Poor decision making
This week’s class readings have been around drug use, addiction, and family and society. Even though much of my interest was on recovery and the general effect of drug use on an individual’s brains, this is the first time that I have had an opportunity to fully understand the impact that drug use has on an individual’s minds and judgment. Drug addiction is a chronic disease that needs special attention. Although recovery is not as tricky as other diseases, it affects the brains rewarding circuit by flooding it with the chemical messenger dopamine. The article on drugs, society, and behavior was particularly interesting because it gave a combination of the meaning, causes, and recovery methods from a drug addiction that I am inherently interested in. We also understand why some people are more affected when it comes to drug use and addiction. The article also gave a good dive into the major factors such as environmental, biological, and developmental factors that may influence an individual regarding drug addiction.
Based on the article that we have read on Understanding Drug Use and Addiction, I thought that drug addiction is hard to recover from most, especially when one has been using it for quite some time. Schnurbusch et al. try to explain drug addiction, which he says is a chronic disease characterized by the desire for an individual to use a particular drug without resisting the urge despite knowing the harmful effects of use. Many people often don’t understand the challenge that others face when it comes to controlling substance use. Society generally thinks that these people lack a sense of moral discipline only by choice. In a real sense, I understand that drug addiction is a complex disease, and being able to change involves a process that is more than just an individual’s willingness to stop. I think for someone who comes from a rigorous family in terms of values, the chances of me being a drug addict could be due to the need for freedom, and the urge to feel in control. However, I think that I cannot find myself tempted even to try with the knowledge of the diverse effects.
I was also intrigued by how the article explains the effect of addiction and drug use on the brins. I had little knowledge of the actual harm that drugs cause on the brins of an individual. Schnurbusch et al. explain how the brain’s reward circuit is affected by flooding it with the chemical messenger called dopamine. The regular use of dopamine causes the brain to overstimulate, causing a “high,” leading people to continue taking the drug. The continuous use of the drugs, in turn, causes the brain cells to adjust to excess use of dopamine, reducing the high that the person felt for the first time. This is precisely what causes the overuse of the drug in a quest to achieve the same “high.” That got me to understand why it is essential for a person to control themselves when it comes to drugs. Even though a person can recover from drug addiction, it is best to keep themselves safe from the use. When I look at the effects such as brain damage, poor decision making, and judgment, the best thing that one can do is refrain from the use.