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Addiction is a Brain Disease Essay

Section 1

Leshner, A. I. (1997). Addiction is a brain disease, and it matters. Science, 278(5335), 45-47.

Addiction is a chronic, relapsing problem caused by drugs’ long-term effects on the brain, according to scientific breakthroughs in the past 20 years. The authors stress that addiction’s behavioral and social-context features make it more than a psychological issue. Recognizing addiction as a brain condition can lower health and social costs, the authors say. Addiction is a chronic, recurrent problem caused by long-term drug use, according to the authors. Addiction encompasses behavioral and social-context characteristics, making it more than a psychological issue. Addiction as a brain condition can minimize health and social costs, they say.

Satel, S., & Lilienfeld, S. O. (2014). Addiction and the brain-disease fallacy. Frontiers in psychiatry, 4, 141.

Addiction isn’t a brain disorder, say the authors. The idea that addiction is a “brain disease” is false, they say. The brain-disease concept ignores choice, the ability to respond to incentives, and the fact that people use drugs for reasons. To understand addiction and provide the best therapy, they feel a broader view of the addict’s problems is necessary. Addiction is not a “brain disease,” they maintain and can be treated in different ways. The writers believe addiction is too complex for a single model or hypothesis. They say the brain-disease model is restricted and incomplete. They argue that addiction should be approached from many angles.

Heilig, M., MacKillop, J., Martinez, D., Rehm, J., Leggio, L., & Vanderschuren, L. J. (2021). Addiction as a brain disease revised: why it still matters, and the need for consilience. Neuropsychopharmacology46(10), 1715-1723.

The authors contend that both addiction and the ability to change behavior emerge from the brain. Addiction is a neurological problem impacted by biological and hereditary factors, according to scientists. Denial that addiction is a brain disease hinders access to healthcare and treatment, which can be devastating. Addiction modifies brain structures and functions, making it a neurobiological phenomenon, say the authors. They contend that recognizing addiction as a brain disorder is key to creating successful therapies. Even individuals with comparable addiction characteristics might have different brain profiles, they suggest, proving that addiction is a brain illness. The authors argue that addiction is a brain disorder and should be explored neuroscientifically to generate better therapies and preventative techniques.

Section 2

The brain disease theory of addiction proposes that addiction is a chronic, progressive disease that is characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use, despite the negative consequences associated with this behavior (Lewis., 2018). This theory has been used to explain why many people are unable to control or stop their addictive behavior despite the negative consequences, as well as why some people are more prone to addiction than others. To treat addiction using the brain disease theory, two therapeutic options that can be employed are cognitive-behavioral therapy and pharmacological treatment. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is a type of psychotherapy that focuses on identifying and changing distorted thinking patterns and behaviors that have been associated with addiction CBT seeks to teach individuals skills and strategies to better manage their addiction and cravings, as well as to change their negative beliefs and behaviors. The goal of CBT is to help individuals identify and modify the thoughts and behaviors that have been associated with their addiction and replace them with healthier ones. CBT can be used to help individuals become aware of the thoughts and behaviors that are associated with their addiction, as well as to help them develop new, healthier coping skills to better manage their addiction and cravings.

Section 3

Addiction as a brain illness is a debatable topic. Growing research supports this idea in recent years. Addiction is the inability to stop doing something despite negative consequences. Research has linked various addiction variables to brain alterations. ADHD can co-occur with addiction, proving it’s a brain disorder (ADHD). ADHD is linked to substance abuse, according to research. ADHD sufferers have trouble regulating their actions and emotions. They may turn to drugs or alcohol to manage their symptoms.

ADHD patients have trouble controlling impulses and making decisions, which raises their risk of addiction. Depression can co-occur with addiction, proving it’s a brain disorder. Depression causes sadness and a bad mood. Depression makes people twice as likely to develop an addiction, possibly because they self-medicate with narcotics. Depression co-occurring with addiction demonstrates that both conditions may be caused by brain abnormalities.

Addicts may have bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder causes mood and behavior swings. Bipolar people are more likely to engage in impulsive activities and self-medicate with drugs or alcohol, according to research. Bipolar disorder and addiction co-occurring reveal that both conditions are caused by brain abnormalities. Several co-occurring diseases show that addiction is a brain disorder (Blum et al., 2022). ADHD, depression, and bipolar are included. All these illnesses are linked to brain alterations, suggesting addiction is a brain disease. Evidence implies that addiction is caused by uncontrollable brain alterations.

References

Leshner, A. I. (1997). Addiction is a brain disease, and it matters. Science, 278(5335), 45-47.

Satel, S., & Lilienfeld, S. O. (2014). Addiction and the brain-disease fallacy. Frontiers in psychiatry, 4, 141.

Heilig, M., MacKillop, J., Martinez, D., Rehm, J., Leggio, L., & Vanderschuren, L. J. (2021). Addiction as a brain disease revised: why it still matters, and the need for consilience. Neuropsychopharmacology46(10), 1715-1723.

Lewis, M. (2018). Brain change in addiction as learning, not disease. New England Journal of Medicine379(16), 1551-1560.

Blum, K., Bowirrat, A., Baron, D., Badgaiyan, R. D., Thanos, P. K., Elman, I., … & Gold, M. S. (2022). Understanding That Addiction Is a Brain Disorder Offers Help and Hope. Health14(6), 684-695.