Bilan Barbadaes
COM 156
April 2013
RICHARD GUTIERREZ
Abstract
Addiction is something that millions of individuals are suffering from either being a user or a victim to a user of an addiction. Addiction is a wide subject that includes much more than drugs and has various different effects on people. In this paper I intend to ask and answer questions like what is addiction truly. What is the root cause to it? Are there any ways to kicking a habit? There are many books, posts and website regarding such a powerful subject but in all honestly there is no one correct answer as all the information obtained has been very helpful and imperative in its own way. I intend to use data on many medical websites and even use some papers that I am able to find but I intend to show you that addiction is ultimately a choice and a choice can be made to stop or continue. But it is up to a person.
Addiction
Have you ever wondered what addiction really is or where is comes from? Have you ever thought to yourself how could someone do that to themselves with the knowing of what harm it is doing? Well in this paper I will try my best to answer those questions as you peer into a world that I am oh so familiar with. Addiction is something that is so present in our world today and it affects so many of us. Why not learn more so that we can be educated enough to deal with these situations.
Addiction is the continued use of a mood altering substance or behavior despite adverse consequences, or a neurological impairment leading to such behaviors. Addictions can include, but are not limited to, drug abuse, exercise addiction, sexual addiction and gambling. Habits and patterns associated with addiction are typically characterized by immediate gratification (short-term reward), coupled with delayed deleterious effects (long-term costs). Physiological dependence occurs when the body has to adjust to the substance by incorporating the substance into its 'normal ' functioning.
References: 1. Angres DH, Bettinardi-Angres K (October 2008). "The disease of addiction: origins, treatment, and recovery". Dis Mon 54 (10): 696–721. doi:10.1016/j.disamonth.2008.07.002. PMID 18790142. 2. American Society for Addiction Medicine (2012). Definition of Addiction. 3. Morse RM, Flavin DK (August 1992). "The definition of alcoholism. The Joint Committee of the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence and the American Society of Addiction Medicine to Study the Definition and Criteria for the Diagnosis of Alcoholism". JAMA 268 (8): 1012–4. doi:10.1001/jama.1992.03490080086030. PMID 1501306. 4. Marlatt GA, Baer JS, Donovan DM, Kivlahan DR (1988). "Addictive behaviors: etiology and treatment". Annu Rev Psychol 39: 223–52. doi:10.1146/annurev.ps.39.020188.001255. PMID 3278676. 5. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Annual Smoking-Attributable Mortality, Years of Potential Life Lost, and Productivity Losses—United States, 2000–2004. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 2008;57(45):1226–8 [accessed 2012 Jan 10]. 6. Mokdad AH, Marks JS, Stroup DF, Gerberding JL. Actual Causes of Death in the United States. JAMA: Journal of the American Medical Association 2004;291(10):1238–45 [cited 2012 Jan 10]. 7. http://www.helpguide.org/mental/drug_abuse_addiction_rehab_treatment.htm