{"id":6597,"date":"2021-06-28T11:05:00","date_gmt":"2021-06-28T18:05:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/the-roar.net\/?p=6597"},"modified":"2021-06-28T12:10:37","modified_gmt":"2021-06-28T19:10:37","slug":"help-heal-your-community-with-alcohol-drug-studies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/the-roar.net\/?p=6597","title":{"rendered":"Help Heal Your Community with Alcohol & Drug Studies"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

California has just reopened<\/a> its economy and for the Bay Area, the end of the COVID-19 pandemic seems to be in sight. This is cause for celebration, but we can\u2019t forget about what has been called the companion pandemic<\/a> \u2014 the opioid crisis. In certain places in both the U.S<\/a>. and Canada<\/a>, opioid deaths outpaced coronavirus deaths in 2020. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Programs like San Jos\u00e9 City College\u2019s Alcohol and Drug Studies (ADS) Program<\/a> are crucial to provide individuals with the education and experience needed to help heal our communities and halt this devastating public health crisis. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today we\u2019re going to explore the importance of alcohol and drug studies, our growing offerings, and potential careers for folks who choose to study addiction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBeing able to effectively treat individuals suffering from addiction and mental illness is an extremely important and vital service to provide to our community.\u201d<\/p>Sketch Salazar, current SJCC student<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Alcohol & Drug Studies Supports Critical Health Services<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Our communities are in desperate need of compassionate professionals who can support a growing population struggling with drugs and alcohol. Especially as mental illnesses like anxiety and depression hit record levels. But before we dive into these important service careers, let\u2019s define some of the basics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Addiction and Substance Use Disorder (SUD)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Unfortunately, there\u2019s still a huge stigma for those who are seeking treatment for their struggles with drugs and alcohol.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For many years, labels like substance abuser<\/em>, addict<\/em>, and alcoholic<\/em> have been commonplace. But they are also full of negative implications. So since 2013, the American Psychiatric Association (APA)<\/a> has intentionally abandoned these terms, to normalize more neutral language.

Now, the most widely accepted term for all three of the previously mentioned, is substance use disorder (SUD)<\/em>. This term removes stigma and also helps minimize people feeling defined by their condition; so that they don\u2019t feel reduced to a label.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But what is SUD?

\u201cSubstance use disorder (SUD)<\/em> is a complex condition in which there is uncontrolled use of a substance despite harmful consequence,\u201d says the APA website<\/a>. \u201cPeople with SUD have an intense focus on using a certain substance(s) such as alcohol, tobacco, or illicit drugs, to the point where the person\u2019s ability to function in day to day life becomes impaired. People keep using the substance even when they know it is causing or will cause problems. The most severe SUDs are sometimes called addictions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Treatment for SUDs is unique to every individual and it touches many different fields.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individual Treatment of Substance Use Disorder <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Treatment looks different for everyone. PsychCentral<\/a> describes it as a \u201cflexible continuum of care.\u201d This contimuum<\/a> includes treatments like: inpatient, outpatient, residential, and hospitalization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Different SUD treatment is based on three basic models<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n