Addiction, in all its indications, is a habit proceeded out of control that determines one’s actions and thoughts, and has an agonizing effect on the body and mind. The word addiction is not viewed as a positive word at all, because of all the pain and turmoil associated with this particular habit. Addiction comes in multiple forms, some of which include texting, social networking sites, drugs, alcohol consumption, and even one’s boyfriend or girlfriend. Addiction can be identified as a habit out of control, and as a result of this it has numerous effects on the human body as well as the mind. Some of these effects include personal health becoming jeopardized, mental reasoning becomes flawed, and one’s overall sense of caring about life in general is diminished. One needs to be aware of an addiction in order to attempt to properly treat this unhealthy dependence, and avoid another obsession in the future. Developing healthy boundaries in particular areas in one’s life seems to be the best solution to recovery from this process of self-destruction.
The time when a habit starts becoming an addiction is when one becomes increasingly drawn to that particular item or person more than usual. So as a result of that, one must first notice when he or she is becoming gradually attracted to a particular object, and immediately address the situation by placing healthy boundaries in one’s life, attempting to avoid turmoil in the near future. A few examples of instances commonly found addictive are any form of electronic communication, controlled substances, and even companions. Now, nothing is wrong with spending a small sum of time with a companion or communicating with individuals via technology, as long as that time spent is explicitly li...
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... to maintain a journal, discussing everything that he or she participated in during the day in order to see in all actuality how much time is spent doing a particular activity. Different activities can be handled if done with the right mindset, and with the intent of keeping previously established boundaries in tact.
Some people describe addiction as genetic, others describe it as a choice. Regardless of which cause one agrees with, addiction is still an issue that destroys many people’s lives. Despite the decision, implications of the choice follow one throughout his or her entire life, if life is even remains after the fact. Whether one is drawn to technological communication, drugs, alcohol, or even an individual, as long as one identifies that an issue is present, and he or she attempts to find a solution for the issue, he or she is on the road to recovery.
Addiction may be defined as the chronic use of drugs alongside the problems resulting from their use. Despite the person being aware of the consequences of using the drug, he continues to use it. If not attended to, addiction may cause serious social problems and even death (Hanson et al. 36). In order to address drug addiction, it is vital to understand addiction itself and where it stems from.
Sally Satel, author of “Addiction Doesn’t Discriminate? Wrong,” leads us down a harrowing path of the causes and effects that lead people to addiction. It can be a choice, possibly subconscious, or a condition that leads a person left fighting a lifelong battle they did not intend to sign up for. Mental and emotional health/conditions, personality traits, attitudes, values, behaviors, choices, and perceived rewards are just a few of the supposed causes of becoming an addict.
Before giving a broad overview on the definition of the Biopsychosocial (BPS) Model of Addiction, it must be understood that there is no simple unified theory of addiction that is universally accepted in the health world. This makes the definition of the BPS Model of Addiction not just a simple, one to two sentence definition of what this is, but rather a description of the components within the BPS model of addiction. In a broad sense, this model takes the stand that biological, psychological, and social aspects all contribute to the understanding of addiction. In short, the BPS model of addiction is an attempt to further explain addiction – how it occurs, and how it is maintained. Below is an image (Basic Representation of the BPS Model, 2017) representing this model
There are many different definitions in which people provide regarding addiction. May (1988) describes that addiction “is a state of compulsion, obsession, or preoccupation that enslaves a person’s will and desire” (p. 14). Individuals who suffer from addiction provide their time and energy toward other things that are not healthy and safe. The book
In the book, Addiction & Grace: Love and Spirituality in the Healing of Addictions, May explores how addiction develops and can be treated from a psychological, physiological, and spiritual standpoint. This theme is clearly shown throughout the text as it shows addiction from a whole person's perspective. The book covers the development of addiction from desire through the experience of addiction. The key focus is on looking at the matter of addiction from multiple stand points then broken down by explaining how addiction is an issue psychologically, physiologically, and spiritually. By focusing on these three areas, the author is able to present the reader with a clear understanding of addiction from all sides of the problem.
According to Leshner, drug addiction is a chronic brain disease that is expressed in the form of compulsive behaviors (Leshner, 2001). He believes that drug addiction is influence by both biological, and behavioral factors, and to solve this addiction problem we need to focus on these same factors. On the other hand, Neil Levy argues that addiction is not a brain disease rather it is a behavioral disorder embedded in social context (Levy, 2013). I believe, drug addiction is a recurring brain disease that can be healed when we alter and eliminate all the factors that are reinforcing drug addiction.
Many people dislike the term ‘addiction’ in relation to drugs or other substances, particularly as it infers that a person is powerless over their use of a particular drug or in some circumstances, a number of substances. Whilst others maintain it is this powerlessness that is the foundation of diagnosis and treatment – that treatment is not possible without recognition of addiction itself as the ‘problem’ being addressed. The professional and public perception of addiction is complicated. There are many approaches and models to explain addiction, the role of the addict, and their environment. This essay will compare and contrast two of these approaches, the medical/disease and the social model. Initially this essay will describe the origins of each model, and follow by explaining their respective strengths and weaknesses, and finish with an overview of the key differences between them. This essay will conclude by demonstrating that a holistic approach, and a cross-pollination of these models is the most successful approach to treating addicts. As is the case for all diseases, there are multiple treatment options, and as ever person is different, the results in each individual cannot be predicted.
In this paper I will be comparing and contrasting the Psychoanalytic formulations of addiction and the Cognitive models of addiction. According to Dennis L. Thombs, “people tend to get psychoanalysis and psychotherapy mixed up. Psychotherapy is a more general term describing professional services aimed at helping individuals or groups overcome emotional, behavioral or relationship problem” (119). According to Thombs and Osborn, “Cognitive refers to the covert mental process that are described by a number of diverse terms, including thinking, self-talk, internal dialogue, expectations , beliefs, schemas and so much more” (160). I believe these two factors play a major part in an individual’s life that has an addiction.
A summary of the article “Addiction: Choice or Compulsion” will explain the theories and models of addictive behavior. The moral model shows addiction as a voluntary act, which the addict can control. The medical model portrays addiction as a disease and compulsive behavior that the addict has no control over. The introduction of the third model will suggest that it is neither compulsive nor voluntary (Henden, Melberg, & Rogeberg, 2013).
Toates, F. (2010) ‘The nature of addictions: scientific evidence and personal accounts’ in SDK228 The science of the mind: investigating mental health, Book 3, Addictions, Milton Keynes, The Open University, pp. 1-30.
Addiction is a habit of activity, in which there is a constant use of mood altering substances with no regard for the unfortunate consequences to the mind, body, and soul. There is no demographic that drug and alcohol addiction does not affect; addiction can happen to anyone at any time. People become addicted to drugs and alcohol for many reasons. Some of these reasons are uncontrollable because you’re born with them; others are brought on by environmental factors and poor self-control. The factors that can lead a person to the enslavement of abuse and dependency range from biological elements, influences from the people you surround yourself with, over-the-counter medications that people get hooked on, and the state of mind of the victim of the abuse. Addiction has been affecting people of all ages since before wide scale research was even conducted.
Main Point: What defines an addiction? According to Psychology Today, “Addiction is a condition that results when a person ingests a substance…. or engages in an activity….that can be pleasurable but the continued use/act of which becomes compulsive and interferes with ordinary life responsibilities, such as work, relationships, or health.” This can range anywhere from drug use to eating disorders, to gambling, to even texting in today’s generation. Shocking to say the least, especially when most people do not even know they are addicted or are an addict until they realize this definition.
The world involving drug addiction is a taboo topic to many. However, drug addiction is a very real topic that occurs worldwide. The widespread use of drugs is not restricted to the United States, with roughly five percent of the world’s population using in the past few months (Mosher & Akins, 2014). Many scientists, doctors, and specialists study addiction and try to find an explanation for why so many become addicted.
So, it is clear that addiction is all around us and can attack anyone of us at any given time. Even studies conducted show that people neglect to speak around their dependency for two primary reasons. Foremost, because people do not comprehend, or they bear a total misconception to their addiction, that they do not realize that addictions can be critical to their overall wellness. Moreover, second, many people believe being an addict will never happen to them, but, in reality, most addictions start off as simple little habits. Such as starting with one drink after dinner and before you know it you are drinking several drinks a day. However, one does not opt to be addicted to a substance, because addictions are physical defects in the brain, a disease, and not one’s choice.
Addiction has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember, from my earliest memories of my father, until now as I am a licensed professional in the field of addiction as well as a person in long term recovery myself.