Abnormal Psychology
Abnormal Psychology
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Sample Final Paper -Psychology (1)
Abnormal Psychology
As a teenager, it is at times difficult to make decisions regarding the kind of friends to hang out with or the kind of lifestyle one should lead. This includes the kind of food one should eat, the drinks and the activities one should participate in. This becomes even more challenging when the friends one chooses tend to look down on you or tend to influence certain habits in you. On my part, I find it hard to associate with peers since they think that I am overweight and that I do not know how to monitor my eating habits. I have therefore been referred to a counselor who is supposed to take me through the process. Incidentally, I have found myself together with a group of traditional college students who have been given drinking violation by the local police. I will be with them for a period of time until they are through with their six sessions of counseling.
Underage drinking has been a problem in many countries let alone colleges. Alcohol has therefore been identified as the most commonly used drug among adolescents. Drinking has then been associated with numerous social and psychological, behavioral problems. Stern measures, therefore, needs to be put in place to intervene excessive drinking among youths and students of legal drinking age.
There are several steps required to help the group of student from excessive drinking. These steps are aimed at developing a program that will be effective. To develop an effective program, it is always essential to identify the causes of the habit. This includes the application of theories and researches. The students could have adopted the drinking habits from either of the following: availability of drugs, influence from parents or other peer, community norms that favor drug and substance abuse and academic problems.
Among the most effective treatments that could be used by a counselor to effectively help a young adult stop drinking is the cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). It is a form of therapy that ensures that behavior and patterns of thinking are tackled with. This kind of therapy could as well be used for people with poor eating habits. Therefore, in this case, the group of students could be able to break certain emotional or psychological ties to habits (Leo & Lacasse, 6). Through this program, the students could then be in a position to understand the underlying feelings the end up causing addiction to alcohol. They will therefore gradually learn to control their urge to take alcohol.
The theory of triadic influence (TTI) is another program that could be used. It forms a mega-theory from a combination of many behavioral theories. The theory identifies a person’s behavior from three roots: cultural environment, current social environment, and one’s personal characteristics.
The group of students, therefore, needs to be put under Indicated programs since they are already exposed to drug abuse. Alternative Activities could be used as a strategy to ensure that the students stopped their drinking habits. The strategy will ensure that the students engage in activities such as mentoring programs, bowling, chess, drug-free dances and community drop centers. This strategy utilizes then belief that if one participates in a fun activity that is healthy, then the urge to take drugs will be offset (Leo & Lacasse, 7).
To increase protective factors, the program should be enhanced in such a way that it strengthens the aspects of personal responsibility and reduces the dysfunction. In prevention the size of the victim might matter whereas in some cases it might not. This is because each individual has different requirements and therefore the approach should also be well- measured. The approach used for the students should, therefore, accommodate communication, cultural variations, discipline and working families.
Finally, the school might opt to start structured, broad-based skills training that involve stress management skills, goal setting, negotiation skills, assertiveness skills and general social skills. Some interactive teaching techniques might also be of substance in an attempt to help the students. This includes discussions, role playing, and small-group activities that enhance active student participation (Leo & Lacasse, 10).
Work Cited
Leo and Jonathan Lacasse, The Media and the Chemical Imbalance Theory of Depression. Jeffrey R Society, (2005), Volume 45, Issue 1: 6-11.