Drug Addiction : A Common Problem Within Our World Today

First of all, there is the Structural-Functional perspective way people view drug addiction as. The structural-functional perspective is the role the drugs do for the person or the weakening of the norms. It is the way they affect the person and what it does to them that makes them be addicted to drugs. For some people drugs relieves them. It takes them away from their problems from a while and they feel stress free and because of that feeling they receive from the drugs they like it and continue to take more and more. Those with this type of perspective well most likely disagree with this view of drug addiction and would want the problem to decrease.

To understand addiction further, it is important to look at how drugs have neurological effects in a human body. Drugs can be ingested in various ways; while some are taken orally, some are smoked (cannabis) while others are injected directly into the blood stream (Heroin). Once in the body, they mainly affect the reward pathway in the brain, known as the dopaminergic pathway, which in turn gives pleasure. Even though all drugs affect the reward and motivation pathways in the brain, their speed depends on the way the drug has been consumed. Over constant use of drugs, the cognitive functions are impaired as the effects become more prominent in learning, memory

Drug addiction is a brain disease because drugs change the brain’s structure and how they work. Over a period of time drugs start to affect the brain by challenging an addicted person’s self-control and interfere with their ability to resist intense urges to take drugs. “Most drugs affect the brain's reward circuit by flooding it with the chemical messenger dopamine. This overstimulation of the reward circuit causes the intensely pleasurable "high" that leads people to take a drug again and again. Over time, the brain adjusts to the excess dopamine, which reduces the high that the person feels compared to the high they felt when first taking the drug—an effect known as tolerance. They might take more of the drug, trying to achieve the same dopamine high.”, States National Institute on Drug Abuse. After long term use of drugs it affects functions such as learning, judgment, decision-making, stress, memory, and behavior. Even though an addict knows this, they still use

Many people do not understand why individuals become addicted to drugs. The truth is drugs change the brain and cause repeated drug abuse. Drug addiction is a brain disease. Drug use leads to changes in the function and structure of the brain. Although it is true that for most people the initial decision to take drugs is voluntary, over time, the changes in the

Brain imaging studies in the areas of the brain responsible for decision-making, judgment, learning, and memory, and behavior control have showed significant changes that can alter the way the brain works in individuals who have a drug addiction (Goldberg, 2011, p. 148). When drugs enter the brain, they interfere with the communication systems and also interfere with neurons

Drug addiction is a complex brain disease characterized by compulsive, at times uncontrollable, drug craving, seeking, and use that persist, despite potentially devastating consequences. Scientists are calling drug addiction a developmental disease. It usually starts in adolescence or even childhood and can last a lifetime if untreated (Volkow, 2010). Drug addiction changes the brain over time. The changes in the brain caused by repeatedly using drugs can affect a person’s self-control and his decision making. It also causes intense impulses to take drugs. These changes in the brain, is what makes it so hard and impossible like for the person to stop abusing drugs (addiction, 2010).

As we have been demonstrating many times before, drug addiction is a powerful force that controls millions of people’s life. Addiction has never been looked as a good thing, but in recent researches they have found out that addictions like cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine are a matter of brain chemistry. Dr. Nora Volkow says that a brain becomes addicted to a drug when the levels of dopamine increases. By this the brain reacts by responding with pleasure, this causes us to want it more. When a person uses addictive drugs the drugs flood the brain with dopamine increasing it much as five to ten times the normal level. Our brain associates the drug as a neurochemical reward, over time by raising the amount of dopamine our brains think its “normal”. Even though the high doses of dopamine are seen as “normal” by the brain, drugs still can “hijack” your brain. For example let’s say your excited to go to McDonald's over time you would know what to expect from McDonald so no more dopamine will be released. However, it's not the same with drugs because you don’t know what to expect (drugs can have extra dopamine).

First and foremost, it is important to define addiction. According to the Wisconsin Department of Children and Family, “addiction begins when an individual makes a conscious decision to choose to use alcohol or drugs, and interfere with normal brain functioning and continued use has long-term effects on brain metabolism and activity. The brain goes thru long term changes targeting specific parts of the brain like judgement and planning, making it impossible to stop using drugs. Because of the changes in the brain, drugs then create a chronic disease, addiction that requires treatment to stop using.

Addiction is disease, its chronic, relapsing brain disease that is characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use, despite harmful consequences. 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.

As a matter of fact, addiction is a much more complex disease to manage and possibly treat; quitting drug addiction takes the goodwill and intentions and more so a strong will. Lawrence and Melinda Smith’s article, “Drug Abuse and Addiction,” defines drug addiction as a chronic condition which usually results into relapse of the brain which can eventually lead to both compulsive drug seeking and use. The brain changes lead an addict to a lack of self-control and hamper his ability to resist drug use. This is in line with the consequences of drug use (Barker, 2008).

According to Volkow, Fowler, & Wang (2003), the addictive behaviors may interfere the normal functioning of the brain affecting the neurochemistry and neurotransmitters. The drugs raise the dopamine in the brain, causing euphoria, pleasure, and activates the reward system, reinforcing the effects of drug abuse. Also, each type of drugs affects the brain differently, causing a different reaction and brain damage. When the substance amount gives less pleasurable effects, it means that the individual’s body created a tolerance, thus, a larger amount is needed to get the same (Kearney, C & Trull, T.

Drug addiction and its underlying neurobiological basis: Neuroimaging evidence for the involvement of the frontal cortex, drug addiction will lead to changes “in the brain dopaminergic pathways (specifically the anterior cingulate (AC), orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), and the nucleus acumens (NAc) which may lead to a reduction of sensitivity to biological rewards and it decreases the individual’s control over seeking and eventually taking drugs.” When the person takes too much drugs, the brain will desensitize to the drugs. If other people offer drugs to this person, the person will take the drug without thinking. The desensitized brain will react more and more slowly to the reactions. As we can see, compared to video game addiction, drug addiction has more negative effects on a person’s

Drug abuse can lead to drug addiction. Drug addiction is defined by MedicineNet, Inc., 2014 as the “uncontrollable craving, seeking, and use of a substance such as alcohol or another drug. Dependence is such an issue with addiction that stopping is very difficult and causes severe physical and mental reactions” (MedicineNet, Inc., 2014)

The origin of addiction is neurological rather than lack of self-control. Medical Doctor David E. Smith, founder of the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, who specializes in addiction medicine, discusses how body strives to preserve neurochemical balance, and what occurs when a psychoactive medication interacts with neurochemistry – a disruption in biological functions. To quote Smith’s article, The Process of Addictions and the New ASAM Definition of Addiction, “As a brain disease, it is characterized by the individual’s inability to stop a dysfunctional behavior fueled by drugs or other repeated activities despite adverse consequence” (Smith, 2). Based on Smith’s research, neurochemical balance within the brain is delicate, and influences behavior – the process of addiction is completely neurological. Addictive medicine takes over a patient’s behavioral regulation. They cannot stop their socially unacceptable behaviors in spite of the retributions – which can decrease wellbeing due to the stress that is present. As a result, medication interacting with neurochemistry affects healthcare because patient’s overall health is at jeopardy from psychoactive medication since it fixes one problem, but causes

Drug addiction is one of society 's biggest problems and it is rampant among teenagers and young adults and one of the most abused drugs is marijuana. Cannabis sativa or marijuana usually grows throughout tropical and temperate climates and then plant 's stems, leaves, flowers, and seeds are then dried. What attracts to most users is the mind altering effect these parts produce which is addictive to some extent. It is usually smoked as cigarette, or in a pipe. It is also smoked in blunts, in which cigars will be emptied of tobacco and refill with marijuana or sometimes it is combined with another drug. It can also be brewed as tea or mixed in food. Hashis is a more concentrated, resinous form which is sticky black liquid, hash oil. The