Psychological Factors of Addiction Essay - 1096 Words

The basis for addiction can be assigned to a combination of social, physiological and psychological aspects. Social factors highlight the fundamental tendency for humans to interact and form social groups which contributes to the commencement of addiction. The intricacy of the human brain has slowed the understanding of physiological and psychological factors, however experts agree the neurotransmitter dopamine is instrumental to explaining the cause of addiction and ascertaining successful pathways to assist addicted individuals. Analysing addiction within the domain of methamphetamine use provides an insight to the causes and potential treatment strategies for these individuals. There is no single treatment for methamphetamine addiction,†¦show more content†¦Ultimately, these factors contribute to the development of methamphetamine-abuse but also provide tangible strategies to counteract addiction. Boshears et al. (2011) suggest methamphetamine-users separate from existing social networks that encourage consumption and discover new networks that support cessation of drug-use. However, many methamphetamine addicts would be forced to disassociate from immediate family or be required to terminate employment which create limitations due to the impracticality of these changes. Evidently, social determinants contribute to methamphetamine addiction, however successful treatment can only occur in conjunction with the attenuation of significant physiological and psychological factors. The complexity of the human brain creates mystery when determining the influence of neurophysiological factors and their role in the process of addiction. There is a proposed relationship between drug addiction and the mesolimbic dopamine system, with the mesolimbic pathway from the ventral tegmental area to the nucleus accumbens considered the ‘reward centre’ of the human brain (Alcohol Rehab, 2011). A release of dopamine is necessary for ‘reward’ which is hypothesised to initiate the addiction cycle by providing positive reinforcement for drug self-administration (Feltenstein See, 2009). Methamphetamine triggers the release of dopamine from synaptic vesicles which flood the synaptic cleft activating feelings of euphoria, well-beingShow MoreRelated Psychological and Sociological Factors in Smoking Addiction 2475 Words   |  10 PagesPsychological and Sociological Factors in Smoking Addiction Understanding the habit of smoking tobacco The essay will discuss how smoking tobacco became a habit among people; what are the factors that affect the thinking of individuals in experimenting tobacco smoking; and what makes them think of quitting smoking. It will address both psychological and sociological ideas and will attempt to apply each idea in order to understand people’s lifestyles. Introduction Tobacco is a green and leafyRead MoreDiscuss the Importance and Interplay of Social, Psychological and Biological Factors in the Course of Heroin Addiction. What Therapeutic Approaches Can Be Used to Treat This Form of Drug Dependence?1583 Words   |  7 PagesDiscuss the importance and interplay of social, psychological and biological factors in the course of heroin addiction. What therapeutic approaches can be used to treat this form of drug dependence? Heroin exerts its main effects through psychological mechanisms of action, the user feels a sense of great warmth and well-being and views the world with greatly reduced anxiety and emotional distress. These feelings last for a relatively short period of time of around 4-6 hours. With repeated useRead MoreAlcohol And Drug Addiction Among People Of Different Ages861 Words   |  4 Pagesdrug addiction are two important topics in today’s society. Alcohol and drug addiction affects people of different ages with different backgrounds and ethnicities. There are many researches and studies regarding underlying reasons and roots of these issues. Just as many other addictions, these addictions have psychological, biological, and sociological roots to it. This paper will discuss research findings regarding the main points, roots and underlying reasons of alcohol and drug addiction mostlyRead MoreDrug Addiction- Physical vs. Psychological1334 Words   |  6 PagesDrug Policy 28 April 2011 Drug Addiction—Physical vs. Psychological   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Research shows that an individual progresses from using drugs/substances, to being addicted to a drug/substance. This relationship with drugs (either legal or illegal) is complex because specific patterns of progression vary greatly from person to person. The causes of drug/substance use seem to be mainly due to external/social influences, for example peer pressure and abuse/addiction—dependence is essentially the resultRead MoreRehabilitation Of Addiction And Addictive Behaviors Essay914 Words   |  4 Pagesover the topic of treatment modalities, especially as it relates to addiction. Many treatments, models, and theories have claimed success individually when applied to the rehabilitation of addiction and addictive behaviors. In the field of counseling, there are numerous methods that have demonstrated positive results, all with their own benefits and limitations. As time progresses and the field of clinical mental health and ad dictions counseling matures, it appears that more and professional are adoptingRead MoreUnderstanding Sexual Addiction Essay890 Words   |  4 PagesBefore one can begin to understand the complexities of sexual addiction it must be adequately defined. The National Council on Sexual Addiction and Compulsivity has defined sexual addiction as â€Å"engaging in persistent and escalating patterns of sexual behavior acted out despite increasing negative consequences to self and others.† (Herkov) It is important to note that this means that sexual addiction isn’t just the desire to have sex more than normal but also that the addict engages in activitiesRead MoreA critical analysis of the concept of addiction with reference to drug misuse1541 Words   |  7 Pagesanalysing the meaning of the term addiction when used in relation to drug misuse, and assess its merits as a concept for defining drug related behaviour. The key factors will be considered as to why people use drugs on a regular basis and how these factors impact the validity of the overall concept of addiction. Also, I will be looking at what related concepts, such as dependence , imply for our use of addiction as a term to describe regular drug use. The term Addiction is perhaps most commonlyRead MoreConceptualizing Addiction Paper1038 Words   |  5 Pages Conceptualizing Addiction Paper Kristina Lamey May 25, 2015 BSHS/455 David Elkins Conceptualizing Addiction Paper The history of addiction goes back centuries, and unfortunately, there is still a long way to go for people to realize the effects of chemical substances do more harm than good. The difference between drug use and abuse relies heavily on a person’s dependence on the substance. The line between the differences is often very fine. Depending on other factors involved, such asRead MoreThe Biopsychosocial Model Doesn t Rely On One Factor971 Words   |  4 PagesThe biopsychosocial model doesn’t rely on one factor as some of the other theories do. It would appear to be a more suitable means of diagnosing why someone has become addicted, as it has a multifaceted approach which incorporates social, cultural, physical and psychological factors ( Donovan Marlatt, 2005). However one defines addiction, the addicted person has to first start using a substance, and this is where other key factors come in. â€Å"The more easily available that drugs and alcoholRead More Substance Abuse Within the Nursing Profession Essay1230 Words   |  5 Pages As Heise states, substance abuse among nurses a growing problem that is often overlooked by society. Addiction has been a problem in the nursing profession for over one hundred years (as cited in Monroe Kenaga, 2010). According to the American nurses association, it is speculated that 6%-8% of nurses have a drug or alcohol related problem (as cited in Trinkoff Storr, 1998). Substance abuse not only affects the individual abuser, but also can negatively impact those around them, most significantly

The Issue Of Homelessness And School Social Work - 1554 Words

Journal Articles Review SWK 190 Introduction to Social Work Section 01 Lauren Cartwright 2/18/16 Introduction Social work continues to be a necessary and important profession because there are such a wide variety and abundance of social issues that exist in the world today. Among these issues, one of great prevalence is homelessness. Homelessness is an important problem that needs to be directly addressed because it can lead to many other problems as well. Problems such as poor academic performance and malnutrition can arise as a result of homelessness. If the issue of homelessness is improved, many other issues can be improved as well. Two articles that contribute to addressing this issue are Examining Perceived Barriers and†¦show more content†¦The results were obtained through surveys administered in 2010 at a social work conference, with 226 subjects completing the survey in full. The majority of the subjects were female and/or Caucasian, and a most of them had achieved at least an MSW. Fifteen items were listed and the survey asked how much the social worker, on a scale from on e to five, saw the given item as a barrier. The fifteen items included but are not limited to: transience, identification, attendance, communication, personal resources, school administration, community resources, and embarrassment. Other information was gathered such as the level of licensure held, the location the social worker works at, the number of years they have practiced, and their level of awareness about homelessness. The results show that each of the fifteen items was seen as a barrier when dealing with homeless children by the participants of the study. The most widely seen barrier was transience, meaning the students have had to frequently move around a lot, which has hindered their ability to learn. Transience leads to low attendance and is correlated with poor academic performance. (Canfield, 2014) School administration was the closest to being perceived as a facilitator and not a barrier, but was still viewed as a barrier by the

The Impacts of Fast Food free essay sample

The Impacts of Fast Food Fast food can be a cheap, quick meal, but most people do not realize what they are actually getting into. While some may say that the fast food industry has helped the world because it allows people with low incomes or not a lot of time on their hands to be able to get a fast meal, there are plenty of side effects to go along with it. The fast food industry has been developing quickly and has successfully roped in the human race. These restaurants are widely accepted because of their inexpensive food that is extremely addicting. Most people fail to see the other part of the story. In today’s society, fast food seems to be at the top of everyone’s meal list, but at the bottom of his or her concerns. Fast food impacts the economic, agricultural, and health fields. Some people believe that the fast food industry has no bad affects. Even though there are some positive points of it, people should start to also take notice of the negative points. The fast food industry provides jobs for lots of people throughout the world. There are more than 3. 5 million Americans who have been employed with a job in the fast food business (Peterson). This job appeals to lots of people because the employees do not have to be skilled to flip a burger or work a cash register. However, having a job at a fast food restaurant is not always a good thing. With low salaries, the economy cannot improve (Peterson). When there are so many people who have low salaries, nobody is going to be able to afford anything. Susan Peterson, a Ph. D in text theory from the University of Texas, says, â€Å"People work to make money, but what if they are not making enough to get by without help from the government? Susan has a very valid point. If people are not making enough money in their fast food job, how are they going to buy material needs for them or their family? It is great that they have a job and are working to earn some money, but that is not going to solve everything. Robby Kukler, a partner at Atlanta-based 5th-group-restaurants, says, â€Å"We live in a very cost-sensitive industry† (Bowman). Human dependency has played a large role in fast food. When there are so many people who consume fast food regularly, by logic, the industry is going to grow. A survey taken in the beginning of 2013 states that there are about 184, 200 fast food restaurants in America (Burks). Fast food restaurants are meant to be convenient, but when there are so many, too many people eat it too often. In the past forty years, the whole fast food industry has grown from a $6 billion revenue to a $170 billion revenue (Fast Food). Even though that seems like a large amount of time for a small growth, it is not. That is more than $4 billion per year. In 1968, there were only one thousand McDonalds in the United States. Now, there are more than thirty thousand (Cohen). With the rapid growth rate of fast food restaurants, it is just going to get easier and easier for humans to depend on fast food. While fast food affects the economy very heavily, it also impacts thousands of farms all around the country and even the world. Most people do not even know what they are eating when they are consuming fast food. In many places, there are vast amounts of corn and soybeans that become animal feed or ingredients in processed foods (Boyd). As a matter of fact, about 20 percent of the world’s petroleum production goes into the production and transportation of our food (Boyd). Because of this, the food we eat does not come from around the state anymore, but from all around the country or even the world. What people now call â€Å"fresh foods† can come from anywhere. It can be shipped as close as right around the corner, but as far as 1,500 miles away (Garrison). Why would a person want to eat something in which he or she does not know the ingredients or process involved in making it? A typical hamburger contains meat from dozens or even hundreds of different cattle from all around the world (Schlosser). The meat in hamburgers and even chicken nuggets used to come from a few or ever just one cattle (Schlosser). Therefore, if only one cattle is infected with a disease or sickness, there is a good chance that the person who consumes this meat will encounter some of the disease (Schlosser). People should really start to watch what is in the food that they are eating. Most people do not know that in a typical fast food strawberry milkshake, there is a substance used to clean oil rigs (Cohen). This is just one example of people not knowing what is in their food or drink before they consume it. Farms used to be very diverse, growing corn, oats, wheat, hay, fruits, and vegetables (Boyd). To feed a population as large as this one, farming is needed. In America, McDonald’s is the largest purchaser of beef, pork, and also potatoes (Cohen). McDonald’s is also the second largest purchaser of chicken in the United States (Cohen). Without agriculture, the human race would go nowhere in their everyday lives. It is only because of agricultural surpluses that we, as humans, were able to develop science, literature, and all of the other things we like so much (Cohen). We also do not have to fight for survival because farming and agriculture makes it so easy to put dinner on the table and feed people so easily (Cohen). Without agriculture we would not have such an advanced world today.