Mental Illness and Drugs Information taken from: Henslin, J (2008). Social Problems: A down to earth approach. Boston: Pearson Education, unless noted.

Labels  How do drugs get “labeled” as bad?

 How drugs are viewed as good or bad is based on: –How we define the drug –Social reaction –How our views of a drug change over time  From a personal problem to a social problem: –When a large number of people demand action it becomes a social problem Drugs As A Social Problem

Drug Use By Students  High school –During past month, half of seniors drank alcohol, almost 1/3 got drunk –Seniors who are college bound use fewer drugs –Underage drinking is common –Marijuana smoking is common among seniors  College students –Alcohol is most common, followed by nicotine and marijuana –Men use more than women  Subjective concerns center on alcoholism, underage drinking, drunk driving, and health consequences.

Drug Stats  50% of Americans have a beloved one who is suffering from drug abuse problem at any given time  In United States of America, the root cause for 25% of the total deaths can be attributed to drug abuse.  75% of domestic violence is caused by drug addicts.  The age group that is worst affected by drug addiction is 18-29

Drug Stats  The drug consumption generally begins at adolescent years. Statistics reveal that the average age is 12.5 years  Heroin and cocaine contribute to 70% of illicit drug addiction problems across America  Among school children who come out of the eighth grade, 52% have tasted alcohol, 41% have smoked cigarettes at least once and 20% have given weed consumption a try Stats from:

Drugs As A Social Problem  A drug as a social problem has more to do with how we define and react to a drug and its use (subjective concerns) than the physical effects of a drug (objective conditions). –Objective condition of alcohol and tobacco far outweighs its societal subjective concern  Over 400,000 nicotine related deaths annually  Alcohol is the most expensive of all drug abuse problems.

Mental Health: Test Your Knowledge re/mhw/popquiz.htm re/mhw/popquiz.htm

Labels and Mental Illness All Aboard….  Labels Video (please click on link) Labels Video Labels Video

Labels and Mental Illness  How do diagnoses act as labels for mental illnesses?  Who is affected by this?  Person-first language

Labels and Mental Illness  Stigma Video (click link for virtual field trip) Stigma Video Stigma Video  Why is a mental disability/illness looked at differently than a physical disability/illness?

Myths  What are some the myths associated with mental illness?

Realities of Mental Illness  The fact is, a mental illness is a disorder of the brain – your body’s most important organ  Mental illness is the nations second leading cause of disability after heart disease.  1 in 6 adults and almost 1 in 10 children suffer from a diagnosable mental illness.  Like most diseases of the body, it has many causes – from genetics to other biological, environmental and social/cultural factors.  But most importantly, mental illnesses are treatable– allowing those who suffer from them the opportunity to lead full and productive lives From: From:

Medicalization of Human Problems  Offering a medical solution to personal problems  Medicalization of : –Emotional problems (Prozac, Zoloft) –Addiction (Genetic)

Medicalization of Human Problems  Functions  Dysfunctions

Medicalization – Functional Perspective  Functions of medicalization: –Controlling undesirable behavior –Profitable  Dysfunctions: –Stigma –Side effects of drugs “If only we could find the perfect pill, all personal and social problems would disappear….”

Medicalization  How does the medicalization of behavior affect the treatment of addiction?

Unit 3 Essay  Discuss factors that contribute to obesity and unhealthy dietary habits among our younger generations  Create a school-wide program that would address these social problems.  300 words  APA  Cite the text  Include a reference page