Addiction to Drugs and Alcohol Essay examples - 2057 Words

There are many affects that drugs and alcohol can have on the body, and on the life of a person. Thousands of jobs, homes, and families are lost annually through the addictions of drugs and alcohol. Children grow up without parents, spouses are forced to raise their children as single parents, and grandparents become legal guardians for a second time, due to the effects of substance abuse and dependence. Exactly how addiction is defined and diagnosed is an on-going issue and one that will be discussed in this paper. While there are eleven different categories that substances are arranged, this paper will be focusing specifically on alcohol and cannabis. An estimated 126 million Americans over the age of 12 reported being†¦show more content†¦This has made the drug much more potent and easy to grow. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, over 17 million people in America had used marijuana in 1992 (as quoted in Smith Stevens, 2009, p.64). The affects that drugs a nd alcohol can have on the human body, as well as the addictions they create, have been discussed in presidential debates, the topic of many scholarly journals and books, and continue to affect the lives of millions of people worldwide. Meldelson Mello (1985) wrote that the most conclusive way to define addiction is that it prevails when drug or alcohol use is directly affiliated with â€Å"impairment of health and social functioning is a useful general thesis† (as cited in Smith Stevens, 2009, p. 138). Addiction can also be defined as â€Å"the lack of choice the user has over the drug use† Once the individual needs the alcohol or drug to feel normal, and not as a way to feel pleasure, they can be considered dependant on that particular substance (Smith Stevens, 2009). According to the American Psychiatric Association (2000), in the fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistic Manual, Text Revision (DSM-IV- TR) a substance is referred to as a medication or drug o f abuse that is used in an abusive way, and in a manner incoherent with medical treatment. Dependence or addiction is translated as where tolerance is increased, withdrawal symptoms occur based on each individual substance, the substance is taken in larger amounts, orShow MoreRelatedAddiction : Drugs And Alcohol1001 Words   |  5 PagesAddiction in Many Forms Addiction is very commonly associated with drugs and alcohol. Addiction is not only related to drugs or alcohol, but it is also tied with things and activities. Addiction to drugs or alcohol are quite similar yet slightly different to addictions to activities and other things. Addiction to drugs and alcohol over time leads to a buildup of tolerance causing the user to need more of what they are addicted to in order to experience the same or more of an effect than they onceRead MoreThe Drug Of Alcohol Addiction898 Words   |  4 Pagesthe drug industry, especially America. Many people are finding ways to obtain the substances and use them for either good or bad. America has drugs to make you feel better or to forget how sad you are. Alcohol, being the most popular of the drug list, is the most abused drug in the world. I have chosen alcohol because alcohol addiction has been dealt in my family and I know a little about this substance. It has been said that it is three to four times higher to know someone with an alcohol addictionRead MoreAddiction : Drugs And Alcohol976 Words   |  4 PagesAddiction in Many Forms Addiction is commonly associated with drugs and alcohol. Addiction is not only related to drugs or alcohol, but it is also tied to things and activities. Addiction to drugs or alcohol are quite similar, but in some respects, slightly different to addictions to activities and other things. Addiction to drugs and alcohol, over time, leads to a buildup of tolerance. Tolerance causes the user to need more of what they are addicted to in order to experience an equal or increasedRead MoreAddiction : Drugs And Alcohol1001 Words   |  5 PagesAddiction in Many Forms Addiction is awfully commonly associated with drugs and alcohol. Addiction is not only related to drugs or alcohol, but it is also tied with things and activities. Addiction to drugs or alcohol are quite similar yet slightly different to addictions to activities and other things. Addiction to drugs and alcohol over time leads to a buildup of tolerance, causing the user to need more of what they are addicted to in order to experience the same or more of an effect than theyRead MoreDrug and Alcohol Addiction2900 Words   |  12 PagesRunning Head: DRUG ALCOHOL ADDICTION Drug Alcohol Addiction Even though drug and alcohol addiction is the repeated and excessive use of drugs and alcohol to achieve a certain effect, which involves two components: physical and psychological dependency, they both can be treated. The cause of substance abuse is examined through several studies which showed drugs and alcohol are used to get relief from untreated mentalRead MoreAlcohol And Drug Addiction : Drugs1498 Words   |  6 Pages Alcohol and Drug Addiction Xinge Xu University of Toronto Throughout the vast history of mankind, alcohol has always been a popular and controversial topic. Unlike other illegal drugs with strict rules, alcohol seems to be a more universal and socially acceptable drink. In fact, it is the most widely used drug substance in the world. However, with the gradually increasing amount of problems associated with alcohol, people should weigh and examine the medicinalRead MoreThe Drug And Alcohol Addiction2967 Words   |  12 PagesMany drug addicts go back and forth into the correctional system due to their drug and alcohol addiction. They are suffering from an addiction that they need help in overcoming, or else they will find themselves getting it the best way they know how. They will prey on the community by robbing and stealing to support their habit. The question is should they go to jail or should they get help for this habit? The answer is quite simple they should be offered help within the justice system to help deterRead MoreDrugs, Al cohol, And Addiction Unit1486 Words   |  6 PagesDrug, Alcohol, and Addiction Unit Lesson One: Introduction to Alcohol Learning Objective: By the end of the lesson the students should have a good grasp on the fact that when you put alcohol in your body you can’t do things you normally would be able to do. Activity: Dollar Bill Jump Concept: When you are under the influence of some drugs, you have the belief that you can accomplish certain tasks when in reality you can’t. This activity sounds so easy that everyone thinks they could do it. HoweverRead MoreThe Problem Of Drug And / Alcohol Addiction858 Words   |  4 PagesIn a world where addiction is a somewhat ‘taboo’ topic, it is hard to open up and converse with perspective employers, on what issues you have in your personal world. Thank God for the chance to heal a large part of those issues prior to seeking new employment. (And, I suggest that you do) Recovery from drug and/or alcohol addiction is not easy as it is, so it is immensely imperative that you make the necessary considerations before looking to jump head first into the workforce again. Yes, thereRead MoreThe Effects Of Drug And Alcohol Addiction3284 Words   |  14 Pagesstudying multiple papers that have assessed the genetic contribution to addiction of drugs and alcohol, it is easy to show that genetics does have a major influence. Some people are born with a predisposition to become addicts, but genetics does not determine if you will become one. Environmental factors do show some effects as to whether the genes responsible for certain behaviors or tendencies are expressed to the point of addiction. By looking at twins, we can see that genetics can have a direct affect