Addiction

Addiction is all around us. It may be that cup of coffee in the morning for the caffeine stimulation, the cigarette that is smoked for the nicotine, or an alcoholic drink used to relieve a stressful day or situation. For some, the addiction may not be to a substance, but to compulsive behaviors such as gambling, playing video games, or shopping. Consequences to addictions can impact an addict’s physical or mental state. Addiction can also have detrimental impact on the people that surround them. Watching a relationship fall apart because a person has an addiction to drugs, alcohol, or another addictive behavior is a sad thing to happen to anyone. Unfortunately, those with addictions usually won’t admit they even

Addiction affects 40% of the population in the Western world (Lewis, Marc). There are many different kinds of addictions such as: food, drugs, alcohol, tobacco, gambling or sexual aspects. When

Is drug addiction is a disease, not a choice? Or it is a choice and not a disease? Drug Addiction has become a serious issue in society today, with an increase in controversy leading towards the topic of whether drug addiction is a disease or a choice. Addiction and disease are two different things and understanding them is very important when it comes to drugs and how it affects the mind and body. Several people tend to jump the gun and think that drug addiction is a disease, when in fact it is a choice. Some scientists believe that that drug addiction is a disease and to an extent that it makes people powerless to control its prevalence, on the other hand some scientists believe that addiction is a choice and that people have

It is believed that certain individuals are predisposed or vulnerable to addiction based on biological, psychological and social influences. The euphoric high produced by many addictive substances is the result of overstimulation of the “pleasure center” of the brain. This is the same area that controls emotions, fear, self-control and overall feelings of wellness. The presence of these foreign chemicals creates a response that the brain will crave as soon as it fades. The brain’s chemistry works against its own health, as it rewires its decision making faculties around the primary goal of finding and taking more of the drug” (1). Many people mistakenly believe that psychological addiction is somehow less serious or real than physical addiction. The psychological aspects of addiction are much more challenging to repair and recover from than the physical addiction. Psychological addiction can last for years or even a lifetime.

In the previous article we talked about addictions, we also took the quiz which brought us here, so now we are ready to enrich our knowledge on what is the addiction and how can we face it.

Addiction, it is all around us, affecting people from all walks of life, it is not limited to certain social classes or lifestyles. It is found in every ethnic group, regardless of gender or age. It affects our neighbors, our friends, and our family either directly or indirectly. Although substances such as alcohol and illegal drugs are two of the most common addictions we hear about, there is a wide range of substances and even activities such as gambling and shopping. There is some debate whether addiction is a brain disease or a choice.

Addiction is like all behaviours “the business of the brain”. Addictions are compulsive physical and psychological needs from habit-forming sustenances like nicotine, alcohol, and drugs. Being occupied with or involved in such activities, leads a person who uses them again and again to become tolerant and dependent eventually experiencing withdrawal. (Molintas, 2006).

Whip let these issues get the best of him and realized when things had to come to an end. Whip tried to control his addictions 7 days before his testimony and he failed himself. When things like this happens that’s when drug addiction camp comes a long and rehab. He was sentenced to jail time and over the year he had become sober. He had to face the truth in order for him to actually help himself.

As defined by (Henderson, 2000), addition can be explained as a situation in which a person becomes too dependent on a substance to the extent of not being able to live without it. The author further adds that addiction does not only involve substances as it can also be as a result of a persistent behavior. Referring to the behavioral addiction, the author termed activities such as shopping, driving, and gambling among others as capable of addicting. The author added that the easiest way of identifying addiction in a person is by observing whether or not they exhibit repeated, compulsive behavior in order to maximize rewards. Such behaviors are observed from an intense craving depicted by the victim. The most common form of addition according to the author is, however, substance based (drug

One technique a person can utilize for escaping compulsive engagements is treatment therapy programs. According to “Health the Basics 11th Edition” by Rebecca J. Donatelle “Outpatient Behavioral treatment encompass is a wide variety of programs for addicts who visit a clinic at regular intervals.” These intervals include cognitive behavioral therapy, multidimensional family therapy, motivational interviewing and motivational incentive therapy. These programs assist patients with victory over addiction through open discussions that allow patients to express emotional state and evaluate their life. In addition partaking in treatment programs is a significant step for addicts who are seeking

Common types of addictions include addiction to drugs, especially narcotics, addiction to alcohol, addiction to sex, etc. In recent times due to the change in lifestyle there are many more addictions coming out in open like food addiction, Internet addiction, TV addiction etc. Addiction is commonly defined as being a slave to a certain object, an action or a personal habit. When it gets out of hand and needs professional need, addiction counseling is the very first step. This professional help initiates the journey of the treatment of the particular addiction and in a way prepares the individual for the imminent.

Let's start with some examples of what appear to be addiction. A college freshman ends up in the emergency room after his first binge but is not repeatedly involved with alcohol (although he may soon be). A medical patient on opiates for pain control does not crave the next injection for the "high," but simply wants pain relief. A low stakes poker player has minor losses, but the pleasure of gambling in this manner, for this individual, outweighs the cost. This last example illustrates

Last but not least there are the time-consuming shoppers, oh my gosh they take forever to shop, completely makes me hate shopping. These shoppers contemplate on buying items then suddenly leaves empty handed. For example, my mom is on these shoppers, when she says we are going to the mall I let out a huge grunt every time, she walks about the store for two or so hours, walks in circles making me as dizzy as a goose. She just hates when I sit in one spot because she needs my opinion on certain clothing. My mom shops like she's playing pop a mole. She picks up one thing and throws the other item down. This game never ends.

Addiction is a dependence on a substance in which the affected individual feels powerless to stop. Millions of Americans have addictions to drugs, alcohol, nicotine, and even to behaviors such as compulsive gambling and shopping. Recent studies suggest that millions of Americans are addicted to food, as well.

This way, I can convince the readers that drug addiction is more than a habit, and can be considered a brain disease. I will use the information I gained in my psychology class in college where we spent a lot of time going over the science side of addiction and what it does to the brain. It allowed me to see addiction as a brain disease rather than a compulsive habit and that helped me deal with the loss of my friends. I will explain the way that prescription pain killers mimic the endorphins, the body’s natural “feel-good” chemical and how the brain will eventually become tolerant to the “fake” endorphins and depend more and more on pain killers to keep from experiences withdrawal symptoms.