Addiction and Society - 1244 Words

Addiction and Society Sociology Professor Trembicki February 22, 2013 Abstract Drug addiction is a disease that damages addicts, their families, communities, the economy, and society. Addiction has a widespread reach: from dealing with unpredictable and often dangerous addicts at home to the costs incurred by society as a whole. As the population of addicts rises and the average age of an addict is younger, society is forced to deal with a pressing matter. Addiction is no longer limited to the poor and underprivileged; society can no longer ignore this problem and simply look away. Drug addiction is a disease that damages addicts, their families, communities, the economy, and society. Addiction has a widespread reach: from†¦show more content†¦As with many other brain diseases, addiction has embedded behavioral and social-context aspects that are important parts of the disorder itself. Therefore, the most effective treatment approaches will include biological, behavioral, and social-context components. Recognizing addiction as a chronic, relapsing brain disorder characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use can impact society’s overall health and social policy strategies and help diminish the health and social costs associated with drug abuse and addiction.† (Leshner 1997) Addiction is a continuing and progressive illness. The disease is insidious, and most addicts do not even realize that they are addicted until it is too late and the disease has completely taken over. â€Å"Addiction is a very clever brain disease that convinces add icts that they need drugs to function, despite negative consequences. . . For this reason, addiction is one of the most devastating diseases plaguing our society today† (Kranzler 95 2008). Surprisingly, addiction does not mean the use of â€Å"illegal† drugs alone. Nowadays, drug addiction is much discussed â€Å"thanks to legally prescribed and over-the-counter medications being administered to society’s brightest, richest, and most respected icons†¦these drugs show up on the nightlife scene, on school campuses, at PTA meetings and soccer games – picked up from the medicine cabinet at home, not dealt on a street corner† (Broeekaert 2009). According toShow MoreRelatedAddiction and Society1653 Words   |  7 PagesIn our society we place high regard in individuals that are independently motivated and generally motivated towards purposes that are considered to be respectable within our society as contributing something. When individuals suffer from addiction deviate from this acceptable behavior they are often ostracized by society and in turn fall into a cycle where they are unable to better themselves not only because of their own addiction but because of the limiting view of an addict in our society. WhenRead MoreAddiction : The American Society Of Addiction Medicine ( Asam )778 Words   |  4 Pages Addiction is a problem that is misunderstood by many people. One of the reasons it is so misunderstood is because there is no real consensus as to what addiction really is due to Satan’s lies as to the true nature of addiction. Many people consider addiction a disease. The American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) states â€Å"Addiction is a primary, chronic disease of brain reward, motivation, memory and related circuitry†. However, Psychology Today questions whether addictionRead MoreSocial Media Addiction : The Society1527 Words   |  7 PagesSocial Media Addiction: Blighting Our Society Social media has the ability to help people greatly in connecting with each other. A friend from childhood could be found from across the world in just minutes at little cost if they have a Facebook account. That was impossible even 20 years ago. However, this is not always the case, as more and more people seem to feel disconnected from the people around them due to social media. Despite being a simple way to make and keep friends, it can be a drainRead MoreAddiction : The American Medical Society1329 Words   |  6 PagesThe American Medical Society (AMA) declared addiction to alcohol to be an illness in 1956. Prior to 1956, addiction was stigmatized as a moral failure or weakness of character. You can read a fascinating historical review of addiction evolving from a moral failure to an illness at http://bit.ly/1TwOdE8. There is no one â€Å"best† definition of addiction. The American Psychiatric Association, American Psychological Association, American Society of Addiction Medicine, and the National Institute on DrugRead MoreDrug Addiction And Its Effects On Society1402 Words   |  6 Pageshuman being is severely dependent on drugs, or indulgences in the experience of getting â€Å"high† once in a while, drugs alter the chemistry of the brain and that person becomes disassociated from their character and their surroundings. The symptoms of addiction are very obvious on the physical self of a person. The shakiness, nausea, and outbursts of emotions when that drug is not delivered immediately are common. But inside, not only does it cause liver damage, weight fluctuations, and neurological issuesRead MoreAmerican Society Of Addiction Medicine1901 Words   |  8 PagesSome people crave crack cocaine or black tar heroin, they find it hard to put down the needle or pipe, society calls t hem addicts. What about the people who find themselves craving food, or needing to continually eat past the brink of the stomach’s capacity? Society calls them fat, lazy, gluttonous. People often times don’t think to consider food as an addictive substance, but is it? â€Å"Addiction is characterized by inability to consistently abstain, impairment in behavioral control, and craving, diminishedRead MoreDrug Addiction And Its Effects On Society Essay1596 Words   |  7 Pages Addiction is a condition that results when a person takes in a substance that can make you feel great for a certain amount of time, but when the continued use/act of which becomes compulsive and interferes with ordinary life. How do you know when you are addicted to something? Is it a choice or just an effect? What most people do not understand, is that no one really chooses to be an addict. Being addicted to something such as drugs, alcohol, food, etc., is not due to someone waking up one day andRead MoreDrug Addiction : Today s Society945 Words   |  4 PagesDrug addiction is one major problem in today’s society. Really, every country faces such issues today. A ton of measures are taken to battle against medication misuse, and, certainly, a few improvements are obvious. Nonetheless, this issue is not dispensed with and, maybe, will never be. Today, Americans are losing their employments, families, and even their lives over the misuse. There are a considerable measure of le gal drugs that Americans are dependent on, yet there are additionally a great dealRead MoreSociety s Addiction On Social Media Buzz Essay1124 Words   |  5 PagesAlana Clemente Caruso Writing 105 5 December 2016 M3 Final Society’s Addiction on Social Media Buzz Throughout the past few years, society has become more and more technologically advanced. Whether it be a cell phone, tablet, computer, television or any other device, most people have some sort of technology. With technology comes social media and social buzz. Everything people do, adult or teenager, can be linked with social connections. A simple tweet or Facebook status can be posted in a secondRead MoreAddiction Is Prevalent Within The Current Society. People1632 Words   |  7 PagesAddiction is prevalent within the current society. People are becoming more susceptible towards addiction. If an addiction to something is heritable within a family, it is often than to the new generation. There are many factors that play a role in addictions. The BPS Plus model includes biological, psychological, social, cultural and spiritual dimensions to help understand addiction. In this essay, I will be focusing on the addiction to alcohol and how it effects the lives of alcoholics, using exa mples