[vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”2. CAUSES OF ADDICTION” font_container=”tag:h1|text_align:left” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_column_text]Psychologists propose several possible causes of addiction. First, people may engage in harmful behaviors because of an abnormality, or “psychopathology” that manifests itself as mental illness. Second, people may learn unhealthy behaviors in response to their environment. Third, people’s thoughts and beliefs create their feelings. This in turn determines their behavior. To the extent that someone’s thoughts and beliefs are unrealistic or dysfunctional, their behavior will be similarly affected.
THE BRAIN
It is a quagmire of biology to describe the biological reasons of addiction. The reward center of brain is the main culprit of our addictions. Every action (addiction related) stimulates the release of excessive hormones. Excessive release of hormones triggers several mechanisms that compel a person to take a specific action. Dopamine is one of these hormones. Sex can be an example. When a person sees a stimulus (like porn), it will immediately stimulate the release of hormones. In response to those hormones, the brain will compel the person to take an action that can be sexual activity, molestation or anything offensive. The release of this hormone is related to many other activities such as video games, exercise, pornography, etc.
Addiction-as-disease has been continuously re-characterized, because of its elasticity, such that it now yields an embarrassment of riches: a growing range of allegedly addictive phenomena which do not involve drugs. Is “addiction” a discrete disease entity with a distinct analysis? The historical and cultural conditions under which addiction-as-disease was decoded, the specific actors and institutions who announced it, and the deviated procedures through which it is re-transcribed and incarnated as well as the lived experiences of addicts are very complex and fascinating. Whatever the definition and history of addiction, in order to address this problem, it is necessary for health services and government policies concerning drugs to take the lead (Reinarman, 2005).[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row]
