¡Bienvenidos!

Este blog tiene como finalidad mostrar algunos aspectos importantes de diferentes problemas comunes en la adolescencia. Esperamos que lo disfruten e invitamos a todos a hacer comentarios que enriquezcan la información aquí presentada.

Drug Addiction/ Adiccion a las Drogas

The next topic on this blog will be about Drug Addiction.

Addiction is a complex disorder characterized by compulsive drug use. People who are addicted feel an overwhelming, uncontrollable need for drugs or alcohol, even in the face of negative consequences. This self-destructive behavior can be hard to understand. Why continue doing something that’s hurting you? Why is it so hard to stop?

The answer lies in the brain. Repeated drug use alters the brain—causing long-lasting changes to the way it looks and functions. These brain changes interfere with your ability to think clearly, exercise good judgment, control your behavior, and feel normal without drugs. These changes are also responsible, in large part, for the drug cravings and compulsion to use that make addiction so powerful.

The path to drug addiction starts with experimentation. You or your loved one may have tried drugs out of curiosity, because friends were doing it, or in an effort to erase another problem. At first, the substance seems to solve the problem or make life better, so you use the drug more and more.

But as the addiction progresses, getting and using the drug becomes more and more important and your ability to stop using is compromised. What begins as a voluntary choice turns into a physical and psychological need. The good news is that drug addiction is treatable. With treatment and support, you can counteract the disruptive effects of addiction and regain control of your life.


La adicción es un trastorno complejo caracterizado por el uso compulsivo de drogas. Las personas que son adictas se tienen un sentimiento abrumador e incontrolable de necesidad por las drogas o el alcohol, aun cuando tienen consecuencias negativas. Este comportamiento auto-destructivo puede ser difícil de entender. ¿Por qué continúan haciendo algo que les daña? ¿Por qué es tan difícil de parar?

La respuesta yace en el cerebro. El uso repetido de drogas puede alterar el cerebro, provocando cambios duraderos en la manera en la que se ve y funciona. Estos cambios en el cerebro pueden interferir en la habilidad de pensar claramente, ejercer buen juicio, controlar el comportamiento, y sentirse normal sin las drogas.

Estos cambios también son responsables, en gran parte, por los deseos intensos y la compulsión a utilizar drogas que hace la adicción tan poderosa.

El cambio a la drogadicción empieza con la experimentación. Usted o su ser querido pueden haber probado drogas por curiosidad, porque amigos lo estaban haciendo, o en un esfuerzo de borrar otro problema. Al principio, la sustancia parece resolver el problema o mejorar la vida, entonces utiliza más y más la droga.

Conforme la adicción progresa, obtener y usar la droga se vuelve cada vez más importante y puede disminuir su habilidad de parar el uso. Lo que comienza como una decisión voluntaria se vuelve una necesidad física y psicológica. Las buenas noticias es que la drogadicción es tratable. Con tratamiento y apoyo, se pueden contrarrestar los efectos perjudiciales y volver a controlar su vida.


martes, 27 de abril de 2010

Discussion Forum/ Foro de Discusion

Based on the studies we have found, it seems there is a significant brain activity that can lead to a higher probability of addiction. Many brain areas that control impulsivity and sensation seeking have not developed completely by adolescence which leads to a higher probability of addiction for adolescents. The studies of adult rats and adolescent rats proved this, thoery in which adolescent rats were more prone to become addicted. Also there has been correlation that media exposure to drugs and risk taking behavior may be a factor to a higher cause of addiction among adolescents. Family relationships and hereditary causes have also been shown to lead to higher addiction probabilities. So based on all this it can be interpreted that its not really the adolescents choice to become an addict rather all these factors that basically drive him/her to addiction? What do you guys think?

Basado en los estudios que hemos encontrado se puede ver que actividad en el cerebro y su desarrollo tiene una correlacion para probilidades mas altas en addicion. En la adolescencia areas en el cerebro que controlan impulsividad y motivaciones no se had desarollado. Tambien se ha visto correlacion de la infulencia de los medios communicativos y su influencia en la addicion. Las relaciones entre familia y tambien la heredencia de genes se ha vistio que puede tener correlacion mas alta para addicion. Con todos estos factores se podria decir que no es opcion para ser addicto sino que todos estos factores son mas responsables... que creen?

7 comentarios:

  1. I think that all of these are major contributing factors to addiction in adolescence. However, I think that probably the most significant factor is engaging in risky behavior, because ultimately it is the person's choice to take a drug or try drugs, even though they know it is "wrong." I think that initially trying a drug will spark that desire to continue to the drug, even if the person trying it doesn't think he or she will fall into addiction. I believe that it is the other factors (social, psychological, hereditary, etc) that contribute to maintaining the addiction and prolonging it.

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  2. I agree with Ashleigh. While there are many other factors that can encourage the individual to engage in such behavior, it is ultimately up to them whether they choose to do it or not. It is due to the fact that adolescents aren't usually at the right maturity level to weigh in on all the consequences that result from drug use which is why it's so easy for them to just "give it a try." Ultimately no one is to blame for your actions but yourself.

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  3. After 12 university course hours on substance abuse & addiction, I completely agree that substance addiction arises from several factors that consist of "bio-psycho-social factors", that translates to biologically genes, psychologically the substances have reorganized the brain structure, and socially the addicts continual use is attributed to the social network he/she is surrounded by and the environment that person is located that triggers/continues substance use.

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  4. I don't know I would say that if your brain isn't completely developed and you do not have the area developed to inhibit you from doing so much sensation seeking and especially if you have all these other factors working against you... how can it be much of your choice to become an addict?

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  5. While biology does play a role in drug abuse, I feel surroundings definitely play a major hand as well. If an individual is surrounded by drug users or is surrounded by negative people, one is more inclined to do drugs and become addicted. It is then possible for the drug to become a tool for a social network in alleviating negative circumstances in one life; it can also bond a group, whether for better or worse.

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  6. creo que una persona tiene la opcion de ser un adicto, si estoy de acuerdo que los otros factores pueden influir a la persona pero la opcion al ultimo queda en el individuo.

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  7. After reading many of the articles on this blog I am more convinced that teen drug addiction is a serious problem and we are not paying enough attention to the factors in this problem. Mainly, I think there must be more information available for teens to see that they are at a very vulnerable developmental stage to be trying out drugs. I'm very glad you're doing the job of putting this information out there for the rest of us! Thanks!

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