Addiction is one of the one of the curious behaviors that has faced society since when it was first recognized as a problem. Initially the term addiction was limited to substances that caused a chemical change on the body such as drugs or alcohol which made it very difficult for the user to stop taking or using them.
With time however, as time passed it was discovered that there other forms of addiction or compulsions such as those who cannot control their eating habits, addiction to buying things or shopping or even pleasure.
The problem of addiction is especially serious where the use of drugs is concerned and this is especially evident in the United States where the problem of drugs is widespread having both social and economic effects. This is despite all the education and programs in place to solve this problem.
Although it would be unjust to say that government efforts have failed totally there are some programs like the methadone maintenance program that a have had some success as far as helping addicts off drugs is concerned. This a program that seeks to help heroin addicts by giving them a fixed amount of methadone over a given period of time. But like most things it has faced a number of problems like causing addiction to the drug itself as addicts prefer to avoid quitting than suffer through methadone withdrawal.
Quite a number of people have struggled with the question of why they are unable to just stop doing something or a bad habit when they decide to. In many cases their decision is only short lived as they soon find themselves going back on their decision.
Part of the reason is because an addiction is usually symptomatic of a problem that in turn leads to addiction and relying on willpower alone to quit without taking care of the problem is like treating the symptoms of a disease and not the actual disease itself. Also in the case of drugs or alcohol there is also the chemical effect of the drug which affects the brain and causes certain feelings to be experienced.
Willpower is simply not enough to overcome an addiction, further investigation into the cause of the addiction is likely to bring about a more permanent solution.
With time however, as time passed it was discovered that there other forms of addiction or compulsions such as those who cannot control their eating habits, addiction to buying things or shopping or even pleasure.
The problem of addiction is especially serious where the use of drugs is concerned and this is especially evident in the United States where the problem of drugs is widespread having both social and economic effects. This is despite all the education and programs in place to solve this problem.
Although it would be unjust to say that government efforts have failed totally there are some programs like the methadone maintenance program that a have had some success as far as helping addicts off drugs is concerned. This a program that seeks to help heroin addicts by giving them a fixed amount of methadone over a given period of time. But like most things it has faced a number of problems like causing addiction to the drug itself as addicts prefer to avoid quitting than suffer through methadone withdrawal.
Quite a number of people have struggled with the question of why they are unable to just stop doing something or a bad habit when they decide to. In many cases their decision is only short lived as they soon find themselves going back on their decision.
Part of the reason is because an addiction is usually symptomatic of a problem that in turn leads to addiction and relying on willpower alone to quit without taking care of the problem is like treating the symptoms of a disease and not the actual disease itself. Also in the case of drugs or alcohol there is also the chemical effect of the drug which affects the brain and causes certain feelings to be experienced.
Willpower is simply not enough to overcome an addiction, further investigation into the cause of the addiction is likely to bring about a more permanent solution.
About the Author:
The author Jay Moses previously worked as a nurse for many years and regularly writes about methadone withdrawal and how to overcome substance abuse
No comments:
Post a Comment