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. Genetics predispose an individual to having an increased chance of becoming codependent upon drugs or alcohol. Studies of twins and of families that are prone to addiction suggest that about 50% of the risk for drug addiction is genetically based (EBSCOhost). One well-characterized relationship between genes and alcoholism is the result of variation in the liver enzymes that metabolize alcohol (NIH). The result of the liver breaking down the alcohol faster is a higher tolerance. Individuals with a higher tolerance to alcohol, need to drink more than the average person in order to seek the same biological effect. When heavy drinkers suddenly stop or significantly reduce their alcohol consumption, the neurotransmitters prev... ... middle of paper ... ...ome developing some of the same habits in their own households. Drugs and alcohol can be used as emotional crutches in these types of situations, and develop into addiction. Childhood Trauma and Mental Illnesses are directly correlated to both addiction, and each other. Mental illness refers to a wide range of mental health conditions, or disorders that affect your mood, thinking and behavior ("Mental Illness"). Mental disorders are commonly left untreated for long periods of time because of the stigma our society has placed on mental issues. This forces individuals with mental illness to self-medication, frequently resulting in addictive behaviors. Persons with mental disorders seek ways to ease their discomfort and suffering. Marijuana can be used to treat an individuals depression or to ease pain. Stimulants can be used to get an otherwise lazy person motivated.
Schuckit, M.A. (2009). An overview of genetic influences in alcoholism. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 36 (1), S5-S14. doi:10.1016/j.jsat.2008.05.012
Addiction is defined as a chronic, relapsing brain disease that is characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Addiction is normally thought of as drug abuse and alcoholism but people can also be addicted to things such as gambling and sex as well. The controversy on if addiction is a disease or a choice is a continuous debate. Everyone has an opinion on this topic, one side believes it’s a disease, while the other believes it is a choice. Although addiction has been assumed to be a lack of willpower and a weakness, addiction is actually a complex disease that changes the wiring of the brain. Addiction is a brain disease expressed in the form of compulsive behavior (Leshner.) Both devolping
The number one leading cause of addiction is stress. You find that maybe someone has been looking for work for a period of time without success. When they abuse substances, they tend to forget what they are going through. They do this over and over and in the end become addicts. Another way people become addicts is the need to fit in. take an example whereby your group of friends are alcoholics. If you spend most time with them, you will be tempted to drink. This will happen several times. Continuous consumption will lead to addiction. This is an example of a psychological mode of
Substance abuse and addiction have become a social problem that afflicts millions of individuals and disrupts the lives of their families and friends. Just one example reveals the extent of the problem: in the United States each year, more women and men die of smoking related lung cancer than of colon, breast and prostate cancers combined (Kola & Kruszynski, 2010). In addition to the personal impact of so much illness and early death, there are dire social costs: huge expenses for medical and social services; millions of hours lost in the workplace; elevated rates of crime associated with illicit drugs; and scores of children who are damaged by their parents’ substance abuse behavior (Lee, 2010). This paper will look at the different theories used in understanding drug abuse and addiction as well as how it can be prevented and treated.
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.
Addiction does go beyond just drugs and alcohol. Take gambling for example. People get addicted to gambling, paying more and money for a payout that may never happen, an especially prevalent problem for those with addictive personalities. People who are affected by this are on a variable reinforcement schedule, which is hard to break. A variable reinforcement schedule is when a person learns a behavior by being rewarded for doing something after a random amount of times (Spielman, 2014). That is what kind of conditioning schedule gambling parlors use to increase the amount of times a person uses their machines or bets on their cards. They make them believe that they can at any time, encouraging them to play more. The extinction of this behavior from this conditioning schedule is extremely slow. Extinction is when a behavior starts to die out and appears less and less, until its gone (Spielman, 2014). However, gambling addicts can stop. Either they begin to lose too many times or they are forced by their loved ones to stop and go to rehab, the addictive behavior will eventually regress and go through extinction. Addiction is a behavior that can be taught, but it can also be broken in time. However, people do relapse, so the process may have to be gone through all over
When the liver consumes alcohol for the first time the body treats it like a negative foreign substance. The consumption of alcohol has a similar effect on every person’s body. The greater the amount of alcohol that a person drinks, the greater the changes of developing some kind of problem with the body. Some research has been done to test how alcohol addiction is classified in individuals. In their experiment, researchers “analyzed the characteristics of 1,484 people participating in the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions who fit the criteria for alcohol dependence” (Elliot, 2007). The analysis found that 31.5% could be considered as “young adult” drinkers that tend to drink less frequently, but when they did, it was to excess and more likely to be involved in dangerous drinking. 19.4% of people could be considered as “functional” drinkers because they earn more money than other drinkers and had a higher chance of having college degrees. Another 18.8% were “intermediate familial” since they had bigger chances of having a disorder or a relative with a similar disorder. According to the study, 21.1% were considered “young antisocial” since they were the most likely to start drinking early and develop alcohol problems. There was also one last category, where 9.2% were labeled as “chronic severe” because they are “most likely to have other
In depth research and surveys conducted by substance abuse psychologist Janet Barrientos proves that genetics and learned behavior are a major factors in alcoholics. Barrientos claims that “We live in a society where alcohol is an acceptable drug that has addiction properties and that affects the body both physically and psychologically.” Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for people to have alcohol or drug addiction problems. It has been around for centuries, and continues to remain a part of the world, getting more popular and “normal” throughout time. The positivity in the matter is that there are influential developments such as Alcoholics Anonymous, and Narcotics Anonymous to help those who struggle deeply with an alcohol or drug addiction.
There are many causes that may lead to alcoholism. Psychological, social, and genetic factors have been linked to alcoholism. The psychological argument is that many alcoholics feel a feeling of inferiority and inadequacy. Alcohol is thought to give them false courage needed to face life. They are not capable of feeling self-assured to function in real life. Another cause may be a social factor. Many alcoholics start and begin moderately due to social or peer encouragement. They build up craving and demand leading to increasing consumption. Eventually, the drinking progresses beyond control. There is another factor: genetics. According to studies, children of alcoholics tend to abuse alcohol themselves. Physiologically alcoholics are though to be weak, and predisposed and more likely to become alcoholics themselves. Children of alcoholic parents tend to be more likely to be alcoholics.
People who drink do so because it is genetic. Many have become addicted to alcohol because they posses a gene which allows them to depend on the substance to thrive throughout the day. According to Cynthia Perkins individuals that are alcoholics lack imbalances along with depleted inside their brain. “Psychological and Physiological.”(P2) That is what leads a person to deteriorate, however, there is known factors that have helped those that suffer from alcohol abuse. Addiction programs also know, as AA meetings are common for alcohol addicts. Although most won’t fully recover because they haven’t hit rock
Most drug addicts deny that they have a chronic problem. However, many are willing to get treatment and quit the behavior. Due to lack of family support and finances, some people are not able to go through the addiction treatment process. Fear is also a hindrance for drug users willing to
Drug abuse dates as far back as the Biblical era, so it is not a new phenomenon. “The emotional and social damage and the devastation linked to drugs and their use is immeasurable.” The ripple of subversive and detrimental consequences from alcoholism, drug addictions, and addictive behavior is appalling. Among the long list of effects is lost productivity, anxiety, depression, increased crime rate, probable incarceration, frequent illness, and premature death. The limitless consequences include the destruction to personal development, relationships, and families (Henderson 1-2). “Understandably, Americans consider drug abuse to be one of the most serious problems” in the fabric of society. And although “addiction is the result of voluntary drug use, addiction is no longer voluntary behavior, it’s uncontrollable behavior,” says Alan Leshner, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (Torr 12-13).
Most of the time, alcoholism is sneaky and it can creep into anyone’s life who tends to abuse alcohol. Moderate alcohol consumption usually will not cause physical or psychological harm. But, for some individuals, collective drinking may lead to heavier alcohol utilization, which can cause severe problems. For some people, alcoholism starts with peer pressure. They might not have any intentions of drinking a large amount of alcohol, but their friends may persuade them to drink. For other individuals, heavy drinking may be driven because of a mental illness. People may use alcohol as a remedy to help with depression or anxiety. Drinking heavily may seem to keep the symptoms under control, but alcoholism can enhance the potential of these illnesses. It has also been discovered that alcohol abuse can stem from certain genes. Although a specific alcoholism gene hasn’t been identified, there are genes that have been known to boost the power alcohol has. Some individuals will be more impacted by alcohol and won’t have to deal with a powerful hangover. Their bodies seem prepared for alcohol abuse, which can make them more likely to develop alcoholism. Parents may also contribute to a child’s drinking problems. If a child’s parent or parents have a problem with alcohol abuse, the kid may view it as normal behavior. If the parents use alcohol as a coping mechanism, their kids may do the
According to the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, brain images studies have shown changes in areas of the brain that effect judgment, memory, decision making, and behavior control(“Understanding Addiction”). It is believed that due to these changes, it is able to explain the rash behavior of those with an addiction. There are many factors that appear when discussing the susceptibility each person has to addiction. Some of the common risk factors are whether or not they had aggressive behavior during their childhood, had little parental supervision, or were living at poverty level. A person's genetics is another risk inducer and as stated by the National Institute on Drug Abuse it counts for about 40 to 60% of how affected the person is able to get by addiction(“Drug Abuse and Addiction”). Drug addiction is seen as a disease and like most diseases, there are many types of treatment for