Argumentative Essay About the Addiction as a Disease - 825 Words

Argumentative Essay About the Addiction as a Disease (Essay Sample) Content: Name:Professor:Course:Date: Addiction is a DiseaseToday in the United States, the prevalence rate of drug use and abuse is staggering. The abuse of Drugs is a social problem that cuts across all races and economic backgrounds affecting millions of individuals both young and old. Markedly, the current state of the social vice is causing alarming strains to resources in the departments and agencies tasked with the prevention and treatment such as drug enforcement institutions and the healthcare system. Every day in America there is an alarming and disturbing news headlines on people dying or directly getting affected with the menace of drug use and abuse. The clinical psychology and scientific research define Addiction to drugs as a compulsive psychological condition that results from a continuous and constant use of drugs. In the medical and mental treatment of substance abuse, there is a red line the moment a user crosses doubles up the urge to use abuse substances. W hile substance abuse continues to elicit sharp debates, evidential research indicates that drug is and abuse is an individual decision. This essay, however, argues that addiction drug is not a personal choice but a disease not directly associated with the behavior of human beings. Addiction to drugs is no longer an emotional or social dysfunction as researchers continue to categorize into a chronic problem that affects the brain as a result of regular use of drugs. Across the globe, an estimated 30 million people are victims of abuse of opioids. In the United Sates alone, about 3 million people are estimated to suffer from conditions associated with painkillers. The country continues to record rising cases of opioid use, and the severe consequences are devastating. For instance, over the past few years alone, reported cases of unintentional overdose of prescription drugs took a sharp increase (Leshner, 76). In the year 2015, the center for disease control reported that an estimated 33,000 people died from heroin and opioids related cases. Most of the deaths are preventable cases of overdosing prescription drugs. Over the past few years, scientific and empirical research indicates that substance addiction is not a personal decision one makes as evidential proof shows that genetics causes the disease of drug addiction. The Scientific Research discovered that genes in humans significantly influence the process of compulsion to use and abuse drugs. Further, environmental factors also dismiss the notion that human behavior is directly linked to abuse of drugs. Scholars and medical experts argue that children of drug addicts such as alcoholics have higher risks of suffering from drug addiction. Past studies provide additional support for the argument that argument drug addiction is genetically related and poses more risks because human beings have hundreds of thousands of genes (Leshner, 80). Markedly, studies show that inherited brain malfunction causes use and a buse of drugs. Scientific evidence from Alan Leshner suggest that inheriting bad habits and unpleasant traits from parents increases the chances for people to get into severe drug use. Brain dysfunctions make people lose the factor of self-control which plays a central role in cushioning one from using drugs. Leshner argues that drug addiction is mental disease and victims must seek medical treatment (Leshner, 78).Conversely, evidential research shows that drug addiction is a personal choice. People get into drug use and when they make conscious decisions to use drugs. Voluntary choices also give them the opportunity to quit drugs when they get enough incentives to stop voluntarily. Research on cocaine users indicated that up to 70% of addicts when given rewarding options (Sremac, 23). Additionally, alcoholics rate of recovery increases when they make personal choices to stop drinking. The conscious choices people make to quit using drugs without the help of psychologists or medica l treatment indicates that drug addiction is a personal choice (Tosmic, 87). Thus it makes for a compelling argument to say that addiction is a personal choice because personal decisions and lifestyles are causative factors. Choices people make regarding their lifestyles is a determinant of drug addiction. Making decisions to use alcohol or even hard addictive drugs cause addiction to substances. However, impulsiveness does not directly cause individuals to use and abuse drugs. Drug addiction victims endure the consequences of personal decisions they make to use drugs. Thus, the society should encourage members to make decisions and choose to live responsibly so that addiction cases are eradicated (Sremac, 50).The disease of addiction significantly affects the state of mind and body of the users. Over time, drugs make the body depended physically and psychologically. As a disease, addiction causes grave consequences such as compromising the safety of nonusers. Apart from self-destru ction, addiction as a disease causes positive and negative reinforcement depending on how users apply the drug (Leshner, 50). When drugs stimulate the limbic system of the brain, it pleasures the individual showing that addiction to substance use is a disease and not a decision someone makes. When the limbic system changes, it means that the body craves for the drugs to regain its normal functionality. These examples thus support the argument that addiction to drugs is a disease and not a decision an individual makes. National Associations of Drug Court Professionals define drug courts as programs designed to help alter the behavior of drug addicts. These criminal justice plans were first developed in the year 1989 and since become a significant ascent of helping addicts reform. Further, the program offers therapeutic programs that th...

Compare and Contrast Characters in Beowulf and The...

The hero of Beowulf, one of the oldest written Germanic epics, is a leader of the Geats and a hero unlike all others before him. He is able to conquer foes that no one else can, and he charges into every battle with the full force that he can muster, without any of the encumbrances that others may have. His greatest desire is fame and glory, and he performs whatever difficult tasks he believes will bring him closer to that goal. Beowulf’s quest for power drives him to seek fame by challenging Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and finally a giant dragon that causes his death. Though Beowulf’s strength and courage lead him to power and its accompanying responsibility, the power that he accumulates has negative consequences for those who rely on†¦show more content†¦Hrothgar is a wise old king who has seen the dangers that the world has to offer. He warns Beowulf that power and pride are not the only things worth seeking because they are temporary, and when oneâ⠂¬â„¢s guard is down, other forces will attack viciously. Hrothgar recognizes Beowulf’s obsession with power and warns him against single-mindedly pursuing it. However, Beowulf is unable to restrain his desire for more power, even after he has achieved the glory that killing Grendel had to offer and has been made the leader of a vast kingdom. He goes after the fire-breathing dragon at the end of the story, knowing that in his old age he is likely to die and leave his land and kingdom unguarded. Though the dragon is threatening the Geats, he states his reasons for fighting it: â€Å"I risked my life / often when I was young. Now I am old, / but as king of the people I shall pursue this fight / for the glory of winning† (2511 - 2514). It is clear that Beowulf knows he is risking his life — even more so because of his old age and waned strength — â€Å"for the glory of winning†. He doesn’t do it to save his citizens from the dragon, but to make his name eternal and to win him a ticket into Valhalla for his bravery. This is not only a selfish action, but since he does this without considering the bigger picture regarding his citizens, it also has negative consequences for them. Wiglaf, the only soldier brave enough to fight by his side, remarks upon Beowulf’s decision to

Comparing Jesus Of Nazareth, A Beautiful Movie Recapping...

Jesus of Nazareth was a beautiful movie recapping the life of Jesus Christ. This film had no bareness, no vulgarity, and no sex scenes. It was ideal for both the young and the older audiences. I do not recall anything that may have gone against the word of God. Jesus of Nazareth embellished the birth, life, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It remained true to the four New Testament Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Despite the fact, there have been many movies, actors, accounts and descriptions of the life of Christ this was by far the best representation of the life of Jesus Christ according to the four gospels. Before becoming a Christian my main three purposes in life were to serve, know and love God. After watching this episode of Jesus of Nazareth, I felt I was working towards the accomplishment for each of them. For example, during the year of 1977; I was only six years old living at home with my mother when Jesus of Nazareth movie first broadcasted. My mom insisted that we watch this movie with her. The main cast of this series was led by a British actor, Robert Powell, who portrayed the role of Jesus. Due to the fact, that I was only a kid at the time, I didn’t really understand what this movie was all about. Then approximately, six years ago, it aired again on the History Channel and I watched it with my church family. I was older and much more mature; I realized the significance of knowing Jesus of Nazareth through this movie.

Agony And The Ecstacy Essay Example For Students

Agony And The Ecstacy Essay The Agony and the Ecstacy depicts Michelangelos struggle to become the embodiment of Renaissance humanism. In the course of the novel Michelangelo must overcome the interference of his family, religious dogma, political intrigue, papal patronage, military campaigns, and artistic jealousy to realize his artistic ambition. Despite his fathers opposition, twelve-year-old Michelangelo becomes an apprentice, first to painter Ghirlandaio and then to Bertoldo, a sculptor, who directs a school financed by Lorenzo de Medici, patron of Florentine art. Michelangelo quickly wins Lorenzos esteem, meets his children (among Them two future popes, Giulio and Giovanni, and Contessina, his first love), suffers the first of several attacks by jealous colleagues (his nose is broken by Trrigiani, whose later appearances always threaten Michelangelo), and through forbidden dissection learns the anatomy and physiology he needs. Eventually Savonarola, a reform priest, comes to power, and his crusading zeal threatens Lorenzo de Medicis family and the Florentine art world. When Savonarola gains political, as well as religious control, Michelangelo flees Florence and travels to Bologna, where he meets the sensuous Clarissa Saffi and carves the Bambino that attracts the attention of Leo Baglioni. In Rome for the first time, Michelangelo meets Jacopo Galli, a banker, who commissions a sculpture; Giuliano Sangallo, an architect; and Bramante, another architect and an adversary. In Rome, Michelangelo carves the Pieta, learns about the whims of religious patrons, and becomes interested in St. Peters the building of the new St. Peters will embroil him in controversy and ultimately consume his last years. Michelangelo return to Florence, where he carves the Giant, a sculpture of David which becomes the symbol of Florence. There he meets Leonardo da Vinci, his principal rival, and Raphael, the painter the three become the triumvirate of Renaissance Italian art. Jealous of Leonardo Michelangelo competes with him as the two artists paint frescoes for the rulers of Florence. Word of Michelangelos work reaches Pope Julius, who forces Michelangelo to work in bronze, rather than his beloved marble, and to paint the Sistine Chapel ceiling. It is Julius who resolves to build a new St. Peters. Julius is followed by two Medici popes who only add to Michelangelos problems: Giovanni, by forcing him to work with marble from Pietrasanta, an almost inaccessible region, thereby making Michelangelo an engineer, and Giulio, against whose forces Michelangelo must use his engineering talents to fortify the city of Florence. The Medici popes are followed by Pope Paul III, who commissions Michelangelo to paint the Last Judgment and who, after bitter disputes about the ongoing building of St. Peters, appoints him as architect for the cathedral. The dome, Michelangelos last creation, is the appropriate capstone for his creative efforts. In addition to achieving artistic acclaim, he finds an assistant, Tommaso de Cavalieri, who is to complete St. Peters, and Vittoria Colonna, the female epitome of Renaissance humanism and his last great love. The CharactersStone presents Michelangelo as the idealized Renaissance humanist, the artist whose commitment to his work becomes a religion and whose creative efforts are no less than godlike. In fact, his commitment to art is such that it alienates him from society, makes him a misunderstood recluse, and, in becoming the outlet for his passion, prevents him from finding love. Because art becomes religion, art cannot be commercialized; the artist is not a businessman. Overly generous to his parasitic family and deaf to the warnings of his banker/agent Galli, he lives in relative poverty, unlike Leonardo and Raphael. Also unlike them, he works alone, refusing to compromise his work by using, even in the Sistine Chapel, other painters. Leonardo da Vinci and Raphael, despite their stature, exist in Stones novel primarily as foils, artists whose deficiencies help define Michelangelos greatness. Thoughts On Earth EssayStone also addresses the incompatibility of art and business. During most of his life, Michelangelo is totally dependent on the patronage of the wealthy, especially the papacy, and their whims and eccentricities prevent him from expressing himself in his beloved marble. Although a creative god in theory, the artist is, as Michelangelo ruefully acknowledges, a hireling, below a tradesman in status. Rather than financing the artist and allowing freedom of expression, the patrons exercise their vanity and force artists to work on inappropriate projects. Running throughout the novel is the notion that the artist exist only to be exploited both artistically and financially. Lodovico may not approve of his sons vocation, but he extorts money from him. Michelangelo is, in truth, his fathers quarry. Finally, he recognizes that both his Holy Fathers and his earthly one have exploited him. It is only the committed artist who can survive, even thrive, in the midst of such materialism. Michelangelos commitment allows no distractions and necessitates mastery of every phase of art: painting, poetry, sculpture he masters them all. Like the amateur film director who wishes to control all phases of the filmmaking process, the sculptor wants to control the marble from the time it is cut from the quarry until the carved statue is safely installed. Therefore, readers learn that Michelangelo can cut stone, that he can build roads to the quarry, that he can protect his work from the ravages of war. According to Bertoldo, the stone works with a sculptor like Michelangelo. Critical ContestThe Agony and the Ecstasy, perhaps Stones most acclaimed novel, is a worthy successor to Lust for Life (1934), his first venture into the artistic world, and the two novels contain many of the same themes. Stones other novels concern, for the most part, political figures as diverse as Eugene V. Debs and Mary Todd Lincoln; he returned to the world of art in DepthsOf Glory (1985), a novel about the Impressionist painter Camille Pissarro. In his genre, the biographical novel, Stone has no American equal in quality or quantity, though Andre Maurois is a worthy foreign rival. The lack of competition is understandable, given the demands of the genre and the lack of critical appreciation for it, despite its popular acceptance. First, the research is formidable, for the biographical novelist must know not only his subject but also his times, including history, religion, politics, science, and the arts. Second, because they believe that less imagination and creativity are required in history, critics value fiction over fact. As Stone points out, however, a biographical novel is not simply history or biography; a biographical novelist must select and shape his material to give it dramatic structure and theme. In The Agony and the Ecstasy, Stone eliminates historical characters, alters them, adds fictional ones, and has them reappear so as to give unity, focus, and theme to his novel. Given the massive amount of material that was at his disposal, tones novel is a significant achievement. Sources of Further StudyClements, Robert j. the Artist as Hero, in Saturday Review. XLIV (March 18, 1961),p.18. Book Reports