...Addiction in Adolescence Lillie Momon Liberty University Addiction is defined as a chronic, relapsing brain disease that is characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use, despite harmful consequences. It is considered a brain disease because drugs change the brain; they change its structure and how it works. These brain changes can be long-lasting, and can lead to the harmful behaviors seen in people who abuse drugs (Drug Abuse & Addiction, 2015). Addiction is a lot like other diseases, such as heart disease. Both disrupt the normal, healthy functioning of the underlying organ, have serious harmful consequences, and are preventable and treatable, but if left untreated, can last a lifetime (Drug Abuse & Addiction, 2015). Adolescence is a period full of challenges, changes and apprehension, especially for individuals in high school facing peer pressure amongst their friends. There are times when friends and acquaintances can have an increasingly strong influence during adolescence. Drug-using peers can sway even those without risk factors to try drugs for the first time. Academic failure or poor social skills can put a child at further risk for using or becoming addicted to drugs. The internal instability, the intense conflicts, and the uncertainty as for the future make the adolescent vulnerable to a series of situations, among them the use of drugs. Several authors alert that this stage is the most critical and sensitive for the initiation of the use of psychoactive...
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...Addiction in Adolescence Valencia Scafe Dr. Jimmy Myers 23 April 2014 Addiction in Adolescence It is a curious thing that people continue to pursue habits that cause them certain or a definite harm, this harm maybe caused to their individual self or those around them, and yet they continue to pursue it. The answer to why may not be given clearly even by these people themselves. Most of the smokers, substance abusers and alcoholics, as well as drug addicts are well aware of the negative effects that they may be dragging themselves towards but are not able to change their habits, for their addiction is too great and their self-control too weak. For most people, pain is nothing but a nuisance, but for many others pain is what controls their lives. Pain however is a feeling that brings us discomfort and puts us through feelings that are at times almost imaginable; and we all can relate to different kinds of pains that we as human beings have gone through. Pain is a feeling that can lead to quite a few side effects in life, if not dealt with in a proper way; these side effects may include several different forms of pain such as anxiety, depression hence pushing the individual towards an incredible amount of stress (Abuse, 2010). Drug addiction and drug abuse has been a commonly, widespread global problem and refers to the excessive consumption of any substance that may cause addiction, this consumption reaches such a level that...
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...Running head: Adolescence and Addiction Adolescence and Addiction Yolanda Johnson Liberty University Adolescence is described as the developmental years between childhood up until adulthood. These years are a discovery period when youth are trying to identify who they are what they like and how they fit into society. This is also a period in which youth are experiencing rapid physical growth that will usher in the onset of puberty. On average, boys grow 4.1 inches a year and girls 3.5 inches a year (Feldman, 2010). Puberty also is the beginning of the maturing of the sex organs. Males began producing a hormone called androgens and females produce a hormone called estrogen. During adolescence the brain also develops considerably, especially in an area called the prefrontal cortex; this is the part of the brain that allows people to think, evaluate, and make complex judgments in a uniquely human way (Feldman, 2010). During these years as adolescents seek to identify themselves as independent individuals but are highly influenced by their peers. Sometimes the influence of peer pressure will steer adolescents into experimenting with drugs and alcohol. These experiences could lead to addiction which may affect brain development and develop an unhealthy pattern of behavior; because during adolescence the prefrontal cortex is biologically immature, their ability to inhibit impulses is not fully developed (Feldman 2010). Drugs and alcohol both are severe threats to...
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...Adolescence and Addiction “Adolescence is development stage that lies between childhood and adulthood” (Feldman, 2011, p.317). The adolescent years are known for exploring and trying new things. For countless adolescences drugs and alcohol are the first things that are experimenting with. The most popular drug of choice among adolescences is marijuana. Teens don’t see this drug as a real “drug”. Many believe that marijuana is consisted an acceptable drug, to try because it comes from the earth. Accord to some research it does not have addictive component’s. Adolescence tends to build relationships with drugs based of using for recreational use, peer pressure, and as an escape from everyday life (Feldman, 2011). Marijuana can be consisted a gateway drug; mean that it can lead to the use of more addictive drugs. “Addictive drugs are drugs that produce a biological or psychological dependence in users” (Feldman, 2011, p.372). Addictive drugs cause the body to be unable to function because the body begins to crave for the drug. Being additive to drugs changes your physical appearance and also causes damage to your nervous system (Feldman, 2011). Alcohol is also a popular thing for adolescence to experiment with. Most people would think it would be hard for adolescence to have access to alcohol, however it is not. Adolescences who have parents who drink have easy access to alcohol at all times. Most parents don’t keep track of how much alcohol is kept in their house. Some...
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...Abuse and Substance Addiction in Adolescence Abuse and Substance Addiction in Adolescences Introduction Did you know that one in 15 high school seniors smoke marijuana on a daily basis or near daily basis, and close to three quarters have consumed alcohol by the end of their high school years (Feldman, 2013, p. 371)? The adolescence years can be characterized by irresponsible behavior and risky choices for some, causing the prevalence of substance abuse and addiction to be on the rise during these years. Substance abuse can be defined as the over indulgence of a substance that can lead to harmful effects for the individual and or others. Adolescents turn to substance abuse for various reasons. According to Feldman (2013, p.371) many use because they want that free spirit feeling that the loss of inhibitions and tension might provide, others are thrill seeking, and some use them as means to escape from daily stressors. Research states there is a link between adolescent’s substance addiction and changes in brain structure, function, and neurocognition that are characterized by this stage of development (Squeglia, L. M., Jacobus, J., & Tapert, S. F.,2009). Substance Abuse/Addiction on Brain Development From 12 to 18 years of age the use of alcohol and drugs rises tremendously. This rise in substance use correlates with the fact that in 2009 23% of adolescents met the diagnostic criteria for substance use disorder by the age of 20 (Squeglia, L. M...
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...monitoring, leisure boredom, and leisure activity on the adolescent that lead to internet addiction. The internet has become a huge part of the adolescent lifestyle opening up the cyber world for them. The excessive over use of the internet is known as internet addiction and anyone can become an internet addict. The over use of the internet can hinder many things in a person’s life such as cutting oneself off from the outside world, performing badly at tasks, or having bad time management problems. Many adolescent addicts have been known to be susceptible to substance use, and be involved in many risky online activities such as the following; meeting someone in person that they have never seen before, or even going as fare as becoming involved in cybering, also known as cybersex. There are many factors that can either help feed an internet addiction or help to keep adolescence from having an internet addiction. Parental monitoring believes that by good parental monitoring parents can actually alter an adolescent’s behavior, thoughts, and feelings toward leisure time thus keeping them from having an internet addiction. The study was measured with a survey by asking adolescence questions like the following with a rating on a scale of 1-7: do your parents know how you spend your pocket money, how you spend your leisure time, where you were last night. The results showed that the adolescence were strictly monitored by their parents which shows to have a negative effect on an adolescent...
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...The Effects of Addiction on Adolescent Development Adolescence is a time where there is growth and maturity. It is also a time where adolescents are more prone to take risks, such as using and abusing drugs. Whether or not an adolescent chooses to engage in drug use and abuse depends on their home environment and those they choose to associate themselves with. Adolescents face an enormous amount of pressure to participate in risky behaviors from their peers. According to Broderick and Blewitt (2015), “risky behaviors are behaviors that constitute a departure from socially accepted norms or behaviors that pose a threat to the well-being of individuals or groups” (p. 389). One such risky behavior is drug use and addiction. Some adolescents use...
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...Crystal Farley Abstract 4 October 6, 2016 Adolescent Morphine Exposure Affects Long-Term Microglial Function and Later-Life Relapse Liability in a Model of Addiction Abstract Brain development of the decision making and critical thinking portions of the brain is not complete until adulthood. Since these portions of the brain are under developed in adolescence and early adulthood riskier behavior is seen during these periods of life than are after the brain completes development. An example of a risky behavior seen in adolescence and young adulthood is drug abuse. Drug abuse is thought to affect the development of the microglia cells in the brain, and increase the risk of drug seeking behaviors in adulthood. The use of morphine in adolescence...
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...Carrie Campbell Soc. 277 November 1, 2012 Applying Theories and Concepts There are many theories throughout sociology and criminology that explain deviance and why individuals involve themselves in deviant activities and become deviant. In this particular case study there a many theories that an individual could apply to Kevin and his deviant behavior, but the three theories that I view as the best to explain Kevin’s deviance and behavior that was studied. The three theories that apply best to Kevin’s particular aspects of deviance are Social Bond Theory, Social Learning Theory, and Reaction Formation Theory. Social Bond Theory is a theory that states that if an individual has strong relationships and or bonds , and values, then they will not involve themselves in deviant behavior whether they have deviant friends or not. The theory also says that if the individuals lack these values and or strong relationships, then they fall back on peers in search of those bonds whether they are negative or positive ones. In relationship to Kevin, this theory plays a role in his deviant behaviors because of his relationship with his family and then his involvement in deviant behaviors with his peers. Kevin’s parents were divorced and his mother eventually remarried when he was in the seventh grade. His relationship with his step-father was negative relationships which often lead to arguments and or confrontations between Kevin and his stepfather and Kevin’s mother and step-father...
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...Adolesence Adolescence is a time of "storm and strife" : : Introduction : : Adolescence is a time of “storm and strife”. Adolescence is a period of time between childhood and adulthood. This is the age when one can either make something of his life or destroy it all, this is the time when a person makes those friends who changes the how he looks at life and how he faces it. An adolescent's main goal these days is to fit in and not be different from their peers. In this paper I will explore the probabilities of the following grievances experienced by the adolescent youth which are drugs, suicide, and homelessness. : : Body of the Essay : : Adolescence is the developmental stage between childhood and adulthood; it generally refers to a period ranging from teen years through 20s. As now life is growing more complex, however, adolescents are increasingly cut off from the activities of their elders, leaving most young people with education as their sole occupation. Inexorably, this has isolated many of them from the adult world and has prolonged their adolescence. Now almost all over the world the adolescent years have become marked by violence to an alarming degree. The phenomenon of teenage suicide has become particularly disturbing, but risk-taking behaviors of many sorts can be observed, including alcohol and drug abuse. Adolescents only want to have fun and go to parties. They get addicted to drugs and start to revolve their lives around drugs. Some get arrested and...
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...Addiction in Adolescents Amar Khan Liberty University Abstract There are numerous reasons for addiction in adolescences. Numerous adolescents that battle to meet their own levels and society's measures as they attempt to shut out the difficulties of their high school years (Feldman, 2014, p. 349). These difficulties stretch out a long ways past dealing with an overflowing calendar. With bodies that are obviously changing, allurements of sex, alcohol, different medications, intellectual advances that make the world appear to be progressively unpredictable, social systems that are in consistent flux, and tilting feelings, adolescents end up in a time of life that orders excitement, uneasiness, happiness, and hopelessness, in some cases in equivalent measure (Feldman, 2014). Relationship between Abuse and Addiction Substance abuse and addition have an exceptionally slight distinction between them. Substance abuse signifies utilizing an illicit substance or utilizing a lawful substance as a part of the wrong way (Vranken, 2011). While addiction starts as abuse, or utilizing a substance, for example, marijuana or cocaine. You can abuse a medication or alcohol without having dependence. For example, just on the grounds that somebody smoked pot a couple times doesn't imply that they have a fixation, yet it does imply that they're misapplying a medication and that could prompt an addiction. Then again, for some adolescents, alcohol utilization turns into a tendency that can't...
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...relationship, while controlling for a number of potential covariates of this mediation process. Keyword’s addiction , adolescence Running head: Smoking in pregnancy and offspring drug use Maternal cigarette smoking predicts drug use in adolescents. Prenatal exposure to maternal smoking seems to link with adolescents experimenting with drugs, both directly and indirectly due to their behavior and the amount of adolescents that were reported to be using drugs. It is a known fact that over a billion people are negatively affected by the addiction to tobacco. The effects are evident in the first hand smokers and PEMCS as supported by the studies. Does cigarette smoking during pregnancy predicts drug use in adolescents? Yes because nicotine can affect the offspring brain, research has shown that along with the modification of the infant brain due to early exposure to nicotine, that makes them susceptible to addictive behavioral patterns, they are other contributing factors that lead to drug usage, such as living in a home that were disrupted by divorce and mental illness, and those who grew up in homes where drugs and alcohol were at play they are more likely to become abusers when they grow up. The environment can also play a role in drug usage because living in an environment where using drugs is common can also contribute to addiction. Children may see their neighbors buying drugs on the street, and they may also see needs and other drug related items on...
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...Computer Game Addiction Stats and Research * Personality traits like trait anxiety, sensation seeking, neuroticism, and aggression appear to be related to the development of gaming addiction. Mehroof, M et al. (2010). Online gaming addiction: The role of sensation seeking, self-control, neuroticism, aggression, state anxiety, and trait anxiety. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 13, 313-316. * Regions of the brain associated with cravings in substance abuse also appear to be activated in gaming addicts when they view images of video games. Ko, C. et al. (2009). Brain activities associated with gaming urge of online gaming addiction. Journal or Psychiatric Research, 43, 739-747. * There is a difference between "excessive gaming" and "addictive gaming". Two gamers may play for an identical number of hours each day, but their psychological motivation and the meaning that gaming has within their lives can be very different. Gaming addiction should be defined by how much the game negatively impacts others areas of life, not by how much time is spent playing. Griffiths, M et al. (2010). The role of context in online gaming excess and addiction: Some case study evidence. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 8, 119-125. * In a volunteer sample, 41% of online gamers acknowledged that they use gaming as an escape. In the same sample, 7% were viewed as "dependent". These gamers possessed several behavioral attributes that...
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...Essay Instructions In Modules/Weeks 3, 4, and 5, you will read the provided essay topic, noting carefully all the pertinent issues to address. You will then write an essay of at least 600 words, drawing information from this course, outside readings, and presentations for that module/week. The essay must be strongly supported with proper citations of 2–3 current, scholarly sources in current APA format; include a reference page at the end. These sources must be less than 7 years old. DO NOT write opinions, but support your answers to the questions with your readings. You will first post your essay to the applicable Discussion Board Forum for the current module/week. Upon considering feedback received, you will then make any necessary revisions and submit the final essay to your instructor. Essay 1 – Family Systems Explain in detail (using course readings/presentations from this and the last module/week) the relationship between family systems and healthy development. How can one discern a healthy family system? What are the determining factors that distinguish healthy family systems? Discuss the effects of an unhealthy family system on development. Give details on family systems and how they affect physical (neural), emotional, spiritual, and social development. Are differing viewpoints considered, analyzed, and treated? Essay 2 – Trauma, Development, and Spirituality Explain in detail (using course readings/presentations from this module/week) how trauma can affect development...
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...------------------------------------------------- HOME WORK 1: NASSER KHALED AL USAIMI Question 1 The topic I have selected for this homework assignment is “The problem of Drug Addiction amongst young people, causes and treatment” I feel that the problem of drug abuse and addiction is a serious social problem in our society and around the world. It slowly but surely is affecting the young generation eroding their abilities and capabilities and making them liabilities to the society in future. Some of the questions I would like to answer through research are * How prevalent is the problem of drug abuse among teens around the world? * How science has revolutionized the understanding of drug addiction? * What is the extent of drug problem in the Arab world? * What are the medical treatment options available for drug addicts? * What is the possibility of alternative treatments for drug addiction? I have utilized mainly the GUST library including the following database 1. Humanities Source 2. SAGE Humanities and Social Science Collection 3. ProQuest Social Science 4. Social Science Full Text 5. Google scholar QUESTION 2 I have considered the following five articles and citations for the purpose of this research 1. ------------------------------------------------- Name of the Article: Surveying Teens in School to Assess the Prevalence of Problematic Drug Use ------------------------------------------------- Name of the Author(s): Russel s. Falck, Maa...
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