Running Head : Chemical Dependency

Addiction is a chronic brain disease that often results in some sort of relapse. Addiction is characterized by inability to control drug use which results in problems with one’s behaviors and interpersonal relationships. This disease causes compulsive behaviors such as the need to use drugs despite the many harmful consequences that affect the addicted individual and those around him or her. Although for most people, the initial decision to use drugs is a one time lapse in judgement, the brain is easily affected by these drugs if the person decides to use these drugs multiple times. The changes that occur to the brain over time will cause the addicted person’s ability to resist the intense impulses of drugs to be altered causing the addict to often give into the temptation of these drugs. 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. Drug addiction is an issue that many people deal with whether they are the addict or the addict is their loved one; but with a good source of support anyone can over come the challenges and consequences of addiction.

The National Institute for Drug Abuse agrees by breaking down a more biological understanding of addiction. Their method is known as a "disease model." They believe that it is quite clear that drug addiction is "considered a brain disease because drugs change the brain-they change it's structure and how it works." The disease model consists of some well thought out points. It states that drug addiction is a brain disease because repeated use and abuse of drugs changes the brain. Drug addiction alters brain pleasure centers, so that normal happiness requires higher and more frequent drugs. Brain imaging studies show changes in the brain that are critical to judgement, decision making, and behavior control. The risk for becoming an addict is greatly dependent on one's biology, such as gender or ethnicity. The prepondrance of research indicates neurological effects of repeated drug

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

The ponderance that Brain = Behavior and the inherent ramifications of such proves no more fascinating than when addressed in the context of "Addiction and the Brain". Essential to consider is:

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.

Drugs may be able to affect the brain by causing changes in the cellular structure of neurons in the brain such that the brain becomes essentially “wired” for addiction, but neuroplasticity is evident in much more than this. Neuroplasticity is at work in the human brain across the lifetime of an individual while the way they interact with their environment becomes a determinate in the relatively unique changes with unique combinations in the development of their particular brain structure (Karatoreos, 2013). Certainly this can set up a biological predisposition for addiction where adding the substance means full blown, active and progressive addiction, but that is, by no means, something “carved in stone.” Experience, knowledge, and interaction outside that of contributors to addiction can affect this same underlying process and change the neuropathology that was once addiction manifest in the brain (Karatoreos,

Finding how the women were introduced to the drug played a part in how the relationships would go. It also developed issues for the women who didn’t want to be controlled by people in the own pursuit of the drug. Many of the women did not want another person to be in control of their habits that they were able to provide there own financial means for the drugs. The factor about if a male or female friend introduced them to cocaine for their first time played a major part in their continuation of the drug and also how frequently they would do their next testing of the drug. The study showed that a male introduced nine of the women to cocaine. When a male introduced the women, they didn’t want the male to believe that he had control over her by using cocaine. It became an issue for the females because they believed that the men that had introduced them to cocaine for their first time would use it as a way to control them for sex. Even though many of the relationships that formed from men introducing women did involve some sense of sexual partners, the females did not want the men to be able to control their appetite for sex nor their appetite for drugs, or have the ability to use on or the other for them to achieve their own personal gain. The general way that women became introduced to cocaine was through a female friend. Having a female friend that introduced them to cocaine allows them not to have to worry about being used for sex, as in the situation when a male introduced them to cocaine. With females introducing them to cocaine, they were able to come up with excuses to be able and go out with friends in order to use cocaine. The issues with females introducing other females to cocaine, it was harder for the women in the study to be in control of their own choices of when they wanted to use. This played similar problems as when the men introduced. For the middle-class

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

The above statistics show conclusively that substance in women in a major challenge that should be addressed by psychologists and healthcare professionals. The first consideration is ensuring that the social, biological, mental, and environmental factors are taken care of (Burns et al., 2012). Psychologists should begin by understanding the unique environmental issues affecting women who abuse drugs. This is the case because there are unique environmental conditions and motivations that encourage women to use addictive drugs.

Want to make sure not to judge or criticize these women because that could cause more problems. Getting them to seek help is difficult because some of them can’t afford to pay for treatment or they may have other children and don’t have anyone to help watch them while they are going through substance abuse treatment. “A smaller percentage of participants reported affordability barriers (13%)” (A. Jackson (&) L. Shannon). Even though it’s a small percentage reported that don’t seek treatment because of affordability. There are few substance abuse treatment programs that accept women and their children. “The majority experienced acceptability (51%) and accessibility (49%) barriers. Twenty-six percent (26%) of the sample reported availability barriers.” (A. Jackson (&) L. Shannon). The accessibility and availability are very important with getting the help that is needed. The lack of substance abuse treatment centers for pregnant women the more it becomes a huge problem with in

Females who use drugs may be raped, get infected by HIV-AIDS or get pregnant. Females who use drugs may not think of the consequences of their actions. They may do things that they don’t usually do like going to the male’s bathroom or agreeing to be with a male stranger. Some males may take sexual advances and that is when rape happens.

Drug addiction is a complex disease, even when the person is ready to quit, it may not be possible for it to happen. To fully comprehend drug addiction

When people start taking drugs, they don't plan to get addicted. They like how the drug makes them feel. They believe they can control how much and how often they take the drug. However, drugs change the brain. Those who use drugs start to need the drug just to feel normal. That is addiction, and it can quickly take over a person's life.

There are many factors that influence the rate of women with a substance use disorder. Actually, I had to stop, and ask myself Sherri how did you become a woman with substance abuse disorder. At the time I start abuse drugs I was in the prime of my life. Some of the factors that attributed to my substances use disorder at the time my primary was recreationally and social acceptability. The feeling of not being heard at home by my family at a time when I need them the most drove into a dark place and lead further into the drugs.

When researching my paper I decided to find the differences, if any, between women and male substance abusers. While researching for the ERA capstone project we did for human services, I found that causes of addiction in women was due to poverty, abuse, lack of resources and other reasons that all can be contributed to inequality of women in our society. The main reason women become addicted is due to self-medicating. I had a range of questions I began asking myself, and decided to do more research. Then I