First, he points that not all addictions are chemical substances and there are many activities that can be addictive to people. These activities do not alter the brain in such a way to be able to say the addiction has changed the brain so much it is diseased. In addition, the American Society of Addiction Medicine declared addiction to be a brain disease based on findings that addictions effect
Ice Cream and Marijuana affect similar parts of the brain does that mean ice cream should be illegal or considered a drug, of course not. Saying religion is like a neurological disorder is illogical, preposterous, absurd and rude. How much of this movie is believable
Swinburne would argue that St. Theresa’s character would not lie about a supposed religious experience due to her deep faith in God and morals suggesting that her visions must have been from an external agent. On the other hand, it could be heavily argued that scientific advances could prove otherwise and expose the visions of Christ as an act of the mind ‘playing tricks’. Science has shown that the temporal lobe when stimulated through seizures can produce an altered perception such as religious experiences of this variety. St. Theresa had these visions in the 1500’s when science was in its earliest stages and religion was an answer for everything; these factors appear to support Richard Swinburne’s defence of certain types of characters not lying in support of
The article explains how it is possible for such a wide variety of addictive substances, which don’t seem to have any common ingredients, all to create similar production of reward in the brain of an addict. As the article points out the need for new ideas in therapy is abundantly obvious. Although specific genetic origins have yet to be uncovered, the article exposes the idea that treating drug abuse with the use of drugs is only a band aid for a bullet hole. Unless we can specifically target the necessary area in the addicted brain’s reward center, relapse will forever be just a
Drugs, whether legal or illegal, are substances that have a physiological effect when ingested or introduced into the system. The abuse of substances can have devastating effects including death, legal repercussions, loss of personal relationships, addictions and loss of employment. Contrary to popular belief, the use of drugs is not a new phenomenon. In fact, many have played a significant part in the world’s current drug problem (Ruetsch, Boni & Borgeat, 2001). Opium, for instance, was derived from the sap of Opium Poppy during the Neolithic times.
Running Head: ALTERED STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS Altered States of Consciousness Monica Beck Gloucester County College In this paper I will discuss sensation, levels of awareness, and psychoactive drugs, as they pertain to the movie “Altered States.” To offer some background on the movie, a man named Christoph Stappert summarized “Altered States” in this quote; “a research scientist who believes in different states of consciousness uses a sensory deprivation tank and hallucinogenic drugs to find the ultimate truth. But soon his mind-altering experiments get out of control.” Laura King defines consciousness as awareness of external events and internal sensations, including awareness of the self and thoughts about one’s experiences; this awareness occurs under condition of arousal. King goes on to define altered states of consciousness or awareness as mental states that are noticeably different from normal awareness. With this general understanding of what altered states means I will divulge greater detail of the altered states of consciousness portrayed in the movie. First, sensation is “ the process of receiving stimulus energies from the environment” (King).
Many Native Americans have long used psilocybin and mescaline along with sitting in a sauna type hut to induce an out of body experience, or spirit quests, as part of a religious ritual or healing practices (Ciccarelli & White, 2010). Marijuana is one of the oldest psychoactive drugs and dates back to BC times but did not become popular in the United States until the beginning of the twentieth century (Inciardi & McElrath, 2011). At that time it was mostly used mostly by minority groups and became part of the national prohibition movement being outlawed as a drug of major concern (Inciardi & McElrath, 2011). Today, marijuana is the most commonly used illegal drug in the United
It is based on the analysis of evidence. It assumes, as a working hypothesis, that processes and events happen due to natural causes, not through divine intervention. It rarely intrudes in matters of morality, the existence and nature of deity, spirituality, etc. Religion deal with matters of faith. Its main basis is often revelation from a deity -orally transmitted from generation to generation, recorded in a sacred text, or revealed to individuals through prayer.
or mind for other than medically warranted purposes. Traditional definitions of addiction, with their criteria of physical dependence and withdrawal (and often an underlying tenor of depravity and sin) have been modified with increased understanding; with the introduction of new drugs, such as cocaine, that are psychologically or neuropsychological addicting; and with the realization that its stereotypical application to opiate-drug users was invalid because many of them remain occasional users with no physical dependence. Addiction is more often now defined by the continuing, compulsive nature of the drug use despite physical and/or psychological harm to the user and society and includes both licit and illicit drugs, and the term "substance abuse" is now frequently used because of the broad range of substances (including alcohol and inhalants) that can fit the addictive profile. Psychological dependence is the subjective feeling that the user needs the drug to maintain a feeling of well-being; physical dependence is characterized by tolerance (the need for increasingly larger doses in order to achieve the initial effect) and withdrawal symptoms when the user is abstinent. Definitions of drug abuse and addiction are subjective and infused with the political and moral values of the society or culture.
Explain factors related to the development of substance abuse or addictive behaviour & examine prevention strategies and treatments for substance abuse and addictive behaviour (22 marks) A substance is anything that people can ingest to alter mood, cognition or behaviour: specifically to induce feelings of self-confidence, fun or relaxation. However, there is an issue with ‘substances’, in that they can often cause a dependence or addiction. An addiction can be described as the behavioural and other responses that include compulsion to certain substances continuously, in order to avoid psychological and physiological deficits in the absence of the substance: namely discomfort, anxiety etc. An addiction may relate to anything in one’s life which may cause the process of uncontrollable usage. This essay shall seek to outline the key reasons for development of a substance abuse, whilst assessing the prevention strategies and treatment for the subsequent substance abuses and addictive behaviours - with key reference to smoking and addiction to nicotine.