Addiction

Addiction

Introduction

Addiction is a state that results when an individual consumes a substance (cocaine, alcohol, nicotine) or involves in an activity (games or gambling) that can be enjoyable but its continued usage becomes obsessive and interferes with everyday life responsibilities, like relationships, work or health (Ross, Kincaid, & Spurrett, 2010). The users might not be aware that their conduct and attitude is out of control and it is causing problems for others as well as for themselves.

The term addiction is used in a number of different ways. One definition depicts physical addiction, which is a biological condition in which the body gets used to the presence of a drug, so that drug has no longer the similar effect on the body; this is identified as tolerance. Because of tolerance, a biological reaction takes place when the drug is withdrawn. Another type of physical addiction is the occurrence of overreaction to drugs by the brain (or the indications associated with the drugs). For instance, an alcoholic walking in the bar will urge to have a drink because of these indications.

No matter which kind of addiction is being concerned to, it is significant to identify that its cause is not merely a search for satisfaction and pleasure, and addiction has nothing to do with one's strength of character or morality. It is debated by the experts that whether addiction is a disease or a true psychological sickness, whether addiction and drug dependence imply the same thing, and a number of other characteristics of addiction. Such debates are not expected to be determined soon. But the lack of decision does not exclude effectual treatment.

Discussion

An addict is a person "dependent" of the thing that dominates their thoughts and desires and directs their behavior, and the claim that thing becomes the most important activity of his life (Leshner, 1997). In advanced stages of addiction, nothing is as important as the addiction itself. However, most addictive behavior is not associated to either exposure to cues of physical tolerance. Individuals impulsively gamble, use drugs, or shop almost constantly in effect to being psychologically stressed, whether or not they have a physical addiction. Since these emotionally based addictions are not based on brain or drug effects, they can count on for why individuals regularly change addictive actions from one drug to an absolutely different type of drug, or even to a non-drug conduct. It does not matter on what the focus of addiction is; it is the need to take action under particular types of stress. In order to treat this type of addiction, it entails an understanding of how it psychologically works (Gruber, & Köszegi, 2001).

Types of Addiction

Drugs

It consists of the consumption of a substance that affects the central nervous system and brain, causing alterations in both behavior and judgment. Dependence is the need for the drug addict to take drugs (Berridge, & Robinson, 2011). It can be of two types:

Physical - when an individual stops taking drugs are changes in their physical ...