Drug Addiction/Substance Abuse

n everyday terms, a drug addiction is a compulsive need for a particular substance or activity. People who are drug addicted depend on these things to get along in their daily lives. They give in, day after day, to a very strong craving that needs to be satisfied.

Addictions- are many people addicted?

Millions of people are trapped in addictions they scarcely recognize. An uncontrollable urge for sugar is labeled as a "sweet tooth," and a serious need for caffeine is disguised as a pleasant "coffee break." Consider how many millions of people remain addicted to nicotine, even as they openly acknowledge the serious risk that cigarette smoking presents to health. Think about the many others who are uncontrollably addicted to gambling, to overspending on credit cards, or to living as "workaholics." Addictions of any sort are destructive in that they deprive the addict of the ability to exercise control over his or her life. By definition, an addiction offers no choice to the addict and often is the direct cause of serious disruption in the person's health or life-style.

Drug Addictions are dangerous.

The most serious drug addictions of all involve psychoactive drugs. These substances radically alter the user's mind and body, undermining health, economic stability, and social functioning. It is this form of addiction and abuse that most immediately threatens all of society. It is this drug addiction that demands immediate attention.

What are the causes of drug addiction?

The best known, most widely accepted, reason for addiction is the disease concept. According to the American Medical Association (AMA), the nation's largest association of medical doctors, a disease is a disorder that results in the disruption of normal body functions. Since drug addiction disrupts the normal function of the body and the mind, the AMA has added it to the list of known diseases. The general public and many doctors have had a hard time accepting drug addiction as a true disease. They say that the medical profession has gone along with the disease concept because it means that insurance companies will pay doctors for treatment. These critics point out that most doctors in other countries do not believe that drug addiction is a disease. Some scientists have even conducted experiments to test the disease concept. Experts differ on the outcome of these experiments and list other reasons for drug addiction.

The following viewpoints are among the top 6 arguments for the reasons behind substance abuse and drug addiction.

• Chemical Dependency is a disease
• Neurological imbalances lead to Chemical Dependency
• Biological imbalances lead to Chemical Dependency
• Cultural Factors lead to Chemical Dependency
• Curiosity leads Teenagers into Chemical Dependency
• Media Glamorization of Drugs and Alcohol leads to Chemical Dependency

All use facts and opinions to support their arguments. However none are absolute, and there remains a lot of controversy in the field of Drug Addiction and Substance Abuse treatment. Most of the controversy is the result of the shamefully low rate of success in treating drug addiction. Based on a National Rate of success that floats around 16%, it is quite obvious that a lot more needs to be learned in order to generate a more successful treatment approach. Narconon of Georgia offers such an approach and with consistent year after year documented success at somewhere between 70-80%, recovering from drug addiction becomes a much more realistic endeavor.