Psychology/social work - Essay Example

For instance if a person is crazy behind chocolates, he concludes that living life is impossible without eating at least a couple of chocolates every day this is what is addiction. People narrow this vast topic down to drug addiction or Alcohol addiction but the reality is that it is a very vast topic and it can't be narrowed down to a handful activities. Addiction can be of more forms than one for instance computer addiction is also an addiction but the only thing is that it is not as devastating as the other addictions like drug and alcohol and this is the only reason why more and more people have concluded that only drug and alcohol addiction exists.

It is a very wrong common belief; even gambling can be an addiction or for that matter there are numerous other things which become an addiction. "When habits or behaviors such as drinking, drug taking or gambling come to dominate daily life and people find themselves powerless to stop the chaos despite many promises to do so, then it is very likely that an addiction is active. Addictions can be formed to any activity or behavior which allows people to escape from life and its problems and includes shopping or spending, sexual activities, gambling, food, prescribed and illegal drugs, alcohol and even other people.

There is a growing problem in drug and alcohol abuse amongst young people. Fortunately, it is a highly treatable condition." (Addiction, 24 April 2009). The beginning of an addiction is triggered off by a habit which when done on a regular basis becomes an addiction. The same can be explained with the help of an example, a person may be against smoking but he tries out smoking on being forced by friends, he likes the experience and he is tempted to try it again, the liking for smoking grows and it becomes a habit, when it becomes a habit over a period of time it becomes an addiction and this is how most people become addicts of several things.

Psychological Causes of Addiction "An addiction is not a clinical picture with a clear cause, such as a fracture or a virus. It is not true that a certain character or a certain circumstance leads to an addiction. What is true is that the risk of developing an addiction is bigger under certain social and personal circumstances." (When do Addictions Occur 24 April 2009). A person is heavily influenced by their social circle, if certain substances are acceptable in that social circle then that person is more prone to adopting and using the same substances and this is exactly how an addiction starts or in other words this is what causes an addiction.

The society in which an individual lives is very largely responsible for any addiction which that individual develops. Another significant factor which causes an Addiction is Psychological circumstances of an individual. "It is not yet possible to determine whether certain character traits lead to addiction, but it is clear that addicts have often lacked structure and clarity in their education. Other factors are a lack of security, love and attention. Also over-concern by parents and other strict educational structures seem to play a role.

A large number of problem users come from a family in which there was excessive (alcohol) use by