Introduction
Addiction, which is a chronic and complex disease, affects operating faculties of body and brain. Addiction can also cause harm to the society, family, neighborhood, relationship and workplaces. The general symptoms are loss of self-control, engrossment with using and failed to quit, extended use despite serious consequences, withdrawal.
The purpose of this essay is to analyze addiction as a social issue. The essay will also show alternative views by exploring three relevant articles that posit diverse point of views.
Discussions
In the article ‘Addiction: Definition and Implication’ the author Aviel Goodman has discussed the issue from the viewpoint of psychiatry. The scientific definition of addiction is necessary and useful into the theory and practice of psychiatry as addiction is an integrated subject to study. An integration of psychiatry and 12-step system (recovery treatment from addiction) is important to the treatment and understanding of the addictive disorder. This article has provided the basic for this integration (Goodman). The scientifically useful definition of addiction will be the explanation of this integration.
In the article ‘The Psychology and Neurobiology of Addiction: An Incentive–sensitization View’, the authors Terry E. Robinson and Kent C. Berridge has proposed the bio-psychological viewpoints of addiction, which are critically analyzed based on ‘incentive sensitization theory of addiction’. The bio-psychological views of addiction are related to transformation of drug taking behavior to compulsive nature of drug-seeking behavioral pattern, the incompetence to quit drug taking and the problem in relapse. However, four major principles of incentive sensitization have been discussed in this article (Robinson and Kent). The incentive sensitization is implied for the progress in therapies and treatments of addiction.
In the article, ‘Craving Face book? Behavioral Addiction to Online Social Networking and its Association with Emotion Regulation Deficits’ the authors Julia M. Hormes, Brianna Kearns and C. Alex Timko have suggested that involvement in particular online activities like gambling, massaging and sexual preoccupation are potentially addictive than simple use of internet. Addiction related problems have occurred due to overuse of social networking sites such as Face book. The article aims at examining the association of Face book with difficulties of emotion regulation and ways to escape from reality (Hormes, Brianna and C). It directs to the problems such as stress and depression. The participants of this research are the undergraduate students and the research has concluded with highly addictive nature of the social networking.
In the article, ‘Internet Sex Addiction: A Review of Empirical Research’ the author Mark D. Griffiths has proposed that internet is a medium caters sexual addition. The online pornography and exchange of sexual content and other sexual behaviors are manifested in the internet. The internet sex addiction is the first step to understand the psychological qualities and the consequences of sexual features on internet (Griffiths).
Conclusion
It can be concluded by stating that addiction as a social issue has been addressed in this paper and four related articles has been explored to provide different point of views on this issue.
References
Goodman, Aviel. "Addiction: definition and implications." Addiction 85.11 (2013): 1403-1408.
Griffiths, Mark D. "Internet sex addiction: A review of empirical research." Addiction Research & Theory 20.2 (2012): 111-124.
Hormes, Julia M., Brianna Kearns, and C. Alix Timko. "Craving Facebook? Behavioral addiction to online social networking and its association with emotion regulation deficits." Addiction 109.12 (2014): 2079-2088.
Robinson, Terry E., and Kent C. Berridge. "The psychology and neurobiology of addiction: an incentive–sensitization view." Addiction 95.8s2 (2012): 91-117.
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