Essay On Methadone
Russell Brand views addiction as a disease and he is well qualified to think so. He struggled with addiction. For 11 years he used heroine, cocaine, alcohol, and many other drugs. In 2002 he went to a rehabilitation center to get clean for 12 weeks. He believes drug addiction is an illness as a disease. And from what I understand he has taken the belief that you can be genetically predetermined to be addicted to something. And when you finally do drugs, you cannot get enough. He is able to own up to his mistakes.
According to Dr. Nutt addiction has something to do with the brain. He says “almost everyone in [England] drinks alcohol at some point in their life. But only 10% get addicted to it, and those 10% are different. ”According to Nutt, there are …show more content…
three things that can influence addiction, stress, pleasure, and impulsivity. The amygdala is the part of the brain that regulates stress, and pleasure and impulsivity are related to dopamine, or lack there of (13:23).
In the textbook Abnormal Psychology by Susan Nolen-Hoeksema, Nolen-Hoeksema states that : There seems to be a common underlying genetic vulnerability to substances, perhaps accounting for the fact that individuals who is one substance are likely to use several” (page 418). There is also an emphasis on dopamine production. The dopamine transporter gene determines how the brain processes dopamine. Depending on how the individual processes it, they could find a substance more or less addicting (page 418).
In the United Kingdom, heroine addicts often receive methadone.
According to the textbook Abnormal Psychology, methadone is “opioid, but it has less potent and less long-lasting effects then heroin when taken orally. The person depending on heroin takes methadone to reduce extreme negative withdrawal symptoms” (page 420). In the documentary, Russell Brand talks about methadone. He tells us that “about ten years ago [methadone] became the governments main method of treating addicts. What the government hoped was that if they gave the addicts methadone, they’d stop committing crimes to get money for drugs, and they would also stop sharing needles and getting HIV” (22:19). Brand views methadone as a “moving around the furniture on the titanic.” He doesn’t believe that it is treating the actual addiction, just proving the drug user with something else. Many of the addicts he talks to say the abuse methadone, and they don’t believe it is solving the problem. Brand also shares this view, and so does Professor Neil McKeganey. McKeganey conducts research at the Centre for Drug Misuse. According to his studies after three years of treatment, over 90% of patients were still dependent on methadone as well as other drugs
(36:30)
According to Dr. Gerada, she describes methadone as “the gold standard.” She believes that her patients do very well on methadone. She also believes that heroine addicts need something to subside their urges to use heroine. With monitoring, Dr. Gerada is able to provide a different solution to drug addiction.
Even though this was not asked for, I really agree with with Brand’s mother said, “it’s a brilliant step, and the most important thing is that you’ve decided to take it."
According to Dr. Nutt addiction has something to do with the brain. He says “almost everyone in [England] drinks alcohol at some point in their life. But only 10% get addicted to it, and those 10% are different. ”According to Nutt, there are …show more content…
three things that can influence addiction, stress, pleasure, and impulsivity. The amygdala is the part of the brain that regulates stress, and pleasure and impulsivity are related to dopamine, or lack there of (13:23).
In the textbook Abnormal Psychology by Susan Nolen-Hoeksema, Nolen-Hoeksema states that : There seems to be a common underlying genetic vulnerability to substances, perhaps accounting for the fact that individuals who is one substance are likely to use several” (page 418). There is also an emphasis on dopamine production. The dopamine transporter gene determines how the brain processes dopamine. Depending on how the individual processes it, they could find a substance more or less addicting (page 418).
In the United Kingdom, heroine addicts often receive methadone.
According to the textbook Abnormal Psychology, methadone is “opioid, but it has less potent and less long-lasting effects then heroin when taken orally. The person depending on heroin takes methadone to reduce extreme negative withdrawal symptoms” (page 420). In the documentary, Russell Brand talks about methadone. He tells us that “about ten years ago [methadone] became the governments main method of treating addicts. What the government hoped was that if they gave the addicts methadone, they’d stop committing crimes to get money for drugs, and they would also stop sharing needles and getting HIV” (22:19). Brand views methadone as a “moving around the furniture on the titanic.” He doesn’t believe that it is treating the actual addiction, just proving the drug user with something else. Many of the addicts he talks to say the abuse methadone, and they don’t believe it is solving the problem. Brand also shares this view, and so does Professor Neil McKeganey. McKeganey conducts research at the Centre for Drug Misuse. According to his studies after three years of treatment, over 90% of patients were still dependent on methadone as well as other drugs
(36:30)
According to Dr. Gerada, she describes methadone as “the gold standard.” She believes that her patients do very well on methadone. She also believes that heroine addicts need something to subside their urges to use heroine. With monitoring, Dr. Gerada is able to provide a different solution to drug addiction.
Even though this was not asked for, I really agree with with Brand’s mother said, “it’s a brilliant step, and the most important thing is that you’ve decided to take it."