The Addiction Should Be Defined

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

Addictions can form from using mood altering drugs such as, nicotine, alcohol, cocaine and caffeine, or behavioral processes as with gambling, eating, sex or shopping (Schwartz 21). Schwartz

Addiction knows no prejudice; it does not care what race, religion, sex or orientation. You can be addicted to drugs, gambling, x-box, shopping and eating. Addiction is an illness that requires, for most, professional help and that once you are an addict you are always an addict.

Addiction is something which any person can posses, and can experience at some point in their lives. Some people are more prone to a addiction due to outside circumstances, and even though an addict can be damaging to themselves and others around them, addiction shouldn't be considered a

What is interesting about this is that although drugs act on the brain, that does not necessarily mean that is can be considered a brain disease. People have the power to change, and being addicted to a drug does not change that. It’s just like how people are able to learn something new. A person addicted to a drug can learn to not be addicted to it anymore, just like a baby can learn that he/she does not need a pacifier. The different types of substance use disorders I will focus on to not be a brain disease will be alcohol, cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine.

Addiction, such as drug or alcohol addiction, is explained by a Dr. Nora Volkow in a HBO series on addiction as "a disease of the brain that translates into abnormal behavior." This disease is known as brain disease which "refers to disruptions in the brain 's motivational and reward circuitry that results from the cumulative effect of repeated use of certain substances." The documentary, Addiction, drove home the point that drug addiction is a brain disease that is a chronic condition but one which can be treated and taken care of. These are the claims of Dr. Volkow and others in reference to people who deviantly drink or are addicted to either licit or

Addiction is a disease that affects one’s behavior and brain to slowly lose control over drug use. The repeat high provided by drug abuse will overtime cause the brain to crave the drugs and the high that they provide. Opioid drugs that one can be addicted to include, codeine, hydrocodone, morphine, oxycodone, tramadol and more. Some stronger prescription cough medicines will contain opioids. Opioids are often prescribed to relieve pain and are prescribed by doctors often for tooth pain, surgical recovery, injury, and chronic conditions. With the common prescription of drugs containing opioids addiction is becoming more and more common. The article provide speaks of a young man prescribed a narcotic pain reliever for the injury he

Is addiction a brain disease? The definition of disease is a disorder in an organism that produces specific signs/symptoms that affects a specific location and isn’t a direct result of any kind of physical injury. Addiction is a compulsive need for any substance or service that can cause a person or organism to form a habit, and is a chronic disease of brain reward and causes dysfunctions in the circuits. Addiction is also characterized by the inability to consistently abstain impairment in behavioral control. The idea that addiction is a brain disease is just about universally accepted among scientist that focus on addiction (Corrigan,2008). However few believe that addiction is not a brain disease because they claim that neural dysfunction is not sufficient for disease. (NCBI, 2012). Some agree that addiction occurs in the brain but should not be considered a brain disease or a disease at all(Lawrence 2013). Substance abuse is the most common addiction that people base their decision upon. These drugs affect the brain and cause different reactions to the rest of the of the body. The types of drugs include: hallucinogens, opioids, sedatives, stimulants, etc. cause different

The addict’s brain becomes overridden and continuously wants the substance which it craves. Help Guide.org produced an article titled “Understanding Addiction”. The article reads as following, “Addictive substances and behaviors stimulate the circuit then overload it. In nature rewards usually come only with time and effort. Addictive drugs and behaviors provide a shortcut, flooding the brain with dopamine and other neurotransmitters”(Understanding Addiction 1). In other words, when the brain is pleasured it feels rewarded. Normally rewards are earned, but the use of substances provides a rewarded feeling to the brain. Neurobiology is the biology of the nervous system.This research is what provides us with the information on the brain being taken over. The brain is broken up into several sections. Research has shown there to be certain genetic codes that vary from addiction to addiction. These codes can inform people what the brain’s drug of choice may or may not be. No one certain factor can determine if a person becomes addicted or not. For example, the AI allele of the dopamine receptor gene DRDR is mainly found in those addicted to alcohol or cocaine. Another example is that those with high stress level hormones have been noted to have an increased risk for addition. Individual differences have also shown to meter the effectiveness of a drug on a person. One study compared two sons, one of the son’s father's was a alcoholic and the other son’s father was not. Neither son drinks, but when given alcohol the son of the alcoholic seemed to have a higher tolerability to the alcohol than the son of the non alcoholic father. Obviously the son of the alcoholic has genes from his father that cause alcohol not to affect him as much, and this can lead to him over drinking and becoming an alcoholic

A more narrow definition of addiction would be to say that it involves a compulsive use of or mind altering acts or substances. With this type of addiction the individual will have usually developed a physical as well as psychological dependence on the behavior. Which will cause and an increased tolerance for the behavior overtime. As time goes on they will need to keep on delving deeper, and

Addiction is more of a condition than a disease, and can be considered to be a behavioral disorder that stems from personal choice. Addiction is a controversial issue, and many people debate on whether addiction is seen as a disease or a personal choice. There has been many studies that have proven addiction to be a disease that stems from personal choice. Addiction is a chronic brain disease that causes habitual drug use ( Drug abuse, 2012). Over time the brain changes, and the person who is addicted loses control over themselves, resulting in excessive behaviors. Addiction is characterized by the, inability to consistently withdraw, impairment in behavioral control, craving for drugs or rewarding experiences, reduced recognition of significant problems with one’s behaviors and personal relationships, and a dysfunctional emotional response (American Society of Addiction Medicine, 2015). Out of all the possible things that people tend to be addicted to, drug addiction is the most common addiction that is known.

I do believe addiction is a disease. Of course we all know that a disease, is something that can consume all or parts of the body. Having an addiction to something such as illegal drugs, can become your disease if not careful. Someone who is constantly wanting more of this particular drug of their choice, and has been using it over a period of time without the same effect it had on them when they first started using the drug, has been consumed by that drug. Now that, that person is addicted and has now let the drug consume their body as well as their life, it has become a disease. While I am not one to smoke, drink or participate in any type of addicting supplement’s, cigarettes can consume one’s life, and have the same effect as a disease

One of the most controversial conversations, when debating addiction is whether or not addiction is a disease or whether it's a person's will power. What is the definition of disease? Disease is defined as abnormal condition of an organism, which interrupts the normal bodily functions that lead to a feeling of pain, weakness and usually associated with symptoms or signs. When we compare this definition to an addict there is a vast similarities. Addiction causes disequilibrium to the body, causing both physical and psychological pain to a person. From my knowledge and from what I have learn this past semester I believe that addiction is a disease.

Addiction can come in many forms, you can be addicted to a substance, an activity, even things to

Firstly, the best way to understand this is to critically understand the definition of addiction. From the American Heritage Dictionary, “addiction is a condition involving the use of a substance, such as a drug or alcohol, or engagement in a behavior, such as gambling, in which a person has strong cravings, is unable to stop or limit the activity, continues the activity despite harmful consequences, and experiences distress upon discontinuance.” The truth is that when anyone reads this definition, most of them focus on the first part and get stuck there. An addiction does not only mean being a drug addict or an alcohol addict, which is what everyone thinks but it also involves the compulsive drive to