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why is addiction a disease essay
why is addiction a disease essay
why is addiction a disease essay
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Would you chose to have a disease like cancer, HIV or even the flu? Your answer, probably no. Then why would we consider addiction a disease? As humans, we do not get to choose what we are infected with, and in this case, an addicted person knew the consequences and still chose to take what they’re addicted to. Some argue it is the brain which makes addiction like a disease, but they are wrong. Our body is constantly changing and an addiction will affect us way differently than a disease will. Also, the U.S provides rehabs and clinics for drug abusers and basically hand out illegal drugs which leads to more addicts thinking they have a disease. You shouldn’t have to convince yourself you have a disease (Sullum). Although some say addiction …show more content…
Nobody forced you to take the drug and keep taking it. When you have a disease, you don’t get to choose. It’s not fair to people with real diseases to compare the two. Growing up, we all took D.A.R.E or had some experience that showed us the danger and impact drugs could have on our lives. Addiction isn’t a medical problem because it affects family and community life rather than just your body. Similarly, addicts need to take responsibility for their actions. By all means, addiction is very serious, as it affects the brain and the body, just not how a disease affects …show more content…
Rehabs and clinics will hand out free illegal drugs to help “wean” addicts off the drug they’re on. This is not helping; this is giving them drugs and fueling their addiction. Doctors are trying to say addiction is a disease, but they have caused most addictions. They give out prescription pills for just about anything which will lead to more people getting addicted. Prescription pills are the most abused drug in the United States (Bell). With all these drugs being passed out, it makes it easier for addicts to stay addicted. This also helps new addictions to be formed, therefore not solving anything. So, medication for a “disease” like addiction isn’t helping much. We need to find a different approach to help addicts get through their problem, not lie to them and give them a reason to cry
Understanding addiction is a complicated subject that inspires controversy and debate. Not only do people want to understand addiction because of the curiosity to understand human beings and human nature, but there are factors that go into the defining of addiction such as public policy and health care coverage. There are two theories that are on the opposite spectrum when it comes to addiction which include the “disease concept” and the “choice theory”. One defines addiction as a disease, something that is out of one’s control, while the other thinks of it as a choice or a moral deficiency that resides in a person. The consequence of this gap is the delay in gaining control over drug abuse. While the people who support the choice theory see
In 2010, an estimated 23.5 million Americans were addicted to alcohol and/or drugs and needed treatment or supportive services (Partnership for drug free kids). Most people make the assumption that those that are addicted to a substance are just making poor choices. I will have to admit that I was one of those people that thought that it should be easy to quit something so toxic. It wasn 't until I did the research myself that I found addiction is actually a disease. It takes a lot more then willpower to just stop using something that a person 's brain has become so accustomed to. With all of the advances in science we now have a better idea of what leads to addiction. This doesn 't mean that poor choices and life decisions don 't attribute to addiction, but these causes increase the likelihood of an individual becoming addicted to a substance. The majority of individuals that abuse drugs or alcohol will admit to having a history of childhood trauma, alcoholics in the family, or drug use in their social circle.
The fact that addiction is a brain disorder is a new detail that I learnt from the HBO video. As pointed out by Dr. Volkow, addiction as a brain disease renders the addicts unable to control themselves in relation to curbing their addiction problem. In conceptualizing addiction as a brain disease, Volkow illustrates this standpoint with the fact that the brain has a “natural reward system” that facilitates the learning of “behaviors that are necessary for survival” (NIDA 2006). Learning that the abused drugs take over this system – the dopamine system of the brain - was pivotal in finally grasping the rationale behind referring to addiction as a brain disorder. The brain with time becomes dependent on the abused drugs. This arises from the fact that natural rewards no longer have the capability to produce “normal levels of dopamine or pleasure” (NIDA 2006). As time goes on, the continued intake of drugs subsequently makes the addict lose all control over their use and dependen...
Those who abuse drugs need to have proper treatment in order to refrain from continuing their addiction after prison by being sent to a rehabilitation facility, or in the case that money is not available, a free program or sober living household instead of putting them in jail. The use and abuse of drugs in our country is a large and rising issue. A start to solving this problem is as simple as having those arrested instead sent for a cure for their addiction. Each user sent to rehab is another user cured from our world and more drugs off the streets. The reduction of drugs will come one step at a time, and this could be a huge step forward if the leaders of our nation are willing to give it a try.
The harsh punishment for drug crimes in the United States of America is not working. “With roughly half a million people behind bars in the U.S. for nonviolent drug offenses, drugs are as plentiful and widely used as ever” (Grenier, 2013). Even with very harsh long sentences and many people imprisoned drug use is as common as ever in America. ‘We cannot close our eyes anymore’ to the cost in human lives destroyed and taxpayer dollars wasted” (Holcomb, 2015). Harsh drug penalties are destroying American citizens lives and is costing a lot of money from taxpayers. “Yet, people who want treatment can often expect to endure an obstacle course just to get help” (Grenier, 2013). The Unites States government is spending a large amount of money on arresting and imprisoning drug users, yet are putting little to no focus on funding drug medical help for
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.
Also, simply increasing the number of addiction treatment centers around the United States would likely get people help with their addiction. There are people who want to end their addiction, and there are people who do not want to end their addiction. The American people should not try and help the people who do not want help because if they are forced to get help or forced to go to a treatment center. When someone gets out of the treatment center they can go back to doing drugs again. Then, it is their choice and the American people’s time and money wasted. People who die from Opioid drug addiction are also people who disobeyed the law by illegally purchasing the drug, and put themselves at risk from the
I am adventurous. No I don't sky dive, wrestle crocodiles, or swim with sharks, but when asked by a group of friends to go cliff diving last summer, my best response was, “Sounds like fun!” I had never been afraid of heights yet have never experienced the thrill of cliff diving. All I could ask myself was, “What could go wrong?”
Today, it is known that addiction is something usually caused by a multitude of factors either controllable and/or uncontrollable by the individual. Generally speaking addiction has been accepted as a disease and should be treated as such. And although continuing to offer help and funding for a group of people seemingly unwilling and unyielding to the services provided, makes it extremely difficult for one’s inherent stereotyping of a group of people to change; it does not disreg...
Drug abuse and addiction are issues that affect people everywhere. However, these issues are usually treated as criminal activity rather than issues of public health. There is a conflict over whether addiction related to drug abuse is a disease or a choice. Addiction as a choice suggests that drug abusers are completely responsible for their actions, while addiction as a disease suggests that drug abusers need help in order to break their cycle of addiction. There is a lot of evidence that suggests that addiction is a disease, and should be treated rather than punished. Drug addiction is a disease because: some people are more likely to suffer from addiction due to their genes, drug abuse brought on by addictive behavior changes the brain and worsens the addiction, and the environment a person lives in can cause the person to relapse because addiction can so strongly affect a person.
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.
Addiction is a choice the first time they pick up. The addict is choosing to pick up the drug even if they know it is morally wrong or it something that could potentially kill them, they are still making that choice. Most of the time when choosing to pick up that drug they are influenced by friends, their environment or even coping with a feeling they are having.When a person makes a choice there are consequences, good and bad. Their lives have endless amounts of choices, from what food to eat, to what car to drive, to what to wear that day.”A person has to make a choice to use a substance, whether that choice is prompted by a medical need, or that choice is just a matter of wanting to have a good time.” Sometimes they do not always think about the choices they make, but the people that become addicted also don 't think about their consequences and how it affects them and those around
Social media although a great tool can become an addiction ultimately affecting our lives and state of mind. That is why we need to limit the amount of time and information we share on social networks. Although the internet is a tool full of good and bad available to everyone, teenagers and young adults are more prone to falling into the traps of the internet. People also abuse social media and overuse it every day because they are concerned with what is happening every hour. Social media is a tool not a necessity and should never be abused or used as a diary because it could result in unwanted consequences that can hurt us in the future.
The addict becomes dependent on the drug. The addict uses it, despite having full knowledge of its harmful effects on health. It is considered a brain disease because it changes the structure and functioning of the brain.There is an uncontrollable desire or craving to consume the drug. Addicted people often engage in compulsive behavior to obtain the drugs. The addicts find if impossible to control the drug intake. In case of drug abuse, people start taking drugs in larger doses than the recommended doses. The addict is not able to discharge his/her day-to-day responsibilities in an efficient manner. It effects both the physical and mental health of the addict. Very often, addicts witness extreme changes in body weight. Very often, the addict stops socializing.Sometimes, drug addiction is also referred to as drug dependency since the addict develops dependency or addiction for a particular
Many don’t realize that the road to success isn’t so much a road as it is a winding,