Faryal Wasti

This information will affect anyone who knows someone with, or personally has, an addiction Nearly one in ten Americans over the age of 12 will have an addiction Addictions can range from simple things such as needing coffee every morning for proper function, to dependency on drugs such as cigarettes.

According to Merriam-Webster, addiction is a the compulsive need for use of a habitforming substance, characterized by tolerance and physiological symptoms upon withdrawal.

Medical News Today states that addictive behavior is caused when a substance releases a reward neurotransmitter in the brain known as dopamine. Individuals who rely on addictive substances can no longer live with their bodys natural dopamine release because their tolerance level has increased Eventually it takes more substance to feel pleasure, and the brain becomes incapable of releasing dopamine without the addictive substance

Located in the mid-brain, serotonin and dopamine are reward transmitters. According to the primary research article, Roles of Dopamine and Serotonin in Decision Making, both transmitters work together to reinforce natural and unconditional behaviors. These acts continue to carry out acts that keep us alive. Eating is a good example because it makes us feel good and so we do it for the rest of our lives

According to The Chemical Carousel, the physical appearance of a addict and nonaddicts brain are significantly different. This means that the reactions occurring in the brain are also different, along with their effects on behavior and cognitivity.

The prefrontal cortex is the area of the brain behind the forehead This allows us to think actively and abstractly We know that alcohol and drugs affect this part of the brain, leading to impaired decision making and ability to reason, which means the substances affect the prefrontal cortex. Overtime the damage to the cortex is done by the addictive substance, because it cannot function properly on its own. This leads to cyclic-poor decision making, like continued use of substance, but does not actually contribute directly to the addiction.

Most people with an addiction are in denial According to Candace Plattor, a clinical psychologist, there are different methods used by addicts in denial It all begins with rationalizing, like convincing yourself its alright to reward yourself once in a while. There is blaming, such as making someone else a reason for your addiction. Minimizing includes thoughts that make your situation seem less bad than another persons. And the most common one is self-delusion- believing that one could stop whenever they feel like it

All of these sources were either primary research articles, or from a well-known and reliable website. I have read through many websites and the ones I have chosen are the ones that seem to have the most information about the topic that I chose to write about, and they go in depth with reasoning's and examples. The audience for each source is anyone who knows someone with an addiction, has one themselves, or is interested in learning about the potential dangers to prevent themselves for going down that path.

Researching and creating this presentation brought up extra questions like,

What are some specific differences in the physical

aspect of an addict and non-addicts brain, and how does the physical difference change the way neurotransmitter reactions occur More information about the pre-frontal cortex and how it is made to work, and how it actually works in an addicts brain Serotonin and Dopamine cannot be the only two neurotransmitters triggering addiction with substance abuse. Maybe find one or two more and connect them together.

"How Is Addiction Diagnosed." Medical News Today. MediLexicon International, n.d. Web. 24 Oct. 2013. "Is Your Addiction Making Your Life Miserable?" Addictions Counselling, Vancouver, BC, Substance Abuse, Eating Disorders, Alcohol, Addictive Behaviour. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Oct. 2013. Rogers, Robert D. "Roles of Dopamine and Serotonin in Decision Making." Nature.com. Nature Publishing Group, n.d. Web. 24 Oct. 2013. "The Chemical Carousel." The Chemical Carousel. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Oct. 2013.