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Abegail Jennings Intro to Sociology Nature vs. Nurture What causes human beings to suffer from Addiction?

Is genetics the only determining factor in addiction? How does our social status impact our chances for becoming an addict? Is addiction a choice or a disease? Genetics- Do certain genes make us more susceptible to addiction? When scientists look for addiction genes they are really looking for biological differences that may make someone more or less vulnerable to addiction. Evidence shows that if you have parents who are addicts then you may become an addict yourself or find it difficult to resist the cravings and so repeatedly use a substance. It may be harder for certain people to quit once they start. Specific factors that make it harder to become addicted as well as the severity of withdrawal symptoms also may be genetic. It is also proven that one person may become sick from a certain drug that makes another person feel good. Studies do suggest that certain people have brains which are hard wired towards a desire for certain substances. Because addiction is influenced by multiple genes as well as environmental risk factors, this can be a complicated process. Someones genetic makeup will never doom them into becoming an addict. There are many other contributing factors include learned behavior, peer pressure and your environment. Alcohol dependence and dependence on other drugs frequently co-occur, and strong evidence suggests that both disorders are, at least in part, influenced by genetic factors. In recent years, researchers have identified numerous genes as affecting risk for dependence on alcohol and drugs. These include genes involved in alcohol metabolism as well as in the transmission of nerve cell signals and modulation of nerve cell activity.

Social StatusAs I think about the impact of addiction and your social class I like the sayings, If you want to know your future take a look at your friends. and If you hang out in a barber shop you will eventually get a haircut. It is very apparent that people adapt to characteristics of others they are surrounded by. If your friends or family drink alcohol, smoke or use drugs more than likely you will do the same. Or if your friends or family graduate high school and attend college you will follow the social norm to which you are accustom. When looking at social status and addiction I believe it is evident. Higher social status has less addiction due to more money which provides many more options. Such as the opportunity for a college education, less stress in daily living, paying rent, buying groceries, purchasing clothing, and transportation. When addiction is an issue there is money to pay for rehabilitation. Where in lower social class areas where money is limited there are less college graduates, higher crime rates, more broken homes and no money for treatment and/or rehabilitation. With no money for treatment usually these people end up in our jails and prisons which do not rehabilitate. In turn upon releasing the prisoner they have just been locked up and not been given any help in learning new coping skills, building self-esteem and addressing the underlying causes of their addiction. Personal ChoicesCan a person that has addiction in their genes and has been raised in a lower social status overcome the odds of becoming an addict with personal choice? Is addiction a disease of the brain? I believe addiction/alcoholism is a disease of the brain, triggered when a substance is introduced and fires receptors in the brain. The substance comes and the disease begins to blossom. But why can one person use a substance, even repeatedly, yet never become addicted, while another person tries it once and their life goes astray? Everyone is different and so everyone reacts differently to any drug.

Without the substance, addiction does not occur. However, it's like a dormant seed, waiting there, even for decades for something to bring it to life.

I believe the overall answer is yes, it is all about the choices we make as human beings. We all are born into different circumstances without choice, starting with our heritage, social status, and our geographical placement in life. Although some situations are more difficult than others we all have the right as human beings to make choices and live with the good or bad consequences of that choice. Many people use their addiction as excuse because of someone elses actions towards them. These actions can have a devastating impact on our lives, but ultimately the choice is up to us as individuals. Once the individual has made a choice to use drugs or alcohol I believe genetics come in to play with the dependence on substances. We are the makers or breakers of our destiny. There are many people that grow up in this environment and end up leading healthy lifestyles. Addiction is generated by several different constituents including genetics, social status and by choices. It is my hypothesis that all three are included in the formation of addiction with choice being the decisive cause. If we chose not to put a substance in our body then there is no way to become addicted.

References: http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/addiction/genetics/ http://www.medic8.com/drug-addiction/genetics-and addiction.html http://www.drug-addiction-support.org/Drug-addiction-Choice.html

http://ncadd.org/index.php/for-parents-overview/family-history-and-genetics

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