Alternative Treatment To Drug Addiction
Uploaded by sls465 on Apr 19, 2007
Alternative Treatment To Drug Addiction
Americans have a complicated war other than the one in the Middle East to be concerned about., a war that has gone on much longer -the war on drugs. According to a study at Brown University, if the current rate of people who have been incarcerated for drug violations continues, there will be more Americans in prison than out by the year 2053 (Alter 38). What many people do not realize is that drug addiction is a disease and if not treated properly this disease will continue to spread. When a person is arrested for drug addiction he or she should be treated for their disease rather than put in prison for it. In order to understand addiction a person must understand the effects drugs have on the brain and what outside forces have led the person to use.
The brain is a very complex system, which produces various chemicals that can stimulate pain, pleasure, tension, etc. These chemicals, known as neurotransmitters, are responsible for transmitting information between neurons. Neurons are individual cells that distribute the information to receptor-cites, which stimulate a feeling or emotion (Weiten 60,62). Commonly known neurotransmitters are dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine, and GABA. The brain produces different amounts of each neurotransmitter. If the brain does not produce enough of a certain neurotransmitter the effects could lead to depression, anxiety, attention deficit disorder, (ADD) and other serious complications. When a person uses drugs however, the neurotransmitters become unbalanced. Drugs alter the amount of neurotransmitters released and determine whether the receptor cites accept or block them. For example, cocaine, heroin, amphetamines, and nicotine block the molecule that helps store dopamine. Alcohol on the other hand, releases dopamine (also known as the “pleasure circuit”) serotonin, and GABA. Once a neurotransmitter is released it cannot be reused -therefore it is wasted. “Experiences that used to bring pleasure become impotent” so the addict continues to use the drug to avoid depression and irritability (Begley 42). Some solutions for an addict’s depression are treatment, counseling, medications, and family support. However, if one does not seek treatment or if a facility is not available he or she will most likely end up dead, in prison, or on the streets.
Some people feel that financing drug treatment facilities can be rather expensive and time consuming. However, money that has been collected from taxes and the national budget are...