Drug Abuse

It is shown that people that tend to be involved in the use of drugs do so after making a voluntary choice (Heyman, 2009). The major use of drugs for social and non-medical preferences can lead to dependence and further addictions, it is a choice that people tend to make and from that it can lead to wanting it more, do it more with friends and further it becoming an addiction, that then effects the brain and body. When drugs are used in the wrong way they can cause many health issues but some people still tend to refer to drug addiction as a disease. Yes, There has been compelling evidence that addiction is a disease, however the result shown are weak and inconclusive. Results of different brain scans are shown by The National Institute of Drug Abuse (2017) are used to back up that addiction in fact is a disease, however the brain scans used in this research are not symbolic of any abnormal changes. The research by The National Institute of Drug Abuse do point out that changes in an individual’s brain is shown as evidence that addiction is a brain disease, however this argument can be shown as mistaken as changes in many human brains can be seen as not exclusive in addicts, although they can occur when a person is normal (Branch,2011). To top it off the information that is stated by the NIDA however doesn’t show evidence of the behaviour of addicts being involuntary or

A common assumption that is made is that people who are addicted to drugs are suffering from a lack of willpower or moral fibre. People assume that these people could stop using if they simply tried a little harder. Unfortunately for those who are addicted, it is not that simple. When someone takes a drug regularly, heroin, for example, their brain chemistry becomes altered. The body produces less natural dopamine and begins to require more and more of the drug to feel its effects. Eventually, the body will begin to crave the drug, and going without it will lead to nasty withdrawal symptoms, including vomiting, increased heart rate, and

Once addiction sets in, certain behaviors quickly develop to sustain the need for more and more drugs to get the same effect, and ultimately just to stop the

There are several theories when it comes to addiction. One being that addiction is choice and the individual lacks morals and character. Another big theory is that environment has a lot more to do with addiction than any one believes so.

The word addiction is used in very many ways. One would be physical addiction. This is a biological state where the body adapts to a drug and that drug no longer has the same effect, this

Throughout the world so many people become addicted to drugs, they try to hide and numb their feelings through the use of drugs. Just because people use drugs once, it does not mean they will automatically become addicted to the substance. There are actually only a small number of drugs that people take compulsively, which consist of alcohol, narcotics, nicotine, marijuana, and others. The more you consistently you use a drug the easier it is for your brain to become addicted to that substance. It becomes so comfortable and used to the feeling while under the influence that it begins to think the brain needs the substance to function.

The SciShow video "The Chemistry of Addiction" was very informative and insightful. There was a lot of information that was new to me. I learned that our brains produce at least 100 different neurotransmitters - chemical messengers that pass signals from to a neuron  or a cell it wants to activate. I've also learned that addictive drugs mess with our dopamine levels and abuse the brain's ability to recognize unnatural highs. After using a drug over a long period of time, our brains will start to lower the amount of neurotransmitters to try to balance the drug's effects. I learned that addictive drugs mess with your brain in two major main ways. They copy your natural neurotransmitter and the other artificially change your levels

Most people do not know that drug addiction is actually considered a disease. Taking drugs change the way that brains normally function. Therefore once a person becomes addicted it is much harder to quit the drug abuse. “Although the initial decision to take drugs is voluntary for most people, 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” (National Institute on Drug Abuse 2012). Not only is the reaction in the brain the main cause there are also factors which can increase the likelihood of a person to become addicted to drugs. These risk factors include biology, environment and development. The health issue of substance abuse seems to

You may have noticed how some individuals do not become addicted to drugs despite having access to it. A combination of factors described below should determine if a person is prone to addiction.

Addiction is not only limited to the bio-chemical substances such as cocaine, weed, etc. people now a days are more addicted to Gambling, eating , sex etc. These activities are very much contributing to addiction as they provide with immediate reward.

All types of addictions should be looked at from a philosophical and psychological point of view. Those in the fields of neuroscience, psychology and philosophy often compare their views to show the similarities of addictions whether they be substance induced or behavioral. “Behavioral science experts believe that all entities capable of stimulating a person can be addictive; and whenever a habit changes into an obligation, it can be considered as addiction” (Alaghemandan et al 290). Some addictions can affect people physically. Caffeine and nicotine provide prime examples. The body’s physical state becomes dependent on its effects and causes withdrawal symptoms without use. One of the main differences in behavioral and substance addictions is that behavioral addictions have no apparent physiological or physical withdrawal symptoms. It is not the physical body that is addicted, but the feeling that one gets mentally. The physical body is only affected by the

Aside from the purely psychological component, there is a chemical component to how addiction functions in humans. When studying drug addiction, two fields of study are involved. The first is Neuropharmacology. Neuropharmacology focuses on the drug induced changes to the functions of cells in the nervous system. The other is Psychopharmacology. Psychopharmacology deals with the changes in mood, thinking, and behavior caused by drug use. Both branches of medicine are equally important to explaining the nuances addiction. The work being done in these fields of study is making strides to help addiction become more widely understood.

When being faced with this topic I feel that it first becomes a choice to use the drug whether it is peer pressure or just natural curiosity. Whatever the reason it may be, it is still a choice. After using the drug for an extended period of time, chronic addiction does come into play making addiction a disease. By addiction being a disease means that the drug even after the first few tries alters the brain chemical activity and functions. Dependency on a drug does not have to include physical withdrawal symptoms because by ingesting any foreign chemicals into the body it would eventually have some type of effect on your body and brain composition. For example, if a person ingests too many calories there change in body weight, and the same goes for drugs and how they have a change on the brains neuro functions.

Some may believe those who deal with an addiction, or a family members addiction, may be horrible people, liars, and criminals.

One of the more common addictions that were mentioned is substance or drug addiction. In the medical dictionary substance abuse means, “Excessive use of a potentially addictive substance, especially one that may modify body functions, such as drugs.” The effects of substance abuse can show a discrepancy between physical and psychological effects. Essentially every drug has dissimilar physical effects on the body; they all have an effect on the brain initially in a similar manner. The physical effects of substance abuse includes; respiratory issues, cardiac issues, and even gastrointestinal issues. With these issues, they can get severe enough to lead up to further severe issues such as lung cancer, heart attacks, and kidney or liver damage, which can ultimately lead to death. The psychological effects of this addiction can be just as harmful. The psychological effects included; hypothermia, paranoia, anxiety, violent behavior, hallucinations, depression, loss of interest, loss sense of reality, confusion, flashbacks, sense of distance, and catatonic syndrome (which affects the body’s central