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Personality Characteristics of Drug Addicts
Author(s) -
Mublenkamp Ann F.
Publication year - 1968
Publication title -
perspectives in psychiatric care
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.538
H-Index - 35
eISSN - 1744-6163
pISSN - 0031-5990
DOI - 10.1111/j.1744-6163.1968.tb01049.x
Subject(s) - addiction , narcotic , lethargy , psychology , personality , law enforcement , psychiatry , criminology , social psychology , political science , law
Narcotic addiction is a multifaceted problem with social, medical, and psychological ramifications. In dealing with it, society has placed primary emphasis on the social aspects: it shares with alcoholism the regrettable distinction of being handled more by law enforcement officers than by physicians and psychiatric personnel. In its zeal to identify narcotic addicts as dangerous criminals the public does not seem to consider the fact that narcotics have a sedative effect and thus result in lethargy rather than in violence. Although narcotic addiction might increase the likelihood that an individual will engage in petty thievery, this result seems insignificant in light of the aggressive assaults and the homicidal acts of the alcoholic.