Drug Abuse Theories - Essay Example

Further, the report states that prolonged drug abuse can lead to participation in crime. Most crimes are committed when the criminal is under the influence of drugs or needs funds for drugs. College students remain vulnerable because of crime which is perpetrated under the influence of drugs. Half of the sexual assaults that occur on campus are by people influenced by drugs. Drugs have been known to change the personality of people as normal and calm people can become irrational under the influence. This paper analyzes the psychological and sociological basis of drug abuse.

Sociology and Drug Abuse
Sociology attempts to answer the phenomenon of drug abuse by using three perspectives. The first theory is known as the conflict perspective which states that society is a continuous state of change that results in competition. Another perspective is that of functionalism which says that society consists of segments that are linked with each other and serve a function (Campo, 2005). The final perspective of sociology is about symbolic interactionism which studies the effect of society on the individual. The conflict theory postulates that drug abuse is more rampant in poor areas because marginalized communities do not have legitimate means to earn money. They are forced to sell drugs to earn a good living. The functional theory believes that drug abuse occurs because they provide an escape for people who cannot cope with the harsh realities of life. Drug abuse creates jobs for people who do not have the necessary skills required in a legal workforce.

Symbolic interactionists believe that an individual may become a drug abuser because of labels that denied them the opportunities. The individual in this case had to resort to drugs to survive. Conflict theory further states that drug abuse creates opportunities for lawmakers to exploit the poor (Devlin, 2006). Functionalists would point out that drug abuse creates more jobs for people in the field of law enforcement. It also creates a means of educating the young and helping maintain conformity in society. Finally, the symbolic theory states that drug abuse creates a negative image of minorities and poor people. It isolates young people who need social relations with society. It also leads to violations of the law and breeds crime in the youth.

Psychology and drug abuse
Psychology has also attempted to study the phenomenon of drug abuse. There are many theories of drug abuse by psychology. The most common theory is that of self-medication which states that people who take drugs have an emotional belief that they will function much better if they took drugs. Drug abusers experience more happiness and relief when they take drugs. Most people taking drugs according to this theory do not have adequate channels to express their feelings. For example, people who might be suffering from anxiety, stress, depression, or shyness might resort to taking drugs to experience euphoria and a good feeling (Farrow, 2005). However, the flaw with this theory is that some people experience psychological problems which they did not have before drug abuse. Other theories focus on how people learn to use drugs, the incentives associated with drug abuse, and peer pressure. There are other theories that focus on the psychoanalytical reasons for drug abuse which state that people take drugs to repress unpleasant childhood memories (Engs, 2006).

Relationship between psychology and sociology
Sociological explanations have much in common with psychological explanations of drug abuse. Psychology attempts to study the mental state of the drug user while sociology studies the relations with society and drug abuse. Sociology also attempts to explain the external factors which lead to drug abuse (Friedman, 2004). These external factors can include the poverty level of the society in which an individual is residing. It can also include family and friends who might influence an individual to take up drugs. Sociology attempts to explain the external influences which might act as a motivation for an individual to take up drugs. Psychology attempts to look at drug abuse by stating that an individual with problems like anxiety, depression, and stress might be motivated to take drugs because they give that individual a feeling of euphoria and pleasure.

Conclusion
Sociology and psychology both attempt to explain the phenomenon of drug abuse. Sociology attempts to explain drug abuse by looking at the external factors which might act as catalysts for drug abuse. Psychology on the other hand looks at the internal state of the mind which provides a motivation for people to take up drugs.


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