Once an addict always an addict?

Tuesday, February 21st, 2012 at 8:22 pm

At this point, everything is purely speculation, but with the recent death of Whitney Houston, there is reason to believe that yet another star has died because of an addiction to legal drugs. These days, it is not the drugs that are bought in a dark alley from the local thug that is killing people, it is those that are being purchased from the corner drugstore.

With that said, let’s take a look at what addiction really is.

Addiction is a craving for something. It can be a drug, it can be food or a number of other things depending on what you believe. It actually causes a change that can be measured in the brain. There are 3 parts to the addiction, the first is the anticipation. Most people, even if they are not an addict have an anticipation that activates the area of the brian that is responsible for anticipating crazving something. The second part is the reward of actually having the subject that makes you feel good. Dopamine, a feel good hormone is flooding the brain and you are in sort of a state of euphoria.

After that point, is where the difference comes in. For the addict, their brain starts to tone back down much quicker and they do not enjoy that state of euphoria as long as a normal brain. Because an addicts brain is not neccessarily satisfied, they go back for more.

Who is more likely to become an addict?

There are a few factors that play roles in who becomes an addict. The first is genetics. I both of your parents are addicts, then it is a very good likelihood that you will also become an addict. Another is psychological. If a person has other issues such as depression, then addiction is also a likely scenario. The third is the social component. If you are around addicts,and have the subject of your addiction readily available to you, then that also increases the likelihood that you will become an addict.

Just like a lot of things, there are tons of ways to treat addiction. Some people treat it as a brain disease. There are medicines being developed that help an addict experience the state of euphoria longer. Since part of an addicts problem is usually his or her environment, a lot of emphaisis is usually placed on changing the environment and having a support group.

My reason for writing ths article is not to be judgmental. Regardless of how she died, Whitney Houston was a great talent and will be missed. R.I.P, we will always love you.