Causes of Addiction and Approach to Counteract It
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Causes of Addiction and Approach to Counteract It
Addiction refers to the increased engagement in substance or behavior despite the negative effects that such has on someone. Addiction entailed intense craving for something, loss of control over its use, and continued indulgence irrespective of the related adverse consequences. Addiction alters the normal functioning of the brain in the way it registers pleasure and corrupts other normal drives such as motivation and learning. Thus, addiction is a mental illness that does not manifest spontaneously rather occurs gradually and advances in frequency and intensity (Lloyd, 2004).
In fact, the subject hardly realizes when he/she is being addicted until the symptoms fully manifest themselves. Common types of addiction include addiction to drugs and substances and addiction to pornography. When addiction advances, the subject finds it hard to keep away from the behavior or substance. In fact, addicts function well under the influence of drugs or substances. Though breaking an addiction once it has developed is hard, it can always be done. Therefore, this paper will address the numerous causes and means of combating addiction.
Causes of Addiction
Social Factors
Social factors are incredibly influential and core components of addiction. As children grow, they learn from their peers and grownups the acceptable behaviors in the society. If a child grows up in a society that practices addictive behaviors such as drug abuse and pornography, he/she is liable to becoming addicts of the same. The family plays a vital role in the development of addictive behaviors, as it is the first and closest community that a child encounters thus tries to emulate common behaviors. It is characteristic childhood behavior to a desire to emulate significant adults in the surrounding. In copying such behavior, the children often seek for adult approval. In families where addictions are openly practiced, children in such a family are more disposed to addictions (Lloyd, 2004).
Social learning theory can be used to explain how social factors lead to addiction. Such is a four-stage process that involves attention, memory, imitation, and motivation. First, the potential addict is attracted to people in his/her social circle that are subject to addiction. In the second stage, the person remembers what he observed from the addicts. This is followed by a desire to imitate or practice such behavior, and then the person develops motivation to engage in such behavior.
Psychological Factors
It is a common belief that drugs, substances, and certain compulsive behaviors help people cope with problems in life. Following such illusion, people result into being addicts without their conscience. Psychological factors are common sources of drug and pornographic addiction. For instance, a person may choose to indulge in drugs and pornographic movies to deal with the physical and emotional pain of a broken relationship. The drugs offer illusions that life is normal, even after the break up while the pornographic movies act as a solace for the lost emotional support. The more the person indulges in such activity, the more he/she will feel satisfied, and this will result into addiction (Simmons, 2010).
Biological Factors
Addiction disorder may be hereditary thus passed from one generation to another. Biological attributes exist in the brain is responsible for biological causes of addiction. These include the dopamine pleasure circuit and the prefrontal cortex. In a non-addicted person, the dopamine pleasure circuit is in equilibrium with the prefrontal cortex. However, with the feeling of engaging in drugs or any compulsive behavior, the dopamine pleasure circuit operates in favor of pursuing the activity. Simultaneously, the prefrontal cortex balances such urge by making the subject think of the consequences of such activity. Eventually, the dopamine pleasure circuit overwhelms the prefrontal cortex, thus the individual experiences a decreased capacity to counter the desire for such substance or behavior.
Normally, a person indulges in an addictive behavior out of curiosity or some desire to experiment. Indulge in the activity activates the dopamine pleasure circuit disrupts the body’s natural pleasure pathways. Addictive substances and activities often release more dopamine than the natural body system, thus developing a more powerful artificial reward system. Eventually, the person’s brain system becomes impaired, and the person experiences more hunger for the addictive substance or activity which results in addiction (Simmons, 2010).
Genetic Factors
Researchers have noted that long time addictions are liable to run in the family tree. They have reported that children born to alcoholic parents are four timely probable of becoming addicts unlike their counterparts from non-alcoholic families. In other terms, genetic predisposition for drugs implies that these two parties metabolize drugs and other compulsive behaviors differently. The genetic inheritance operates in a similar manner to the way diseases like high blood pressure, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases are passed in the family tree. Researchers have recently identified numerous large chromosomal regions that are responsible for addictions. The addiction process is quite complicated and thus makes the research process complicated in identifying the genes related to addiction. However, further research has shown that chromosome 17 is responsible for addiction. Researchers also propose that chromosome 6 may be responsible for addiction, though this has not fully ascertained this research (Simmons, 2010).
How to Combat Addiction
The gradual process of becoming an artist is easy as compared to the process of refraining from addictive behavior and activities. This is due to the difficult to forego the satisfaction that comes with such addictive substances and behaviors. For instance, the satisfaction of masturbation that developed after a broken relationship may be hard to forego given the struggle of obtaining a long-term relationship. According to researchers, all types of addiction can be overcome given sufficient time and a willing spirit. The process of refraining from addiction differs in length from one person to another, depending on the willingness and the level of addiction (Steven, 2005).
However, for all types of addiction, the foremost step entails personal acknowledge of addiction and desire to change. The subject ought to admit that they are addicted, addiction is bad for their physical, social, and maybe professional being, and thus it is necessary for them to change. This is often accompanied by rational thoughts on the illusions of addiction. Secondly, a person refraining from addiction has to develop coping skills that are alternative duties and skills that replace addiction. For example, people who resolve into drinking due to idleness can seek to engage in sports to eliminate the desire to drink. Similarly, a person who became an addict to stealing because this was the option to make money can resolve into conducting legal business to generate income as a way of refraining from such addiction (Steven, 2005)
Thirdly, the person ought to identify and refrain from his danger zones. Danger zones are other circumstances, times of the day or places that expose one to addiction activities. During these danger zones, the addict should identify an activity that is incompatible with the addiction. For instance, if one is prone to masturbation just before falling asleep, he/she may resolve to engage in press-ups, which will drain him/her from the excess energy, hence result into sleeping.
Similarly, one has to make relevant lifestyle changes such as changing company, not carrying unbudgeted money, which may tempt one to buying alcohol or cigarettes, or changing places that one frequents, which may be the cause of addiction. The moves that have earlier been discussed lean towards personal effort in the retraining process. However, psychologists and counselors advise that the process of refraining from addiction is made better with the help of a support person other than pursuing it solely (Arria, 2012). This is a person who would offer moral support when the path becomes tough and tell the truth when the subject is kidding. Normally, people working towards combating addiction, seek the support of professional counselors who offer professional counseling and support. In advanced situations, addicts are advised to seek medical treatment and rehabilitative programs (Roy, 2012).
Conclusion
Addiction is a form of mental disorder that disrupts the normal chemical balance towards substances and activities. Addiction develops gradually and proves hard to treat, especially when it is advanced. Causes of addiction include biological factors, social factors, genetic and psychological factors. At most times, addiction is caused due to a combination of several of these factors thus proving hard to understand.
Researchers have reported that addiction can be dealt with, though with much dedication and patience. The process entails a personal acknowledgement that a person is an addict and is ready to reform. Secondly, the person has to seek for an alternative activity that will bring the same satisfaction as the one intended by the addictive substance or behavior. Change from usual schedule is also necessary to refrain from the vulnerable environment. Finally, emotional support is necessary for an expert or a close person since the process is tough and sometimes tempting to drop.

References
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