Paper_on_Addiction

. Drug Addiction as a Medical Illness Lauren Marrah Communications 220 Chris Fuentes Introduction The use of a controlled substance to modify mood or behavior is generally accepted in society these substances include everything from Tylenol to heroin, and even coffee like energy drinks. There are many people that engage in these activities socially; however, when these substances become an everyday activity and are needed for normal daily functioning, unaware to the daily programming, substance abuse has occurred leading the addict to continue with this daily ritual without knowledge of what is truly occurring. This pre-programmed addiction becomes like unawareness of the continued abuse. Equally important are the occurrences that infect the most complex organ in the human body, the brain. “Addiction should be considered an incurable disease in current society, and most accurately should be classified as a medical illness that requires treatment and counseling to cure”. Controversies over drugs and the effects they have physically, mentally, and emotionally have been around for centuries. Some argue the fact that smoking marijuana has no effects on the body. Some also say that other drugs have no long term mental consequences. Now, thanks to hours of studies some answers have come to be exposed showing the true long term health risk on the body and mind. Marijuana is one of the most popular drugs in the world. It is known to many as a way to relax. The effects on the mind and psyche appeal to many musicians and writers because it helps to stimulate creative thoughts to new levels of depth. Its popularity is also well known for it’s medicinal properties being used to control pain and seizures. This drug also imposes numerous negative health effects that include cancer, loss of memory, and euphoric effects. Marijuana also has at least four times as many toxins and cancer chemicals as cigarettes. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) “The United states has the highest substance abuse rate of any industrialized nation Government statistics (1997) show that 36% of the United States population has tried Marijuana, Cocaine, or other illicit types of drugs”,(H.T.Milhorn 1990). Our country needs a serious shift in overall thoughts of how drug addicts should be treated. Incarceration does not work, and has shown in recent history that the addicts in prisons still manage to obtain the drug needed to feed there hunger , and few states have the money or interest to devote to providing treatment for addicts who live in our prison systems, like its there home. In fact statistics revel that many prison systems across our country still do not offer medical treatment for heroin and opiate addictions actually despite the medical and economic benefits a treatment called (ORT) opiate replacement therapy has been over looked and according to Brown university and Center for Prisoner Health and Human rights, there is only half of all federal and state prison systems that actually offer (ORT). While in prison the availability of drugs and the desire to escape leads inmates and addicts to use more and more, and those not exposed to drugs in the outside world are directed towards the new found world of addiction in our prison systems. Prosecutors in many states do have the ability to recommend treatment for drug addicts vs. arrest and conviction. It is unfortunate that many prosecutors are more concerned with their “ win-loss” record and many prosecutors consider conviction as a victory and treatment as a defeat so pushing for a conviction has turned a blind eye to the real problem, that only by convictions we cycle our society of addicts into a house of drugs (our prisons) proving that an addicts pre-programmed addiction is left to fend for he’s/her self with no treatment or help, the addict will only relapse after prison sentences are completed. Drug addiction is a disease that affects behavior. It alters the brain and bodies chemistry for months or even years after a person using has stopped, so relapse is often part of the recovery process. In short detox in jail and prisons are not enough treatment. Treatment should continue and should be treated as a disease even after there sentence is Completed, offering other sources for treatment will only help the addict to succeed on there newly found of rehabilitation for there crimes and there addictions. According to (Nestler, Eric j. Dec2011) “ Research has suggested that drug abuse can contribute to mental illness by adding or removing genetic marks on chromosomes”. This study showed that when a drug is introduced into the normal cycle of the brains daily function, alterations occur to the genetic make up of the brain, causing a more of a unknowing ritual of addiction making the person seek out this new found chemical to feed he’s/her addiction without even knowing what has occurred. According to the study there where two brothers that where twins with lives equally the same, both had tried cocaine in collage and one of the brothers was able to break the chains of addiction, the other was consumed by it. With them being twins there genetic make, was exactly the same. The alterations of the switches in the brain and the alterations of the chromosomes (chromosomes being the switches) caused the one of the twins to continue the road of addiction, even though there genetic make up where exactly the same, the genetic alteration caused changes in him causing him to further his addiction and lead him down a road of ruin, while the other broke free of addiction and became a teacher. The Brain. The brain is made up of many parts that all work together as a team. Different parts of the brain are responsible for coordinating and performing specific functions. Drugs on the other hand can alter important brain areas that are necessary for life- sustaining functions. The brain is made of three life sustaining parts the first being the Brain stem which controls basic functions critical to life, such as heart rate, breathing and sleeping. The Limbic system; which contains the brains reward circuits, and links together a number of brain structures that control and regulate our ability to feel pleasure, and the cerebral cortex which is divided into areas that control needed functions. During addiction the main system that is altered is the pleasure system because of the alteration of our pleasure senses this is what encourages us to feed the cycle of addiction unaware. Different areas process information from our senses, enabling us to see, feel, hear, and taste. The front of the cortex, the frontal cortex or forebrain, is the thinking center of the brain; this area is our power source to give us our abilities to process thinking, planning, and solve problems, as well as make decisions. The brain consists of billions of neurons, or nerve cells. These networks of neurons pass messages back and forth to different areas of the brain, and the spinal column, and peripheral nervous system. Additionally the brains chemical receivers, the neurotransmitters attaches to a site on the receiving cell called a receptor. A neurotransmitter and its receptors operate like a “lock and key” , these are the sites that are most effected by the introduction of foreign chemicals or drugs. They work on the brain by tapping into the brain’s communication system and interfering with the way the nerve cells normally send, receive, and process information. Some drugs such as marijuana and heroin, can activate neurons because there chemical structures mimic that of a natural neurotransmitter. This similarity in structure “fools” receptors and allows the drug to lock onto and activate the nerve cells. Although the foreign chemicals of drugs mimic brain chemicals, they don’t activate nerve cells in the same ways as a natural neurotransmitter do, leading to abnormal messages being transmitted through our brains complex network. Other drugs, such as amphetamine or cocaine, can cause nerve cells to release abnormally large amounts of natural neurotransmitters or prevent the normal cycling of the brains normal chemicals. Disruption process produces a greatly amplified message, ultimately disrupting communication channels. “The difference in effect can be described as the difference between a whispering into your ear and someone shouting into a microphone”, (Nora D. Volkow December 2011). Substance abuse among adults and studies of effects of drugs on receptors, have shown us how drugs can change the gene expression and how drugs can change the biochemical makeup of the brain. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter chemical natural in low forms also present in regions of the brain that regulate movement, emotion, cognition, and motivation. The over stimulation of this system, rewards our natural behaviors, producing an euphoric effect sought by people who abuse drugs, this affect teaches them to repeat these behaviors over, and over, with long term damage effecting there ability to function daily. Our brains are wired to ensure that we will repeat life-sustaining activities by associating those activities with pleasure or reward, causing a sense of uncontrollable habit or unknowing knowledge, or second nature towards feeding our addiction proving this newly found rewired process the brain has had to obtain, because of the reconfiguration of the epi-genome. This genetic structure which is normally set to only react towards normal production of our dopamine is altered because of the over stimulation of foreign chemicals. This is the argument of why drug addiction should be recognized as a medical illness such as bi- polar disorder, or other mental health diagnosis. The recognition of this disorder maybe is not as severe as down syndrome or maybe should be recognized as a type of mental health, such as (ADHD) or bi-polar because the brain has been altered in such a way that the addicts brain will never return its normal state of process. Disorders associated with drug addictions are bi-polar disorder, manic depression, and schizophrenia. Drug addiction is complex but treatable disease which mainly affects brain function and behavior. Addicts have a higher risk for relapse with long periods of abstinence which makes it more difficult for treatments to be successful. There is no treatment appropriate for everyone, and this results in causing the treatment to either fail, or succeed. Matching each individual with there sets of problems for treatment is a critical step to succeeding in proper treatment. “One can view this brain disorder as a long-lasting, relapsing pattern of drug seeking and taking with adverse consequences”(Kuhar,Michael, mar2010, vol.5 issue 1, p25-35). Addiction in our family tree Additionally there is considerable evidence proving that the effects of addictions go further then just the addict, but also into maternal substance use. Altering the development of the fetus in mothers who are addicts, as well as father who abuse drugs. This exposure causes alterations in the fetus’s brain causing retardation and behavioral and neurological problems. This leads to problems in childhood, and adulthood proving that addiction can leak into our future society, addiction for these children are recognized as a disorder, and a mental disorder. In addition the cause for addiction penetrates further then just the addicts genome, it also effects there genetic family tree. To alleviate this burden of drug abuse the nations criminal justice systems have developed drug courts or other diversion programs aim at breaking the drug addiction and the crime cycles affiliated with the production of drugs. Although diversion courts have helped on substance abuse the criminal population still seems widespread and the addicts still needing help mentally and physically. These are just a few of the consequences of drug addiction in our society, the large amounts of spending on incarcerations and maintaining prisons, this funding should be applied to more on mental health programs for addiction in order to open a more broad spectrum of treatments, to eliminate the growth of addiction and prevent it from infecting our future society. Conclusion Drug addiction is a complex disease that should be seen more as a medical illness or condition. Because of the complexity and alterations that occur during substance abuse. This consequently causes psychological and sociological disorders given inconclusive evidences that recognizing drug addiction as medical disorder would encourage better, treatments saving our selves heartache, and government money. Identification of drug abuse is a difficult first step on the road to recovery. Equally important are the programs available for addictions and substance abuse. State programs like Medicaid health programs that cover some mental health issues should be offered more funding to extend and make better secure programs to attend not only for the addicts but also counseling for there families. On the other hand following in the foot steps of drug studies like Canada and parts of Europe, where substance abuse is treated like a health condition and local parks and clinics provide the much needed substance, which is calibrated into daily doses has helped substance abusers to live better lives . In these unorthodox ideas these countries have lessoned crimes and decreased violence to all-time lows. Whether or not these are options in United States, these ideas have lessoned violence. Maybe these ideas are not suitable in our country and possibly other countries, but these ideas should be looked at and examined for ideas to develop better substance abuse programs to strengthen our country, and our communities, providing assistance to our children giving a more stable future, and restoring faith to America the land of opportunity. “The power to overcome addiction lies in the belief that it is possible, combined with consistent strength of spirit” (W.W. 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