Addiction can be described as a disorder that requires immediate medical intervention. The study by de Souza (2015) reveals a close connection between the perspective generated from the study findings and the medical perspectives of addiction. Addiction essentially includes various aspects such as the victim misusing the substance experiencing low self-control over the substance, using the substance to enhance performance, a desire to obtain the substance wrongfully, and overdosing to achieve an intended result. In this paper, I will discuss how addiction, as exhibited by the thirty-seven participants, falls in line with addiction's medical perspectives.
The study was conducted among 37 college students to investigate their usage of prescription stimulants. The study revealed that most students self-prescribed themselves prescription stimulants like Adderall to improve their normal functioning in study activities. Most will agree that addiction is the lack of self-control over something, a concept that defies or true human nature. The uncontrolled use of prescription medicine has thinned the line between biomedicine and the norms in our culture. For instance, some of the participants using drugs did not know about the medical side effects because their peers were doing them did not exhibit severe side effects (de Souza, 2015). From a medical perspective, the participants have unknowingly crossed the line to addiction even when they think they regulate the drugs in the system.
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The addiction to the excessive use of prescribed drugs has undermined the authority of the medical provider. A few of the participants have admitted using PS to alleviate their daily problems like studying for tests overnight (de Souza, 2015). This property further mirrors the medical perspective of addiction as addicts utilize the drugs to provide a false sense of comfort. Because of self-prescription, peers influence one another into usage with proper information about the drug. They also stated that more of the prescription stimulants they had bought from a 'supplier.' This means that they by-passed the authority of creating a relationship with a physician for proper diagnosis because there was no illness in the first place. The students argued that since they had learned how to control the dosage their bodies react to, they saw no harm in taking drugs a doctor would prescribe.
Another reason why the perspective of addiction, as depicted by the participants, reflects the medical perspective is that the participants strongly defended their addiction at their ignorance. According to the participants, their biggest fear is bodybuilding, a tolerance for a particular drug or get addicted. When questioned how they can regulate their usage without going overboard, a few of them gave examples of how they experiment by increasing and decreasing dosage to suit the body's wants (de Souza, 2015). One particular participant was quoted saying that he trusts his mental strength to help him quit any drug at will; by defending the drug usage characteristics, behavioral experts state that this is one of the predispositions of addiction. Denial is one of the medical signs of addiction where the victim believes they are in control while, in reality, they are not. The inability of a drug user to acknowledge their lack of control and need for help is a scientific characteristic of addiction. There is therefore need for intervention to help the addicted students to get a hold of their harmful habits
In conclusion, the perspective of addiction as defined by the college students under study echoed significantly the medical perspectives of addiction. The study showed how many college students consume prescription stimulants to help in their normal functioning, where the apparent dependency is a clear indication of addiction from the scientific perspective. Experts believe that the oversupply of these drugs in society has undermined the authority of medical experts. Participants admitted they obtained their PS through a supplier who sold it illegally. Also, the students defended their drug mannerisms from an ignorant and uninformed point of view. A behaviour, therapists say, that results from addiction.
References
de Souza, R. (2015). "I've Thought About This, Trust Me": Understanding the Values and Assumptions Underlying Prescription Stimulant Misuse Among College Students. International Journal Of Communication, 9, 19. Retrieved from https://ijoc.org/index.php/ijoc/article/view/2610
