The client, Juan David, is a 16-year old who originates from Columbia. David is a drug addict. He is living with his unemployed parents and two siblings. David started experimenting with different drugs three years ago after being influenced by older teenagers and his peers in his low-income neighborhood, most of who got into the habit claiming that smoking cigarettes was cool. He smoked and took alcohol for about one year, after which he was introduced to hard drugs, forcing him to drop out of school and indulge in the habit. Since they were struggling at home and had no money to satisfy his habit, David joined the neighborhood gang, who were used to participating in criminal activities. He had to participate in the criminal activities that included robbing people in the streets for money that he could use to purchase the drugs.
Within a year, David’s friends were killed with the authorities, and some of them were gunned down with rival gangs. However, he was lucky since he was never caught on the wrong side of the law by the local authorities, but he was depressed following his addition to the hard as well as soft drugs. The depressive state drove him to entertain suicidal thoughts, and he tried to kill himself at a particular point in life. After being rescued for trying to commit suicide, David was brought to the recreational center to receive treatment. Not so many people, including his parents, were concerned about him. However, the social worker that brought him to the center was concerned about his well-being, prompting the decision to assist him into becoming a responsible adult.
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Application of disease models
The demographics and the history of the client as presented in the introduction portray the client as a drug addict, a habit that led to his depressive state. The client exhibits the brain disease model of addition that characterized by the pathological changes in his brain, which was a derivative of the overpowering urge to habitually use drugs (West, 2013). This model construes addiction as a medical disorder since it is an abnormality of the structure as well as functioning of that produces impairment. Even though the addicted individual might be exhibiting a desire to stop the addictive behavior, he or she might be carrying on with the habit. Conversely, the addicted individual might be continuing the habit, regardless of whether there is evidence showing that he or she is straining to stop taking drugs.
At the heart of the disease model of addiction, which follows the drive theory, is the concept of craving. This provision is applicable to David’s case since he was ready to do whatever it takes, including robbing people, to get the drugs. Robert West (2013) describes the concept of craving as applicable to the disease model as an overpowering as well as urgent desire. One way to think about this desire is that it is a feeling that impels an addicted individual to take whatever steps necessary to ensure that they achieve the object or drug of the addiction. Conversely, the concept can be a construction of the motivational state, which supersedes the concept of feelings. In this case, it is dominant in the thoughts and actions of the individual.
As argued by Nora J. See (2013), addictions cannot be considered as progressive since some of them will remain stable, while some addictions will deteriorate. As compared to other habitual diseases, impulsive remission as well as maturation exists in addiction (See, 2013). For this reason, it would be plausible to implement a variety of treatment modalities. However, the most suitable modality would involve the provision of education to the clients to assist them in managing their health, identify the triggers causing the addiction, and providing them with the management skills that would assist them to cope with the condition. This strategy is essential for ensuring that they achieve lasting recovery.
Socio-cultural Factors and the Disease Models
The medical portrayal of addiction may affect the perception of the client from the point of view that it would attempt to explain the addiction by referring to concepts applicable to the client and their circumstances (West, 2013). By modeling the addiction in the individual, it would be essential to point out that addiction can arise out of pre-existing or acquired personal traits, together with particular environmental circumstances, that would motivate the person to take on harmful behavior patterns. Based on individual-level theories, an individual inhabits particular environments that would promote addiction. In this case, they would either initially engage with the addictive activity or their susceptibility to develop the addiction after participating in the addictive behavior and being exposed to the consequences. For this reason, changing one or more of these elements is essential for the improvement in the management of addiction or recovering from it.
Based on the disease model of addiction, some of the factors that might contribute to a person’s addictive behavior might be due to an environmental circumstance. In this regard, there is a possibility of arguing that an individual condition of a weak will is one of the contributing factors that legitimizes their addictive behavior. This model places an individual in the context of his or her social environment and integrates the narrative of his or her life. For this reason, the brain disease model contextualizes the responsibility that is placed on an individual, consequently giving room for the members of the particular society to reflect on the manner in which they have facilitated the misuse of drugs in their societies. For this reason, this model creates room for a multidimensional as well as the diverse aspects of knowledge acquisition, which could be drawn upon to address or explain some of the concerns. The derived knowledge is also essential for availing the tools that could be used to address the concerns.
Conclusion
The disease model covered is that of the brain disease model. This model emphasizes on the idea that individuals are responsible for their actions and their will to make decisions that would enable them to resist from abusing drugs. The disease model is in line with the drive theory, which indicates that powerful drives that are established by homeostatic mechanisms characterize addiction. The concepts discussed relates to the case established in the introduction, which involves Juan David, a drug addicted teenager. In an attempt to explain the reasons for his addiction, it would be essential to refer to the circumstances that he was undergoing as the foundation for his situation.
References
See, N. (2013). Models and Theories of Addiction and the Rehabilitation Counselor (Masters). Southern Illinois University Carbondale.
West, R. (2013). EMCDDA INSIGHTS: Models of addiction . Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European.
