Addiction to Smoking Nicotine a Mental Illness and Disease. People who have schizophrenia commonly hear voices, while dependent smokers sense want for more nicotine. Although the title of this article sounds horrible, romanticizing smoking while denying the existence or true nature of dependency dooms millions to early graves. The good news is that freedom from nicotine is vastly more rewarding than the dread-filled message playing inside the fooled addict's captive mind. According to Dr. Nora D. Volkow, Director of the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), "drug addiction is a mental illness. "One day at a time" is an empowering focus accomplishment skill.
Drug intervention, addiction intervention, alcohol intervention, executive intervention. "Drug addiction is a brain disease that can be treated. " Nora D. Volkow, M.D. Director National Institute on Drug Abuse The above images and quote appear in the booklet Drugs, Brains, and Behavior - The Science of Addiction published by the National Institute On Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Many people feel that alcoholism and addiction are choices; therefore, they shouldn’t be classified as disease. Alcohol and drugs work on the very primitive areas of the brain that control the reward systems, those that we depend on for survival. So, is there hope for the alcoholic/addict?
The answer, thankfully, is a resounding, "YES! " Addiction as a Brain Disease" We become addicted to a substance or activity for the same reason that we initially try it: Because we like the way it makes us feel. And although some people may try a drug, take a drink or eat a donut and never become hooked, almost all of us have the capability to become addicted. Users cross a threshold and undergo a transition to addiction. Research has shone light on the changes that take place in the brain after this transition, developing the "brain disease" model of addiction. It's currently the most widely held view of addiction among the scientific community. The way we learn to survive is based on a reward system. Different substances approach the limbic system -- the reward center -- in our brains in different ways, but all substances of abuse cause the brain to release high levels of dopamine.
Because of this release and its impact on the brain's reward center, users learn very quickly to use a substance or engage in an activity. Addiction–The Hijacked Brain. Electrochemical messages are passed between brain cells. Similar signals are passed to every cell in the body. Each is studded with “receptor sites,” a kind of “mail box” for these electrochemical messengers.
Addiction is a brain disease. Drug abuse is preventable behavior. Drug addiction is a treatable disease. So many people think that it's a lack of willpower. But, it's not. Some people are genetically more at risk than others. Dopamine is released in the brain in response to, and in anticipation of, a reward—be it alcohol, drugs, cigarettes, sex, food, or a shopping spree, to name a few rewards. The substance wreaks havoc with brain chemistry and structure, which can clearly be seen on brain scans. Deep in the brain, we all have a reward system, a pleasure center that evolved to help us to pursue rewards. Another part of the brain, the prefrontal cortex or higher brain, evolved over time to help us to weigh the consequences of our decisions. Be Sociable, Share! Addiction a brain disorder, not just bad behavior(BLOG) ~ So Stadium Status Blog. WASHINGTON (AP) — Addiction isn't just about willpower. It's a chronic brain disease, says a new definition aimed at helping families and their doctors better understand the challenges of treating it.
"Addiction is about a lot more than people behaving badly," says Dr. Michael M. Miller of the American Society for Addiction Medicine. That's true whether it involves drugs and alcohol or gambling and compulsive eating, the doctors group said Monday. And like other chronic conditions such as heart disease or diabetes, treating addiction and preventing relapse is a long-term endeavor, the specialists concluded. Addiction generally is described by its behavioral symptoms — the highs, the cravings, and the things people will do to achieve one and avoid the other. But two decades of neuroscience have uncovered how addiction hijacks different parts of the brain, to explain what prompts those behaviors and why they can be so hard to overcome. Just what does happen in the brain? Age does, too.