Vunak 1

Reagan Vunak

ENG 1201

Joyce Barnes

19 March 2022

There are a lot of statistics surrounding addiction. When they are random numbers on a piece of

paper you forget each of those are a person. ̈There are approximately 20 million individuals in

the U.S. with a substance use disorder." (Bergman) I know what addiction looks like from a first

person perspective. My life changed due to addiction. On my 12 birthday there was a knock on

my door. I had just come from playing 3 softball games and I was tired but so excited because

my family and my best friend were over to celebrate my big day. I opened the door and saw my

Dad. My Mom and Dad had been divorced for years. He came over to wish me a Happy

Birthday. When I saw him I was so confused. He looked skinny and pale and had dark circles

around his eyes. After he left I went and asked my mom if everything was okay because it

looked like he was sick. My mom told me she had no idea. A couple of months later I found out

that he was a drug addict and had been struggling with addiction for many years. That is why I

decided to research addiction. I have seen the negative outcomes like losing your job, lying to

and alienating your family, and stealing. My Father went through all of these. I also wanted to

know what caused it and how I could prevent myself from struggling with drugs like my Father.

I worry about having this disease inside me and the most difficult part is it is not considered the

same as other diseases that run in families because it is considered by most as a choice. There is
no single cause of addiction. Many factors contribute to the development of an addiction. These

include Biological factors and Environment factors.

My main question when starting my research for this paper was ¨What are the physical and

mental causes associated with becoming addicted to drugs or alcohol?¨ I first looked at what it

means to be addicted. One article had a list of features of addiction.

● ¨ The substance or activity is used in larger amounts or for a longer period or time than

was intended.

● There is a desire to cut down on use or unsuccessful efforts to do so.

● Pursuit of the substance or activity, or recovery from its use, consumes a significant

amount of time.

● There is a craving or strong desire to use the substance or engage in the activity.

● Use of the substance or activity continues despite the social or interpersonal problems it

causes.

● Participation in important social, work, or recreational activities drop or stops.

● Use occurs in situations where it is physically risky.

● Use continues despite knowing it is causing or exacerbating physical or psychological

problems.

● Tolerance occurs, indicated either by need or markedly increased amounts of the

substance to achieve the desired effect or markedly diminished effect of the same amount

of substance.

● Withdrawal occurs, manifest either in the presence of physiological withdrawal

symptoms or the taking of a related substance to block them.¨ (Peele, 2013)

 I then researched what people can be addicted to. This really interests me because I worry

about getting addicted to activities that most people would consider healthy but could be harmful

if they are in excess. The substances that people most commonly develop addictions to are.

● ¨Alcohol Use Disorder: Alcohol is brain depressant and alcohol use disorder is common,

although more so among adult men (12.4 percent) than women (4.9 percent). Most

commonly, the disorder develops well before age 40.

● Caffeine Intoxication

● Cannabis Use Disorder: Cannabis use disorder is highest among 18-to29-year-olds.

● Phencyclidine and Other Hallucinogen Use Disorder: These substances alter perception.

● Inhalant Use Disorder:

● Opioid Use Disorder: Opioid drugs include the illicit drug heroin and prescriptions pain-

relievers such as oxycodone, codeine, morphine, and fentanyl, among others. This is the

category of my Dad's addiction. He was a nurse and had a back injury from lifting

patients. He was prescribed pain relievers and became addicted.

● Sedative, Hypnotic, or Anxiolytic Use Disorder: Addiction to sleeping pills and anti-

anxiety medications fall into his category.

● Stimulant Use Disorder: Substances in this group include amphetamines;

methylphenidate, ritalin, and cocaine.

● Tobacco Use Disorder: The nicotine in tobacco acts as a central nervous system

stimulant.

Most people have opinions on what are the causes of addiction and if it is possible to recover

from addiction. Research shows that there are many causes for addiction. There is evidence that

addictive behaviors share key neurobiological features: They intensely involve brain pathways of
reward and reinforcement, which involve the neurotransmitter dopamine (Peele, 2013) Two main

categories are Biological and Environmental. Biological factors include genes such as

neurotransmitters and hormone responses. Physiological factors including how one metabolizes

liver enzymes which can increase the chance of alcohol disorders. Gender can influence

substance abuse; men have higher rates. Personality factors like one's impulse control and ability

to manage stress. Trauma and abuse can contribute to the likelihood of developing an addiction.

Mental health factors contribute to the risk of addiction including depression, anxiety, attention

deficit disorder, and posttraumatic stress disorder.

Environmental factors include Family factors, a strong family can decrease addiction risk but

having addiction in your family can increase risk of addiction. Accessibility factors like having

easy access can increase risk of addiction.

A lot of research also addresses the symptoms of addiction and the recurrent use of a substance

or with the activity the person is addicted to. Positive social relationships are known to strongly

protect against substance use. Another symptom is employment status, having a job and working

with colleagues to mitigate addiction risk.

A lot of websites talked about recovery and treatment of addiction. Many of the articles said

that it is entirely possible to beat addiction and have complete remission. ¨In the United States,

9.1% or 22.35 million adults have resolved a substance use problem.¨ (Bergman) Addiction

recovery is a long term process and will have many ups and downs and many people with

addiction relapse and

have to start the process all over again. My Father has gone through this many times. He has

been court ordered into treatment and done some voluntary treatment. He has relapsed many
times. In my research I came across many articles that provided a lot of information about the

steps of recovery. The most common are

● Detoxification, conducted under medical supervision, may be needed but is only the first

stage of treatment.

● Medications that reduce or counter use of illicit substances are suitable for some

individuals, or medications may be used to target co-occurring disorders such as anxiety

and depression.

● Motivational interviewing, which is a short-term counseling process to help a person

resolve ambivalence about treatment and find and hold onto incentives for change.

● Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) can help a person recognize and cope with situations

that trigger the desire to use substances.

● Group therapy and other peer-support programs leverage the direct experience of many to

support individual recovery and prevent the recurrence of substance use.

● Family therapy helps individuals repair any damage done to family relationships and to

establish more supportive ones.

● Life skills training, including employability skills, may be part of an individual's

progress.¨ (Peele, 2013)

Many of the articles covered settings that people can recieve treatment. These include doctorś

office, outpatient clinics, or long term facilities. When deciding which setting is right for an

individual, look for the following: do patients go through medical and psychiatric screening,

does treatment address individual needs, family involvement, continuity of care, respectful

environment, staff licensed, accredited program, and outcome data available. Another significant

topic found in addiction research is rehabilitation versus punishment. There is a shift from
rehabilitation to a punishment orientation in the U.S. legal system. (Benson, 2003) The

proportion of articles focused on treatment / intervention and professional issues published in

2013-2017 was only half of that noted in 1998-2012, (MacInerney, 2020)

There is no single cause of addiction. Many factors contribute to developing an addiction

including both biological and environmental factors. Recovery and full remission is possible

using various rehabilitation steps and rehabilitation settings. Increased awareness of causes,

symptoms, and a return to a rehabilitation focus is what is needed to reduce the growing problem

of addiction.

Other people argue that addiction is not truly a disorder or disease, that it is strictly a choice.

That there are no biological factors that it is just a series of bad life choices. My research

confirmed there are in fact many factors that contribute to addiction. Watching my dad being a

successful nurse and having four kids, a beautiful wife and a nice home. To none of his friends'

family talking to him because he has stolen money from them or taken advantage of their

relationship. Is something I know that no one would choose if they had those two opinions. So

saying that drugs are a choice is wrong. It is a terrible situation that happens but the person who

forms this addiction is not choosing to throw their life away. That is why I wanted to learn about

addiction and what it does to the mind and body.

In conclusion, I choose the topic of addiction because it is very personal to me and my family.

We have been touched by addiction. I was looking for answers to my questions on what causes

addiction and how I might avoid it. I can not do anything about my genes and research does

show there is a genetic component, but I feel good about the family factor. I know my parents are

divorced which is a factor my Father did not have. His parents are still happily married. I have a

very happy family with a lot of family support and love. I was also very lucky to have a step
father that is there for me. After my research I found there is no single cause of addiction but

recovery is possible so on a personal note my research made me have hope that my dad may find

his way to recovery.