Abilene Christian University Chemical Dependency and Disaster Management Discussion

Discuss chemical dependency as either a primary or secondary concern for disaster management.  List three potential concerns and identify a possible solution for each.  Choose and defend which one is the primary solution.

Reply to 

first post

With chemical dependency, people continue to use drugs even after the significant problems related to their use have developed. A majority of the chemically dependent people want to stop, but they cannot because their bodies are chemically dependent on the drugs and alcohol to operate. As such, this threatens the smooth functioning and peaceful development of societies, and for this reason, it is a potential concern for disaster management around the world. Possible concerns are Effect on a person’s health, Compromised government. Traffickers corrupt officials to continue with their criminal activities, Criminal offenses.

Possible solutions

Health- Universal prevention programs should be initiated, aiming at providing the skills to make healthy choices and decisions in life. For those who started the abuse but yet to succumb to dependence, screening and treatment should be initiated. For those who are already addicted, treatment with behavioral intervention should be done. Besides, impact on governance- Policies and initiative against drug trafficking should be integrated into government development programs in all countries and, at the same time, strengthening government institutions to share the responsibilities of eradicating drug trafficking.

Criminal offenses- Social programs not directly connected to chemical dependency like vocational training programs can be used as a target to reach young people who are at risk of becoming dependent and hence committing a crime. In addition to that, intervention to those vulnerable to lack of food, clothing and shelter can reap benefits since some people resolve to drug trafficking and abuse due to lack of these basic needs.

Primary Solution

Policies and initiatives against drug trafficking should be integrated into government development programs in all countries. Because of this, there will be nothing to abuse hence no dependency.

Reference

NCBI. (2019). Substance Abuse Treatment and Family Therapy. Retrieved from NCBI: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK64265/“>https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK64265/

second post

Chemical dependency, commonly known as addiction, refers to a strong psychological desire to consume a chemical even when it is harmful to the body. It is a difficult condition to handle as the activity has been picked by the brain rendering it to become a habit. Attempts to overcome such a condition results in the subject undergoing withdrawal, which is seen through various signs and symptoms developed (Medeiros, 2019). The addiction levels determine the withdrawal effects endured by different subjects depending on the chemical abused. There is not so much data on the casualties of withdrawal effects, which makes it hard to determine the seriousness of the condition. Some of the symptoms exhibited by subjects undergoing a withdrawal include anxiety, sweating, vomiting, and insomnia, among others.

Purposeful research to examine the lethality of undergoing withdrawal is lacking. However, such an absence does not dismiss the potential of the condition to cause death. The fact that the development of the condition is a result of the existence of another leads me to identify is as a secondary concern for disaster management (Medeiros, 2019). Some of the populations threatened by the condition include the unborn children, pregnant women, senior citizens as well as people living with various disabilities.

Relapse is a potential outcome when addressing the problem. It is necessary for victims of addiction in rehab to be kept in a distracting environment. For example, people undergoing withdrawal ought to be engaged in various activities to keep them busy (Perkinson, 2016). Being physically involved in multiple activities helps to wean them off their habits and drugs gradually.

Self-harm is a likely outcome during the withdrawal period. A strategy that can be used to address the problem is creating focus groups that allow victims of drug addiction to meet and share their experiences. In such a case, such people will gain appreciation and encouragement through information sharing. There will be a stronger resolve that will i created each time (Perkinson, 2016). Eventually, it will be possible for these people to overcome their habits.

Lastly, deterioration of health is a likely outcome when addressing the problem. It is necessary to have specialized medical personnel available to attend to such people in case they experience intense withdrawal signs. That way, it will be possible to prevent undesirable outcomes that may include fatality.

The primary solution used to address chemical dependency is engaging a chemically dependent person to create a distracting environment. Keeping such a person active helps to keep thoughts of the chemical of abuse away (Medeiros, 2019). That way, they gradually learn to live without them. In the long run, they overcome the condition as they learn to live without chemical dependency.

References

Medeiros, R. (2019). Exploring Interprofessional Education Among Nursing and Chemical Dependency/Addiction Studies Through Simulation.

Perkinson, R. R. (2016). Chemical dependency counseling: A practical guide. Sage Publications.