A disease or a choice
According to Webster’s dictionary addiction is a compulsive need for and use of a habit-forming substance (as heroin, nicotine, or alcohol) characterized by tolerance and by well-defined physiological symptoms upon withdrawal. Addiction has been a topic that has been debated for quite some time. It has been debated whether it is a brain disease or if it is a choice that of the user to continue using the drug and can stop whenever they feel like it. With both sides there is a good argument defending the topic. Addiction occurs biologically due to repeated use of the drug or performing a certain action, which cause the pleasure sensors in the brain to become dependent on the drug or action.
“Genetic factors account for roughly 50% of this individual variability in addiction vulnerability, and this degree of heritability holds true for all major classes of addictive drugs, including stimulants, opiates, alcohol, nicotine, and cannabinoids. It has not yet been possible to identify …show more content…
This is a process which continues throughout life, there is nothing abnormal about it” (Slate 2016).
With this argument it seems that the brain is changing to adapt to the substance that is being abused, adapting in a way that it become dependent on the substance and won’t be able to function without it. With the proper treatment they will be able to ween their brain off of the substance reverting it to a healthy
According to Webster’s dictionary addiction is a compulsive need for and use of a habit-forming substance (as heroin, nicotine, or alcohol) characterized by tolerance and by well-defined physiological symptoms upon withdrawal. Addiction has been a topic that has been debated for quite some time. It has been debated whether it is a brain disease or if it is a choice that of the user to continue using the drug and can stop whenever they feel like it. With both sides there is a good argument defending the topic. Addiction occurs biologically due to repeated use of the drug or performing a certain action, which cause the pleasure sensors in the brain to become dependent on the drug or action.
“Genetic factors account for roughly 50% of this individual variability in addiction vulnerability, and this degree of heritability holds true for all major classes of addictive drugs, including stimulants, opiates, alcohol, nicotine, and cannabinoids. It has not yet been possible to identify …show more content…
This is a process which continues throughout life, there is nothing abnormal about it” (Slate 2016).
With this argument it seems that the brain is changing to adapt to the substance that is being abused, adapting in a way that it become dependent on the substance and won’t be able to function without it. With the proper treatment they will be able to ween their brain off of the substance reverting it to a healthy