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Addiction in itself is very complex, there are many components to comprehending how addiction can affect a person’s well-being and livelihood. There are times when a person is undoubtedly dependent, for example on food and water for survival. There are additional fundamentals in a person’s life they may feel are vital to their survival. Low on the scale of impairment is exercising, a person can become addicted to exercising, but there will not be extremely harmful consequences, unless taken way too far, unlike if the person were to become addicted to a harmful drug such as methamphetamine, that would negatively affect their life in an extreme way. Eventually, the substance becomes the most important object in the person’s life, and it is their …show more content…
The pain in which people are avoiding can be psychological/ emotional, or physical. Hedonism can be acknowledged in two ways; the way the constitution stresses it is the ‘pursuit of happiness’, but some people do not use this as a way to better themselves. It is meant to be used as a means to better one’s self and strive for excellence. Whereas people use this as a reason to use substances to alleviate pain and discomfort stemming from a physical sensation, or from …show more content…
When a person feels this way , and does not know how to cope, there are negative choices they make they believe will relieve them of the negative feelings. In addition to being negative, people who score high on the level of neuroticism are more impulsive. They are more likely to make irrational decisions without thinking them through, which can lead to them to the usage of drugs. It does take an addictive personality to become dependent on some type of substance, but when a person is struggling and negative about the outlook on life, it greatly increases the likelihood of addiction becoming predominant in their
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.
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.
If we experience discomfort at the idea of entering the experience machine, then some things in life must have value other than pleasure, and some things in life must have disvalue, other than pain. Clearly not being in contact with reality in some way detracts from the value of our experiences. In fact, it only takes one person to not want to plug in and to value something else under these circumstances for Nozick to have proved hedonism false. Clearly Nozick himself does not want to plug in, and so that is enough.
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.
claims that “the absence of pain in the body and of disturbance in the soul is a pleasure itself.”(uc davis/goals 1.30) Even though Cicero had a slightly different personal outlook on the definition of pleasure, he still gave reason to support Epicurus’ theory arguing “since when we are freed from pain we rejoice in this very liberation from and absence of annoyance, and since everything in which we rejoice is a pleasure then it is right to call the absence of all pain pleasure.”(uc davis/goals) Cicero and Epicurus’ theories may vary slightly, but they both hold the same core value, that pleasure is the ultimate good in life. However, Pleasure comes in many different forms. The type of pleasure that is advocated by Epicurus and Cicero is not that of vice and over-indulgence, but rather that which has no consequence and is pure of heart. For example, following the Epicurean philosophy, getting drunk, smoking, stealing and any other acts of lust or greed are not considered pleasurable due to fact that they all might have unfavorable repercussions. Temperance is a core value in the Epicurean society in order to achieve true pleasure, however if transitory intemperance is required to avoid greater pain, then it is accepted as a necessary evil.
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.
Addiction, also known as substance use disorder, is the dependence on any type of drug, legal or illegal; alcohol and nicotine being two examples. Addiction occurs because “Drugs contain chemicals that tap into the brains communication system and disrupt the way nerve cells normally send, receive, and process information” (Understanding Drug Abuse). This disruption teaches the brain and person to keep repeating the sensation they get when using drugs, causing the individual to develop addiction problems. The sensation occurs from a rise in dopamine levels in the brain; so when an individual consumes alcohol and drugs, their dopamine levels boost. When the addiction develops, the individual’s brain changes, restricting them from making logical decisions, leading to uncontrollable cravings for whatever drug they are
Hedonism is a way of life that is rooted in a person’s experiences or states of consciousness that can be pleasant or unpleasant. The ethical egoist would state that a person should maximize his or her pleasant states of consciousness in order to lead the best life. Act Utilitarian on the other hand would state that these enjoyable states of consciousness should be maximized by one’s actions for everyone in order to attain the most utility. On the surface, this appears to be a good way to live, however, as Nozick states through his example of the experience machine that living life as a hedonist can be detrimental. It is a hollow existence that will ultimately be unsatisfactory because of the lack of making real decisions and relationships which are important to living a fulfilling life.
These individuals devote themselves completely to certain substance that allows them to forget about their reality and leads them into a world of ecstasy, one which they are unable to reach without it. Continuously, their addiction takes over their lives and turns them into "slaves" of the substance causing their lives to fall apart and eventually leads to being homeless, in jail, or dead. However, there are other forms of addiction whether is a mild addiction and not as severe as drugs or alcohol but it still falls under its definition. Some examples of addictions that we do not notice are pornography, internet, television, eating, entertainment, and money. Most of these examples have their own negative aspects. Also, others might have a dependency on unhealthy eating habits which eventually leads to their bodies suffering from a broad range of medical conditions. Others also tend to create a dependency on shopping and spending money on unnecessary materials. Lastly, some individuals also have bad habits that involve constant lying and deceiving. All of these examples are just a few of the things that fall under the umbrella of what an addiction truly is and each has a negative connotation to it. Yes, some might disagree with certain examples given but truth is we each have our own addictions we just try to hide them and point out the addictions of others instead of helping
Webster's dictionary defines hedonism as "the ethical doctrine that pleasure, variously conceived of in terms of happiness of the individual or of society, is the principal good and the proper aim of action" or "the theory that a person always acts is such a way as to seek pleasure and avoid pain." With this definition in mind, and with further examination of John Stuart Mill's theory on hedonism, I am going to argue that hedonism is not an exclusive or distinct way of thinking. In fact, I think that with the exception of possibly a few people, most people are very hedonistically inclined. " Hedonistic utilitarians identify happiness with feeing pleasure and avoiding pain, meaning that the more an individual enjoys pleasure and avoids pain, the happier that individual is" (phil.tamu.edu).
Abuse can cause countless medical problems to the body. A person who is addicted will continue to stimulate themselves regardless if they are aware of the negative chain reactions. Once addicted, it becomes difficult to stop due to how the body has become dependent. Health will be harmed the more a stimulant is used. Health effects include: cardiovascular disease, strokes, cancer, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis, lung disease, mental disease, birth defects. Mental health is what keeps a person in the right mind to make better decisions and have better control in life. Drugs have the ability to change mood and behavior. If drugs have affected the brain already, the desire increases which changes mental health. Some may not realize that they have been affected their health negatively. “A person who abuses drugs may not realize they have a problem until pronounced effects of drug abuse are seen, often physically. While drug abuse effects on the body vary depending on the drug used, all drug abuse negatively impacts one 's health (Addictions Community). Since drugs create many health issues, treatment is not a simple task. Treatments are hard to obtain and addictions often go
When talking about pleasure there needs to be a distinction between the quality and the quantity. While having many different kinds of pleasures can be considered a good thing, one is more likely to favor quality over quantity. With this distinction in mind, one is more able to quantify their pleasures as higher or lesser pleasures by ascertaining the quality of them. This facilitates the ability to achieve the fundamental moral value that is happiness. In his book Utilitarianism, John Stuart Mill offers a defining of utility as pleasure or the absence of pain in addition to the Utility Principle, where “Actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness; wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness” (Mill 7). Through this principle, Mill emphasizes that it is not enough to show that happiness is an end in itself. Mill’s hedonistic view is one in support of the claim that every human action is motivated by or ought to be motivated by the pursuit of pleasure.
Drug addiction is the dark side of society. It has been shown in society for a long time. There is a large choice of drugs which could be used in different forms. A person becomes a drug addict because they become drug dependent. The person can not live without using drugs. "it is a form of psychological conditioning that implies a set of mental and behavioral responses to drugs and related stimuli that result from repeated reinforcement produced by the use of drugs. It implies physical, psychological and psychic dependence on the tolerance of a drug with a tendency to take more and more drugs. The world health organization has defined drug abuse as a state of periodic, chronic intoxication, detrimental to the individual and to the society, produced by repeated consumption of drugs either natural or synthetic." that means that, the feeling of wanting the drug results in using more and more of the drug and bigger doses.
Hedonism is defined as an action that brings pleasure. Someone who does only those things that bring them pleasure or believes that pleasure is the most important thing is said to be a hedonist. Being a hedonist is thought to be a negative thing, but why? Shouldn’t we all strive to do things that bring us pleasure? Why would we do anything that would bring us pain or displeasure? Think of the time you were down to your last $10 for the week and barely getting by. You pass a homeless woman on the street with inadequate clothes for the weather and who is asking for food. You give her your last $10 even though you may run out of gas by the end of the week and have trouble getting to work. You believe in a God and have good morals so you know
There are many addictions in the world, and drug addiction is the biggest. People may experiment with the drug for many reasons. “If your drug use is causing problems in your life, then you likely have a drug abuse or addiction problem”.(Lawrence Robinson pg.1) Many people start out using drugs by peer pressure or out of their own curiosity. Stress, anxiety, lows self-esteem and depression could be another factor to start using drugs. The drug takes over your body and gives you a good feeling that many people tend to enjoy. The urge to use the drug can keep increasing rapidly after the first use. The urge can become so severe that your mind can find many other ways to deny the factor of addiction. Very few drug addicts can feel and realize when they have crossed the line with drugs. A drug addicts mind can build up a very large tolerance for the drug that they start to abandon the activities they used to do on a daily basis like showering, hobbies, socializing and even being associated with family members. The person with the addiction will continue to use the drug knowing that it is harming there body, but they don’t have any remorse. A drug addict will often try to hide their problem, so they can continue to use without anyone’s input. Family and friends may try to use preaching methods or tell the user that they need to stop using the drug. This method is not ...