Running head: Substance Abuse - A discussion 1

Substance Abuse - A discussion

Mervin Wilkinson

University of the People

PSYC 1504 - Unit 8 Learning Journal

SUBSTANCE ABUSE - A DISCUSSION 2

Substance Abuse - A discussion

Substance abuse in my opinion is about dependency - whenever a person needs alcohol as

a crutch, they won’t want to admit that they use it as such, because it will display weakness.

Weakness is not a trait that people easily admit to. But saying that it is taboo, is a little short

sighted. I consider that as a global society we have a firm grasp of the obvious, substance abuse

is blatantly obvious. And as such - we should meet measure for measure, and confront issues

bluntly and directly.

I reside in South Africa as a middle class male. I come from trailer park roots - so I have

seen both sides of the spectrum. South African culture is that of having a good time, as such a

beer is never far away. Alcohol is readily available in our country, despite legislation there are

informal bars, called shebeens, that operate without licence and sell alcohol to substitute a

families weak income (Setlalentoa, et al. n.d.). I was raised in a strict and restrictive religious

environment, as such I was taught that addicts are wasters, losers and open themselves up to the

spirit of the world.

The trending belief though is that, life is hard enough, why do we have to face it sober?

Poverty and unemployment don’t stop people from escaping their situation through the use of

alcohol (Setlalentoa, et al. n.d.). The spiral then continues, these individuals become unreliable

and as such, they become unemployable. Because of the availability of alcohol, even the poorest

of people can get inebriated, with boxed beer typically called “Umqomboti” (UNBreweries.

n.d.). This is in my opinion the primary reason why our unemployment issues are not being

resolved in South Africa.

Reflecting on my own family though, I too have an uncle that drinks too much. As

stereotypical as that is, we have to face the facts: addiction is a real problem. My uncle had a
SUBSTANCE ABUSE - A DISCUSSION 3

serious problem and got addicted to methamphetamine, the common street name “Tik” has

terrible side effects (Health24. 2017, August 29). As such I’ve completely distanced myself from

him, because the drug users are typically aggressive, and have to resort to stealing to fund their

habit. Is this attitude part of the problem? Perhaps, but I will add this question: Is helping

someone despite the potential threat of violence, and putting my family in harm's way, worth the

good deed? My family’s well being is far too important, for me to risk.
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References

Setlalentoa, M., Pisa, P. T., Ryke, E. H., Loots, D. T., & G N Thekisho. (n.d.). The social

aspects of alcohol misuse/abuse in South Africa. Retrieved March 29, 2018, from

http://www.sajcn.co.za/index.php/SAJCN/article/view/277/597

UNBreweries. (n.d.). Chibuku. Retrieved March 29, 2018, from

http://www.unbreweries.co.za/view/unb/en/page60.html

Health24. (2017, August 29). Retrieved March 29, 2018, from

https://www.health24.com/Lifestyle/Street-drugs/Chemicals/have-you-ever-heard-of-this-

dangerous-side-effect-of-tik-use-20170829