Addiction: definition and description - Essay Example

Drugs and other forms of natural enhancement and happiness have been in use for centuries. Their use does not constitute abuse per se, but the limited ability to control. Addiction, therefore, becomes a dependence on a mind, mood, and performance altering substance in that one cannot achieve stability without that specific substance (Falkowski 65). This is because the use of the mind altering chemically composed substance allows the individual to achieve a status that would not have otherwise been achieved under normal circumstance.

It must be noted that there is a distinction between a drug cum substance abuse and addiction. Abuse is distinguishable from addiction by the ability to control the dependence and use of the substance. Abuse is the wrong use whilst addiction is the inability to control that use. How does it affect individuals? The human body is programmed to work under a given range. The amount of pleasure, resting capacity and others are all supposed to be induced naturally. After a long use of the mind altering substance the body losses its ability to perform the same function and, therefore, it implies that it is completely unable to do so without the substance.

Addiction has different effects on the people since it is a chronic illness if it is not taken care of. It affects the individual’s health and other personal effects but the effects spill over to the society and, therefore, creating a greater perception of the same. Financial effects An addict can not do without the drug, most of the drugs in question are expensive, and he will, therefore, dedicate a considerate amount of money to satisfy that want. Given that the use of drugs limits the person’s productivity it can be deduced that he will have limited productivity and in the case if employment the person may lose his or her job.

Limited productivity means that he will have limited income while the expenditure will be always on the rise. Other than the basics, the person will have to spend more on the drugs. This results into poor financial status and it may mean inability to control his or her financial obligations. On a long term and spillage to the society, it may cause one to engage into crime to get money to engage into the vice. Social effects An addict’s primary focus is always on the drug; this means that he will always seek the company of those who are in he same league.

This may cause breaking of marriage due to limited level of responsibility. He will lose friends who initially may have been helpful, lack of responsibility to the family means that the effect may spill over to the children who may, in turn, fall into the same vice, irresponsible parenthood. In trying to satisfy the want, the person may engage in socially unfit activities to satisfy the want this means the relationship with the wider society will be hampered. Health: most drugs and substances that are abused have an impact on the normal function of the body; this has an effect on the mental stability, the state of different parts of the body, and the psychological distress and related illness that are expected on the family that misses the support of the addict.

Types of addiction and misconceptions Major types of addiction There are four major types of addiction and they are categorized as follows, the drug and alcohol, this involves being hooked to a mind altering substance. Behavioral addiction this may include but not limited to shopping and gambling. Here, the victim acts on impulse in the places where the environment is soothing to undertake such activities and all the relevant conditions are present. Sex is another form of addiction, here the victim craves sex uncontrollably and may end up having sex with multiple partners and