Drug Addiction Assignment

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DRUG ADDICTION

Danielle Docherty

20th October 2015

Stephen Colbert

Health & Social Care Level 6

Communications Level 6

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BACKGROUND

This report is going to look at how biological factors play a part in drug addiction and the biological affects these drugs have on the human brain.

Drug addiction is a chronic, relapsing brain disease. It is looked at as a brain diseasebecause drugs change the brain. Dependency is when someone becomes reliant on a certain substance to get them through there day to day tasks and cannot function properly without it. This occurs after repetitive drug use without consideration of the outcome or consequences, which adapts individual's

3.0 FINDINGS

3.1 WHY SOME BECOME ADDICTED WHILE OTHERS MAY NOT

There is not one specific factor which will determine if someone will become aaddicted to a substance, there are several different factors. A combination ofenvironmental, biological and developmental factors all influence risk of addiction. The more risk factors there are, such as lack of provision, poor social skills, social deprivation, availability the more likely the individual will become addicted. Whereas protective factors self-control, positive relationships, parental control can reduce chances of addiction developing.

(NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DRUG ABUSE)

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3.2 DRUG ADDICTION WITHIN HEREDITRY GENETICS

We inherit our genetics from our biological parents. This means we acquire certaingenetic components from our birth parents. This includes definitive traits andcharacteristics of our personality which can include vulnerability and risk seeking. Aswell as mental health issues which are hereditary. There have been studies carried on children who had been adopted from substance dependent families, which provided the evidence even though the children were nurtured in a different environment, without alcohol or drug addiction. These children, like their biological parents are more likely to develop substance dependency due to genetics

Although it may not be of the same drug. As addiction stems from the same part of the brain, if you have a predisposition to addiction you are predisposed to all addictions this is why people in treatment for their addictions will substitute there addiction with another such as recovering from heroin addiction and drinking alcohol would make alcohol addiction more likely to develop this is called cross addiction.

(ADDICTIONS AND RECOVERY)

3.3 WHAT HAPPENS TO THE BRAIN WHEN DRUGS ARE TAKEN?

The human brain reinforces important behavior which are needed for survival such as eating and drinking. Sending messages through the brain when hungry/thirsty this gives the sense of pleasure as the need for food is being eliminated and enjoyable. Entering the reward system in our brain.

When something is found as pleasurable, Neurons (message signals) are transmittedthrough neurotransmitters (chemical messenger between neurons) and released to brains receptors which then gives the sense of enjoyment. Taking drugs changes the brains reward system and replaces natural needs to drug needs.

Different drugs have different effects on the brain chemicals. For instance when theindividual uses heroin, dopamine is released (neurotransmitter) and the drug mimics the chemicals