Addiction treatment is the process of helping patients unlearn dependency of addictive substances or overcome negative attributes. In the USA, drug rehabilitation is the most common form of addiction treatment that requires attention by psychology practitioners (Redmond et al., 2016). Further, within the African American community, there is a relatively higher propensity for addiction making it a relevant case study for the instant subject. Among the fundamental premises for the high propensity is social stratification that makes poverty almost endemic to the aforesaid community (Redmond et al., 2016). This augments the suitability of the African American Community for the study because other than cultural differences, the issues of financial disparity also feature. As addiction treatment, like most psychological issues is holistic in nature and the differences arising from cultural, societal, and religious issues have to be taken into consideration to make it effective.
Whereas all humans may have the same scientific trends, variations premised on secondary factors exist in psychology. These include issues such as gender, nationality, race, ethnicity and culture ( Bowser & Bilal, 2001) . After birth, the nurture of a human being will be determined by the society, locality and academics among others (Redmond et al., 2016). These are fundamental attributes that must be factored in psychological treatment. Among the areas of practice where these secondary factors are paramount is in the treatment of addiction in the African American community as aforesaid. Among the specific considerations in the treatment of addiction is the cause of the addiction and what triggers continued use of the addictive substance (Redmond et al., 2016).
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The African American community is highly social in nature. Albeit the traditional larger family setting was broken in most communities through urbanization, the family ties still thrive in this community. As a child grows up, there is an influence of several other family members outside those in the nuclear family. A drug addiction treatment practitioner, therefore, needs to expand the scope when seeking to find causation for the addictive behavior. Another major race based consideration in addiction treatment particular to this community is the type of narcotic the patient is addicted to.
Drugs, like other lifestyle vices vary from race to race (Redmond et al., 2016). For example, a white narcotic addict has a higher propensity for the use of opioids, pure cocaine, and synthetic narcotics while an African American addict will more often than not use less expensive narcotics such as crack cocaine and marijuana. Another key consideration pertinent to this community is finances. Most forms of addiction treatment are quite expensive and, therefore, unavailable for a majority of the African American community (Redmond et al, 2016). Unfortunately, healthcare in the USA is a purely capitalistic endeavor. Even the available Medicare programs will only be as effective as they are expensive (Gelernter, 2015). The practitioner must therefore consider cost effectiveness in any treatment regimen considered.
From the totality of the foregoing, among the most suitable treatment regimens for the African American community is the 12 step group work series. This is a process initially developed to deal with alcohol addiction and first propagated by the Alcoholic Anonymous organization popular as AA (Jason & Ferrari, 2015). It has however, been expanded and adopted for use in all manner of addictions and compulsive behavior. Among the important components of this process include an admission that the individual has an addiction problem and it is beyond their control (Donovan et al., 2013).
The second step is to seek divine intervention for the addiction problem. There is no specific for divinity which makes it interdenominational and interreligious. Further, with the help of another recovering addict who is doing better than the patient known as a sponsor, the addict will inventory and remedy past mistakes (Jason & Ferrari, 2015). This includes apologies and if possible restitution to those the addict has hurt. With a clean slate, the addict will seek a new life and endeavor to assist other patients in a similar manner.
This process is suited to the African America society for various reasons. First, the 12 step group system is entirely available for all, free of charge (Jason & Ferrari, 2015). This will suit a majority of African American who cannot be able to pay for treatment. Organizations such as AA, Narcotics Anonymous (NA) and Cocaine Anonymous (CA) as well as tens of others facilitate free 12 step group therapy (Donovan et al, 2013; Jason & Ferrari, 2015). The second reason for relevance is effectiveness. In many cases, affordability relates to ineffectiveness but this is not the case with the 12 step group system. According to the research reported in Donovan et al. (2013), this system is quite effective in combating different types of addiction.
The third area of suitability is the divine attribute. The African American community is perhaps the most pious society in the country. However, they adhere to different religions and denominations. Even when lost in vices such as drug addictions, the community remains firm in religious beliefs. This makes the focus on divinity in the community especially suitable for this group. Finally, as earlier indicated, this community is extremely social, and this is the main premise for the 12 step system (Donovan et al., 2013).
Unfortunately, the pious nature of the African American community, albeit a plus for the 12 step group system operates as a hindrance when it comes to addiction admission. Indeed, since most families are collectively pious, it is possible for one member who engages in vices such as addiction to be considered a pariah and stigmatized. This, therefore, creates a hindrance from admission of addiction which exacerbates the problem.
Another basis for reluctance to admit addiction and seek for help is pride (Gelernter, 2015). The African American community is a proud community who will always be reluctant to admit to what the community considers as negative. These include drug use, homosexuality and sexually transmitted diseases including HIV and AIDS (Gelernter, 2015). Finally, another cause for reluctance is the extreme cost of treatment. Among the most common cause of treatment for addiction is inpatient rehabilitation. This is extremely expensive and beyond the pecuniary capacity of a majority of the members of the community (Gelernter, 2015). It, therefore, creates an extreme reluctance to admit addiction and seek treatment.
Language can also be a barrier in many addiction treatment regiments from a professional and alternative setting. Unfortunately, a large cross section of the African American community has only received elementary level education if at all (Redmond et al., 2016). However, these less educated individuals are most susceptible to addiction. The fear of inability to properly express oneself creates a reluctance to seek help for addiction. Further, they may not properly understand the instructions given by the practitioner even after they accept assistance to fight the vice (Gelernter, 2015).
Finally in the less formal setting such as the 12 step group setting, the inability to communicate in any language except slang may create a reluctance to communicate. The issues raised herein become augmented when the addict is an immigrant who learnt English as a foreign language and is not well versed in it (Gelernter, 2015). A practitioner must, therefore, factor this linguistic limitation and endeavor to make up for them when treating members of this community.
In conclusion, it is clear from the above that demographic considerations are vital in the practice of psychology generally and particularly combating addition. The African American community is among the demographic groups that require extreme consideration in this area. Language barriers, societal norms and customs, and religious inferences are the primary factors for consideration by a practitioner working with a patient from this particular community. It is also clear from the foregoing that the 12 step group system is especially suited for the instant community. Finally, there is need for a remedy for the extreme reluctance by African Americans to admit addiction and seek for medical help. A mishandled or ignored addiction is dangerous to the individual addict and the environment hence, a need to continue perfecting the available addiction treatment regimens.
References
Bowser, B. P. & Bilal, R. (2001). Drug treatment effectiveness: African-American culture in recovery. J Psychoactive Drugs, 33(4), 391-402.
Donovan, D. M., Ingalsbe, M. H., Benbow, J., & Daley, D. C. (2013). 12-Step interventions and mutual support programs for substance use disorders: An overview. Soc Work Public Health , 28(0), 313–332.
Gelernter, J., Kranzler, H. R., Sherva, R., Almasy, L., Herman, A. I., Koesterer, R., & Farrer, L. A. (2015). Genome-wide association study of nicotine dependence in American populations: Identification of novel risk loci in both African-Americans and European-Americans. Biological Psychiatry , 77 (5), 493-503.
Jason, L., & Ferrari, J. R. (2015). Recovery from addiction in communal living settings . London: Routledge.
Redmond, M. L., Watkins, D. C., Broman, C. L., Abelson, J. M., & Neighbors, H. W. (2016). Ethnic and gender differences in help seeking for substance disorders among black Americans. Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities , 1-9. Doi: 10.1007/s40615-016-0230-3
