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Effects of drug addiction essay
Essay on neurobiology of addiction
Effects of drug addiction essay
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Addiction is a disease that affects by ten percent of Americans but countless others, including family and friends, are devastated by it. Addiction is not a choice that a person can make; rather the disease takes away people’s ability to make conscious choice. Science has advanced to show exactly how drugs affect the brain chemically, proving that it is a disease and not a moral failing. Addiction is a disease and should be treated through rehabilitation and community based support groups such as Narcotics Anonymous (NA) and Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), not imprisonment, and the state and federal governments should increase funding and programs for prevention and treatment. Addiction is a disease that causes many neurological effects on the brain. In fact, addiction is included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), which is the standard reference for psychiatric illnesses (DSM-5) and it affects ten percent of the population (Understanding). Most drugs release chemicals that effects the mid-brain and changes its chemical make up. Specifically, nerve cells in the brain release dopamine when humans engage in pleasurable activities, like eating good food, exercise, and sex (Understanding). This causes the person to seek out that pleasurable activity again and again (Substance Abuse). Drugs, from alcohol and marijuana to heroin, also cause the brain to release dopamine, but faster and stronger than most activities. (Mandal) With repeated use, the addict becomes accustomed to this stronger, quicker pleasure sensation and can no longer feel the milder pleases of normal activity. In this way, the brain becomes “broken,” and the addict continues to seek that good feeling only experienced with drugs (Substanc... ... middle of paper ... ...ten percent of them become addicted to that drug and try harder drugs (abovetheinfluence/faq). Teen drug use is overlooked in most households as normal but most addicts start using drugs in their teens and carry it with them to adulthood. Therefore permitting it is risking addiction in their own children or the other children they are allowing to drink and even smoke marijuana in their house. Letting kids with peanut allergies eat peanuts in your house endangers people’s lives just like addiction. Parents should be able to trust that their kids are safe in someone’s home, permitting drug use sends a message that it is ok and overlooks that ten percent of people that will become addicts. Families who do have an addict suffer from having things stolen, dealing with legal cases, losing time at work to deal with addict, emotional damage and fear of losing their child.
Addiction is defined as a chronic, relapsing brain disease that is characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Addiction is normally thought of as drug abuse and alcoholism but people can also be addicted to things such as gambling and sex as well. The controversy on if addiction is a disease or a choice is a continuous debate. Everyone has an opinion on this topic, one side believes it’s a disease, while the other believes it is a choice. Although addiction has been assumed to be a lack of willpower and a weakness, addiction is actually a complex disease that changes the wiring of the brain. Addiction is a brain disease expressed in the form of compulsive behavior (Leshner.) Both devolping
The Disease model stance is that addiction can be managed but is never curable (Lewis, 2014). Furthermore, if an addict continues to abuse their drug of choice, they mental or physical facilities are inhibited and any reason is nonexistent. Overtime, the damage to the brain can become permanent. The function of the neurotransmitters can be destroyed not allowing for them to split from the terminal burton towards the postsynaptic receptors (Capella, 2016).
The most commonly abused substances are Nicotine, Inhalants, Alcohol, Cocaine, Amphetamines, Prescription medications, Heroin, Ecstasy and Marijuana. 1a(National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2011) Initially, a person may find themselves using substances voluntarily and with confidence that they will be able to dictate their personal use. However, over the period of time that drug use is repeated, changes are taking place throughout the brain, whether it is functionally or structurally. Drugs contain chemicals that enter the communication system of the brain and disturb the way in which nerve cells would typically send, receive, and process information. The chemicals within these drugs will cause a disruption to the communication system by either imitating the brain’s natural chemical messengers or by over-stimulating the brains “reward system” by sending mass amounts of dopamine. As an individual prolongs his or her use of these substances, they may develop an addiction.
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter with the function of controlling emotions and impulse among others. This is usually stimulated by “rewards” (Newton), which range from reading books to eating, for when there is excitement, this is released by neurons. Similarly, when one uses drugs, the signals that dopamine sends out are disrupted, causing a reduction in cognitive function. Research has proven that this dopamine is what brings out the addictive aspect of drugs. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, “drugs such as marijuana and heroin can a...
Addiction often time leads to an individual’s health declining, their financial security declines. Drug addicts have a hard time keeping a job, which leads to having trouble with the law, and sometimes even leads to being homeless. Drug addiction is a sickness, if it is not being taken serious, and without the right kind of treatment addicts will just find their way back to using, even after they have served their time in prison. The Administration’s National Drug Control Strategy recognizes that addiction is a disease, and that the criminal justice system can play a vital role in reducing the costs and consequences of crimes committed by drug-involved offenders. If drug addicts received proper treatment and proper help needed to overcome the addiction, which will give those individuals a new opportunity to live a clean healthy life, and will contribute to society in a positive
Drug abuse and addiction are issues that affect people everywhere. However, these issues are usually treated as criminal activity rather than issues of public health. There is a conflict over whether addiction related to drug abuse is a disease or a choice. Addiction as a choice suggests that drug abusers are completely responsible for their actions, while addiction as a disease suggests that drug abusers need help in order to break their cycle of addiction. There is a lot of evidence that suggests that addiction is a disease, and should be treated rather than punished. Drug addiction is a disease because: some people are more likely to suffer from addiction due to their genes, drug abuse brought on by addictive behavior changes the brain and worsens the addiction, and the environment a person lives in can cause the person to relapse because addiction can so strongly affect a person.
Addiction is characterized by strong and sometimes uncontrollable drug cravings, and use that continues even if they are facing devastating outcomes. It is very important to address addiction to a wide variety of drugs like tobacco, illicit, and prescription drugs. Addiction affects many brain circuits, including those involved in reward and motivation, learning, memory, and inhibitory control over behavior. That is why addiction is classified as abrain disease. Some individuals are more suseptible than others to becoming addicted, depending somewhat on the type of genetics, age of exposure to drugs, and other environmental factors. (National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2012)
“Addiction is a disease!” Have you ever stopped to think whether addiction is truly a disease or just a choice and everyone seems to turn a blind eye? I have a hard time believing addiction is a disease, and I am not the only person who thinks this. When it comes to understanding addiction, we are not on the same page. Till this day, there are people still arguing whether addiction is a disease or a choice.
The complexity of drug addiction is often underestimated, stopping is not simple or a matter of willpower. Addiction is a chronic brain disease that can affect anyone. The initial decision to take drugs is voluntary, but it changes the brain over time. Drug abuse can impair one’s self-control and ability to make sound decisions. The chemical of drugs taps into the brain’s communication system and disrupt the way nerve cells send, receive, and process information (WebMD).
However, the scientific community is largely in consensus that addiction should be classified as a brain disease. As discussed earlier, Ishani Deb’s study suggests that addiction is heritable, similar to many diseases (Deb, 489). Nora Volkow also refers to addiction as a disease: “The transition from misusing prescription opioids to using heroin may be part of the natural progression of disease in a subset of users.” (Volkow). Finally, Mounir Ouzir writes, “Drug addiction is now believed to be a brain disease that affects the physiology of certain brain regions and causes severe alterations in behavior, memory and neural cell life and may even cause neuronal cell death (Mewes et al., 2010; Koob and Volkow, 2010; Gold et al., 2009; Fowler et al., 2007).” (Ouzir,
For some, rehab works, others cannot seem to get out of a relapse cycle. When taking drugs, the brains reward system is greatly affected. By mimicking neurotransmitters, the drugs cause abnormal messages to be sent throughout the brain. Addiction is a disease because often time’s addicts want to quit, but the affect that the drugs has on the brain are too severe. If our society were to view addiction as the disease that it is, more people would be educated about the effects of addiction, and there wouldn’t be a negative air surrounding the topic. A reason why so many people suffer from addiction is because of a lack of education and knowledge about the reasons why it is so difficult for people to
Humans are environmentally and genetically predisposed to developing a motivated addictive behavior. Addiction is a brain disease and a behavior. All behaviors are choices. Choices that adolescences make at a young age directly affect the outcomes of their futures. Many factors contribute to an adolescence becoming an addict or exhibiting a drug seeking behavior. Nearly all drugs of abuse increase dopamine release. Dopamine is an important neurotransmitter in drug abuse and addiction. Dopamine plays a role in reward motivated behaviors, motor control and important hormones. It’s known as the “feel good hormone” which is why people abuse drugs that increase the release of dopamine. Since life is unpredictable, our brains have evolved the ability to remodel themselves in response to our experiences. The more we practice an activity the more neurons developed in order to fine-tune that activity causing addictive behaviors to be detrimental.
Even though consuming drugs is his or her’s choices to begin with, “the brain changes that occur over time challenge an addicted person’s self-control and hamper his or her ability to resist intense impulses to take drugs” (“DrugFacts…”). Drug addiction takes a lot more than a strong will to quit, “drugs change the brain in ways that foster compulsive drug abuse, quitting is difficult, even for those who are ready to do so” (“DrugFacts…”). Treatment is the best way to help with drug addicts: “Treatment offers the best alternative for interrupting the drug/criminal justice cycle for offenders with drug problems” (Drug Addiction…). Drug addicts need time, medication, and support to prevail in the war with addiction. Some people would say that drugs are their choice so they can choose to stop, but that is not the case. In some cases people want to stop but they cannot because “drugs contain chemicals that tap into the brain’s communication system and disrupt the way nerve cells normally send, receive, and process information. There are at least two ways that drugs cause this disruption: (1) by imitating the brain’s natural chemical messengers and (2) by overstimulating the “reward
For many years, people have suffered many devastations about addiction. It has become a common killer in the United States just like murder. Addiction has affected over 23 million people from the age 12 and older. These addictions are wide ranging, they can include alcohol, drugs, sex, video games, food, pornography, and gambling. People like to keep quite because they view this disease as morally wrong. Addicts sometimes shut out their family member because they are afraid of the reaction if anyone knew their problem. The Nation Institute of Drug Abuse states Addiction is as a chronic, relapsing brain disease that is characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use, despite harmful consequences.Today in 2016 addiction is spreading across
Drug abuse and addiction not only has negative effects in the lives of the people involved, but also in the lives of their close relatives, friends and immediate society. It leads to disintegration, failure in school, loss of employment and violence. Although intake of drugs is a voluntary and conscious decision initially, continuous intake of drugs changes the brain and challenges the self-control of the “addicted person” and inhibits the ability to resist extreme desire for drug intake.