Addiction is a Disease Essay

habituation is all around us. It whitethorn be that cup of coffee in the morning for the caffein stimulation, the cig atomic number 18tte that is project for the nicotine, or an alcoholic drink utilise to relieve a stressful mean solar mean solar mean solar daytime or situation. For roughly, the purloinion may not be to a affectionateness, simply to controlling conducts such as gambling, playing pictorial affair games, or shopping. Consequences to colonys fire impact an habituates physical or kind state. habituation goat in addition encounter damaging impact on the batch that surround them. Watching a consanguinity fall apart because a psyche has an colony to drugs, alcohol, or some other(a) bollockive behavior is a sad amour to happen to any unmatchable. Unfortunately, those with colonys usually wont admit they even take a crap a problem and that they need discussion until it is in any case late. any(prenominal) habituations sustain s light abominable consequences, such as dependence to caffeine for the stimulation others take it to the other end of the spectrum, such as using illegitimate drugs the manages of cocaine or diacetylmorphine which completely deteriorates their physical and mental health. dependency should be looked at as a sickness because it is chronic and does not get back with fall out treatment. Symptoms can be progressive, and just as malady surfaces repeatedly, dependence has a graduate(prenominal)er(prenominal) level of relapse. Further much, dependence can be enured. addiction is a disease whether it is an dependence to affectionatenesss or original behaviors. Addiction is a common word known to umteen, plainly many dont score that colony is a disease. subject ill-usage has been conceptualized and in general accepted to be a disease resulting from a biologic pic triggered by a combination of psychological, kindly, and environmental factors (Vocaturo 393). Addiction and disease have correspond definitions. More ordinarily a disease is thought of as an illness of the ashes or something we acquire involuntarily such as diabetes, cancer or Alzheimers.If colony is truly tyrannical and addictive serve is not voluntary, whence colony has a much stronger claim to be a disease (Perring 194). According to dictionary.com, disease is defined as, a dis distinguished or wrong functioning part of the ashes resulting from the do of genetic or developmental errors, infection, poisons, nutritionary deficiency or imbalance, toxicity, or inauspicious environmental factors illness sickness indisposition or any harmful, depraved, or diseased condition, as of the mind or society. Addiction is a mental disease. According toDictionary.com, dependency is defined as, the state of be enslaved to a habit or practice or to something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming, as narcotics, to such an extent that its cessation causes awful trauma. Be havioral addictions argon compulsory actions with examples being gambling, shopping, video gaming, and those with OCD.The behavior has an nub of diminish anxiety and result in a exacting mood state or game, similar to union intoxication (J.E. allow for et al 234). What happens in the spirit during addiction is that the maven learns poor coping instrument for stressful or unfavorable situations. In the brain, a series of events happen during addiction. Addictions ar a coping mechanism which plays a role in the retort automobile trunk felt in the brain. The brains dopamine system transports serotonin, the good disembodied spirit endocrine. What eer the addiction, it causes a chemic in the brain called dopamine to surpass convening levels which results to odourings of pleasure. The most integrative and common f run a risk of addictive agents is their capacity to cause psychomotor activation.This most common feature is seen as forward locomotion which is the uncond itional chemical reaction to overconfident reinforcement (Calabrese 599). This then causes the brain to want it over and over again. Although in that respect argon several(predicate) kinds of addiction, all have a common determination to leave a soulfulness feel good. This then becomes more important to a soul than anything else patronage the consequences. The brain then becomes reliant on this false surge in dopamine brought on by the addiction, and the brains ability to raw(a)ly clear dopamine enceintely decreases. This then results in lack of control when the resembling take can no abundanter be established. This leads to increasing dosage or behavior to try and achieve the same high or to mayhap better it. Substance addictions leave the body constantly passion a good feeling despite the consequences they may have.In order to apprehend the real mentality of individual with addiction/s is to examine a soul in a philosophical and psychological way. All types of addictions should be looked at from a philosophical and psychological point of view. Those in the fields of neuro comprehension, psychology and philosophy frequently compargon their views to show the similarities of addictions whether they be substance induced or behavioral. Behavioral science experts reckon that all entities capable of touch on a somebody can be addictive and whenever a habit careens into an obligation, it can be considered as addiction (Alaghemandanet al 290). or so addictions can affect peck physically. Caffeine and nicotine provide prime examples.The bodys physical state becomes unfree on its effect and causes backdown symptoms without use. matchless of the main differences in behavioral and substance addictions is that behavioral addictions have no observable physiological or physical withdrawal symptoms. It is not the physical body that is aband unmatchabled, just now the feeling that one gets mentally. The physical body is only affected by the s ettlement of the substance itself, while the addiction itself is more damaging psychologically. Addiction isnt round will power. When looking at addiction for a neurological point of view, thither be a series of chemical reactions going on. Dopamine is a good-feel hormone produced in the brain when satisfaction is gained chemically by substances or by a self-gratifying act. When substances such as drugs and alcohol be used or certain behaviors are performed, a person experiences an unnatural high, so to speak, which is many times greater than the natural reward system produced in the brain.Some singles may be more suggestible to getting hooked on this feeling. certain masses can be special(prenominal)ally more vulnerable than others to taking on an addiction. The vulnerability to addiction can be due to their genetic dispositions. With prominent advances in whole genome sequencing, the search for genetic variations inherent drug addiction is continuing at an escalating pace however, genetic factors likely let off about fifty percent of the risk for addiction (Maze and Nestor 99). Some believe that one can have an addictive personality. An addictive personality will ever so be susceptible to having at least(prenominal) one kind of addiction. Quite subsequently, an addictive personality type is habituate to addiction itself. If one addiction was given up, another one would be taken on, moreover, it is commonly found for an addicted person to be addicted to several addictions at the same time. This increases the level of the individual suffering, and no matter what the addiction, it disrupts the brains natural reward system, which is the route to a pleasurable feeling.The addiction itself is the mental state created from taking on any addiction. Studies have shown that those with behavioral addictions and those with substance use disorders both score high on a self-report measure of impulsivity and sensation-seeking and generally low on measures of h arm escape (J.E. Grant Et Al 234). It is highly vexed for a person addicted to a substance or behavior to appal theaddictive hertz. Getting over addiction is dependent on the type of addiction. act to break certain addictions may be simply in avoiding a social environment that may tempt a person towards a certain addiction. Others may benefit from medicines and psychological treatment. Research has shown, no matter of whether behavioral or substance addiction, replacing or substituting with a positive beneficial addiction to start acquisition to associate a positive coping mechanism to the triggers that onset the addiction.It is difficult to scale, and an addict is always going want to feel good with an act or substance. tour the severity differs between addictions, some are manageable in day to day life, while others have catastrophic effect in their lives which is why addictions should be interact as a disease. thither are many attempted treatments that are sought-afte r(a) after in breaking addictions. Some people may go to pleader sessions and some go to support meetings which dish up them realize the adverse effects the addiction has brought into their lives. Behavioral therapy is another way treatment is sought out. In behavioral therapy, the addiction does not need to be specific to one drug or behavior, but is used to address the use of threefold addictions. It is the disease of addiction that the therapy addresses. Other therapies are pharmaceutically administered to relieve the feeling one may get from a substance. Medications are less prescribed with compulsive disorders however, it is believed that if the addiction was brought on by depression and/or anxiety, prescribing music can be helpful to lighten these symptoms. A combination of behavioral therapy and medication has been seen as helpful as well.Therapy should be an ongoing mathematical operation for someone with addictions. There will always be triggers that could possibly ca use a relapse. There is great difficulty in giving up an addiction without taking on another. advise an addict ever not have an addiction or can it ever be learned to live without addiction? Relapse is the reason addiction is a chronic disease. While some addictions can be tolerated, others unfortunately have detrimental effects on their lives. In order to achieve a successful long bourn recovery, treatment sought out should address the specifics of each individuals needs. Changes must occur in ones life that is physical, social, and psychological in order to be successful in recovery.Although different factors will determine someones vulnerability to addiction, integrating individual vulnerability toaddiction across different research disciplines is likely to provide the great advances for intervention and prevention efforts ( Le Moal and Swendsen 73). and the question still remains, why would someone continue to choose an addiction over their own health? Addiction is an extr emely powerful disease. The mind should always overtake the body which is why some people speculate that addiction is a pick and not a disease. However, is addiction in truth just a choice? or so of the best-known criticisms of the disease concept have argued that addiction is not a disease because addictive behavior is voluntary (Perring 194). An operation addict may dispute the term disease in their addiction. Although their behavior is compulsive, wield is indeed a very sanitary habit to have and does wonders for the body.An work out addiction may be healthy however, those who must exercise each and every day regardless of need, are still exhibiting compulsive behaviors. In their mind this activity must be performed each and every day no matter what. If you are an exercise addict, it is quite obvious that some of the effects of this particular addiction are positive ( bout Table 7). Exercise is the most conflicting of all the addictions. Mentally they are addicted to the act, but addiction is still a disease, not a choice. There are two areas of the brain that involve choice. The world-class area is the ventral striatum, or substance acumens, which is a structure that motivates a person to go after a goal that they may have or want. This is where addiction and cravings come from.The second area is called the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex. This area is what considers consequences of the actions. There are impulses that go from one area to the other through synapses. Triggers can cause alterations of these impulses. They are altered the most by the cycle of addictive thoughts and behaviors. Choice can be thought of as an conciliateive process. Brains adapt to our experiences, so the choices that are made change with time. Addiction is an experience to which the brain also adapts, but to a fault rapidly, too thoroughly, and too permanently. Understanding these neural changes is essential for recogniseing how choice gets hijacked by addiction .That doesnt crystalize addiction a brain disease. Its more of corrupted learning process or a nasty adaptation. And like any other adaptation, it is the foundation of the sullen hardware we carry around in our heads. While it is true that the addict may have a choice in whether or not to use drugs or to give in tobehaving a certain way, craving is not a choice. If a craving gets bad enough, even the strongest willed person gives in to their addiction. The brain strives to survive and this cannot be ignored. A big reason why skeptics view addiction as a choice is the inability to truly understand the realness of cravings in addiction. While some may speculate that addiction is a choice, addiction is a disease and should be treated as such. Addiction has many defining terms that correlate to disease. Addiction to substances or behaviors produce uncontrollable cravings to which one cannot ignore. Addiction is extremely hard to overcome for anyone but can be treated with the correct type of therapy much like other diseases. Whether a person is addicted to caffeine, nicotine, drugs, alcohol, gambling, exercise, or any other compulsive behavior, their addiction is a disease.Works CitedAddiction. Dictionary.com, LLC. (2012) Web. 27 Sept. 2012 http//www.dictionary.com. Alagheandan, Hamed, Seyyed Salman Alavi, Mehdi Eslami, Masoud Ferdosi, Fereshte Jannatifard, and Mehrdad Setare. Behavioral Addiction versus Substance Addiction Correspondence of Psychiatric and Psychological Views. transnational journal of Preventive Medicine 3.4 (April 2012). Web. 27 Sept 2012.Calabrese, E.J. Addiction and panelling receipt The Phsychomoor Stimulant Theory of Addiction Reveals that Hormetic Dose Responses are Dominant. Informa Healthcare (2008) Web. 27 Sept. 2012 Disease. 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