The Use Of Addiction In William Gibson's Neuromancer

The notoriety of Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde has made the narrative about the duality of man humanity known even to those who have never open the book nor seen the famous film adaptation. However, though it may not be immediately apparent, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is, at its core, a story of addiction. Britain’s Pharmacy Act of 1868 had sought to identify and eliminate the use of narcotics, and though the effects were largely beneficial at first, by the 1880’s, when Stevenson’s novella was first published, deaths related to opium were on the rise. It is no coincidence that the title character is a chemist, like those affected by the Pharmacy Act, nor is it a coincidence that he is the victim of an addiction. Stevenson employs the narrative to explore the physical, psychological, and social effects of addiction, as well as the social response. The story, then, serves as an attempt to humanize and understand addiction.

Drug abuse is the habitual taking of addictive or illegal drugs in order to feel a euphoria, treat pain, or help with sleeping disorders. Drug abuse is a chronic brain disease that causes drug use despite the harmful consequences to the user and the people around them. In Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury, the dystopian society portrayed is oblivious to the impact of the censorship around them. Books are banned and if found, they are burned along with their houses. The people in this society do not have time to think about anything because they are constantly surrounded by the constant chaos of loud noises on commercials or televisions and are over stimulated. Addiction and drug abuse is used as a way to escape the harsh problems in society.

Addiction is a condition in which a person is compelled to continue an act even if it interferes with ordinary life responsibilities. Life with addiction can become overwhelming and even stressful because there is such a need for a specific item. Addictions cause harm, abuse, fatality, behavioral problems such as, aggressiveness, loss of self-control and paranoia. In “Sonny’s Blues” we see a different type of addiction than what we see in “A River Runs Through It.” In “Sonny’s Blues” Sonny was addicted to heroine, a drug that triggers a release of dopamine into the brain. In the story “A River Runs Through It” Paul was caught in the wrath of alcohol and gambling. Addiction overtakes Paul’s life in “A River Runs Through It” by excessive drinking

The book Unknown, written by Laura Hillenbrand, is a story about Louie Zamperini facing off against unprecedented odds. He was stranded at sea for forty-seven days, was captured and tortured by Japanese soldiers, and struggled against the nightmares that faced him after the war. However, he found it within himself to carry on and overcome each of these obstacles. With some optimism and hope at his side, Louie never gave up even when the odds were stacked against him. His empowering story of resilience has one purpose, to provide hope to those who need it. As was portrayed in the novel, “Louie and Phil’s hope displaced their fear and inspired them to work toward their survival, and each success renewed their physical and emotional vigor” (155). This shows that just a sprinkle of hope can benefit a person’s life and give them the determination to carry on. Without hope, no one would feel inclined to change their circumstances and so some might continue to live in a damaging environment. Louie had this same experience, “The alcohol had brought on a pleasant numbness….When the harsh push of memory ran through Louie, reaching for his flask became as easy

As a family of an addict “creates a dysfunctional homeostasis so does an addict” Stevens & Smith, pg. 283). A question posed concerning a possible oversight of recovery therapy. It was regarding a correlation between joylessness and recovery” (Stevens & Smith, pg. 283). It’s well known that people turn to drugs for their ability to provide a relief from stress, bring about euphoria and as a coping technique” (Stevens & Smith, pg. 283). How can this happen when their source of joy is a

In Chris McGreal’s “Don’t blame addicts for America’s opioid crisis. Here are the real culprits” and Johann Hari’s “What’s really causing the prescription drug crisis?” both authors inform their readers about addiction. This topic is worthy of discussion because it effects each and everyone one of us whether it be up close or afar. The two authors have similar opinions about the problem of addiction, but offer different ways to cope with it.

In James Baldwin short story "Sony's Blue" he uses music to represent Sonny's struggle with his addiction to heroin. Throughout the story, music was present whenever Sonny's addiction was mentioned. When Sonny first told his brother that he wanted to play jazz music for a living he mentioned that Charlie Parker was one of his inspirations, this is interesting because Charlie Parker was a drug addict who died from his addiction. This also seemed like it took place around the time that Sonny started abusing drugs with the goal of completely focusing on playing the piano. At the end of the story, Sonny talked to his brother about how he felt while he was taking heroin. He told him that it felt warm and cold in his vein and made him feel in control.

George Russell was born in April, 1958 in Florida, USA. When he was 6 months old, his parents divorced and he stayed with his mother. Later on in 1964, his mother remarried to another man and moved to Seattle to live with her new husband, a dentist named Wonzel Mobley. In 1970, he was 12 years old and was starting to get in trouble with truancy, so he was given work around the Mercer Island Police Station. He then started to help the cops with robberies and was then considered an insider for the police. May of ’73, George Russell started to get in trouble again, and police then noticed he refuses to accept blame or responsibility; symptom of sociopath. He continued this way of behavior all the way through high

Paul stayed at home for college, unwilling to "leave the fish he had not yet caught” which in reference to the unfinished business he had to catch up on. Paul on the other hand was the rebellious one of the two. After he decided to stay back home in Montana he becomes a well known news reporter. After spending much time alone away from Norman he starts to drink more, and some may say he became an alcoholic. Not only did he begin drinking more than usual, he was introduced to gambling, and it turned into a troubling addiction. Without much contact with one another, it is not until Norman returns back to Montana to discover how bad the situation his brother out himself in was. Norman began to receive calls in the middle of the night from police

The Truth of an Oxygen Thief Some might wonder what it’s like to be inside another person’s head. Dark secrets, haunting memories, and stories you couldn’t begin to imagine are true. In the story “DIARY OF AN OXYGEN THIEF”, anonymously written, you learn what it’s like to be a heartbreaker and

Internal pain, external pain, suicidal thoughts, drugs, and societal pressures, Craig Gilner experiences it all. Craig is a 15 year old boy from Brooklyn, New York, who lives with his family. One night when he plans to kill himself, he calls the suicide hotline, and they tell him to go to the nearest hospital and he does. Behind the doors, a huge world of experience and recovery awaits him. In the “short-term facility for adult psychiatric”(Vizzini 185), Craig meets new patients and works with others to heal himself. In It’s Kind of a Funny Story, the author, Ned Vizzini, illustrates Craig's journey and development as a character, as well as introduces Muqtada and Noelle, two other patients in the ward, who also develop and recover. However, it eventually gets better for everyone no matter who you are, but for some people it takes longer.

The definition of darkness is the absence of light. So am I missing light? Because without light there is no darkness, but with darkness, there is no light. You cannot see darkness. Darkness cannot be fully understood. So does that mean no one will understand who- I mean what, I

This essay will tackle the topic of substance use disorder as a psychology topic. The film that will be reviewed for the topic is 28 Days. This is a film written by Susannah Grant and written by Betty Thomas. The film stars Sandra Bullock as a columnist for a New York newspaper (Thomas). In the film, Bullock acts as Gwen Cummings, an alcoholic forced to attend rehab for 28 days. This is because of her escapades of the day that ended up with her crushing a stolen wedding limo into a house (Thomas). The film explores substance use disorder through the eyes and life of Cummings and the people she meets in the rehab. It also explores the challenges they go through in trying to get clean. This essay will show how substance abuse and its related disorder is being portrayed in the film.

Addiction is the reliance on a routine. There are many addictive stages. Addiction, as it comes along, becomes a way of life. The persistent use of the substance causes to the user serious physical or psychological problems and dysfunctions in major areas of his or her life. The drug user continues to use substances and the compulsive behavior despite the harmful consequences, and tries to systematically avoid responsibility and reality, while he or she tends to isolate himself/herself from others because of guilt and pain (Angres, & Bettinardi-Angres, 2008). All these characteristics led to the conclusion that drug addiction is a chronic, relapsing brain disease that is characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use. It is considered as a brain disease because drugs change the structure of the brain, and how it works. Every drug affects different systems of the brain. For example, in the case of cocaine, as the brain is adapted in the presence of the specific drug, brain regions responsible for judgment, decision-making, learning, and memory begin to physically change, making certain behaviors “hard-wired.” In some brain regions, connections between neurons are pruned back. In others, neurons form more connections. (Martin, 2000) These brain changes can be long-lasting and can lead to the harmful behaviors seen in people who abuse drugs.

This is a story that creeps along the lines of life and death. It is not merely about suicide versus the value of living but appears at society’s capricious construct on the definition of madness. Veronika, a 24-year-old attractive woman, who seems to have everything in life that most people envies