosophy of Science rebuttal on health. In What is disease? NJ: Humana Press.
Goering, C. (1995). Bulimia nervosa in a Canadian community sample: Prevalence and comparison of subgroups. American Journal of Psychiatry. Vol. 152, (7). pp 1052 to 1058.
Horne, M. (2010). Johnny Wilkinson’s addiction. Philosophy, Psychiatry and Psychology Journal. Vol. 17(1), pp 17 to 22.
Kahane, G. (2009). The welfarist account of disability. In Disability and disadvantage,Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Megerdichian. (2007). Internal tobacco industry journal. New York: McGraw Hill.
Meinck,Conrad,B. (1989). Effect of Cannabinoids on Spasticity and Ataxia in Multiple Sclerosis. Journal of Neurology, Vol. 23(6), pp 120 to 122
