Addiction- Abstract

For my project, I am focusing on addiction. More specifically, I’m focusing on the role parents play in the prevention of addiction. One of the most important parts of preventing addiction is not D.A.R.E or programs at school for the children. It’s so vital for parents to have a good connection with their children and to be talking to them and having open, nonjudgmental conversations with their children about drugs prior to them being introduced to them. “School and community programs that educate adolescents about the devastating consequences of addiction can reduce the numbers of teens likely to try cigarettes, alcohol, or drugs. But specialists emphasize that families play a major role in preventing addiction. Families that nurture strong bonds between parents and children, that emphasize parental involvement in children’s activities, that set clear and reasonable limits, and that consistently enforce discipline are creating conditions likely to prevent a child from abusing drugs.” (“Addiction”)

            My first source is called “The Science of Addiction”. From this article, I learned about what addictions are and the affect they have on the brain. “’Addictions,’ says Joseph Franscella, director of the division of clinical neuroscience at the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), ‘are repetitive behaviors in the face of negative consequences, the desire to continue something you know is bad for you.’” The next article, titled “Behavioral Addictions” taught me about impulse control disorders. These include more than just substance abuse and include many other types of addictions. “…An impulse generally involves urges that produce a strong drive to perform the behavior, which may feel good at the time but ultimately produces regret…” Last, is an article called “Addiction” which taught me about the process of addiction. It also briefly mentioned how parents can help with prevention, which I quoted in the first paragraph. Another valuable source is my mother, who is an addictions counselor.

            I believe that addiction can in many ways be prevented. Programs designed to teach parents how to talk to their children and how to act with their children will help with this because parents will learn their vital role in preventing their children from experimenting with drugs later on in their lives. The stronger a parent-child relationship is, the less likely it will be that their children will develop dangerous addictions later in life. I plan to somehow communicate with the elementary schools and persuading them to develop some programs that will do some of these things and teach the parents of their students about their role in prevention, the variety of addictions that their children can develop, how important it is for them to create safe and healthy environments for their kids while growing up, and what they can do to help.

Addiction- Post 3 ("Addiction")

After reading this article, I think that the real issue with addiction is teaching children and teenagers the benefits of sobriety. Most teens will try drugs and it's difficult for anyone to stop them. But, I think that what schools need to stress instead of what drugs will do to a person is what can be accomplished by not doing drugs. The main people that can prevent children and teenagers from becoming addicts are parents. "Schools and community programs that educate adolescents about the devestating consequences of addiction can reduce the number of teens likely to try cigarettes, alcohol, or drugs. But specialists emphasize taht families play a major role in preventing addiction. Families that nurture strong bonds between parents and children, that emphasize parental involvement in children's acitivities, that set clear and reasonable limits, and that consistently enforce discipline are creating conditions likely to prevent a child from abusing drugs." This seems to be a very accurate assumption, becuase it seems that those with strong and close families are less likely to want to try drugs because they don't really feel the need to or they don't want to hurt or upset their family. But, those who are from broken or distant families don't feel that either anyone will care or that anyone will stop them from becoming addicted to drugs. I think that instead of the programs that are at school now, we need more people talking to parents about their role in their children's vulnerability to addiciton. The article also meantions advertisments and the media's role in the prevention of addiction. But, I think that the bigger issue is how the media makes drugs and alcohol seem fun, exciting, and harmless. Actors, actresses, and music artists are shown addicted to drugs or trying them. This provides negative role models for children and adolescents instead of positive ones that prove that sobriety can help an individual acheive much more than drugs and alcohol can. I know that without my sober parents, I would have a much more difficult time being sober because I wouldn't have anyone to look up to. So many teens are expereimenting with drugs and don't realize the affect that they are having on one another and their parents don't see that by passively allowing their children to do drugs they are encouraging their negative behavior. As I said in other posts, everyone has the potential to become an addict. But, everyone also has the potential to prevent addiction for both themselves and those around them. I think it's okay to try new things and maybe experiement with drugs, but if it gets to the point of addiction, there's no turning back. Everyone needs to help each other on the road to sobriety and recovery instead of dragging one another further down a hole of self- destruction and substance abuse.

Addiction- Post 2 ("The Science of Addiction")

"'Addictions,' says Joseph Frascella, director of the division of clinical neuroscience at the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), 'are repetitive behaviors int he face of negative consequences, the desire to continue something that you know is bad for you.'" Everyone has the potential to be an addict. According to this article, due to heredity, some people are more susceptible to becoming addicted to a specific substance such as alcohol. But, no one is immune to becoming addicted. Almost anything enjoyable can turn into an addiction. This is a bit frightening because there are many things that people enjoy and that they do every day. But, once a person is addicted, it's very difficult to turn back. As I've heard before, once an addict always an addict. Even if someone stops drinking or doing their drug of choice or eating compulsively, they are still an addict. This article offers some possibilities for counteracting addictions. For example, doctors have focused on the neurotransmitter dopamine. "The hope is that if you can dampen the effect of the brain chemical that carries the pleasurable signal, you can loosen the drug's hold." Therefore, blocking the D3 interrupts a lot of the drug's affects, according to Fank Vocci. In order to really help an addict recover, it is important to look at the rehabilitation programs available now and their affect on those who attend them. Addictions are so difficult to treat because of the affect their drug usage has had on their brain, and how difficult it is to reverse these changes. "If the damage that lingers in an addict's learning abilities also hangs on in behavioral areas, this could explain why rehabilitation programs that rely on cognitive therapy--teaching new ways to think about the need for a substance and the consequences of using it-- may not always be effective, especailly in the first weeks and months after getting clean. 'Therapy is a learning process,' notes Vocci. 'We are trying to get [addicts] to change cognition and behavior at a time when they are least able to do so.'" Now, evidence is supporting the 90-day rehabilitation model becuase it is just about how long it takes for the brain to reset itself and shake off the immediate influence of a drug. But despite how healthy an addicts brain may look eventually, the author stresses that they will always be in recovery and will never lose their vulnerability to their drug of choice.

Addiction- Post 1 ("Behavioral Addictions")

Most people like to be in control of themselves. But, imagine if that is not possible? For 8-35 millioni people suffering from an impulse control disorder and therefore a behavioral addiction, this is their reality. Impulse control disorders are "manifested by an inability to control the frequency or extent of a certain behavior or the impulsive urges that cause the behavior." (Hollen) There are many impulse control disorders, including compulsive computer use, compulsive shopping, self-injury, intermittent explosive disorder, kleptomania, pathological gambling, pyromania, sexual addiction, and trichotillomania. Eating disorders such as bulimia, anorexia, and obesity may also fall into this category. The biggest issue I see with these disorders are the fact that they are uncontrollable. It is so important for one to have some degree of self-control. Those suffereing from an impulse control disorder or behavioral addiction are not able to control the behaviors they participate in. Another issue is that so many cases are unrecognized, undiagnosed, or misdiagnosed. More often than not, individuals choose not to report their behavior because they are ashamed of it or when they go to a doctor they are diagnosed with depression and/or anxiety disorders. Though mental disorders and addictive behaviors "feed off of one another" (Hollen), it is important that the patient is diagnosed with both if both are present and treat each disease instead of just one. The last issue presented by this article that accompanies impulse control disorders are that "roughly 50 percent of people diagnosed with impulse control disorders also have a history of substance abuse." (Hollen) This is yet another problem with the disease becuase it adds on more addictions and also allows treatment for the substance abuse and not the impulse control disorder. I think that I will look into how these addictions are hidden, and how to break through the walls that society has created that makes individuals ashamed of their addictions and habitual behaviors and instead figure out at as soon as possible how to treat them.