Prince Georges Community College Drugs for Good Gone Wrong Discussion

Please provide an aside or constructive feedback to the following two Topics. Do you agree with the analysis presented? Why? Do you have some additional thoughts on the topic? Share them. When providing your feedback present the logic behind it.

Topic 1

Study 1: Bill (Drugs for good gone wrong…)

Your roommate Bill has had chronic pain issues since he broke his jaw in a mountain biking accident about a year ago. You know that he finished his prescription pain killers four months ago, but you’re concerned he’s been taking something else. Quite frequently you find Bill passed out in his room, and when he is awake, he doesn’t seem to care about much. He stopped volunteering at the animal shelter and says his pain is way better than it was a few months ago. Today you find on the bathroom sink a syringe and your landlord sends an email to say Bill did not pay his share of this month’s rent. What drug is Bill on?

Please respond to the following

1. Given that Bill has been having chronic pain since his accident and has not refilled his pain killers, but he claims his pain is better than it was before makes me think he is addicted to some sort of opioid drug. The syringe use makes me think Bill has become addicted to heroin. This story line seems familiar with those who find themselves addicted to opioid drugs. Heroin addiction can change the consumer’s brain chemistry, mental dependence, and mood (Lesser, 2021). With Bill, it seems he does not care about much. This is no surprise with heroin users, since heroin “inhibits the capacity to respond to situations emotionally” (Warburton et al, n.d.). Opioids can “reinforce drug taking behavior by altering activity in the limbic system, which controls emotions” (NIH,n.d.). I find my roommate passed out frequently. This can happen because of the immediate effects of heroin use. The moment heroin enters the brain, its converted to “morphine and binds rapidly to opioid receptors” (NIH,n.d.). There are reports from those who use this drug feeling a “rush” (NIH, n.d.). The intensity of this rush can be blamed on how quickly heroin enters the brain and binds to the opioid receptors (NOH, n.d.). With this drug, the rush brings a number of effects and after these initial effects, a user can feel drowsy for a number of hours (NIH, n.d.). I can imagine the depressed breathing opioids cause by changing the neurochemical activity in the brain stem would push a user to feel sleepy as well (NIH, n.d.). Heroin is not cheap to come by, so if it is that Bill is using heroin, he would not have money to pay his bills or his half of the rent.

2. Opioids, or heroin, can not only block pain messages transmitted through the spinal cord from the body, but it can also give off the feeling of euphoria (NIH, n.d.). Other subjective effects a user may report from using heroin would be the feeling of having less pain, relaxation, drowsiness, and slowed breathing.

5. Heroin is a highly addictive drug and is known to be the most abused or “most rapidly acting member of opioids” (Hosztafi, 2011). Continued use of heroin can eventually change the physical structure and physiology of the brain, producing “long-term imbalances in neuronal and hormonal systems that are not easily reversed” (NIH, n.d.). The decay of the brain’s white matter due to the drug’s can affect the ability to make decisions, regulate behavior, and responses to stressful situations (NIH, n.d.).

6. If I were a counselor, I would tell the concerned family or friends of someone using this drug to just be there for their loved one. This is the time when your family member needs you the most, even if they may not want it or think so. This is not the time to act like nothing is going on, but it is the time to speak with your loved one about seeking help. I would advise them to study the symptoms of when this use turns into addiction and prepare themselves. An important thing that I would tell them is to avoid preaching and lecturing to their friend or family about their drug use.

What are the long-term effects of heroin use? (2021, April 13). National Institute on Drug Abuse. https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/heroin/what-are-long-term-effects-heroin-use

Warburton, Hamish and Turnbull, Paul J and Hough, Mike (2005) Occasional and controlled heroin use: not a problem? York: Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

Drug heroin abuse and depression. (2021, March 13). Dual Diagnosis. https://dualdiagnosis.org/heroin-abuse-depression/

What are the immediate (short-term) effects of heroin use? (2021, April 13). National Institute on Drug Abuse. https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/heroin/what-are-immediate-short-term-effects-heroin-use

Hosztafi S. A heroin addikció [Heroin addiction]. Acta Pharm Hung. 2011;81(4):173-83. Hungarian. PMID: 22329304.

Topic 2

Study 2: Jill (Let the smoke clear…)

It has been a long day and you are glad it is Friday. Earlier you called and made plans with your friend, Jill, to order delivery from your favorite sandwich shop and to start a movie marathon around 6PM. When you arrive at Jill’s condo you smell a distinctive odor in the hall. You knock and she opens the door. A smoky cloud lingers in the kitchen. Jill has invited her cousin Shelly over and they seem to have been smoking something. Their eyes are red, they seem extremely relaxed, and there are food and candy wrappers all over the place. Jill says that she totally forgot you were coming over, but you should stay and hang out anyway. What have Jill and Shelly been smoking?

Please respond to the following

Study 2 Let the Smoke Clear

What drug has the individual in this case been using? What led you to believe this?

I believe the individuals were smoking marijuana. Marijuana is one of the most commonly abused drugs. People who use the drug for recreational purposes do so by smoking it. The drug has a distinctive odor and has various mental health effects. The drug causes one to relax and may have an impact on short-term memory. Jill and her friend were relaxed and could not remember the appointment they had. Evidently, these are the effects of smoking cannabis.

What are the subjective effects of the drug (i.e., what would a person taking this drug report feeling after using the drug)?

There are many feelings associated with Bhang smoking. Bhang may result in confusion as well as anxiety. It may also result in an increase in the heart rate as well as dizziness. One is also likely to experience hallucinations and increased paranoia.

Is this drug addictive? What are the consequences of continued use of this drug?

Short-term effects of marijuana include the altered sense of time as well as changes in mood. When taken in high doses, it may cause one to experience hallucinations as well as delusions. Marijuana is highly addictive and prolonged use of the drug is likely to result in addiction (Savet et al., 2018). When abused for an extended period of time, bhang may result in the loss of mental capabilities. One may develop memory problems since the drug temporarily stops the brain from processing new information.

Putting yourself in the role of a professional counselor or biological psychologist, what advice do you have for concerned family or friends of someone using this drug?

As a counselor, I would advise a person using marijuana to quit smoking. Marijuana dependence is likely to result in serious mental health and psychological issues. The individuals can in turn engage in physical exercise as a way of dealing with the urge to smoke marijuana. If they are addicted already, they should consider cognitive behavioral therapy as a way of dealing with the addiction. Cutting down the intake of marijuana is a progressive process and the family members need to be patient with the patients. They should offer the necessary support and ensure that the addicts are successful.

References

Sarvet, A. L., Wall, M. M., Fink, D. S., Greene, E., Le, A., Boustead, A. E., … & Hasin, D. S. (2018). Medical marijuana laws and adolescent marijuana use in the United States: a systematic review and meta?analysis. Addiction, 113(6), 1003-1016.