Addiction

The Wikipedia Free Encyclopedia defines addiction as “a mental or physical disorder proposed to be precipitated by a combination of genetic, biological/pharmacological and social factors.” Being that addiction is usually characterized by the repeated use of substances, many people think of addiction in terms of physical dependency. However, as times change, so has the medical community.

Nowadays, many medical professionals have begun to make a blatant distinction betwixt physical dependence (usually associated with symptoms of withdrawal) and psychological dependence. Not all doctors agree on what addiction is because its definition has traditionally been limited to the ingestion of psychoactive substances that temporarily change the brain’s chemistry. Now, many professionals admit that attention should be paid to psychological dependencies on things like gambling, food, pornography, and sex. The argument still exists, however, because dependencies on these things usually don’t end with symptoms of withdrawal.

There are many explanations for the origins of addiction. There is the moral explanation for addiction which insists that it stems from human weakness and/or character defects. This explanation is usually attached to dependency on illegal substances. The disease explanation of addiction contends that addiction is a disease deeply rooted in the impairment of neurochemical or behavioral processes. The genetic explanation for addiction states that dependency can come from one’s genetic background. It is often said that addiction can “run in the family” and this is explored in the genetic explanation for addiction.

Whatever the cause, there is always help for an addiction. Society is constantly evolving and along with it, so are the methods of dealing with addiction.