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Using research evidence, critically discuss the role of the neurotransmitter dopamine upon behaviour
A thesis on dopamine hypothesis
A thesis on dopamine hypothesis
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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). Dopamine is a reward chemical in the brain which rewards us every time we do something positive. Addiction comes from that chemical and can be created from various activities. Someone might enjoy jumping off a cliff, eating food, taking drugs or even play video games. Every time your brain enjoys something, dopamine is release and you start feeling good. The reason drug addiction is more complex, your brain will create more dopamine the more drugs you take. Eventually, your body will fight off the foreign product and dopamine will be created in too high dosage. Your body will become addicted to the dopamine, not the drug as previously thought by doctors. The brain is the most important organ in the body with our heart. It controls every action, thoughts and regulates our bodily function. It is divided into section, each of them are responsible for various process. Before we can understand dopamine, we must talk about the different parts of the brain. The frontal lobe is the main difference between us and animals. ... ... middle of paper ... ...raving the drug again because dopamine levels were so high; they wanted to feel the same way again. (conclusion reviewing it with the team for final paper) Drug addiction is more complicated than medicine thought in previous years. It’s not because someone is weak or unable to control themselves. They are chemical such a dopamine in the human body that makes the process difficult. The brain works in a neuropath way and drug interrupt the normal process which stops the frontal lobe to work as it should. Treatment isn’t done right and patients tend to repeat their habit after they get out of rehab. Psychological treatment is not as effective as chemical injection for dopamine to reward the brain. However, even after the treatment is complete, it will be a life struggle to stay away from drugs since the brain will always look for a simpler way to reward itself.
Dr. Nora Volkow from National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) explains why dopamine is a powerful chemical and how it triggers the brain to want substances such as cocaine more.
It is hard to put into words the exact reason a person becomes addicted to something such as drugs, alcohol or even gambling. Addiction can be described as becoming so dependent on something that their tolerance could be raised to dangerous levels. When an addicted person needs larger doses, it is because the amount that they originally started with does not provide that “reward” that it once used to. This could lead to a dangerous downfall including disability or even death. One of the hardest parts of the addiction is when the user is in complete denial that there is even a problem.
Drugs seem to cause surges in dopamine neurotransmitters and other pleasure brain messengers. However, the brain quickly adapts and these circuits desensitize, which allows for withdrawal symptoms to occur (3). Drug addiction works on some of the same neurobiological mechanisms that aid in learning and memories (3). "This new view of dopamine as an aid to learning rather than a pleasure mediator may help explain why many addictive drugs, which unleash massive surges of the neurotransmitter in the brain, can drive continued use without producing pleasure-as when cocaine addicts continue to take hits long after the euphoric effects of the drug have worn off or when smokers smoke after cigarettes become distasteful." (4)
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter with the function of controlling emotions and impulse among others. This is usually stimulated by “rewards” (Newton), which range from reading books to eating, for when there is excitement, this is released by neurons. Similarly, when one uses drugs, the signals that dopamine sends out are disrupted, causing a reduction in cognitive function. Research has proven that this dopamine is what brings out the addictive aspect of drugs. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, “drugs such as marijuana and heroin can a...
Drug abuse is a common problem worldwide. My friends uncle was on drugs really bad. He took them often throughout the day. The medical field always helps others to realize how wrong they are and how they should fix their mistakes. However, there's few people that actually obey their health provider. National Drug Intelligence Center (NDIC) states mostly drug abusers are people that lack medical care, food, and shelter. Strategies for preventions can be done by helping those young and old adults finding shelter and proper free medical care. Help should be offered to
Drug abuse is a constant inappropriate use of drugs which is self-administrated that can cause one divergence from the social norms. This abuse usually turns into a long-term addiction. Despite of dependence, the process of relinquishing oneself from the addiction become difficult due to the Physical dependence. In reality, drug addiction is a complex disease and it is not easy to quit. Drug addiction is a chronic disease due to the fact that it affects regrowth of new brain cells. The neurotransmitters are chemicals that transfer signals across the brain. During addiction, the reaction rate in which the neurotransmitters synthesize decrease.
People in this world knows addiction as a desire to do a certain action in order to receive the pleasure that comes from doing that action, but what they do not know is that addiction is a form of learning. The way addiction is a form of learning by that when an individual first does the action they can associate that action with the pleasure it gives. There is many types of addiction, such as drug addiction, food addiction and many more. Disease is where something causes disorder of structure or function in a human body. Addiction can be thought of as a disease because when a person over does something (food addiction, sex addiction, etc.) that can lead to disease. Despite this the main question that is not
The complexity of drug addiction is often underestimated, stopping is not simple or a matter of willpower. Addiction is a chronic brain disease that can affect anyone. The initial decision to take drugs is voluntary, but it changes the brain over time. Drug abuse can impair one’s self-control and ability to make sound decisions. The chemical of drugs taps into the brain’s communication system and disrupt the way nerve cells send, receive, and process information (WebMD).
After the struggle of remaining drug-free, your body starts to adapt and the physical symptoms tend to stop but the psychological aspect of craving and wanting to take the drugs again will always be there. A drug offender in prison can be drug-free for his or her term and show no sign of withdrawal symptoms upon release but as soon as they are free 60 to 80 percent end up back in prison for a drug-related crime. According to the National Association of Drug Court Professionals, approximately 95 percent of the drug offenders return to their habit of abusing drug after release from prison. It is especially hard to overcome psychological dependence if you hang around with the same people who do drugs. It is hard to quit in your mind when you are around the drugs and
For some people, drugs are all they have. People commonly mistake the action and lifestyle choice of using drugs with the actual disease of addiction. Drugs are an addiction and once someone gets addicted, they have a hard time getting off the drug. While people have control over their lifestyle choices, nobody choses a disease. It is sad to think about all the drug abusers and how they cannot live without the feeling of being relaxed, or however they may feel after.
Drug abuse has been a hot topic for our society due to how stimulants interfere with health, prosperity, and the lives of others in all nations. All drugs have the potential to be misapplied, whether obtained by prescription, over the counter, or illegally. Drug abuse is a despicable disease that affects many helpless people. Majority of those who are beset with this disease go untreated due to health insurance companies who neglect and discriminate this issue. As an outcome of missed opportunities of treatments, abusers become homeless, very ill, or even worst, death.
There are various effects of drugs, they include hyperactivity, sickness, dizziness, hallucinations, and can also lead to death. However, despite these symptoms people still use drugs. Drugs are very addictive and cause their users to crave them. Addiction to methamphetamine can occur quickly, as repeated use lowers the brain's ability to make dopamine, leading to increased cravings for the drug.(Murray, B., John 1998) Most users are addicted after the first use.
Did you ever feel like you lost everything you had, and needed to escape? Well you might as well think about the consequences first, and not the pleasure. Drug addiction is influenced by many factors. Not only does the brain change when taking constant doses of a certain drug, but life as you know it changes to. Drugs are misleading; they cause you to think that your life is becoming better, when it is actually becoming worse. “Fooling” is what drugs do best; they fool the brain receptors by sending abnormal messages to it. After all, what good really comes from drugs? When someone starts taking it, it is very hard for them to stop, if not impossible. Nevertheless, if they actually do stop there are many side effects to this, “Persistent vulnerability to relapse long after drug taking has ceased” (Koob & Le Moal, 2001, p. 97-129). They lose total control over their brain and bodies. How lamentable is it watching someone’s life shatter in to pieces right in front of your eyes, and there is nothing you can do about it. How deplorable is it knowing they had a reason for living before this all began, that they wanted to do something before they leave this world. All the drug dosage did was destroy them. Therefore, drug addiction leads to brain damage, depression, and isolation; dreams fall to pieces and life is nothing but a living hell.
Substance addiction is very addictive and can permanently affect ones life. It is one of the hardest addictions to cut and is reason for many pre-mature deaths throughout the United States. With proper aid drug addict can cut this psychological disorder and live a clean life. If someone you know is misusing drugs reach out to help him or her before addiction consumes his or her life.
The use of drugs is a controversial topic in society today. In general, addicts show a direct link between taking drugs and suffering from their effects. People abuse drugs for a wide variety of reasons. In most cases, the use of drugs will serve a type of purpose or will give some kind of reward. These reasons for use will differ with different kinds of drugs. Various reasons for using the substance can be pain relief, depression, anxiety and weariness, acceptance into a peer group, religion, and much more. Although reasons for using may vary for each individual, it is known by all that consequences of the abuse do exist. It is only further down the line when the effects of using can be seen.