...Addiction: Disease, or Self-Inflicted Destruction? Drug addiction is a large problem in today’s society. There’s an ongoing debate on whether drug addiction is a choice or if it is truly a disease. Addiction is a sickness because it is common among people who suffer from mental illness, it is an actual brain disease due to the lack of dopamine in certain individuals and, it is damaging the body without the abuser even knowing. however, most people believe it is a choice because the first time somebody agrees to just try it once they are hooked for life. People who suffer from drug addictions brains are severely affected. Drug “ addiction is a chronic, often relapsing brain disease that causes compulsive drug seeking and use” (Is...
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...Motivation and the Brain Judith Alvarez PSY/355 November 26, 2012 Steve Northam Motivation and the Brain Motivation is driven by reward. Whether it is a promotion, a paycheck, good grades or recognition, there is a part of the brain that fires up when there is a reward. The portion of the brain that fires up when there is reward is located in the limbic system portion of the brain. It is here in the limbic system where the brain controls and regulates the ability to feel pleasure. It is like a chain reaction- a particular behavior leads to a reward, which leads to a feeling of pleasure, which motivates us to repeat the particular behavior that led to a reward, which led to that feeling of pleasure, and so on and so on. When all of this is going on, it is the limbic system that is activated. The limbic system also regulates our emotions, both good and bad ones. The two structures of the limbic system are amygdala and the hippocampus. They both play important roles in memory. The amygdala determines what memories are stored and where they are stored within the brain. This determination is based upon the response that is brought up during the memory. The hippocampus sends memories out to the correct parts of the brain, for long term storage of memories. The hippocampus is also responsible for recovering those memories when necessary. Motivation for Drug Use Drugs have the ability to literally change a person’s brain. Excessive drug use can shrink a hippocampus...
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...Professor Barry Berger Drugs, Society, and Behavior December 12, 2013 Is there an addictive personality? Is there such thing as an addictive personality, and if so, why are some people more prone to becoming “addicts” while others are not? This question was something that interested me when I saw that the topic was available to talk about. Being an addict or becoming an addict to something, for instance, drugs can consume someone’s life. This subject is very puzzling in the medical world. Being an addict means that a person is “reliant on a substance or behavior that the individual has little power to resist (NIDA).” If a person has an already predisposed personality to becoming addicted to something, then that addiction can consume the person’s actions and every thought. An addictive personality is referred to as a particular set of personality traits that can make an individual predisposed to addictions. Two types of addictions are substance-abuse addictions and behavioral-based addictions. In substance abuse addictions, dopamine is released in the brain due to the usage of the drug. This causes a range of sensations to happen, producing a euphoric event, making the addict to feel this sensation again, leading to drug abuse. It creates a compulsive need for the drug and craving the drug badly that when the drug isn’t administered could lead to withdrawals. On the other hand, the behavioral addictions are similar to the substance abuse addictions, expect that the individual...
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...Essay The Cause and Effect of Drug Addiction What is drug addiction? Drug addiction refers to the obsessive and repeated use of dangerous amounts of drugs and the appearance of withdrawal symptoms when not using drugs.Many people do not understand why individuals become addicted to drugs or how drugs change the brain to become compulsive. Many people view drug abuse and addiction as strictly a social problem and may characterize those who take drugs as morally weak. One very common belief is that drug abusers should be able to just stop taking drugs if they are only willing to change their behavior. What people often underestimate is the complexity of drug addiction. Drug addiction is not just an addiction it is a disease that impacts the brain and because of that, stopping drug abuse is not simply a matter of willpower. Through scientific advances we now know much more about how exactly drugs work in the brain, and we also know that drug addiction can be successfully treated to help people stop abusing drugs and resume their productive lives. Addiction is a chronic, often relapsing brain disease that causes compulsive drug seeking and use despite harmful consequences to the individual that is addicted and to those around them. Drug addiction is a brain disease because the abuse of drugs leads to changes in the structure and function of the brain. For this reason there are many causes of psychological and physical changes through the drug abuser as well. The psychological...
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... Teenage Drug Abuse There are many illnesses that can take over a child’s life and even cause death. Drug abuse is at the top of that list. Teenage drug abuse is a common problem in today’s society and has increased over the last fifty years but, what most do not realize is that an increase in drug abuse leads to addiction and that addiction leads to an incurable disease. Many people do not understand how or why anyone could become addicted to drugs, especially teens. Studies have pointed out “having fun” as a teens number one reason for using drugs, but recent studies show that teens are now using drugs to problem solve or to hide feelings. The National Institute on Drug Abuse states that “by 8th grade, 52% of adolescents have consumed alcohol, 42% percent have smoked cigarettes, and 20% have used marijuana”, (National Drug Intelligence Center, 2012). The top five reasons teens abuse drugs are: stress, social acceptance or low self esteem, self medication, to rebel, and to experiment. The problem is that drugs do not care what the reason is for using them, and effects on the body and brain are the same whether teens are using to deal with a problem or using to have fun. The truth of matter is that the earlier teens starts to use, the greater the risk of becoming addicted. Dr. Manny Alvarez wrote an article on teen drug abuse becoming an epidemic. He addresses how easy it is to get a hold of prescription drugs at any age (Alvarez, 2012). Teens are looting drugs from their...
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...almost everyone knows an individual abusing drugs. Most will say the drug user is an addict by choice; but that may not actually be true because addiction may be a disease. By definition addiction is “the state of being enslaved to a habit or practice or to something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming” (dictionary.com). Currently, whether addiction is a choice or disease has become a highly debated topic. When individuals are addicted to a substance, chemicals in their brain are altered causing the individual to need said substance to survive daily life. This is called chemical dependency (Noble 72). When this happens, it is no longer a choice. While it may initially be a choice to start using a drug, once...
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...Addiction Addiction is a physical, psychological and physiological state that is as a result of dependence on substances that are psychoactive. These substances are known to cross the barrier between blood and brain when they are taken into the body either through smoking, drinking, injection or any other means that may cause their entry into the body. These substances work by altering the normal functioning of the brain and results in what is often called 'getting high' (Heyman, 2009). The addiction develops when an individual cannot stay for prolonged periods of time without relying on the psychoactive substance that they are addicted to. An addiction may also include habits or behavior patterns that with time become ingrained in our day to day lives and which an individual eventually finds out that they cannot live without indulging in their particular habit or behavior. Though the involvement in the activity or substance is initially a means to seek bliss and enjoyment, after a while, the individual will need to engage in the substance or activity to feel that he or she is normal. Experts in psychology have identified addiction in many forms, but all of them highlight the unusual psycho-dependency on substances and activities. These include; gambling, eating, sex and/or pornography, the internet, work, watching TV, shopping and many more. The main forms of addiction discussed widely though involve excessive drinking, excessive gambling, drug use, eating and sexuality (Orford...
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...Addiction, a severe craving that is pulses through our bones; it pulses and throbs until we find a way to calm it. When people watch others struggle with an addiction they often say why don’t you just stop? Some do not comprehend what it is like to have an addiction. To help prevent people from doing anything that can lead into an addiction, schools teach students about addictions; they advise them what to stay away from, so that the students do not become an addict. When a person tries something and gets a thrill out of it, the brain puts this activity into the reward circuit of your mind. Therefore the next time that you partake in this activity your brain tells you that you want more of it. Some people may become addicted, while others do not. This is all because of the way our mind works. For some it’s easier to become addicted to an activity because someone in their family may have had that same addiction, making it easier for them to become addicted. Although people want to stop their drug activity, they simply cannot because their body wants it more than anything, and if they don’t appease the body, they can get sick. After years of the addiction, it is more of an illness than an addiction. Since the addiction is keeping the person feeling their greatest, they are fine, correct? With an addiction, there are always consequences, if you have an a minor addiction to collecting stones, or a major addiction of hard drug use. Addictions cause your mind to think differently, it...
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...Pleasure Unwoven: The Facets of Addiction When answering the question at hand, “Addiction is a disorder of the what?” One must ponder on the question and choose an answer based on a true belief or scientific facts. McCauley (2009) pointed out in his video “Pleasure Unwoven: A personal journey about addiction” that addiction is a disorder of the brain, “the very part of the brain we need to make proper decisions.” When a person is addicted to, say, alcohol, a certain part of the brain may malfunction and negative choices may occur. With the choice argument, McCauley (2009) explained that free will allows a person to make either good choices (drinking recommended amounts of water daily) or bad choices (consuming drugs or alcohol), however, a person has the right to make choices; which constitutes a behavior. With a bad choice, the person consumes drugs or alcohol to a point that the body craves it and the urge becomes so strong, that it turns into an addiction. Nevertheless, McCauley (2009) shared that if a person who is addicted to drugs or alcohol is put into a position of life or death based on a particular choice (alcohol, drugs, or life), life wins and the person may choose not to take a drink or use drugs, as viewed on the video. McCauley (2009) concluded with information from new research expressing...
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...Drug Addiction Drug addiction is on increasing problem in today’s society. Drug has been increasing immensely among our society today. It can either help us or destroy us from accomplishing our goals or dreams in life. People sometimes feel they are too bright, too powerful, too much in control to become addictive however addiction can trap anyone. It can lead to harming one’s body, causing problems in the person family and also in societies and the communities. This topic is interesting because it is an ongoing problem in the world and more people are becoming addicted and cannot stop. This topic talks about peoples decisions they make and how their lives can change in minutes and how can they recover from it. The thing I want to know why people chose to do drugs if they know they are bad from the beginning of their lives. Is it depression that it’s causing them to do it, is it too much alcohol drinking or just for fun because one friend is doing it, they want to do same. For me personally I grew up in a country that was strongly against drugs and nobody really had any interest in it and really was not a big issue, but since coming to America this was a big issue for me because I knew America has a big drugs users and I didn’t want to part of it. After years living here I saw how people in America are in love with drugs, I didn’t want to be part of it I was kind of scared at the beginning. In most of the movies on TV there is someone that is using drugs and in hip hop...
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...Disease of Addiction Harley E. Lang Argosy University English 101 Module 4, Assignment 2 3-28-2015 There has been a war of two sides about substance abuse and addiction; scientific research has proven time and time again that addiction is a disease. The opposition side says that substance abuse and addiction is a choice of behavior. In an article published by Psychiatric Times, Jeffrey A. Schaler, author of Addiction Is a Choice, stated “Addiction is a behavior and thus clearly intended by the individual person.” He goes on in this article talking about how the addict monitors their use and the amount they use, so they are aware of what they are doing which makes it a choice to use. However scientific research proves that the use of drugs and alcohol changes brain patterns and the release of hormones in the brain which actually causes addiction, a disease after the choice to use is in the past. If addiction is a choice then so would be choosing to live an empty life full of pain, health issues, loss, and jail time. Who in their right mind would choose to lead a life like that? Drug and alcohol addiction only begins as a choice which creates a disease developed when the brain is subjected to substance abuse over a period of time, once the brain patterns change, it’s not about choice anymore. The disease of addiction should not be judged by people who have no personal experience and are not willing to face scientific facts. Studies have proven how the brain goes through...
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...Addiction is defined as a chronic, relapsing brain disease that is characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use, despite harmful consequences (“Drug Abuse”). It is considered a brain disease because drugs change the brain; they change its structure and how it works.Drug Addiction affects more people than you know it. It can hurt the people around you and even yourself physically, mentally, and emotionally. Many unfortunate factors cause one to fall into drug addiction, but many ways exist for recovery. One way that can cause addiction is peer pressure. It has a big impact on many people and their lives. “Saying “yes” or “no” on the spur of the moment works pretty well most of the time. But big decisions need a little more attention and...
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...in understand the origins and plausible causes of addiction. There has been great debate over what exactly is the root of addiction in the human population. It seems to be that there are a variety of causes that hold influence on their susceptibility to addiction towards different substances or behaviors. In terms of biological causes alone there is more than one solution. One of the models for a biological explanation for addiction is centered on the brain’s reward system. Drugs can ‘hijack’ the brains reward center by depleting the brains natural ability to create neurotransmitters known for creating the sensation of pleasure, such as dopamine, or serotonin. Thus this can lead to the development of dependency on the drug to recreate that...
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...“Embraced by the Needle”, points out that addiction originates from unhappiness and works as an emotional analgesic which suppresses pain (254-57). He draws on his personal experiences as a staff physician at the Portland, in Vancouver, where most of his clients are addicted to alcohol or drugs like marijuana, cocaine etc. He treats his patients with Methadone which helps them get off harmful drugs like heroin. He notes that the population of addicted individuals in this part of the city is around 3,000 to 5,000. He points out that only around 8% to 15% of people who try drugs, actually, go on to addictive use of them, and asks “What makes them vulnerable?” (255). He asserts that no drug in itself is addictive. It’s the human brain circuitry, which helps the drug to bind with the brain receptors, causing addiction. Therefore, tranquilizers exerts the effect of drugs on brain’s natural benzodiazepine receptors. He professes that the emotional interaction early in life determines an individual’s brain development. He contends that if people grow up in an abusive environment and have never been loved, then they are much more likely to turn to drugs to get positive feelings. Maté cites research which indicates that human infants release endorphins in their brains, when they experience warm interactions with their parents. He also highlights a research conducted on infant rats and monkeys, that when they get less attention from their mothers, their brains release receptors and neurochemicals...
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...The Disease of Drug Addiction Joanne Frye HSER 340 Abstract Addiction is a chronic, often relapsing brain disease that causes compulsive seeking and use of addictive substances despite harmful consequences to the addicted individual and to those around him or her. Introduction Dramatic advances in science over the past 20 years have shown that drug addiction is a chronic relapsing disease that results from the prolonged effects of drugs on the brain. (Leshner, 1997) It is considered a brain disease because drugs change the brain structure and how the brain works. (Volkow and Schelbert, 2007) As with many other brain diseases, addiction has embedded behavioral and social-context aspects that are important parts of the disorder itself. Therefore, the most effective treatment approaches will include biological, behavioral, and social-context components. Recognizing addiction as a chronic, relapsing brain disorder characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use can impact society’s overall health and social policy strategies and help diminish the health and social costs associated with drug abuse and addiction (Leshner, 1997). Addiction as a Disease For decades, the orthodox view in neuroscience and psychiatry has been that addiction is a psychiatric disease (Jellinek, 1960). In 1968 it was included in the second revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, positioning it explicitly as a mental illness for the purpose diagnosis and treatment...
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