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Drug and Addictio

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Drug and Addictio
For all that has been written and studied the subject of addiction is still shrouded in mystery. Everyone knows of someone that is suffering with the disease of addiction. Many scientist and professional make the claim that addiction is a genetic disorder that is passed down through a family generation to generation. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, $133 billion is spent yearly on the treatment of addiction, as well as the long and short term complication that are associated with the addicted individual. The question still remains; does addiction have genetic roots or is it really a case or nurture or nature? While there are many studies that seem to support the theory of addiction being grounded in genetic factors; there are just as many studies that seem to dispute this fact. With the fact that addiction can be exacerbated by certain psychological condition; depression, bi-polar and schizophrenia to name a few, can any one study truly place addiction as a heredity condition? There are many factors that demonstrate that addiction is actually a genetic and subsequently heredity condition; such as an individual’s predisposition to certain substances and chemicals, the brain’s reaction when certain stimuli are introduced into the human body and vulnerability that some individuals display to certain substances. While it is true that often the addictive substance is introduced to the individual through peers and society, how that substance affects the individual is what makes the strong clam for a genetic factor. How can two individuals that indulge in the same substance have two very different reactions? This is where addiction and heredity has it grounds and validly.
A Closer Look at Addiction Before a delving in to the topic of addiction and its hereditary factors can be discussed; a general look at what is addiction must take place. According to the DSM-V addiction is; “addiction, or dependence, is present in an individual who demonstrates



References: Anton RF, Oroszi G, O 'Malley S, Couper D, Swift R, Pettinati H, et al. An evaluation of μ-opioid receptor (OPRM1) I as a predictor of naltrexone response in the treatment of alcohol dependence. Arch. Gen. Psychiatry. 2008;65:135–144 Ball, D Everitt BJ, Belin D, Economidou D, Pelloux Y, Dalley JW, Robbins TW. Neural mechanisms underlying the vulnerability to develop compulsive drug-seeking habits and addiction. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B. 2008;363:3125–3135. Freedman, R. (2009). Genetic investigation of race and addiction. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 166(9), 967-8. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/220463753?accountid=12085 Karen A Nestler, E. J. (2000). Genes and addiction. Nature Genetics, 26(3), 277-81. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/81570 Schafer, G

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