Addiction Research Paper
Morgan Azbill
English 1111
Addiction: A Disease or A Weakness? Addiction- a primary, chronic, neurobiologic disease, with genetic, psychosocial, and environmental factors influencing its development and manifestations. It is characterized by behaviors that include one or more of the following: impaired control over drug use, compulsive use, continued use despite harm, and craving. The difference between addiction and abuse is often times unclear. It’s a difficult call to make as a family member or a close friend that is dealing with a person like this in their life, but ultimately it is a call that only the addict can make for themselves. There are tons of different sources and tests and questions out there that can be done that can help people to figure out if they are or are not an addict. In this day and age help is readily available for those who chose to take it, but most don’t and drug use is becoming more and more of an issue than it has ever been and is affecting the lives of millions of people around the world. With that being said, is addiction a disease or simply a weakness? What are the differences between addiction and abuse?
Now there are many different types of addiction out there that people suffer from every single day, not just drug and alcohol addiction. Some of the common addictions we see are gambling, food, eating disorders, shopping, money, and many more. Those are just a couple of the major addictions we see in the world that affect many more people than the average person thinks. Many of these addictions are things that people do every day, and when not done in excess are completely normal which makes it hard to see when someone has a problem with it. But don’t get me wrong, these things although they can be used normally are enough to destroy marriages, put people in jail, lose houses, lose relationships, create massive amounts of debt, and take away the life of the addict slowly but surely. My focus throughout my research paper will
English 1111
Addiction: A Disease or A Weakness? Addiction- a primary, chronic, neurobiologic disease, with genetic, psychosocial, and environmental factors influencing its development and manifestations. It is characterized by behaviors that include one or more of the following: impaired control over drug use, compulsive use, continued use despite harm, and craving. The difference between addiction and abuse is often times unclear. It’s a difficult call to make as a family member or a close friend that is dealing with a person like this in their life, but ultimately it is a call that only the addict can make for themselves. There are tons of different sources and tests and questions out there that can be done that can help people to figure out if they are or are not an addict. In this day and age help is readily available for those who chose to take it, but most don’t and drug use is becoming more and more of an issue than it has ever been and is affecting the lives of millions of people around the world. With that being said, is addiction a disease or simply a weakness? What are the differences between addiction and abuse?
Now there are many different types of addiction out there that people suffer from every single day, not just drug and alcohol addiction. Some of the common addictions we see are gambling, food, eating disorders, shopping, money, and many more. Those are just a couple of the major addictions we see in the world that affect many more people than the average person thinks. Many of these addictions are things that people do every day, and when not done in excess are completely normal which makes it hard to see when someone has a problem with it. But don’t get me wrong, these things although they can be used normally are enough to destroy marriages, put people in jail, lose houses, lose relationships, create massive amounts of debt, and take away the life of the addict slowly but surely. My focus throughout my research paper will
Cited: -Mission Enabled. "Drug Addiction Facts." Drug Addiction Support. N.p. 2012. Web. 1 July 2012. -National Institute of Health. "Understanding Drug Abuse and Addiction." DrugFacts. NIDA, Mar. 2011. Web. 1 July 2012. -National Institute of Health. "Drugs, Brains, Behavior: The Science of Addiction." The Science of Drug Abuse and Addiction. NIDA, Aug. 2010. Web. 1 July 2012. -Alcohol Addiction. "Alcoholism Statistics." Alcohol Addiction. alcoholaddiction.info, 2012. Web. 20 July 2012. - Good Future Inc. "Frequently Asked Questions." Pathway to A Brighter Future. Prosource Hosting, 2012. Web. 19 July 2012. - Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc. "The Doctors Opinion." Alcoholics Anonymous. 4th ed. New York City: N.p., 2001. XXV-XXXII. Print.