abnormal Psychology

Question

1) Identify ways in which people with addictions suffer exclusion, economic discrimination, and disenfranchisement in our society (consider hiring practices, criminal offenses, removal of voting rights, social/family rejection, etc.)

    

 2) What are some of the ethical considerations and contradictions with regard to our views of addiction

     

3) Can you give a specific example of someone being treated unjustly as a result of some earlier drug-related problem

     

4) How do you think our current social practices both help and hinder an individual's success with recovery from addiction

    

5) What would you propose we do differently with regard to how we view addiction and treat persons with addictions 

Answer 1

1) Identify ways in which people with addictions suffer exclusion, economic discrimination, and disenfranchisement in our society (consider hiring practices, criminal offenses, removal of voting rights, social/family rejection, etc.)

I can answer the first question question briefly to give you some points to start with.

Hiring practices, Criminal offenses, and removal of voting rights - A major problem with many hiring practices is that they often require drug testing, a practice that can exclude people in active addiction, in early recovery from addiction, and those who recently relapsed. In addition, many require a criminal background check, which can prevent people with past drug charges from getting a job. Given that most drugs are still considered illegal to possess in the U.S., many with drug addiction have criminal charges of varying levels of severity. For instance, some may receive a felony conviction simply for illicit drug possession, and be imprisoned for a long period of time without addiction treatment resources. In some states, people with felony drug convictions lose their right to vote.

Social/family rejection - Addiction is still commonly misunderstood, and its association with criminal justice further stigmatizes the condition. As a result, many cultures see addiction as a moral failing or a criminal act, rather than a serious mental health condition.

Here are some resources that might help you complete the rest of the questions -

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6980305/

https://www.justice.gov/voting/file/1507306/download

https://nida.nih.gov/research-topics/stigma-discrimination

https://americanaddictioncenters.org/harm-reduction/stigma-of-addiction

https://www.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/overcoming-stigma-ending-discrimination-resource-guide.pdf