Alcoholism is considered a disease, meaning that it follows a characteristic course with known physical and social symptoms. The alcoholic continues to consume alcohol even though the destructive consequences he/she may face. Alcoholism is serious, and a very difficult habit to break. If not treated...

What exactly is chemical dependency? Fortunately, more and more people are coming to believe that chemical dependency is not a sign of moral and psychological weakness. Melenie Mender, a speaker from a drug treatment center, shares the same opinion about addiction as many drug specialists. "T...

Heroin and Its Effects Heroin addiction is a disease, which may end in death for some that suffer from this disease. This addiction is an illness of the mind, body and soul. All of these aspects effect the addict as a whole. This addiction actually dehumanizes the person afflicted with the di...

Celebrities like Christopher Reeve, Michael J. Fox, and even members of the rock band Nirvana are some of the several celebrities who have overcome an illness or personal tragedy that have helped others in many different ways. They have all managed to put themselves out there and open up about some...

Alcoholism is a primary, chronic disease, continuous over drinking. The disease is often progressive and fatal. Alcohol is the most widely used and abused drug in America. There are 103 million people are current drinkers, and 11 million are heavy drinkers. There are three distinct stages of alcohol...

Alcoholism has been a problem throughout the history of humanity, a disease which has caused many people to be overcome with burdens, problems, and debts. Alcoholism is a term that is widely recognized throughout the United States and the World. Alcoholism is a chronic disease, progressive and often...

Addiction is a common focus of psychology studies, as substance abuse and psychological function are related on many levels. Alcohol addiction, in particular, brings about many issues since it is more socially acceptable and easily available than other drugs. Cognitive Theory and therapy options h...

The Effects of Drugs and Alcohol When we bring drugs and alcohol into our campus community, we are not only effecting ourselves, but we are also effecting all the other aspects that make up our community. The consequences undoubtedly outweigh the brief release that we receive from these unnecessar...

Historically, alcohol and drug dependency was viewed as a sin or a disease. In recent decades, it has been thought to be a maladaptive behavior patterns (Thombs, 1999). I believe that it's a combination of three things: A disease in which people learn to act in immoral ways (Thombs, 1999). A dr...

Critical Issue Analysis on Gambling Responsible Gambling Is Harmless Fun, Frank J. Fahrenkopf Jr., '"Who Wants to Be a Millionaire." "21." "Greed." It's no secret these new network television game shows immensely popular. But why? According to some observe...

Alcoholism is a growing problem in our society today with all the added stress of our complicated and hectic lifestyles. These types of lifestyle may cause a person to depend on alcohol for an easy way out of their problems. Alcoholism is a disease cause by genetics, cultural factors, and psychoso...

Needed: A License to Drink The article, "Needed: A license to Drink", by Mike Brake, explores various reasons to issue a drinking license to those who wish to consume alcohol. The author stresses the facts of the addiction to alcohol as a major health concern in America. Following this...

In addition to the range of health related risks in association with addiction, the two greatest risks for Heroin Injectors is the risk of acquiring HIV or any number of the deadly and permanent Hepatitis viruses. The risks associated with addiction, poor nutrition, dehydration, reduced kid...

Whether or not a person is genetically or bio-chemically predisposed to addiction is a controversy that has been debated over the years amongst the scientific community. The Disease Concept suggests that addiction is an inherited disease, where the addict is permanently ill at a genetic level. Anoth...

Gambling Effects The legalization of public gambling improves the economy of hosting states. Gambling is viewed differently from person to person. It all depends if one has any experience in the area or not. If one does have experience, than what are his or her thoughts? Gambling has an addict...

Everyone agrees that something must be done about the tremendous physical and emotional health problems caused by drug abuse. Concern about the abuse of drugs is so most serious problems in today\'s world, threatening the security and freedom of whole nations. Politicians, health experts, and much o...

The Importance of Saying "NO" It was the summer of 2001 when my grandfather was admitted to the hospital with chest pains. Shortly before this he had quit smoking. I had never seen my grandfather in a hospital needing surgery for clogged arteries in his heart. I was notified about him...

The African American Epidemic Have you heard about the nihilistic threat that affects our African American community? Urban nihilism is a social disease that permeates African American communities and can only cause destruction to ourselves a...

When people think of dysfunctional families they tend to think of fatherless homes, impoverished households, and child abuse. Very rarely does this train of thought lead to one of the most predominant sources of many of these symptoms: alcoholism. I suffered through those symptoms (as well as others...

Alcoholics Anonymous strives to create an inclusive group philosophy. Anyone who wishes to make a commitment to sobriety, is dealing with the issue of alcoholism because of a loved one is afflicted by the disease, or simply wishes to learn more about substance abuse, is welcome to attend an AA meeti...

Marijuana ( aka grass, pot, weed) is the common name for the crude drug made from the plant, Cannabis sativa. Over 400 chemicals are in marijuana, including the main mind altering ingredient, THC. The amount of THC in the marijuana determines how strong the effects will be. Factors of the strength ...

I got one good reason why not... Look at what happens with legal products that cause you bodily harm -- cigarettes. Trial lawyers and various other advocates decided that since these 'evil' tobacco companies make a ton of money off of a 'defective product' - they sued for (and won) a multi-billion d...

The streets of North America are awash with drugs for unhappiness and pain. One must not look far within our society to see there is a subculture that exists, predominantly among our youth, that embraces the use of narcotics. This social acceptance of drug abuse has unsurprisingly allowed drug addic...

In "Addiction Is Not a Disease," Stanton Peel contends addiction is a choice, derived from the addict's desires and principles. "Addiction" to illegal drugs includes free choice to indulge in and to continue using an illegal substance such as heroin ...

Class, I have one question for you. If you had a family member or loved one with a long-term drug addiction, or more specifically a heroin addiction, would you rather them inject safely in a controlled room, or behind a dumpster in some ally, using a syringe that has already been used, and where the...