This essay will tackle the topic of substance use disorder as a psychology topic. The film that will be reviewed for the topic is 28 Days. This is a film written by Susannah Grant and written by Betty Thomas. The film stars Sandra Bullock as a columnist for a New York newspaper (Thomas). In the film, Bullock acts as Gwen Cummings, an alcoholic forced to attend rehab for 28 days. This is because of her escapades of the day that ended up with her crushing a stolen wedding limo into a house (Thomas). The film explores substance use disorder through the eyes and life of Cummings and the people she meets in the rehab. It also explores the challenges they go through in trying to get clean. This essay will show how substance abuse and its related disorder is being portrayed in the film.
Substance use disorder
According to WHO, substance abuse is defined as the consumption of substances that affect the mind in levels that are considered harmful (WHO). Substance abuse covers the abuse of alcohol and drugs such as opioids, amphetamines and cocaine. Substance use disorder is therefore a condition where the use of a substance such as alcohol leads to a severe impairment in one’s ability to be a functional human being. Components of substance use disorder include addiction, dependence and abuse. Addiction is a disorder of the brain where a person feels he has to take the drug despite its destructive effects (Volkow, Koob and McLellan). Dependence is a state normally associated when an