The Problem Of Drug Addiction

There are many factors such as biology, environment and development that results in the persons initial introduction into the world of drugs. Drug abuse may start as a way to socially connect. More often than not people try drugs for the first time in social

Katie is an everyday 35 year old woman; she has a wonderful husband and 2 small girls, a great job and looking up the ladder of success. Over the past few years, she has dedicated herself to having success at work and success with having a loving family. Anyone would meet Katie and her husband, Lewis, would think they have everything anyone could ever want. Even with her seemingly perfect life, Katie hides a secret. Katie has succumbed to a life of prescription drug addiction.

In order to understand how to treat addiction, it is important to first understand why addiction occurs. Often, there is a misconception on what steps need to be taken to deal with addiction, and what factors increase the propensity of addiction in the first place. The different models of addiction aim to clarify and justify reasons why addiction occurs both physiologically and psychologically, as well as provide plausible solutions to stop addiction. Although the models all contain differing view on why addiction occurs, and tenets and tactics on how to effectively deal with addiction, it is important to understand that any type of addiction can be harmful and dangerous.

Drug addictions have been around just as long as humans have. Dating back to over 3,000 years ago with the ancient Egyptians as it is documented in history books talking about their addictions to opium, and in the 1600s, with the smoke-able version of opium being distributed to enslaved Chinese, Japanese workers (Butler, Shier, and David 380). A drug addiction is defined by The New England Journal of Medicine as “a chronic, relapsing disorder in which compulsive drug-seeking and drug-taking behavior persists despite serious negative consequences. Addictive substances induce pleasant states or relieve distress. Continued use induces adaptive changes in the central nervous system that lead to tolerance, physical dependence, sensitization,

In dangerous cases, the addiction can become the most important thing in the addict’s life and can lead to problems in their personal lives as well as their work environment.

There has been controversy surrounding the most recent issue on drug addiction, especially when it comes to treatment opportunities. To start, many people in our country don’t know how to define addiction or understand how drugs affect the brain. A drug addiction physically takes over the brain and body, and in many cases inflicts a psychological issue on an individual. For example, anxiety or depression. Addicts can also experience physiological symptoms that are uncontrollable and intolerable. Many scientists and psychologists have performed extensive research on the mind of an addict, proving its disease-like nature. There are treatment options for those with disease, some with similar characteristics to those that treat universally known

Cunning, baffling and powerful are three words that best describe the disease of addiction. From my own experience with a close friend who has suffered through addiction, I believe it is a disease that shows no mercy to its victim, and that the only path to recovery is to separate the addict from the substance or activity causing the addiction. As stated in the writings of Alcoholics Anonymous, without some form of recovery its only end is jails, institutions and death. Sadly the addict in my life lost all sense that his disease caused harm to those around him. The disease reached far into his personal and social life and affected many people during both his active stage of addiction and the ongoing recovery period afterward.

Substance abuse can include any substance or substances such as alcohol, illegal drugs, prescription drugs, over the counter drugs, cigarettes etc. Any and all of these can become addictive to people very quickly. For years,

The causes of drug addiction are numerous and varied, and they vary from person to person depending on the circumstances and the surrounding environment. Some of those causes are having high levels of stress, disintegrating of family, and seeing other people using drugs. Today's life is full of stresses, whether the stress of finding a job, raising the children, paying the bills,

Addiction causes brain changes. “A drug is any chemical you take that affects the way your body works. Alcohol, caffeine, aspirin and nicotine are all drugs. A drug must be able to pass from your body into your brain. Once inside your brain, drugs can change the messages your brain cells are sending to each other, and to the rest of your body. They do this by interfering with your brain 's own chemical signals: neurotransmitters that transfer signals across synapses” (Science Museum.org). Drugs are taken by mouth, injected into the skin and more.. Drug addiction can simply start out as taking medicine for cold or an everyday medication that is being prescribed. People tend to get addicted to their own medications because its easy access for them. Once they cant feel the medicine working the way it used to when it was first prescribed, people tend to abuse drugs. They will go find a drug that will simply suit the “high” they are looking for or wanting to feel again.

My aunt, who raised me as a child, battled with cardiovascular heart disease. The doctor had warned earlier when she was around 40 years old. She knew that her lifestyle and weight was putting her life in danger. I tried to get her to eat a healthier diet and exercise daily. She could not get herself to lose weight and get healthy. She suffered a two strokes a few years ago that nearly took her life and left her paralyzed on one side of her body. Of course, no one told her that she would not get the treatment she needed to recover because she got what she deserved. The doctor warned her many times. Everyone knew her diet, weight, and lifestyle lead to her strokes. But no one went

Substance abuse is a contributing factor and very often a result of homelessness. Homeless youth are at greater risk for addiction and addicted youth are at greater risk of being homeless. According to a study by Peterson et.al. (2006). Homelessness and addiction have many correlations. The financial, social, physical, and psychological effects are profound. Financially, it is very difficult to support a household and a habit. Many homeless people choose to spend what meager funds they acquire on drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, or whatever their addiction happens to be. Often you will see a homeless person 'flying a sign" and smoking a cigarette. In spite of the fact that they are begging on the street for whatever few cents they can persuade passers-by to part with, their first few dollars goes to purchase cigarettes rather than food. While cigarettes may not cause you to be homeless, it is a symptom of a much deeper problem. Socially, one of the things that often occurs with homeless, addicted youth is disaffiliation. The isolation and withdrawal from society in general. The weakening of important social and societal bonds that normally provide the support system that is so important in this phase of their development Thompson et al.,(2009). This estrangement may manifest in the form of trouble with the law, poor academic performance, or withdrawal from relationships that formerly held significance. The anti-social manner of day to day survival can also be a contributing

You likely experience varying emotions dealing with the addict. One moment you fear the addict may die of an overdose; a moment later, you are angry because the addict is wasting money on drugs, sleeping in late, or refusing to work. It’s frustrating and painful to watch helplessly as someone you care about falls prey to the negative and possibly catastrophic consequences of addiction.

The addiction to drugs is based on the peculiarities of the human psychology. The fact is that the drugs change some processes in the brain, which is usually the result of drug abuse. It is obvious that drug addiction is extremely dangerous for the consciousness of an individual because it is very hard to overcome it. It happens because the drugs have a direct impact on many functions of the brain, especially those connected with person’s mood and emotions. Larry Gaines states that “most drugs affect the brain 's "reward circuit" by flooding it with the chemical messenger dopamine, which controls the body 's ability to feel pleasure” (Gaines 17). Consequently, an individual becomes happier after the consumption of drugs. Unfortunately, this state of happiness is illusory.

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