In everyone’s life, there is a moment that they try drugs or alcohol for the very first time by choice. Addiction is a behavior based on physical and psychological dependent of a drug substance. Addiction is also known as an illness, a disease. It does not make a person bad, just a person in need of help to overcome. Behind people’s actions, there is a reason why, why they have decided to try a substance for the first time.…
For many years, individuals have battled substance abuse and addiction. My position comes from hearing about it, having seeing results from it, and reading about it, also developing my own thoughts about addiction. Weil and Rosen (1993) believe that a drug use (and addiction) results from humans longing for a sense of completeness and wholeness, and searching for satisfaction outside of themselves. McNeece and DiNitto (2012) says the reason why people continue to use drugs to the point of becoming a physically and/ or psychologically dependent on them are more complex, some have tried to explain this phenomenon as a deficit in moral values, a disease, conditioning or learned behavior, or as a genetic prosperity. Still some see it as a “rewiring” of the brain (Mc Neece & DiNitto, 2012). At this point, there is no one single theory that adequately explains addiction (McNeece & DiNitto, 2012).…
Drug addiction is a disease in which the brain believes it is in need of a substance when it actually may be harmful. This disease is chronic so even if one is able to quit, they may relapse and take the drug again. When drugs are taken for the first time it creates a release of dopa-mine or other pleasure creating chemicals. These chemicals are released due to the direct effect on the nerve cells, these nerve cells transmit information directly to the brain. By doing so the brain searches for more of the substance in order to create the same effect. The brain is taught to take the drug in order to create the feeling of pleasure. While at the beginning stages, a substance may not be very harmful, long term problems may arise. This information directly relates to substance abuse in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.…
This chapter discusses the biological perspective on addiction. When looking at this perspective it is important to understand the biological causes of addiction, tolerance and withdrawal. The chapter discusses the different ways drugs can be administered and absorbed. Further it talks about the different ways drugs are metabolised and excreted and how drugs affect the central nervous system. Lastly it examines tolerance and withdrawal as understood from the biological perspective.…
In order to better understand addiction as a disease as opposed to a moral dilemma it first must be broken down. First you must look at the way in which the chemicals affect the brain. The first attempt at partaking in any mind altering substance can be looked at as a choice to the individual. However what happens after that first time? Are you then in control of how much or how often the substance is introduced to the body? As the substance is consumed it begins to alter the way in which the brain controls our feelings; happy, sad, anger, depression, etc. The brain tries to compensate for the influx of chemicals by reducing the amount of dopamine (a simple organic chemical in the brain system that is responsible for reward-driven learning). Thus when the substance is no longer in the system you can experience extreme “lows” that directly relate to depression. The brain then tells the body that it needs more of the DOC (drug of choice) to make up for that loss. It can be argued that once the levels of dopamine have diminished in the brain the choice of whether or not to use the DOC has been lost. Subconsciously the individual will experience the phenomenon of “craving”. As stated by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, “The initial decision to take drugs is mostly voluntary. However, when drug abuse takes over, a person 's ability to exert self control can become seriously impaired. Brain imaging studies from drug-addicted individuals show physical changes in areas of the brain that are critical to judgment, decision-making, learning and memory, and…
The frontal cortex has become less effective at making decisions and judging the consequences of action. Also as addicts have learnt to associate the drug with pleasure, any attempts to stop taking it will be difficult as the addict will be surrounded by cues and reminders of the drug which would remind them of pleasure and make them more likely to relapse.…
The history of addiction goes back centuries, and unfortunately, there is still a long way to go for people to realize the effects of chemical substances do more harm than good. The difference between drug use and abuse relies heavily on a person’s dependence on the substance. The line between the differences is often very fine. Depending on other factors involved, such as morals, values, environment, and genetic predisposition, the line will most likely be crossed without regard to the consequences until treatment and recovery are the only options left. This is essay compares two theoretical explanations for addiction, including a psychological theory, and a biological theory. In addition, the writer will describe the viewpoints of each model, and how their effectiveness in addiction prevention and intervention.…
"Neurobiology Of Addiction Versus Drug Use Driven By Lack Of Choice." Current Opinion In Neurobiology 23.4 (2013): 581-587. EBSCO MegaFILE. Web. 7 Apr. 2014…
The development of addictions occurs when the individual is able to achieve a continuous and instant positive change in feeling during use of or participation in the addictive behavior (O 'Brien, Childress, Ehram, & Robbins, 1998). In the study of drug and alcohol addiction the compulsion or habit is not dependent on the existence of the drug or alcohol in the…
These type of models have to do with the neurotransmitters of the brain which serve as chemical messengers. A neurotransmitter function is to transmit signals across a synapse from one neuron or brain cell to another target neuron. According to (Capuzzi, page 10, 2012), “The area of the brain in which addiction occurs is the limbic system or the emotional part of the brain, as a person begins to use a drug, changes in brain chemistry in the limbic system begin to occur which lead to addiction.” Capuzzi states that biologically, addiction occurs when there is changes in brain chemistry within the limbic system once a person begins to even use a drug. If the drug use increase then changes in brain chemistry increase which means that a person would desire more of the drug because it makes them feel a certain way as a result the neurotransmitter are transmitting this kind of message to the brain. This statement is supported by the fact that most drug abuse has to do with the reward system which is known as the limbic system located in the forebrain. According to (Tomkins, 2001), artificial rewards such as drugs of have indicated to trigger the mesolimbic dopamine pathway, causing a sufficient amount of dopamine levels within the nucleus accumbens. The author proclaims that the forebrain is the headquarters for dopamine projection which then leads to association with rewards. These rewards take…
Over 30 years of intensive research has taught us, and NIDA supports, that addiction is a disease of the brain. The NIDA defines drug addiction as "a brain disease characterized by compulsive, at many times uncontrollable, drug craving, seeking, and use that persists despite potentially devastating consequences. Due to controversy over the real definition of this disease, the official medical definition is shorter but shares the same defining factors the disease model proposes. According to…
References: 1. Satel, S., & Goodwin, F.K. (1998). Is Drug Addiction a Brain Disease?, (9th edition). Upper Saddle River, N.J. Pearson Prentice Hall. Retrieved from…
A substance abuse addiction can be described in many ways. The NIDA states that a “drug addiction is a chronic disease”. People abuse drugs despite the many consequences that it can have, especially changes in their brain. The start of any drug addictions begins with the use of taking drugs over time. After taking drugs for an extended period of time, it becomes a compulsive behavior that has major long-term affects on your brain function (NIDA, 2016).…
on the brain is a biological addiction in which there are changes to the central nervous system…
Addiction has long been understood to mean an uncontrollable habit of using alcohol or other drugs. Because of the physical effects of these substances on the body, and particularly the brain, people have often thought…