DRUG ABUSE. One of the most common reasons behind death in
the U.S every year, it destroys lives, it destroys families, it destroys homes.
So what is it about these substances that draw in victims like a fly to day old
food? Drug abusers are drawn in by the pleasure that is gained from an increase
in dopamine in the body. Along with the intake of drugs comes a sense of
exhilaration and overflow of bliss; this feeling is synonymous with the term
“high”. I remember being younger and wondering, well how can these people
really be addicted? Why don’t they just stop, it’s not that hard to stop doing
something if you really want to stop doing it.” However, these things are not
as cookie cut as I assumed back then. Stimulant drugs such as cocaine
specifically block the reuptake of dopamine, meaning dopamine levels are going
to remain high and that pleasure sensation takes a longer while to fade. Drug
abuse can have dangerous long-term effects on the human body even when their
use has already been suspended. The stimulant
drugs alter blood flow and can lead to a stroke or behavioral problems. In
other words, even when the user thinks they’ve kicked the habit...they haven’t
even scratched the surface.
Alcohol is also a “drug” in itself. Many people may not even
realize this, because alcohol is not an illegal substance and as far as anyone
is concerned, in the U.S. if you’re over 21 then bottoms up! The sad truth of
this is that, anything in excess isn’t “good” right? This is definitely an
accurate statement when we talk about alcohol. Too much alcohol can inhibit
natural process from taking place in the neurons. As in drug abuse, alcohol
abuse not only affects the individual partaking in these activities; but it
also affects the people who surround them in their everyday lives~FAMILY.
Research shows that when parents drink excessively, their children will adopt
the same or similar behavior themselves.
Falling into a life of drugs and alcohol is not a pit that
anyone can easily climb out of.
This video tells the story of a neuroscientist and his former addiction to drugs. He details the struggle he faced to get out.
One would think that our decisions are made based on our thoughts and perceptions of things, but we hardly stop and think that they are actually based on the chemical process in our brains. Doing drugs and things like that, are not just based on our cognitive process but instead on the chemical functioning as well.
ReplyDeleteDrugs are always going to be here in society today. Even though some states have particular drugs legal, it doesn’t help other states of trying to prevent them from expanding. I can’t really argue the point when it comes to alcohol because it is illegal even though it causes many deaths if misused. The concept over all is that society has to come up with a better solution of how to prevent as much deaths or overdoses. What can we do to at least make a dent within this topic?
ReplyDeleteI like to be an optimist when it comes to dark issues like this… So I like to believe drugs are not evil, just like people are not inherently evil, too. This is a matter of education and self-awareness. It is a sad fact that alcohol kills more than any other drugs present to society consumption, and yet alcohol is still being highly tolerated more than any other drug on the market… I also believe that age limits are a poor way to control the use of drugs because there are still the existence of underage drinking and one of the most prevalent casualties of teenage death by statistic is attributed to drunk driving… With young kids, the more you tell them "no" and resist temptation, the more you actually draw attention and curiosity to that object and result into an uncontrollable obsession that may not go away for years and grow over time, resulting in a higher risk for abuse over the substance. I think the whole system of alcohol consumption control we have exists for the purposes of concealing a larger truth that is used against the public.... It can definitely be improved.
ReplyDelete