1. To start, it is important to define the difference between physiological and psychological. Physiological is when relates to how the body functions vs psychological which focuses more on the effect of someones mental or emotional state. Being addicted to either alcohol or drugs can cause both psychological and physiological to our brain. Areas of the brain that are in control of memory, judgment, learning, behavior, and decision making are highly affected when someone is addicted to drugs and/or alcohol. Some addicts may have destructive and compulsive behavior, and scientists believe that this is because of how the brain is altered due to pyschological changes. There are many things that can add to a persons risk of becoming a drug abuser. Genetics can really affect someones use of drug because it is in there DNA and sometimes the body acts as if it is “craving” that drug or substance. Your enviorment can defently encourage you to use or misuse substance due to peer pressure.

2. The bodys physiology and psychology is all apart of a balance in which all the organs are functioning with the brain. When substances enter the body, that physiology gets disrupted and then begins to get use to the substance over time feeling like it needs it to funtion the right way. People get addicted to drugs for various reasons. It all starts off as an experimental use in which usually would occur during social situations. The risk of addiction and how fast a person can become addicted varies by the drug. Lets say opioids for example, those drugs are usually used to relieve pain but it has a higher risk of getting addicted more quickly than other substances. As time passes they would need larger doses of the drugs to get high and eventually they will find it exptremely difficult for their brains to function sober. Risk factors that can contribute to someone’s risk for drug abuse and addiction includes genetics, environental stage, mental illness, peer influence, behavioral problems, exposure to trauma, and so on.

3. I think working in a field that I get to work with caregivers and youths that are going through similar things really gives me good insight on these types of things and I am able to speak from experience. Like the post says there are 23 million Americans currently addicted to alcohol and or drugs. The word addiction can to some mean different things. In my opinion I think that people become physiologically addicted to drugs because they take the drugs to feel better (they say) and they train their brain which is part of the body to feel better when they take the drugs, and when they dont they go through withdrawl which then makes their body feel bad. Psychologically they make themselves believe that they are better with the drugs or alcohol then without. Since the brain is a part of the body I do think that they just train themselves to feel and believe that. Its the individuals who are addicted psychological that know that the drug causes harm to them but theyre still going to take it because their willpower isnt strong enough. Then its where the physical addiction increases and the more drugs they take because their body buiilds a tolerance to it. In order to not have to go through withdrawl they go higher in drugs or more alcohol to the body. The main risk factors that can contribute to someones risk for drug abuse and addiciton could be living in a chaotic household, defiant behaviors, others in the family or friends introduciing drugs or doing drugs infront of them, lack of parenting or parenting wrong, and poor coping skills.

4. I think that someone who is addicted to drugs also has a dependence for drugs as well, as they depend on using them to function throughout their day or certain situations, which is also an addiction. I think that people get physiologically or psychologically addicted to drugs because of the fact that they mentally believe and feel as though it is helping them, in whichever way this may be. As we discussed in our lecture on Tuesday, a lot of people with abuse substances such as alcohol or other drugs because they believe that it helps them with certain things. Maybe drinking alcohol makes someone more social, so they drink more often so they can interact with more people on a regular basis or someone may use drugs to cope with an issue they may be dealing with, and they feel as though using that drug relieves the stress, pain, and tension associated with the issue at hand. I think that there are a lot of risk factors that can contribute to someone’s risk for drug abuse and addiction. In my honest opinion, I think that one of the top contributing factors to a drug addiction or drug abuse is without question, mental health. We know that mental illness and drug addiction go hand in hand, and I think that a major issue for most people behind their drug addicition is some form of mental illness or a overall mental health issue. “Chronic drug abuse may occur in conjunction with any mental illness identified in the American Psychiatric Association (DSM-IV). Some common serious mental disorders associated with chronic drug abuse include schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, manic depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, panic disorder, and antisocial personality disorder. Some of these disorders carry with them an increased risk of drug abuse,” (justice.gov).

5. I believe that the physical change in areas of the brain that are critical for judgment, decision making, learning process, memory, and the behavior of a person could control the addiction on a person. When it comes down to psychological dependence with any type of drug it really refers to the condition responses. An individual who uses substances, such as drugs or even alcohol their is always a reason why did do it. The trigger could be anything the individual choices it to be that can cause a strong emotion that could influence their addiction. Physiological could be genetic if the individual grew up in a family who were consumed addictive drugs, mental health disorders, early use, peer pressure these could also be what of the main factors.