. Lawrence Clayton (1995) writes, "Eventually all alcoholics or addicts must drink or use not just to feel better or get high, but to feel normal - the way most of us do every day" (p. 10). Robert L. DuPont (1997) calls the addictive brain "the selfish brain," the organ that, "like a reckless infant, wants what it wants right now" (p. xix). He (1997) points out that the urges that drive addiction are the result of the chemical interference of ingested substances with the brain's natural control system: "Without this interaction of the reinforcing chemical and the pleasure centers, there is no addiction" (p. 5).
Clayton (1995) defines the problem: "Addiction is the loss of control over mood-altering substances or behaviors" (p. 30). Substance abuse is a widespread problem, affecting not just the addict but also the addict's family and the society in which he or she lives. Social workers focusing on other societal problems are likely to be forced to deal as well with the impact of addiction in many of the cases they take on.
Norman S. Miller and Mark S. Gold (1998, July) contend, "Nearly one half of the patients who visit a family practice have an alcohol or drug disorder" (p. 139). DuPont (1997) puts the problem in perspective:
More than 30 million Americans alive today will experience addiction to alcohol and other drugs in their lifetimes. Sixteen percent of Americans, or about one in six, will themselves suffer from addiction to alcohol and other drugs. Four out of 10 American families are directly affected by addiction. One in every four deaths in the United States today is caused by the use of alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drugs. Addiction is the number one preventable health problem in the United States and throughout the developed nations of the world (pp. 3-4).
Substance abuse includes both physical and psychological addiction; some substances may not create physical dependence and thus may not requi...