Substance abuse is a serious topic and it is a big issue in our world today. When referring to substances this ranges from alcohol to nicotine and marijuana. The number of drug overdose deaths in the United States is over seven hundred thousand. Misusing drugs and abusing alcohol alters lives for the worse. Substance abuse is harmful because it negatively affects your body physically and mentally through the addiction cycle and damages the relationships you have with others in your community and family. Abusing Substances destroys the way the human brain and body function naturally which will worsen a person's health, behavior, and competence. All substances have short-term and long-term effects on the body if abused. There are countless …show more content…
The body goes through stages that lead a person down the road of addiction. There are six stages of addiction; initial use, abuse, tolerance, dependence, addiction, and relapse. The substance can be introduced to a person in many different ways. Some often occurrences are when an individual gets injured and is prescribed a drug to which they then get addicted to. They could have been peer pressured into taking the substance, depressed, or had tough living situations. Then they abuse the substance which is, “The point at which the person is using the substance on a recurring, improper basis.” (“The Addiction Cycle: What Are The Stages of Addiction?”) This could be overtaking the dosage on their prescription or drinking excessively every day. Over time they begin to form a tolerance for the substance because the brain changes and gets used to it. As a result of this, a person starts to take higher doses of the drug to get the same euphoric effect they used to get. Since the brain adjusts to having the drug in the body, they form a dependence on it. The body no longer knows how to function properly without it. At this point, they’re addicted to the substance. “Being addicted means continuing to use a drug even though you’re aware of the harmful consequences. Addiction can …show more content…
When someone becomes addicted to a substance, their brain changes which affects their personality and demeanor. When someone is under the influence they are not their usual self. This is because they can not think straight and lose their sense of self-control. Research has shown that “Considerable neurological evidence indicates that the prefrontal cortex mediates complex "executive" functions including behavioral autonomy and self-control. Given that impairments of self-control are characteristic of alcoholism and other drug addictions, frontal lobe dysfunction may play a significant role in such compulsive behaviors.” (Lyvers) When someone loses their self-control they tend to say and do things that they wouldn't if they were level-minded. This recklessness tends to ruin the relationships this person has with their family and community. “A person who struggles with addiction usually pushes their family members to their limits. This leads to severed ties and broken families. Some people can only take so much before they decide to cut their loved one from their life, so long as they’re in active addiction.” (Redwine) When having a family member struggling with addiction, it can lead to stress and worry for the whole family. Along with this comes financial issues and the risk of abuse. Family members who are not struggling don't understand what the struggling member
However, unfortunately, without counseling or coaching most partners, children, family members and friends believe they are responsible for or cause another person's addiction and addictive behavior; thus avoiding the issue of their own enabling
The chronic stress, disrupted routines, and unpredictable behavior associated with addiction can result in sleep disturbances, weakened immune systems, and increased vulnerability to illnesses. Example: A spouse constantly experiences high levels of stress and anxiety due to the erratic behavior of their partner with addiction, leading to disrupted sleep patterns and weakened immunity. 1.a Physical Consequences: Living with a loved one in active addiction can result in physical health problems for family members due to the stressful and unpredictable nature of addiction.
Addictive substances rewire the connections in your mind so that you have problems thinking, feeling happy or enjoying life when you quit using. When you stop using, your body basically panics as it loses access to the chemicals that it is used to. This is the main reason why individuals experience withdrawal symptoms
Proposal Argument 1 Proposal Argument Aaron Kincaid Western Governors University WGU Student ID# 007163199 Proposal Argument: 2 Addiction is a significant problem in the U.S. today, affecting millions of people and causing widespread harm to individuals and society as a whole. While addiction can have many causes, two of the primary factors are technology and family. The effects of addiction can have devastating consequences for individuals, families, and society. Addiction can lead to health problems, financial ruin, and social isolation.
Around 270 million people had used psychoactive drugs in the past year and about 35 million are estimated to be affected by drug abuse disorders. Drug addiction is a chronic disease characterized by drug seeking and use that is compulsive, or difficult to control, despite consequences. It is very common for a person to relapse even after treatment. As a person uses drugs, their brain becomes more adapted to the drug, increasing the tolerance of the person. Long term effects could cause a change in chemical systems and circuits of the brain.
It causes people to develop an addiction, leads to overdose, and it causes them to loss of control. Addiction is an unfortunate side effect of using drugs. Many people become addicted to drugs over a course of time. Addiction isn’t something that happens instantly. Addiction does not only affect the person who’s
Facing sobriety and returning back to normal life is difficult. This is where the person hit rock bottom because of the addiction. The person may be facing problems such as getting fired from work, heavy debts that lead to legal issues, family or relationship breakdown, contracting sexually transmitted disease and shame due to addiction public exposure. The only option is for the person to seek treatment for their addiction. If left untreated, the person may seek the fast way out by commit suicide to run away from the shame and
Abuse of substances has ruined many lives, and many more to come
A tolerance can be developed in as little as 2-3 days with continued use. When needing a fix, and unable to obtain their usual narcotic, some users may substitute one drug for another, also forming multiple addictions. When patients are given narcotics to treat legitimate medical issues and pain, there is less of a risk of addiction because the dosage is closely monitored. As long as the patient takes the substance as prescribed, no damage should occur. Only about 5-10% of people who use drugs become
I chose this quote to exemplify the negative impact of addiction on relationships because even though there is tremendous love between Nic and his dad, when Nic calls for help, his dad refuses to help him. Although Nic’s dad wants what's best for his son, Nic’s actions hurt his father to the point where he would not help him become sober anymore. The cycle of addiction, while deeply painful, is also quite predictable, starting with binging and intoxication, relapsing, in Nic’s case, leading eventually to withdrawal, and after a decision to be sober, the negative symptoms accompanying it. Finally there is craving and anticipation, the step preceding relapse after a period of being sober, or the step that an addict must continually resist to stay sober (Administration (US) & General (US), 2016.) In Tweak, Nic experiences the cycle in its entirety several times, often hurting himself and those close to him in the process, but it is when he is connected to the world, not isolated and trying to run away from his insecurities and fears (Nic Sheff, 2007, pg. 302), that he stays sober
Addiction is a disorder of the brain where a person feels he has to take the drug despite its destructive effects (Volkow, Koob and McLellan). Dependence is a state normally associated when an
Substance Abuse Amongst the Homeless Community Homeless people on the streets are abusing substances day by day and it is worsening. The reason may be that they don’t have the proper resources to avoid turning to these substances. Most people in stable households tend to have emotional support from family such as parents, grandparents, and even friends to stay somewhat stable. For someone who is homeless, they may not have anyone to go to for help or to talk to about what they are going through.
A drug addiction occurs when someone uses substances to give themselves a feeling of pleasure even if it has negative consequences for them or others. When an addiction occurs the brain changes too making it extremely difficult to quit. This is because the brain wants more of the pleasurable substance because it’s giving dopamine. Once someone is addicted to something all they want is that thing and they will do anything to get it.
The effects of addiction on health can be devastating. Once addiction develops, the brain changes interfere with an individual’s ability to make voluntary decisions, leading to compulsive drug craving, seeking and use. 6 Drug abuse can suppress the body’s immune system and is related to risky behaviours, involving the sharing of contaminated syringe, needle or injection paraphernalia and unprotected sex. The combination greatly increases the likelihood of acquiring HIV, hepatitis and many other infectious diseases. 6 Drugs that lead to these diseases are heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine.
Addiction is the reliance on a routine. There are many addictive stages. Addiction, as it comes along, becomes a way of life. The persistent use of the substance causes to the user serious physical or psychological problems and dysfunctions in major areas of his or her life. The drug user continues to use substances and the compulsive behavior despite the harmful consequences, and tries to systematically avoid responsibility and reality, while he or she tends to isolate himself/herself from others because of guilt and pain (Angres, & Bettinardi-Angres, 2008).