Should Addiction Be Considered a Disease - 1976 Words

Should Addiction Be Considered A Disease? XBCOM275 March 31, 2013 Should Addiction Be Considered A Disease? In society, drugs have been the downfall for many people. There are many reasons that a person may use drugs such as: peer pressure, relief of stress, increased energy, to relax, to relieve pain, to escape reality, to feel more self esteem, and for recreation (Drug addiction and drug abuse, 2011). What is it that causes the obsession and compulsion to use drugs? Why can some people stop and others go on to become addicts? Addiction is often now defined by the continuing, compulsive nature of the drug use despite physical and/or psychological harm to the user and society (Drug addiction and drug abuse, 2011).†¦show more content†¦Many addicts finish in the legal system because they do whatever it may take to get their drugs. Although some addicts who receive legal consequences are able to abstain, out of fear of incarceration, from use for a period of time but unless they receive treatment and continue to seek support from others who are recovering from addiction the time wil l come that they will use again. Women who become addicted will abandon their children, continue to use while pregnant, sell themselves, and often put themselves in danger in order to get their drug of choice. Children of addicted parent(s) often can have behavioral problems or trouble with school and friends. Many children are forced to grow up and have to take care of themselves, siblings, and the addict because the addict is more worried about using drugs than taking care of their family. This often leads to family or social service agencies intervening on behalf of the children. The getting and abusing of drugs becomes part of their daily life which leads to financial problems, social and medical problems. Many times friends and families have to sit by and watch as the person they love chooses to use drugs over them, no matter how much they try to help them stop the addict continues to use knowing what the possible consequences may be or they stop for a period of time only to go back to using again. Along with the addictShow MoreRelatedIs Addiction a Disease865 Words   |  4 PagesIs addiction a disease? This question has long been debated and not just among the medical community. It seems if you ask this question to any random people you can find varying opinions on the issue. Stanley Peeles wrote an article which argues that addiction is not a disease and the growing influence of addiction as a disease will create problems within our society. Stanley presents several arguments for his points, however these are not strong enough arguments for people to consider his pointRead MoreThe Problem Of Drug Addiction952 Words   |  4 Pagesaction itself is voluntary: the eventual drug addiction is essentially involuntary. Drug addiction is a complex and chronic disease, a brain disease, which changes the way the brain functions. Drug addiction, much like chronic illnesses such as heart disease and diabetes, disrupts healthy, normal functioning organs. This has harmful consequences that are both preventable and treatable (Branch, 2011, pp.263-265). Drug addiction is considered a brain disease as drugs change the brain structure and howRead MoreDrug Addiction1473 Words   |  6 PagesIs drug addiction is a disease, not a choice? Or it is a choice and not a disease? Drug Addiction has become a serious issue in society today, with an increase in controversy leading towards the topic of whether drug addiction is a disease or a choice. Addiction and disease are two different things and understanding them is very important when it comes to drugs and how it affects the mind and body. Several people tend to jump the gun and think that drug addiction is a disease, when in fact it isRead MoreDrug Addiction777 Words   |  4 Pages Is drug addiction a choice or a disease? This polemical topic has been in the media for many years and has provoked many debates to ascertain the whole thing. Many researchers have concluded being a drug addict is a disease that is only cured by â€Å"feeding the habit†. Conversely, there are researchers who assert that drug addiction is just a choice. Having thoroughly taken into consideration both sides of the arguments and doing my own research, my stand remains that being a drug addict is undisputedlyRead MoreThe Disastrous Effects Of Parental Drug Addiction On Children1478 Words   |  6 PagesThe Disastrous Impact of Parental Drug Addiction on Children Drug addiction is a serious issue in not only America today, but globally. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, substance addiction is a â€Å"chronic, relapsing brain disease that is characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use, despite the harmful consequences† (â€Å"What is drug addiction?†). Drug abuse affects not only the user, but those around the user as well. The actions of a drug user place a significant amount of worryRead MoreDopamine Reward Pathway Among Obese Individuals And Drug Addicts787 Words   |  4 Pageswhether or not obesity should be considered a disease. Obesity and drug use both have risk factors that could lead to fatal consequences. According to a study by Volkow et al, (2012) both drug addiction and obesity can be defined as disorders in consistence with the fact that both drugs and food have powerful reinforcing effects by dopamine in the limbic system. Additionally, Volkow’s research uncovered discoveries through brain imaging that common features between drug addiction and obesity are definedRead MoreA New Paradigm Substance Use Disorder Treatment1656 Words   |  7 PagesRemission a new paradigm in Substance Use Disorder Treatment Addiction treatment is a complex and paradoxical issue. Despite the fact that most of the medical and academic institutions define addiction as a chronic brain disease, it is too often treated on an acute basis. Chronic conditions are defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as requiring ongoing management over a period of years or decades and cover a wide range of health problems. The goals of chronic care are not to cure, but toRead More Understanding Addiction Essay1055 Words   |  5 Pages Addiction is regarded by most as a social problem to be solved with social solutions, i.e. incarceration. But, scientific evidence argues otherwise: addiction is a brain disease. â€Å"The World Health Organization has defined addiction as ‘A state, psychic and sometimes also physical, resulting in the interaction between a living organism and a drug, characterized by behavioral and other responses that always include a compulsion to take the drug on a continuous or periodic b asis in order to experienceRead MoreDrug Abuse Should Be Considered A Brain Disease1360 Words   |  6 Pagespsychiatrist in Washington D.C., wrote an interesting article titled â€Å"The Human Factor† in which she discusses the debate on whether drug addiction should be considered a brain disease or not. Satel believes that treatment for addicts should focus on treating them as humans with control over their lives, as opposed to treating them as people with an uncontrollable disease. Satel first addresses the social and economic consequences in the United States resulting from drug abuse. Annually, it accumulatesRead MoreMedical Journal Article: Addictions as Real Physical Disease1838 Words   |  7 Pagesreal disease is not as clear cut as one might think. One major area of concern has been the debate between those that believe that the conceptualization of a disease should be free from social influences/values versus those that state that the criteria use to define a disease, especially psychiatric disease like addiction, are a result of social definitions/values (e.g., Szasz, 2008). In general, most health professionals agree that the determination of what is or is not labeled as a disease should