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Addiction
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Addiction is an illness that requires treatment. Treatment may include counseling, behavioral therapies, self-help groups or medical treatment. People often assume that those with addictions should be able to quit by simply making up their minds to do so. Addiction is thought to be possible for a wide range of chemical substances. Dependence, most often related to physical symptoms, can occur for a subset of the chemicals that cause addiction. For instance, rarely an individual is prescribed a medication by a doctor for a legitimate reason (such as pain after an injury) and this can lead to physical withdrawal symptoms if this medication is stopped. Even more rarely, this post-medical treatment drug dependence can lead to drug abuse.
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Addiction is a very complex behavior. Humans have been trying to understand its causes for many years. At one time, moral weakness was accepted as the primary reason for addiction. According to this theory, some people do not have the moral strength to withstand an addiction. Although still believed by some members of the general public, this theory is no longer accepted by professionals.
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Addiction means giving up conscious control. It is impulsive, unconscious behavior. As it is said in Alcoholics (or narcotics) anonymous, addicts are people who have lost all control of their lives, as well as their substance use and abuse. These people have tried many different times to stop using these substances, for their own personal, financial, or social reasons, and yet they couldn't. They were able to stop for short periods, or curb use for longer periods, but true abstinence over an extended period of time is somewhat rare among true addictive personalities. Also, addiction is a progressive disease.
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Addiction is ... responsible for a host of societal problems. Because many addictions are very expensive, addicts may turn to crime in order to get the money they need. The business of providing addicts with the substances and activities they require has become a huge enterprise. Casino operators, tobacco and alcohol companies, and other operations are kept in steady business.
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Addiction to opioids is defined as a long-term brain disease by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). It is a treatable medical condition that is caused by changes in the chemistry of the brain. Opioid dependence can start with use of pain medication that a doctor appropriately prescribes for pain but that a person continues to use after the medical need for pain relief has passed. Or it may begin as recreational drug use that spins out of control.
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Addiction in its broadest sense can be defined as the habituation to a practice considered harmful. A more narrow definition of the term refers to chronic use of a chemical substance in spite of severe psychosocial consequences. Terms such as "workaholic," "sex addict," and "computer junkie" arose to describe behaviors that have features in common with alcoholism and other substance addictions. The most convincing data supporting a role of genetics in addiction has been collected for alcoholism, although genetics most likely has a role in other forms of addiction.
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