Confronting the Abyss of Addiction
Written By: Arman Momeni
Addiction has become synonymous with “weakness,” a common misconception which has arisen in recent years. However, addiction, whether it’s related to substances or certain behaviours, is a phenomenon that lies far more profound in our cognition.
People with addiction generally find themselves losing control over their actions; it’s not a choice but rather an innate response that arises from the craving for drugs, alcohol, or other substances – regardless of the cost.
It is essential to understand the biology behind addiction to help us answer a critical question. Why is it so hard to quit?
Many believe that addiction is merely a choice, a problem related to our morality, and anyone can easily quit whenever they want. But addiction alters our brains. Addiction being a choice could not be further from the truth. Addiction can destroy and take over certain critical parts of our brain that are crucial to our survival.
When we do healthy behaviours, such as eating well, spending time with friends, and working out, our brain rewards us, switching on circuits that result in a positive feeling. This positive feeling acts as a motivation to repeat those behaviours. However, at the hands of a substance, our brain’s standard wiring is altered, and these brain processes can begin to hinder us rather than work for us. Alcohol and other drugs hijack the pleasure circuit in our brains and make us desperately crave more. Addiction also manipulates the brain, sending signals that make you feel anxious or stressed.
Repeated use of drugs also damages the essential decision-making area of our brain. Once one enters the anxiety and stress stage of the process, people often use drugs or alcohol to keep from feeling destructive rather than the possible pleasurable effects.
Scientists don’t understand why some people become victims of addiction while others do not. Addiction tends to run through genetics, and certain types of genes have been linked to different forms of addiction.
Additionally, a person’s environment, including influences from people’s families to their friends to their economic status, can influence one’s susceptibility to addiction. One’s environment can open the pathway to peer pressure, physical or sexual abuse, stress, and early exposure to drugs, stress, and parental abuse.
Teens are especially endangered by addiction because their brains are not fully developed. Teens’ pleasure circuits operate in overdrive, which makes the use of drugs and alcohol more enticing.
Treating addiction is a complicated process – there is no cure. However, addiction is treatable and manageable. Research studies indicate that the most efficient way to treat addiction is by combining treatment medicines with behavioural therapy. Additionally, education is a crucial outlet in helping people understand the risks of substance use. Personal events and cultural factors affect drug use trends, but when adolescents view drugs as harmful, the probability of them indulging in substances decreases.
Works Cited
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2017, September 8). Biology of addiction. National Institutes of Health. https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2015/10/biology-addiction
Harvard Health Publishing. (2017, June 19). What is addiction? Harvard Health Blog. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/what-is-addiction-2-2017061914490
Harvard Health Publishing. (2017, June 19). What is addiction? Harvard Health Blog. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/what-is-addiction-2-2017061914490
