Addiction is immensely becoming a pandemic situation. Each country and region’s population is having some or other substance abuse problem. This situation needs a deep analysis with the help of various clinical studies and research. This article is a summary of the article ‘Sex, Stress, and Drug Cues in Addiction.’
SUMMARY
In the article, the author focuses on three important factors affecting the addictive behavior. According to the author stress, has a significant impact on mind’s tendency of attraction towards addiction. Stress induces some specific path in the brain that leads to psychomotor stimulants, and possibly through sensitization. These kind of mechanism of weakening nervous system deliberately creates craving for relaxing substances or activity. There are many pre-clinical and clinical studies showing the effect of stress on the vaso-motor nervous system. People with various experiences of types of stress in younger ages are more prone to draw toward addiction in their adolescent age. People with family issues, history of physical and mental abuse and psychosomatic depression are also victims of addiction. (Goeders, 2003)
Sex is another factor influencing the addiction. Sex produces oxytocin in the brain that helps the mind to have euphoric feeling. Sex can be a factor pushing people toward addiction, or it can be an addiction itself. Many people find sexual activities a habit, and impossible to refrain from it. In such scenarios, sex can be an addiction. In the worst case scenario, addiction to physical gratification can produce the sexual offenders in the society.
Drugs are another material to induce addiction. Studies show that people with a constant need of medicinal products are prone to transform into addictive behavior. With impending fear of death or disease, people search and crave powerful drugs from their practitioners or otherwise. Especially, people with pain management medications tend to crave narcotics drugs to ease away the pain. The initial pain therapy turns into addiction in a short amount of time. Addictive substances create receptors in the cell-wall of the pleasure center in the brain. Thus, when the incoming of the substance stops, the receptors create the feedback mechanism through hypothalamus for more craving of the substances. Thus, the addiction develops rapidly. (National Institute of Drug Abuse, 2012).
There are certain other factors influencing the addictive behavior like social status, economical condition, personal relationships, environmental factors, professional issues and gender difference. Even female can show addictive behavior and show poorest recovery. People in stress have taken shelter in various coping mechanisms like overeating, sex, anger and substance abuse. Such mechanisms have deteriorating physical and psychological outcomes over a period. Among all the substances, tobacco is most dissolute addiction. The recovery and prognosis from various forms of tobacco addiction are very difficult. People who become victim of tobacco abuse since comparatively younger age end-up having lifelong addiction problem with very less quality of life. Similarly, alcohol and narcotics have the same effect with gradually ascending addiction rate.
References
Goeders, Nick. E. (2003, Month. Day). In The impact of stress on addiction. Retrieved Oct. 3, 2014, from http://66.199.228.237/boundary/addiction/the_impact_of_stress_on_addictions.pdf
