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Essays about factors that lead to happiness
Essays about factors that lead to happiness
Essays about factors that lead to happiness
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At a surface level one could question the validity that happiness and addiction are at all similar in anyway. But after looking at what the biological and environmental causes there are some trends that are analogous to each other. The recipe for happiness holds that 50% is ones own biological set point, 10% life circumstances, and 40% intentional activities (How of Happiness). In terms of addiction (using the lens of alcoholism) Enoch found that biological history accounts for 50% of the cause of addiction and the remaining half is due to the environment (2007). There does seem to be a great deal of reliance of the affects of genetics. Both alcoholism and happiness show signs of heritability. Set point for happiness looks at the general
Nurnberger, John. "Alcoholism Is a Genetic Disorder." Alcohol Abuse. Ed. Christine Watkins. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2012. At Issue. Rpt. from "Unraveling the Genetics or Alcohol...
Slutske, W. S., D’Onofrio, B. M., Turkheimer, E., Emery, R. E., Harden, K. P., Heath, A. C., et al. (2008). Searching for an environmental effect of parental alcoholism on offspring alcohol use disorder: A genetically informed study of children of alcoholics. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 117, 534-551.
The question of nature vs. nurture has been the focus of many debates, especially within the discipline of psychological sciences. This paper will examine the views that exist regarding the importance of contributions to the risk of addiction, specifically, genetic (nature) vs. environmental (nurture) contributions through a review of the existing literature.
Kibbey, H. (n.d.). Genetic influences on alcohol drinking and alcoholism. In Indian Education. Retrieved September 7, 2011, from http://www.indiana.edu/~rcapub/v17n3/p18.html
The nervous system controls and organizes all parts of the body. The brain receives all the messages and tells the respective body parts to do their jobs. Neurons pass through the nervous system to receive and transfer messages in a form of an electrical impulse. In order for the brain to receive all the messages a special chemical known as neurotransmitters carries messages to the brain. There are many types of neurotransmitter such as dopamine, GABA, insulin etc. Neurotransmitters are found in between small gaps of neurons called the synapses. A neurotransmitter works by quickly moving over the synapse and joins to sites on other sides, in order to restart the electrical impulse. Later they are broken down and receive new messages. Neurotransmitters are important for our body to make responses but it can be damaged of destroyed by certain things such as drugs. There are many drugs that can affect them an example is cocaine and caffeine. There have been many effective solutions for these drugs but it is not proven to remove the effects on the body completely.
As with any other disease, drug addiction causes stress and breaks down the body immune system. Not only does drug addiction break the body immunes system down but it also decreases brain function. In the book addiction treatment a strengths perspective, the authors Wormer and Davis stated, “Other remedies directed toward the physical side of drug use are more natural, holistic approaches. These include various herbal remedies, acupuncture, massage, hypnosis, and biofeedback.” (Pg 204) In my opinion, the holistic approach can be very practical for treating the disease of addiction because it will help people gain the proper balance for those who suffer from addiction.
People argue whether drug addiction is a disease or a choice. Today, I will be discussing this argument in hopes to have a better understanding as to why this topic is so controversial. Throughout my research, I easily found information on this topic and I am still not sure I have found any answers.
When people hear the words drug addict, these words have negative connotations and stigmas attached to them. People visualize a person who does not care about anything, including family, work, or commitments, except for obtaining money to buy drugs to get high. However, there are many people who are drug addicts that maintain a normal, functioning life. Before we can examine why these people are addicted to drugs, one must first define the word addict.
Lanthrop’s argument that substance abuse is caused by both your environment and genetics is very intriguing. Not only does Lanthrop use strong medical and statistical evidence in his statement, he uses personal experience. By using his personal experience in his argument, Lanthrop establishes credibility or ethos with his readers as well as emotional appeal or pathos. By establishing credibility and appealing to the emotional side of readers Lanthrop effectively argues that substance abuse is impacted by a person’s environment and their genetic code. However, out of the two main causes of substance abuse, genetics has the greatest impact on one’s substance abuse issue.
Drug abuse is part of everyday life, most of us know someone who is or was abusing drug at some point. A way to simplify a difficult time in our life, we find an exit in a product that numbs our brain to the surrounding. People find addiction through drugs, activities and action that creates chemical reaction within our bodies. Whether you love jumping off the empire state building or inject yourself with a drug, you are looking for a high that your body enjoys. The body creates chemicals which stop our self-control. According to the CDC website, “Deaths from drug overdose have been rising steadily over the past two decades and have become the leading cause of injury death in the United States.” (Birnbaum HG, web).
Researchers have placed more emphasis on nature because of addictions (Agin).. For this reason, there is the same amount of chances to be an alcoholic as there is to have a mental disorder if someone in the family has had or was either because of genes. Newspaper reports, “scientists are on the verge of discovering the gene for alcoholism.” (McLeod). Gaten himself in 1883 suggested that human society could be improved by “better breeding” (McLeod). What Gaten is trying to say is that the children of two adults would not have any mental disorders or be an alcoholic if there was better breeding. The behavioral genes are the genes that gives inheritance of alcoholism, or addiction. So, behavioral genes can give inheritance of alcoholism or other addictions by the wrong breeding. In summation, if one's grandparent or even an ancestor has an addiction, there will be a good chance that the breeds will have the same type of
Human behavior is a loosely defined foundation for individuality, generally considered to be influenced and developed by the environment. However, recent molecular studies have exposed genetic factors that suggest a more biological origin for behavior. Gene segments in the genome of humans and other animals have been identified and associated with particular behavioral traits. Is it possible that the presence or absence of even a single gene may predispose one to alcoholism, increased irritability, or enhanced intelligence? Clearly exploration of the nature versus nurture argument with regard to genetic predisposition has social, political, and legal significance.
... have come to the conclusion that genetics is very important for the development of personality but even they have to determine how these genes are investigated for the purpose of determining a particular personality. “What scientists have found is that there does not appear to be a single gene for a particular trait, but that genes show their effects by working together in complex combinations. For example, there is no single gene for dancing or music. Whether a child will be musically inclined will be determined by the way that child's genes interact with one another. Some parents would like to believe that by creating an environment rich in music while the child is young will develop the child's talent towards music. However, despite assumptions like this, there is no evidence that shows long term effects of growing up in a particular environment” (Pinker, 2003).
Height, hair color, eye color and sex are just a few examples of ways our DNA has shaped us. But could it be possible that our DNA also effects the way we behave in society. It is possible that genetics effect us is more ways that we may have imagined. Dr. Peter B. Neubaur believes that shyness, eating disorders, obsessive behavior and psychological illness can all be traced back to our genetics. Sexual orientation is also believed to be derived from genes in our body which determine what sexual preference we prefer. Violence and other types of crimes can be linked back throughout a person’s lineage to witness that other family members have been committed similar crimes without ever meeting one and other.
"Research suggests that about 50% of happiness is genetically determined... 10-20% is something called life circumstances... then all the rest is very much influenced by the way that we think and the way that we act." - Gretchen