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Drug Addiction and Treatment Paper

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Drug Addiction and Recovery

Carmen Dunagan
Com/156
Professor Paul Neuhausen

Many people do not understand why or how other people become so consumed in drug addiction. Often drug addicts are mistaken as weak individuals with no will power and assume they can stop using drugs at any time. In reality, drug addiction is a complex disease and being able to quit drugs takes more than good intentions and strong will. Drugs change the brain in ways that foster compulsive drug abuse, so quitting is very difficult even for those who say they are ready to quit. Through scientific advances we know more about how drugs work in the brain and we know that drug addiction can be successfully treated to help people stop abusing drugs and lead a productive life.

Drug addiction is a problem that has increased in our society greatly over the years. Drug addiction stops lives and can cause you to forget about any dreams or goals you may have made for yourself. It ruins lives slowly and with a big impact. I found this topic to weigh heavy in my mind and heart since my family has struggled with drug addiction my whole life. I have often wondered how the addiction could be so important in their life. It isn’t just a habit I have learned it is an actual disease and it’s very sad how it controls people’s lives. It doesn’t only ruin and effect the abusers life but their family’s as well and I can share first hand with that.

Since I was a young child my parents have struggled very badly with drug addiction and it has only got worse over the years. I remember it starting getting really bad in 1999 when my older sister passed away inexpediently. My parents felt their only way to cope with this and numb the pain was to stay messed up on drugs. They never thought about how bad their habit affected mine and my brother’s life as

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