How Does Addiction Affect Society

Addiction is regarded by most as a social problem to be solved with social solutions, i.e. incarceration. But, scientific evidence argues otherwise: addiction is a brain disease. “The World Health Organization has defined addiction as ‘A state, psychic and sometimes also physical, resulting in the interaction between a living organism and a drug, characterized by behavioral and other responses that always include a compulsion to take the drug on a continuous or periodic basis in order to experience its psychic effects, and sometimes to avoid the discomfort of its absences. Tolerance may or may not be present’” (4). Interestingly though, this clinical condition has both behavioral and social components that need to be attended to, just

Many people do not understand why or how other people become addicted to drugs. Drug addiction is a complex chronic disease that causes impairment with the mind to express emotion, engage into physical activities and simply being one’s self. In fact, through scientific research, people understand more about how drugs work in the brain more than ever, and they also know that drug addiction can be successfully treated with some help from those who want change in the death rates amongst drug addict Americans. No one will ever truly understand why a person performs such deadly behaviors, but this is their way of crying out for help. It is time to take a stand and help those in need of escape from drugs and

“The mentality and behavior of drug addicts and alcoholics is wholly irrational until you understand that they are completely powerless over their addiction and unless they have structured help, they have no hope.” This quote from Russel Brand shows how serious of an issue drug use and addiction is, and why there is a need for more discussion on this topic to decrease the use of drugs in our country. Drug use and addiction is a large problem in our country and although many people believe there is no help, there are ways we can help put an end to drug use.

There is no question about it – addiction is a problem. It’s talked about constantly on the news, social media, and even in our own homes. Considering the statistics, that’s not surprising; as of 2012, an estimated 22 million people over the age of 12 are addicted to drugs or alcohol (Friedman 387). The criminalization of the disease of addiction overloads our legal system, disrupts the lives of many families, and limits the success of those who could otherwise be productive members of society. The good news is that there are many different forms of treatment available, so recovery is possible for everyone. We need to

As results of scientific research, we know that addiction is a disease that affects both the brain and behavior. A disease is an interruption, cessation, or disorder of a body system, or organ structure, or function; according to Stedman’s Medical Dictionary. (Sheff ,2013) cites, the disease od addiction has an etiologic agent, identified by a group of signs and symptoms or consistent anatomic alterations. There are significant changes in the brain. The American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) states that addiction is a primary, chronic disease of brain reward motivation, memory and related circuitry. Dysfunction in these circuits leads to characteristics biological, psychological, social and spiritual manifestations. This is reflected in an individual pathology pursuing reward and /or relief by substance use and other behaviors. (Addiction is characterized by inability to consistently abstain, impairment of behavioral control, craving, diminished recognition of significant problems with one’s behaviors and interpersonal relationships and dysfunctional emotional responses. Like other chronic diseases, addiction often involves cycles of relapse, and remission. Without treatment or engagement in recovery activities, addiction is progressive and can result in disability or premature death. (ASAM Adopted as Policy, February

For some people, the use of alcohol and drugs can lead to a chronic disease or long-term illness that has serious medical and social consequences. Are you feeling down, left out, trying to fit in? Addiction begins, so easily and takes over without any warning. It can begin with a bad day, consequences, peer pressure, or a teen trying to find a way to fit in. According to results from the 2010 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), “an estimated 2.4 million Americans used prescription drugs non-medically for the first time within the past year, which averages to approximately 6,600 initiates per day”. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “In 2014, 47,055 people died from drug overdoses. Since 2000, opioid drug

Addiction is complex and is often misunderstood; However, many individuals and medical professionals are now referring to addiction as a disease, not just a poor decision that is made by an individual. Addiction is a problem that spirals out of control and has the potential to absorb every thought and action while wreaking havoc on the body. According to Narcotics Anonymous, “...it is our fellowship's collective experience and understanding that addiction is, in fact, a disease. (What is Addiction?, NA, 2015)”

An understanding of addiction must remain broad: addiction as a possible consequence of the human desire to alter consciousness; a chief public health concern for its dramatic negative impact on society through the destructive behaviors of the addiction; a chronic, relapsing, biopsychosocial disorder that cannot be understood apart from social context—not simply as a brain disease (Hammer et al., 2013). It is much more than a brain disease and everyone deserves to be treated for their individual issues and/or traumas. The challenge of providing quality care for the addicted is layered not only with careful consideration and social context of the addicts—their ability to cope, their understanding of the nature of

When living in a society of risky drug use and homelessness, it is easy to begin to ignore what is going on around you and pretend it is not a problem. It is also easy to assume one is a direct result of the other. After being in a drug-free zone like the military for so long, it was easy for me to forget the effects that drugs have on people and how much their lives are affected by their addictions. It was also easy for me to develop biases and prejudices towards those individuals. Over the years I developed a discomfort around those individuals that were clearly users of drugs. This made me decided that I wanted to learn more about addiction and what is being done today to help those who have

Substance use disorders and addiction are affecting Americans at an alarming rate. People of all backgrounds, cultures and socioeconomic status have suffered the impact this epidemic is causing on loved ones, friends or maybe even themselves. Some individuals seek treatment and with the help of a support network they can change their life. Others are not so lucky. It is estimated that 62,497 Americans died from drug overdoses in 2016. That is more casualties than the Vietnam War (Lopez, 2017). This number does not include deaths resulting from diseases of long term use such as liver cirrhosis, hepatitis and AIDS. It would be easy to conclude these addicted individuals died in vain simply due to their poor life choices and lack of morals, but

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

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

When you hear the words drug addict you think of desensitizing terms, like “junkie” or “crack head” and when you see someone panhandling for money on the street, passed out, or swaying in a doorway you likely wonder, “why don’t they just get help?” Maia Szalavitz, author of Unbroken Brain, points out an article about our finger-pointing mentality on drug abuse, “Addiction is one of the most serious health problems we face today and as of 2010, more than 23 million people have an addiction to drugs. According to the National Institutes of Health, these addictions contribute to more than 100,000 deaths per year.” Drug abuse is a major problem in the United States and throughout the world as more and more people become addicted every day.

Drug addiction is a complex problem in society today. Addiction is a condition that extremely affects the person’s mind and body. Addiction also has wide sweeping effects on that person’s social connection and functioning. Unfortunately, many addicts don’t realize the social influence of their addiction until much of their functioning has greatly deteriorated.

Drug abuse is a major public health issue that impacts society both directly and indirectly; every person, every community is somehow affected by drug abuse and addiction and this economic burden is not exclusive to those who use substance, it inevitably impacts those who don 't. Drugs impact our society in various ways including but not limited to lost earnings, health care expenditures, costs associated with crime, accidents, and deaths. The use of licit or illicit drugs long term, causes millions of deaths and costs billions for medical care and substance abuse rehabilitation and the effects of drug abuse extend beyond users, spilling over into the society at large, imposing increasing