Critical Approach
The critical approach to medical anthropology examines how politics and economics impact healthcare, with emphasis on disparities in treatment between classes of wealth and power. These disparities are very apparent in mental health disease, as treatment is frequently neglected or providers are understaffed or underfunded.
Substance addiction is used as a deterrent against abusing drugs, so it is seen in a very negative light. Individuals who use illegal drugs potentially risk losing their jobs and all future employment prospects if they are caught on a drug test. The social implications of substance abuse and addiction are massive as well. Addicts are not only avoided by others, they generally allow their relationships to deteriorate through neglect due to increased time spent on procuring and ingesting drugs.
The US government has emphasized treating drug abuse as a crime, and harsh legal punishments are meant to deter use and thus prevent addiction. However, this all or nothing strategy has not been shown to cause a noticeable effect on substance addiction rates in the United States.
Drugs have a massive, complex economy with both legal and illegal elements at play. Frequently drugs are prioritized over basic needs such as shelter, food and health. They also take away financial resources that an individual can use on other aspects/responsibilities in their life.
Substance addiction has been medicalized in the United States. For some drugs, such as opioids, there exist other drugs (methadone, suboxone) that are meant to satisfy the biological need for a drug while reducing the undesired effects. Neurobiology is a rapidly growing field, but the pathways that drugs abuse in the brain have been investigated and will likely lead to the discovery of more specific treatments.
Substance addiction is usually portrayed as being a failure of society. Those who could not keep up with the rest of the society try to cheat, and eventually it catches up to them. This sentiment can be seen from corporations doing random drug testing to professional sports leagues testing for performance enhancing drugs. American societal norms expect individuals who are responsible and hard working to be the most likely to succeed. Those who use drugs are seen as irresponsible, lazy, and lacking ambition. It always comes as a surprise when it is discovered that someone at the top of their field is using some sort of substance to push themselves above others, which quickly turns to distrust and loss of respect for that individual.
Image credit
Frosch, Dan "methadone-articleLarge.jpg", photograph. 2013, The New York Times, http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/07/us/alarm-in-albuquerque-over-plan-to-end-methadone-for-inmates.html?_r=0 (accessed August 15, 2013)
Gallo, DJ "arod-cigar-300x261.jpg", photograph. 2013, Sports Pickle, http://www.sportspickle.com/2013/07/report-a-rod-can-avoid-mlb-suspension-by-publicly-admitting-hes-a-dickhead (accessed August 15, 2013)
The critical approach to medical anthropology examines how politics and economics impact healthcare, with emphasis on disparities in treatment between classes of wealth and power. These disparities are very apparent in mental health disease, as treatment is frequently neglected or providers are understaffed or underfunded.
Substance addiction is used as a deterrent against abusing drugs, so it is seen in a very negative light. Individuals who use illegal drugs potentially risk losing their jobs and all future employment prospects if they are caught on a drug test. The social implications of substance abuse and addiction are massive as well. Addicts are not only avoided by others, they generally allow their relationships to deteriorate through neglect due to increased time spent on procuring and ingesting drugs.
The US government has emphasized treating drug abuse as a crime, and harsh legal punishments are meant to deter use and thus prevent addiction. However, this all or nothing strategy has not been shown to cause a noticeable effect on substance addiction rates in the United States.
Drugs have a massive, complex economy with both legal and illegal elements at play. Frequently drugs are prioritized over basic needs such as shelter, food and health. They also take away financial resources that an individual can use on other aspects/responsibilities in their life.
Substance addiction has been medicalized in the United States. For some drugs, such as opioids, there exist other drugs (methadone, suboxone) that are meant to satisfy the biological need for a drug while reducing the undesired effects. Neurobiology is a rapidly growing field, but the pathways that drugs abuse in the brain have been investigated and will likely lead to the discovery of more specific treatments.
Substance addiction is usually portrayed as being a failure of society. Those who could not keep up with the rest of the society try to cheat, and eventually it catches up to them. This sentiment can be seen from corporations doing random drug testing to professional sports leagues testing for performance enhancing drugs. American societal norms expect individuals who are responsible and hard working to be the most likely to succeed. Those who use drugs are seen as irresponsible, lazy, and lacking ambition. It always comes as a surprise when it is discovered that someone at the top of their field is using some sort of substance to push themselves above others, which quickly turns to distrust and loss of respect for that individual.
Image credit
Frosch, Dan "methadone-articleLarge.jpg", photograph. 2013, The New York Times, http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/07/us/alarm-in-albuquerque-over-plan-to-end-methadone-for-inmates.html?_r=0 (accessed August 15, 2013)
Gallo, DJ "arod-cigar-300x261.jpg", photograph. 2013, Sports Pickle, http://www.sportspickle.com/2013/07/report-a-rod-can-avoid-mlb-suspension-by-publicly-admitting-hes-a-dickhead (accessed August 15, 2013)