PSY-4601 - Overview of Substance Abuse and Addiction

Semester Credits: 3 Weeks: 8

This course explores various topics in the study of substance abuse and addiction. You will learn about the physical, emotional, psychological, and cultural effects of the addictive process on the individual and the various systems that impact misuse, addiction, treatment, and recovery. Topics covered for each category of drug include general information, incidence and prevalence, mechanism of action, specific psychological and physical effects, and treatment approaches.

There are few people who are untouched by the effects of substance use, abuse, and addiction. These issues impact the individual who is using or abusing the substances, their unborn children in utero, their friends and families, their school or work, and every facet of society at large. Substance use and addiction affect political leaders, clergy, doctors, lawyers, movie stars, and athletes. There are many stories of promising careers cut short by these problems. Even more tragically, there are countless people of all ages, races, genders, and socio-economic statuses who die as a result of overdoses or drug or alcohol-related incidents every year. The monetary costs of substance abuse and addiction are measured in billions of dollars annually.

During this course, you will explore the impact of addiction from the physiological level of the individual using the substance all the way to the societal impact and cost of substance use and addiction. You will learn about some of the substances, both legal and illegal, that are the focus of use, abuse, and addiction. In this course, you will also look at the efforts to prevent substance abuse and addiction and how successful these efforts are from an empirical perspective. Since prevention is never completely successful, you will also familiarize yourself with the various treatment approaches to substance abuse and addiction from peer-mediated efforts to evidenced-based professional treatment programs.