Delmo| Elizalde| Eres| Escamilla| Ganoy| Geavia| Gelera| Gozon| Jereza| Laboriante

BN2B

Alcohol and Substance Abuse

Reflection/Reaction: As future La Sallian nurses, what is the relevance of your group

work to your profession?

For centuries, society has learned to co-exist with drugs and alcohol and its views of
which drugs should be legal or illicit changes with time, economic, and political considerations.
Alcohol and other substance abuse has proven to result in a number of adverse effects and dire
consequences, ranging from unintentional injuries to cancer to even death. Alcohol and
substance abuse differs from addiction. Many people with substance abuse problems are able
to quit or can change their unhealthy behavior. Addiction on the other hand, is a disease. It
means you can’t stop using even when your condition causes you harm.

As future Lasallian nurses, we are advocates and role models of health, therefore we
encourage healthy lifestyle and discourage excess consumption of alcohol and illegal drugs.
Thus, provide proper interventions to individuals who experience alcohol and substance abuse.
It is generally acknowledged that the most cost-effective means of curtailing alcohol and drug
abuse is prevention. Providing interventions to at-risk individuals before they develop serious
problems with substance use is the most important component of the “war on drugs.” It is
essential for healthcare professionals and student nurses like us to educate teens on the
dangers of drugs or alcohol consumption during their formative years when they are developing
into adulthood. We must emphasize the importance of avoiding risky behaviors such as
underage drinking or experimenting with illegal drugs which can have devastating effects both
physically and mentally if left unchecked over time. It is important for us to create an
environment where they will feel comfortable talking openly about SUDs so that we may identify
those who need help early on before more severe issues arise due to prolonged exposure these
substances can cause over time .

Individual Interpretation:

Delmo:
As time progresses drinking, partying, smoking has become so normalized that people
don’t see the damages or effects it causes to one’s health, lifestyle, and relationships. The most
common reason for this is the fact that generations before either lead by example or hypes up
the idea of these vices. Another reason for alcohol and substance abuse is because of the
overused phrase “I want to forget”. They turn to alcohol to momentarily forget their problems,
sufferings, and pain that they have experienced in their lives. Substance on the other hand, as
portrayed in movies and other forms of entertainment and viewing allows a person to be “high”
or in the state of lethargicness or out of one’s mind and make everything seem unreal and
numbs them front heir pain. However, these are undoubtedly temporary and causes more
damage to a person, therefore, alcohol and substances should never be abused.

Elizalde:
Teenage alcohol drug addiction is increasingly becoming a major issue. teenagers are
exposed to advertising messages that feature attractive adults having a good time, including
drinking. Additionally, a lot of parents and other people drink socially, like sharing beer or wine
with dinner, so to many teenagers, alcohol appears innocuous. Moreover,alcohol results in more
significant alterations in the brain, which lead to intoxication. Alcohol abusers are more likely to
stumble, become uncoordinated, and slur their speech. They'll likely feel lost and perplexed.
Intoxication can either make someone incredibly sociable and talkative or quite hostile and
angry. People are advised not to drink and drive because their reaction times are significantly
decreased. People who are drunk may believe they are moving correctly when they are not.
They can behave completely out of character. Regular drinkers among teens frequently
experience academic difficulties. Drinking negatively impacts a student's capacity to learn
effectively, obtain respectable grades, and perform well in sports.

Eres:
Nowadays, children tend to depend on alcohol and drugs as their way of coping from
stress and or anxiety. Because of their dependency on alcohol and drugs they can’t
comprehend properly that would lend to alcohol and substance abuse. Furthermore, these may
affect their lives in a form of bad decision making, erratic emotions, and actions that could
possibly cause more harm than good.

Escamilla:
We can’t deny that a lot of people are dependent on alcohol and substance use
nowadays. They use it for many things, may it be to enjoy or get away from reality, and it is sad
to see how many have become addicted, and lose themselves, worst bring harm to their health.
Due to the abuse, it has not only affected themselves, but also people around them, especially
their loved ones. It leaves different traumas on everyone, may it be physically or emotionally,
that they may carry for a lifetime.

Ganoy:
Alcoholic beverages are considered as depressants, and these are one of the escapes
that most people run to whenever they feel sad, alone, and even when they feel like celebrating.
However as depressants, they inhibit and slow the brain and nervous system's activity.
Furthermore, by preventing messages from reaching the brain from the nerve receptors, CNS
depressants lower brain activity and awareness. A person's judgments, perceptions,
movements, emotions, and sensations are all altered by this slowing and blocking. Hence, when
a person often consumes depressants they become more susceptible to various health risks
and worse, death.

Geavia :
 Addiction has been a part of our nature as humans. Nowadays, this issue is widely
affecting all over the world, specifically to all teenagers as we are exposed, influenced, and
pursued by peers, friends, and even a family member. As I reflect on this issue, it is clear that
this generation is far from what was our ancestor's way of living before. Teenagers may overuse
drugs and alcohol that can lead to what are expected such as heavy addiction, health problems,
and etc. This act of an individual may lead to unawareness of what consequences may happen
to his/her life after taking specific action/s. Furthermore, No one is excluded from the disease of
addiction.

Gelera:
Many people today use alcohol and drugs as an escape from reality. It is more common
than you think, and one small mistake can lead to bigger consequences. It's addictive, and
draws even the greatest people to dependency and to their own downfall. When abused,
alcohol, illicit drugs, and even medical drugs can oppose health risks when used differently than
what is intended.

Gozon:
Drugs and Alcohol use became a way for people, especially the teenagers and young
adults to escape the problems and experience ecstasy for a short moment. Drugs and alcohol
abuse among teenagers and young adults is an increasingly worrying problem that can have
long-term health consequences. While the short-term effects of drugs and alcohol may seem
attractive, in reality they are dangerous to both physical and mental health. Alcohol is also
widely consumed among this age group with significant risks associated including impaired
judgment leading to risky behavior such as unprotected sex or driving under the influence of
substances. Over time these behaviors lead to addiction where individuals become dependent
on a substance for pleasure despite its negative impacts on their life; this often leads to further
social problems due to financial difficulties from buying expensive substances illegally as well
increased risk taking behavior resulting in criminal activity or other dangerous situations . Still,
they are not a lost cause, there are organizations dedicated towards helping those suffering
from addiction exist throughout society offering treatment plans tailored specifically for each
individual case, and as nurses, we can lend our helping hands to those people.

Jereza:
Alcohol and drug abuse are two of adulthood's most prevalent problems. We discover
alcohol and other substances that operate as coping methods for stress from work or school
and any other issues as we young adults continue to explore the world. Additionally, the coping
method might occasionally develop into a habit. and eventually an addiction. When we are
having fun, it is crucial to be mindful of our behavior because, in this generation, addiction can
take many forms and will destroy a person's life.

Laboriante:
The increase in the number of individuals with alcohol and drug problems has attracted
considerable interest as one of the most important public health challenges. Research shows
that light to moderate drinking can be good for the circulatory system, and could even protect
against type 2 Diabetes and gallstones. However, too much alcohol has been linked with
several different cancers, and can also impact the absorption of nutrients in the body and
contribute to weight gain. Moreover, substance abuse isn’t something you should take lightly, It
occurs when you use alcohol, prescription medicine, and other legal and illegal substances too
much in the wrong way.