University Gerardo barrios

School of arts and sciences

Professor: Douglas Barquero Elias

Career: English B.D. A

Subject: oral and written expression in English II

Student name: Auda Osiris Orellana Ramirez

I.D.S.N. usli021514

Topic: Addiction by drugs




Date: 08/29/2014

What is drug addiction?
Addiction is defined as a chronic relapsing brain disease characterized by
compulsive seeking and drug use, despite harmful consequences. It is
considered a brain disease because drugs change the brain: they change its
structure and how it works. These changes can be long lasting and lead to the
harmful behaviors seen in people who abuse drugs.
Why do people take drugs?
In general, people begin to use drugs for different reasons:
To feel good. Most abused drugs produce intense feelings of pleasure. This
initial sensation of euphoria is followed by other effects, which differ
according to the type of drug used. For example, with stimulants such as
cocaine, the "high" or euphoria is followed by feelings of power, self-
confidence and increased energy. In contrast, the euphoria caused by opiates
such as heroin is followed by feelings of relaxation and satisfaction.
To feel better. Some people who suffer from social anxiety, stress-related
disorders or depression begin abusing drugs in an attempt to lessen feelings
of distress. Stress can play a major role in determining if someone starts or
continues to abuse drugs and relapses in patients who are recovering from
addiction.
To do better. The need some people feel to improve their athletic or
cognitive performance with chemicals may play a similar role in initial
experimentation and continued drug abuse.
Curiosity and "because others do." In this respect adolescents are
particularly vulnerable because of the strong influence of the pressure on
them from their friends and peers. It is more likely, for example, engage in
daring or challenging behaviors.
If the drug makes people feel good or better, what's the problem?
At first, some people perceive what seem to be positive effects with drug use.
They also believe they can control their use. However, drugs can quickly take
over their lives. Consider how a social drinker intoxicated you can get in a
car and quickly turn a pleasurable activity into a tragedy for him and for
others. Over time, if drug use continues, pleasurable activities become less
pleasurable, and drug abuse becomes necessary for users to simply feel
"normal." People who abuse drugs come to a point in seeking and use drugs
despite the tremendous problems caused for themselves and their loved
ones. Some people start to feel the need to take increasingly stronger and
more frequent doses, even in the early stages of their drug use.
Is continued drug abuse a voluntary behavior?
Usually, the initial decision to use drugs is voluntary. However, when it
becomes abuse, the individual's ability to exercise self-control becomes
extremely poor. Imaging studies of the brain of addicts show physical
changes in areas of the brain critical to judgment, decision making, learning,
memory and behavior control. Scientists believe that these changes alter the
way the brain works and can explain the compulsive and destructive
behaviors of addiction.
What determines a person will become addicted?
No single factor can predict whether someone will become addicted to drugs.
The overall risk for addiction is impacted by the biological makeup of the
individual and may be influenced by sex or ethnicity of the person or the
stage of development where they are and by their social environment (eg,
conditions in home, at school and in the neighborhood).
What biological factors increase the risk of addiction?
Scientists believe that genetic factors, including changes caused by the
environment in their expression and function, are between 40 and 60
percent of the vulnerability to addiction. Adolescents and people with mental
disorders are at increased risk for drug abuse and addiction than the general
population.
What environmental factors increase the risk of addiction?
Photo of a group of children
Home and family. The influence of the home environment is usually most
important in childhood. Parents or older family members who abuse alcohol
or drugs, or who engage in criminal behavior, can increase the risk for
children to develop their own drug problems.
Peers and school. The "known" friends are those who have the greatest
influence in adolescence. Peers who abuse drugs can convince even the guys
who have no risk factors to try drugs for the first time. The poor academic
performance or lack of good social skills can put a child at greater risk for
drug abuse.
What other factors increase the risk of addiction?
Consumption early. Although taking drugs at any age can lead to addiction,
research shows that the earlier a person begins to use drugs, the more likely
to progress to more serious abuse. This may be a reflection of the harmful
effects that drugs have on the brain in the development phase; can also result
from a variety of early vulnerabilities, both biological and social, including
genetic susceptibility, mental illness, unstable family relationships, and
exposure to physical or sexual abuse. Still, the fact remains that early use is a
strong indicator of future problems, including substance abuse and
addiction.
Method of administration. Smoking a drug or injecting it into a vein
increases its addictive potential. Drugs that are smoked or injected into the
brain within seconds, producing an intense rush of pleasure. However, this
"high" or intense euphoria can disappear in minutes, taking the abuser down
to lower, more normal levels. It is a contrast that is strongly felt and
scientists believe that this feeling drives individuals to repeated drug abuse
in an attempt to capture the pleasurable state again
The brain continues to develop into adulthood and undergoes dramatic
changes during adolescence.

One of the brain areas still maturing during adolescence is the prefrontal
cortex, the part of the brain that allows us to assess situations, make sound
decisions and keep our emotions and desires under control. The fact that this
critical part of the adolescent brain is still a work-in increases the risk of
making bad decisions (such as trying drugs or continued abusndolas).
That's why if drugs are introduced when the brain is still developing may
have profound and long-lasting consequences.