Addiction And Alcoholism

Addiction is a disease that causes individuals to be compulsive and seek for substances in order to relieve craving. Addiction is commonly associated with drugs and is a great concern to the well beings of people around the world. The physiological and psychological effects of drug addiction can be deadly. Mood swings, hallucinations, and confusion are common physiology side effects, while psychological effects include inevitable depression, cravings, paranoia, and anxiety. By researching and gathering more data about substance addiction, it could lead to a decrease in the number of deaths associated to drug abuse and find healthier alternatives.

The alcohol abuse definition is similar to alcoholism in that in both cases alcohol is causing harm to the drinker 's life and those around them. The difference is that those who abuse alcohol, but are not yet alcoholics, typically can put some limitations on their drinking and they have not yet become physically addicted to alcohol. The key to the alcohol abuse definition is not in the amount of alcohol consumed but on how it affects an individual. Alcohol abuse is a psychiatric diagnosis in which there is recurring harmful use of ethanol despite its negative consequence. In 2013 it was reclassified as alcohol use disorder along with alcohol dependence. There are two types of alcohol abuse, those who have anti-social and pleasure

There exist three various forms of the original cannabis plant; marijuana, hash oil and hashish. Marijuana is made using dried leaves and flowers from the actual plant (ncpic, 2015). The main active ingredient in cannabis, the psychoactive agent, is delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Cannabidiol (CBD), also a component of marijuana, is thought to not produce the commonly associated feeling of a ‘high’ and can be beneficial when treating childhood epilepsy and various other conditions. The effect that marijuana has on the central nervous system (CNS) is broad and varied, depending on the location of the CB receptors found within the brain, as can be seen in Figure 2.

Addictions are all around us, from celebrity tabloids, television shows and possibly an individuals family member or friend. According to Koob, “addiction can be defined as a chronic, relapsing disorder that has been characterized by (i) a compulsion to seek and take drugs, (ii) loss of control over drug intake, and (iii) emergence of a negative emotional state (e.g., dysphoria, anxiety, and irritability) that defines a motivational withdrawal syndrome when access to the drug is prevented” (Koob, 2013). Substance use disorders are among the largest sources of medical disability in the world and also represent a major public health concern globally (Mari, 2013). Substance abuse is associated with topics such as: poverty, low education, crime, social

Addiction as a whole is an epidemic which has grown rapidly in recent years, 23.5 million Americans are addicted to alcohol and drugs (HBO, USA Today, The Gallup Poll, 2006). Approximately 46 Americans died per day in 2010 from drug overdoses (Jones, 2013). Addiction in its many forms is a habitual and debilitating disease which affects not only the addict but the loved ones around them. There is no solid answer as to why an addict is an addict nor pertaining to the selection of who becomes addicted and who does not, however, scientists are making profound advancements. The vast majority of medical practitioners acknowledge that

Historically drug addiction has not been treated like other chronic diseases. Society has viewed the illness as being based on the person using drugs/alcohol and concluded that stopping the behavior would end the problem. The reality is that other people who have chronic disorders often require sustained and repeated treatment episodes. Amelia Arria and A. Thomas McLellan (2012) pointed out, “First, viewing addiction as a “bad habit’ or a “sin” has led us to unnecessarily attach antisocial attributes to both the addiction process itself and to those who become addicted. Second, the nature of our traditional treatments for this “condition”-generally short term, educational, and segregated from the rest of medical care–do not comport with the scientific findings showing

In the United States alone, nearly 18 million people have an addiction to alcohol. This drug can be a mild to chronic addiction and sometimes can turn out fatal for some people (Chakraburtty). Almost 100,000 people have died from overusing this drug (Chakraburtty). Alcoholism and alcohol abuse is not only damaging emotionally, physically, and mentally to the person who is doing it, but to the people around them as well.

For a person who is abusing heroin, two obstacles must be overcome for treatment to be a success. The short term effects of heroin treatment involve withdrawing from the drug. Because heroin creates such a strong physical dependence, an addict will often continue taking the drug in order to ward off the physical pain of withdrawal symptoms. The second obstruction is the ability to stay off the drug. “After detoxification, the long-term problem of drug dependence remains. The craving for heroin persists and the abuser most often has little choice but to return to a drug-orientated

Marijuana affects the brain in many different ways. Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) Which is the main chemical in marijuana and is what affects the brain . When Marijuana is smoked the THC goes through the lungs and is expelled into the bloodstream, it is also carried to

"The science of marijuana: how THC affects the brain." That explains scientists identified the sites in the brain and body where marijuana acts and called them cannabinoid (CB) receptors. Scientists then discovered the body's own natural chemicals--anandamide and 2-AG (2-arachidonoyl glycerol)--which also act on CB receptors. These chemicals (called cannabinoids), along with their receptors, make up the endocannabinoid (EC) system. The EC system is found in many areas of the brain, which explains why it affects so many different body functions. Cannabinoids exert their influence by regulating how cells communicate--how they send, receive, or process messages” (New York Times).

Addiction is problem within society. People associate addiction with drugs but a person can be addicted to several different variables such as drugs, alcohol, food, sex, gambling and exercise. Merriam-Webster dictionary defines addiction as “a strong and harmful need to regularly have something (such as a drug) or do something (such as gamble)” and “an unusually great interest in something or a need to do or have something” (Merriam-Webster, 2015). With that being said, I will focus mainly on drug and alcohol addiction in this paper. There are numerous theories and models on why addiction occurs but I strongly favor gene-environment theory. I have always thought genetics and environment has a powerful impact on how people develop addiction.

These are cases that happen far too often. Matt addiction to alcohol and prescription drugs. The entire family suffers when a loved one has an addiction. Because it’s very hard to watch someone you love struggle with alcohol or drug addiction. My stepfather is an alcoholic and has a severe problem with controlling his addiction. He can’t live without it on a daily basis although he works every day he is not cautious of his drinking addiction around other employees. It is a very frustration situation to my mom because she has to deal with his problems daily. Although he has a serious problem he always refuses to get the proper help, he needs to recover. I believe people continue their addiction because it becomes a lifestyle for them and everything that happens they believe alcohol or drugs will only make it better. They also continue these addictions without regards to the important things in life. They tend to forget about family, job, careers and everything that might be successful for them in life.

In the short-term, marijuana can cause sensory distortion, panic and anxiety, poor coordination, lowered reaction time, hallucinations, short-term memory loss, and an increase in pulse rate which also increases the risk of heart attack (Cox, 2014) (WebMD, 2014). Additionally, after the initial feeling of euphoria, the user will feel sleepy and depressed. Long-term use of marijuana can cause apathy, drowsiness, lack of motivation, personality and mood changes, as well as suppress the immune system and reduce resistance to common illnesses, and increase the number of abnormally structured cells in the body due to abnormal cell division (Foundation for a Drug-Free World, 2015). Studies have also shown that long-term marijuana use leads to structural changes in the brain (Harrah, 2014). One study showed the hippocampal volume in marijuana users was inversely correlated with cumulative exposure to the drug in the left, but not right, hemisphere. This finding suggests the left hippocampus may be particularly vulnerable to the effects of cannabis exposure and may be more closely related to the emergence of psychotic symptoms (Harrah, 2014). Careful scientific analyses have identified at least 6,000 of the same chemicals in marijuana smoke as are present in tobacco (Iversen, 2008). The main difference between the marijuana and tobacco is THC in marijuana and nicotine in tobacco (Gumbiner, 2011). Today, there are new medications and treatments that are more effective in treating diseases and illnesses than marijuana, (Bergeson,

Among the numerous definitions for addiction, there lies yet another to define it from a biochemical perspective. Milkman (1983) defines it as “self-induced changes in neurotransmission that result in social problem behaviors." This definition encompasses the psychological, biochemical and social aspects of addictive processes. It is not limited to substance abuse and can be applied to any activity characterized by compulsion, loss of control and continuation of the substance despite harm. This has helped investigators gain a better understanding of the nature of addiction.

Alcoholism is a problem affecting millions of families around the world. Based on the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence Inc., Alcoholism is considered a family disease due to the amount of stress that family members go through (NCADD, 2016). Alcoholism is an addiction that requires treatment and support from family members and friends. It is important, to understand the effects that alcoholism can bring to the alcoholic and to the family members. Some of these effects cause health, emotional, physical, and financial problems all affecting the consumer which can be male or female, and the family members. It is important to point out that alcoholism has a cure which requires a long treatment of therapy and support from family members and friends.