It is an indisputable fact that addiction shakes the root of a society to the core and jeopardizes homes, family structures, businesses, health and well-being of persons. There are many faces of addiction ranging from substance abuse and personal behavioral disorders such as pathological gambling. Gambling has been termed as the “invisible” addiction and by definition, addictions include both chemical and nonchemical addictive disorders (Rasmussen, 2000). Gambling has been recorded throughout history and even mentioned in the bible yet most do it for the thrill that comes with it and currently, about one-third of gamblers are women. Ms. Kimberly, a 37-year old divorced pre-school teacher is near panic because her bank just called her for having a credit-card debt excess of $50,000. She is a white middle-aged female who had problems with her husband due to her constant gambling habits and now it is certain she is on the verge of bankruptcy.
Applications of Social Models
Pathological gambling can be characterized mainly by an uncontrollable lust to gamble at the expense of other important things in life. Applying certain models, however, as a family therapist, would help Ms. Kimberley overcome her addiction problems. The use of a social model is preferred due to its cost effectiveness and a variety of approaches to treating addiction would be employed including the 12-step recovery techniques similar to the Minnesota model. Although the Minnesota model was initially developed to assist persons struggling with substance abuse, this model would also be beneficial to Ms. Kimberley who is a pathological gambler. This is because, gambling, just like other addictive behaviors meet the descriptive criteria of addiction specifically DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for an impulse-control disorder (Rasmussen, 2000). This model relies heavily on the use of a group setting which accounts for about 80 percent of the treatment process. In such settings, individuals like Ms. Kimberly would get a chance to discuss their addiction at length and what triggers it, denials of their problems if any and also if there are any breakthroughs. This setting would help in her recovery since she would get feedback from her peers as well as counselors. In addition to this, each person in the group setting will be receiving individualized treatment which meets their needs. This is because, in such a setting, there are client differences such as age, gender, religion or socio-economic status. The client's (Ms. Kimberly) demographics would also ensure that she benefits from this social model since from my assessment she is free to talk to and readily accepts views from other people as well as being ready to seek assistance, and therefore, I would highly recommend this Minnesota model to her.
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Sociocultural Factors and the Social Models
Whereas most people gamble for fun or pleasure, for some, gambling promotes feelings of tension and intense excitement thus a gambler can become addicted to gambling the same way someone can be addicted to drinking or drugs (Staff, 1999). Men are mostly addicted to gambling but recently more women like Kimberly are becoming addicts. Most women, however, gamble due to personal problems. It serves as an anesthetic for women who seek to escape their personal problems. Other sociocultural factors which influenced Ms. Kimberly’s addictive behavior included peer influence. Ms. Kimberly admitted during the counseling sessions that her friend is the one who introduced her to gambling in the first place. She had never been to a casino before but a couple of friends took her there to "kill time" and bond and before she knew it, she was an addict. This resulted to her distancing herself from her family leading to her divorce. Family roles and structure also influenced the client’s gambling addiction. Kimberly’s husband failed to perform her duties effectively leaving her overworked and stressed. In turn, she overindulged in this behavior to relieve stress. She narrated how engaging in gambling gave her mixed emotions and thrills. The Minnesota model philosophy is straightforward and from its perspective, stress-related problems make people gamble in order to escape from reality.
The media also provides social models of addiction by publishing articles which are useful in helping addicts. Cognitive therapies, problem-oriented therapies as well as solution-focused treatments have been published in various sites. They detail treatment goals such as reduction and gradual withdrawal as well as tertiary preventative mechanisms. The social models of addiction have perspectives for overcoming the social-cultural factors mentioned above which contribute to addictive behaviors. The Minnesota model, for instance, uses effective prevention programs. Prevention is a sure way to curb gambling and the model uses prevention techniques based on sound theoretical principles that have undergone several rigorous evaluation procedures which ensure high confidence in the outcomes. There are programs published by the Centre for Substance Abuse such as FAN club (Family Advocacy Network) which strengthens families’ bonds and prevent clients from distancing themselves from their families to become gamblers.
Sociocultural Factors and Professional Development
Awareness of sociocultural factors has affected my professional development as a family therapist working in an addictive behavior treatment program. This knowledge has enabled me to understand more the importance of having close family ties. According to research, more adolescents are actively engaging in betting particularly sports betting without the knowledge of their parents. To add salt to injury, the growth of legal gambling in the United States has led to increased cases of juvenile delinquents who are gambling addicts which go hand-in-hand with substance abuse. As a professional therapist, this knowledge has made me realize that if families remained more united, having meals together, going out together and both parents being there for their children, such vices would not occur. I further believe that one's race, education, economic status, or neighborhood quality can be a contributing factor to one having an addiction. A good example is that of people residing in low and middle-income quality neighborhoods run by gangs. They have a higher chance of becoming addicts to some form of vice or substance. The amount of peer influence in such neighborhoods is overwhelming as well as the desire to make it in life. All these pressures coupled up with the availability of drugs and other substances in these neighborhoods alone is enough to turn people into addicts. Economic status, as well as the level of education, can contribute to some form of addiction and not just gambling. The rich for instance, tend to have "money to blow away" and can easily access expensive drugs like heroin. Their wealth can, therefore, contribute to their addiction. Those educated and involved in time-demanding careers would rarely turn into addicts as compared to school drop-outs who have all the time in the world to overindulge.
I believe that family structures and systems can be beneficial to persons trying to recover from addiction. Homes which are supportive and close can encourage one of their own say the father who is struggling with drinking habits. Close families can offer emotional support apart from moral and financial supports to addicts. Lastly, the adoption of a social model of addiction is beneficial to both the client and to me as a professional. It can largely improve my employability due to the high success rate in counseling due to the application of social models. The Minnesota model, for instance, has been tested multiple times and people who used it showed positive results as compared to those who never used the model at all. Higher success rates, therefore, translate to higher chances of my employability as a professional
Conclusion
Addiction is a serious matter since it is a habit which enslaves a person making them act uncontrollably. Addiction can be as equally damaging just like a terminal disease such as diabetes and it is for this reason that addictive behavioral treatment methods have been developed. Social models help patients suffering from addiction by use of mutual-help groups which are highly effective.
References
Rasmussen, S. (2000). Addiction treatment . Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage Publications.
Staff, N. (1999). Pathological Gambling . Washington: National Academies Press.
