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Addiction Etiology Research Paper

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Addiction Etiology
Addiction is defined as “a condition that results when a person ingests a substance (e.g., alcohol, cocaine, nicotine) or engages in an activity (e.g., gambling, sex, shopping) that can be pleasurable but the continued use/act of which becomes compulsive and interferes with ordinary life responsibilities, such as work, relationships, or health” (Psychology Today, n.d). Addiction not only affects the individual but also those around them, especially the immediate family.
Addiction Is a Disease?

There has been a lot of debate on whether addiction is a disease or a choice. Do individuals choose to become addicted to something or are there other reasons that contribute to addiction. Some experts believe that addiction is a …show more content…

He tries to limit the scope of the concept of disease by stating that most of the types he described might be alcoholics, but they are not diseased, those who have the disease exhibit loss of control. Using the Greek alphabet he labeled them as: Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, and Epsilon. Alpha alcoholism represent a psychological dependence on the effects of alcohol to relieve any type of body and emotional pain. Beta alcoholism has physical complications related to alcohol consumption such as cirrhosis of the liver; an individual drinks a lot, essentially every day. Gamma alcoholism includes physical addiction with withdrawal symptoms, an advancement from psychological to physical dependence; this individual has a high tolerance and loss of control. Delta alcoholism is similar to Gamma but in this case the drinker is able to control his/her intake. Lastly, epsilon alcoholism refers to the infrequent drinker, but one who does so in abusive binges. Jellinek recognizes that those individuals who are identified as Gamma, Delta, and Epsilon alcoholism can be classified as having a …show more content…

MST is an intervention for families of youth with serious behavioral problems delivered short term. Therapy plans usually incorporate several different methods including structural family therapy and cognitive behavior therapy (CBT). The use of MST has shown benefits when working with adolescents because along with meeting with the youth it also includes their families and other participants in the home, school, and neighborhood. Not only is MST cost-effective it also had great results: 46% fewer days of incarceration and 64% fewer days utilizing other mental health services (Morgan & Crane, 2010) than just usual

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