Addiction: Drug Addiction and Addiction Branches Essay

Submitted By cecilygirl90
Words: 1801
Pages: 8
Open Document
Addiction
When many people think of addiction dependences on alcohol or drugs often come to mind. There are a vast number of other activities however, that can be just as addicting if abused. Here in America, we are taught at early ages to steer clear of drugs and alcohol due to their addictive nature. At home, our parents admonish us about the dangers of drugs and drinking and we are enrolled in D.A.R.E programs while in school. Furthermore we are reminded to “stay above the influence” while watching television as anti-drug and alcohol campaigns air in between our favorite shows. Parents, teachers, and Uncle Sam instill in us the terrifying ramifications of becoming dependent on such substances and make it clear that addiction is nothing to play with. While all of these practices are very beneficial, it is also just as important to note that addiction branches out much further than just drugs and alcohol. By definition, "addiction is the habitual compulsion to use a substance, or to engage in an activity without much regard for its detrimental effects on a person's physical, mental, financial, social, and spiritual well-being." As easy as it is to misuse and become dependent on drugs and alcohol, a person can just as easily do the same with things such as sex, video games, shopping, and etc. It is important to remember not to over indulge in anything because as the old saying goes, sometimes even too much of a good thing can be a bad thing.
Millions of people across the globe, from various backgrounds and walks of life suffer from one or more addictions of some sort. America alone serves as a prime example of the many different substances and activities that can easily become addicting. In a convenience centered culture where there is ubiquitous access to a multitude of pleasurable outlets, there is no wonder that addiction is as prevalent as it is. A list compiled by Masters in Public Health states that the ten most common addictions plaguing health in America today are media, tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, food, gambling, prescription drugs, bulimia, cocaine, and hallucinogens. Other prevalent addictions rampant in America are excessive engagement in activities such as watching pornography, video gaming, exercising, shopping, and etc. With such a large array of activities that can be considered addictive, it is very difficult to find an accurate count of the amount of people suffering from a form of addiction. Likewise, many of these people do not find their engagement in said activities as addictive. When it comes to alcohol and illicit drugs, however, according to a 2010 National Survey of Drug Use and Health there is "an estimated 22.1 million persons aged 12 or older [who] were classified with substance dependence in the past year." Add this number to the millions of unreported and unknown accounts of addiction and you have a general idea of the many people in our nation alone suffering from addiction.
As this number continues to grow with each passing year, it is becoming increasingly evident that addiction is a problem that spans across all ethnic groups, races, social class, and etc. Likewise, addiction is a problem that has adverse effects on more than just the person partaking in the abuse. The calamities of drug abuse extend to the families of the users, their friends, their communities, and etc. This is the very reason that I find interest in this topic. I would like to gather as much information on the subject as possible in order to help those who suffer from addiction to overcome their dependence and become productive members of society. America is already such a great country, imagine how much greater it could be without such a large portion of its citizens suffering from addiction. In order to one day do this; I know that I will need to have a thorough understanding of addiction about everything from the risk factors to the symptoms and more.
The first step to fixing a
Show More

Related Documents: Addiction: Drug Addiction and Addiction Branches Essay

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy On Patients With Anxiety

Gabriel Rubio Cheryl Renee ENC 1101 06M 1 May 2013 A: My audience is people who understand that Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is successful in treating patients with anxiety disorders. They will be sensitive to the topic of addiction and will agree with the fact that pharmaceutical companies mostly care about profit and not the patient itself. They realize that many medications prescribed for anxiety are addictive. They are also aware of the fact that some doctors have been linked to benefiting…

Words 928 - Pages 4

Criminal Justice and Crime Control Essay

executive branches of our government. Both our federal and state legislative branches define crimes, set punishments and fund our correction departments. Our judicial branches impose sentences. They make the person stand accountable for the crime. Our executive branch from the President of the United States to the governor of your state appoints judges and approves funding for programs to decrease crime. Every person has the choice to commit a crime. Many theories are out there. Poverty, addiction, psychological…

Words 915 - Pages 4

Essay about Sexuality Issues for the Chemically Dependent

University-Commerce Journals Project Counseling 597 Dr. L Hendricks Table of Contents Sexuality Issues for the Chemically Dependent The Incidence and Experience of Rape among Chemically Dependent Women This article is about a group of women in a drug treatment facility. The facility asked the women to participate in a report on sexual abuse and possible rape. The study only used women that volunteered. The study started with a larger quantity of women however due to leaving the program early they…

Words 5832 - Pages 24

Drug Addiction and Pot Dealers Essay

like "Partnership for a Drug Free America" running commercials against Pot that just aren't true. I don't like it when people warn teens about using "Marijuana and Cocaine" when Pot is almost harmless and Cocaine is a dangerous drug. When people lie to teens about Marijuana then teens assume they are lying about other drugs too and I think they are more likely to do drugs they shouldn't do. So I think it's time to come clean and tell the truth. If teens are going to do drugs, they should have truthful…

Words 5844 - Pages 24

How Did The Constitution Achieve Justice In Australia

into multiple branches, the constitution ensures that one party does not have absolute power or control over the people, thereby protecting Australians from an unjust and tyrannical government. Power held by the states can be cited in section 118 of the constitution which provides recognition of the laws and judicial proceedings of every state. States have the authority to impose certain laws on their people and the power to criminalise or decriminalise certain behaviours. The ACT’s drug law reforms…

Words 577 - Pages 3

Imperialism In Ching

(San Min Zhuyi) of Nationalism (Minzu), People’s Power (Minquan), and People’s Livelihood/Welfare (Minsheng), to guide the Chinese Revolution spearheaded by the Zhongguo Tongmenghui (Chinese Revolutionary Alliance) founded in 1905, with overseas branches established in both Singapore and Penang in 1906 when Dr Sun came to seek funding for the revolutionaries in China. Ibid., p. 14. Mao Tse-tung had more or less the same ideas to remake, modernize and strengthen China for the Chinese people, such…

Words 1113 - Pages 5

John Galbraith's 'Black Gangster Disciple'

Anya Brown Extra credit chapters 3 and 4 Iris Buder In chapter 3, it explains the question asked. “Why do drug dealers live with their moms?” The chapter starts out discussing “conventional wisdom”, a phrase by John Kenneth Galbraith. To him, this means that “we associate truth with convenience.” In other words, people do what is the easiest and that better behavior makes people have better self esteem. Galbraith says that economic behaviors are more complicated and it’s hard for to see character…

Words 867 - Pages 4

What Is The Role Of Government In Policy Making

the Congress and Senate to propose each law and enforce it. Although there are many players when it comes to the government there are three main ones that combined or individually play an important role in policy making. These three players or branches would be the legislative, executive and judicial branch. It is the duty of all three to make sure that each one is recognized in the state of union and their importance in the government, when it comes to protecting citizens’ right and civil liberties…

Words 1029 - Pages 5

Phantom Limb

particular damaged tissue (the peripheral receptors) to the sensory cortex via specific pathways in the central and peripheral nervous system. Nociceptors have no specialized structure. They have free nerve endings that form dense networks with multiple branches that are regarded a nociceptors, that is sensory receptors for pain. These receptors respond only when there is a stimulus strong enough to threaten the body's integrity. There are various types of nerve fibers (axons) whose free nerve endings…

Words 2540 - Pages 11

Acute Myocardial Infarction Essay

is a serious medical emergency need directly intervention and consider one of the major cause of death and disability worldwide. (Lauer, Blackstone, Young, & Topol, 1999 p 618-620‏). It is define as closed in a main coronary artery or one of it’s branches that feed the heart, lead to die or sever damage in heart muscle fibers that supplied by this artery. The death of muscle tissue occurs if the obstruction for more than 15-20 minutes and often permanent damage if the obstruction r for more than…

Words 1233 - Pages 5