Drug Use And The Addiction - 1887 Words

Whenever someone thinks of what an addict should be, many different images come to mind. It could be the homeless man on the street, the raging adolescent who is struggling, the majority of the prison population. My grandfather himself dealt with his own addiction. He struggled for many years with alcoholism as well as an opiate addiction. Many of my family members cast him out and told him that if he really wanted to stop he would. His addiction went on for years before he was admitted to rehab and even after years of sobriety, he still thinks it was his fault for getting involved in drugs in the first place. It seems as though this is a common theme, in which people believe the addict is the one to blame and they just lack the willpower to stop. However, this is not the case. Continual drug use has the power to drastically affect the addict’s mind and only make it harder to stop substance abuse. Most addicts don’t even know this and soon believe that this is their fau lt when it’s not. In other words, it’s necessary to deem addiction as a chronic, relapsing disorder that affects the brain and its cognitive processes as this definition can lead many addicts to recovery and a shame free life. Because addiction is seen as a burden for all, having the definition of it being a disease would take the weight of shame off of the addict’s shoulders. As defined by the American Psychological Association (APA), addiction is a â€Å"chronic tenacious pattern of substance use and relatedShow MoreRelatedHow Drug Use And Addiction878 Words   |  4 PagesDrug use and addiction has always been a topic of discussion for many people. None of it being good nonetheless, but it has been a topic on people’s minds. In our society today there is still a stigma attached to drug users and even worse drug addicts. The feelings are always geared towards shaming the user or addict and not much else. The really divisive idea being if addiction is actually a choice a person makes or if it is a disease. Most knowledge and discussion about this either leans one wayRead MoreYouth Drug Use And Addiction1677 Words   |  7 PagesYouth Drug Use and Addiction Youth in the United States face challenges every day, some more than others. These challenges can be difficult to navigate and can leave these young people finding alternative ways to cope with the stress that accompanies these challenges. According to CBS News reports a recent survey indicates approximately two million teens between the ages of 12 and 17 currently need treatment for a substance abuse problem, but only about 150,000 get the help they need. This highRead MoreThe Drug Use And Opioid Addiction1361 Words   |  6 Pagesintravenous drug users at some point in their career. The United States is in the midst of a rampant heroin/opioid epidemic which currently claims 91 lives a day to overdose (CDC, 2016). As nurses we have a unique opportunity to provide compassionate and impactful health care to the most marginalized groups of our society. Harm Reduction is a public health approach to intravenous drug use/opioid addiction which strives to reduce the harm of risky behavi ors associated with illicit drug use. Nurses whoRead MoreThe Dangers Of Addictions And Drug Use1868 Words   |  8 PagesConcerns about addictions and drug use have been an ongoing battle for several years, especially for adolescents. There are still controversies about how and why an individual becomes addicted to a substance. Family members and loved ones of the addicted individual continue to ask why this individual continuously chooses to go back to the drug, no matter what the consequences are. To this day, research has opened our eyes to new possibilities, new explanations, and new interventions in order to helpRead MoreDrug Use And The Therapeutic Treatment Of Drug Addiction901 Words   |  4 Pagesbelieved that over time, the effects of drug related cues increases the efficacy of relapse. To this end, the researchers are looking to key brain chemicals to aid in the therapeutic treatment of drug addiction. A main concern is how can drug-related cues be counteracted or red uced in patients prone to relapse. In one study, investigators found that â€Å"drug use and relapse involves learned associations between drug-associated discrete and contextual cues and drug taking†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Bossert, Marchant, Calu, Read MoreDrug Use And Addiction Among Teenagers Essay1231 Words   |  5 PagesHard drugs have been around for hundreds of years. It is a reoccurring problem in society that is increasing dramatically among adolescence and young adults. The actual drug can change he structure and function of the brain. It can do great harm to the human body psychically, emotionally, and socially. Often times, young adults have a greater risk of addiction when they become older and the addiction can transfer to adulthood. There are many way to prevent drug use and addiction amongst teenagersRead MoreAddiction And Opioid Use For Drug Abuse954 Words   |  4 PagesAddiction and opioid use Drug abuse and addiction remain large and persistent problems. Nationally, addiction and abuse of all substances costs the economy an estimated $600 billion dollars annually. Indeed, over the past decade, illicit drug use appears to be steady or rising (2011 National Survey on Drug Use and Health; DHHS). From this we see that prescription and non-prescription opioid use is particularly problematic. For example, prescription pain reliever misuse has remained consistentlyRead MoreSociological Perspective : Drug Use And Addiction969 Words   |  4 PagesSociological Perspective: Drug Use and Addiction The use and misuse of illicit drugs in today’s society can be blamed on both individual, and societal factors. With the use of societal factors researchers can show the effect for a larger population, and provide better information of the population. Blaming the individual for developing the addiction will not fix issues that lie in society that worked against the individual, the underlying issues of poverty and addiction, many scholarly articles Read MoreDrug Use And The Factors That Influence A Future Drug Addiction1005 Words   |  5 PagesThis paper explores various ways adolescent brain is susceptible to risky behaviors such as drug use and the factors that influence a future drug addiction. Adolescence is a time of growth both physically and mentally as well as emotionally. Risky behaviors, such as drug use, are likely to appear during this time. It isn’t until early adulthood that the prefrontal cortex, the area of our brain responsible for logical thought and r easoning, is developed. Many underlying factors of substance abuseRead MoreUnderstanding Drug Use And Addiction. The National Institute1116 Words   |  5 PagesUnderstanding Drug Use and Addiction The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) describes addiction as a, â€Å"chronic disease characterized by drug seeking and use that is compulsive, or difficult to control, despite harmful consequences† (â€Å"Understanding Drug Use and Addiction,† 2016). Long-term use can effect and change a person’s ability to learn, judge, and make decisions. Stress, memory issues, and behavior problems are also common side effects of extended drug use. There is not one single factor