Substance Use Disorder: Annalise Keating on the T.V. In How to Get Away with Murder (2014-2020), we are introduced to a law professor and criminal defense attorney named Annalise Keating. Throughout the show, she displayed a change in her character the moment she started binge drinking and neglecting her personal, professional life by a drug, alcohol. Diagnosis Annalise Keating, an accomplished criminal defense attorney, has an active and demanding professional schedule that requires her to manage high stress levels. Despite her excessive consumption of alcohol, it is not necessarily indicative of substance use disorder according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fifth Edition, DSM-5. The DSM-5 explains that there are four basic …show more content…
The second category is physical dependence. This can be shown as the individual needs more of the substance to get the same effect as when they first started to consume it. Also, they develop withdrawal symptoms when they are not using the drug. The third category is social problems. The DSM-5 states that social problems are shown as individuals neglecting their responsibilities at work, home, and school because of substance use, and they continue to use it despite the problems that cause in their relationships. Also, the individual spends more time getting, using, and recovering from the drug use. Thus, they are giving up important social and recreational activities due to substance use. The last category is risky use. The use of a substance in risky settings puts the individual in danger. They continue to use it despite the problems that the substance causes to their physical and mental health. Based on the DSM-5, Mrs. Keating is displaying consistent symptoms of substance use disorder. For instance, she shows impaired