Caffeine Addiction

Addiction is a chronic brain disease that often results in some sort of relapse. Addiction is characterized by inability to control drug use which results in problems with one’s behaviors and interpersonal relationships. This disease causes compulsive behaviors such as the need to use drugs despite the many harmful consequences that affect the addicted individual and those around him or her. Although for most people, the initial decision to use drugs is a one time lapse in judgement, the brain is easily affected by these drugs if the person decides to use these drugs multiple times. The changes that occur to the brain over time will cause the addicted person’s ability to resist the intense impulses of drugs to be altered causing the addict to often give into the temptation of these drugs. Like other chronic diseases, addiction often involves cycles of relapse and remission. Without treatment or engagement in recovery activities, addiction is progressive and can result in disability or premature death. Drug addiction is an issue that many people deal with whether they are the addict or the addict is their loved one; but with a good source of support anyone can over come the challenges and consequences of addiction.

Cocaine, heroin, methamphetamines, alcohol, opium, tobacco, hypnotics, just to name a few. Addiction is a chronic disease that affects the chemicals in the brain. It dysfunctions the circuits in the brain that deal with memory, reward, sex, motivation, behavior, relationships and emotions all mostly resulting in substance use or other behaviors to fulfill those circuit rewards. This world is in a current addiction epidemic on drugs. Let’s try to understand addiction to make it a little clearer.

To understand addiction further, it is important to look at how drugs have neurological effects in a human body. Drugs can be ingested in various ways; while some are taken orally, some are smoked (cannabis) while others are injected directly into the blood stream (Heroin). Once in the body, they mainly affect the reward pathway in the brain, known as the dopaminergic pathway, which in turn gives pleasure. Even though all drugs affect the reward and motivation pathways in the brain, their speed depends on the way the drug has been consumed. Over constant use of drugs, the cognitive functions are impaired as the effects become more prominent in learning, memory

Addiction is complex and is often misunderstood; However, many individuals and medical professionals are now referring to addiction as a disease, not just a poor decision that is made by an individual. Addiction is a problem that spirals out of control and has the potential to absorb every thought and action while wreaking havoc on the body. According to Narcotics Anonymous, “...it is our fellowship's collective experience and understanding that addiction is, in fact, a disease. (What is Addiction?, NA, 2015)”

Addiction is a term used by people who are “dependent” on something, whether it is a drug, caffeine, alcohol or anything a human being does more than once a day. Most people with an addiction do not have control over what they are doing, what they are taking and what they are putting into their body. A person’s addiction may reach a point at which it can become very harmful to themselves and to others. Most likely when a person is addicted to something they cannot control how they use it, when they use it and they eventually become dependent on it to cope with their daily life.

Addiction can become more important than the need to eat or sleep. The urge to get and use the drug can fill every moment of a person's life. The addiction replaces all the things the person used to enjoy.

Addiction as a whole is an epidemic which has grown rapidly in recent years, 23.5 million Americans are addicted to alcohol and drugs (HBO, USA Today, The Gallup Poll, 2006). Approximately 46 Americans died per day in 2010 from drug overdoses (Jones, 2013). Addiction in its many forms is a habitual and debilitating disease which affects not only the addict but the loved ones around them. There is no solid answer as to why an addict is an addict nor pertaining to the selection of who becomes addicted and who does not, however, scientists are making profound advancements. The vast majority of medical practitioners acknowledge that

It is often hard for the general population to understand what it takes to be a drug addict, or how an individual chooses to undergo such a lifestyle. However, addiction is similar to many other diseases that can occur in the human body. Addiction usually is not a choice, but a disease that takes over an individual’s sense of control. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, “Addiction is a chronic, often relapsing brain disease that causes compulsive drug seeking and use, despite harmful consequences to the addicted individual and to those around him or her”

Caffeine is the most used drug in the world. Caffeine is used to fuel the human body, making people feel more awake and energetic. This addictive drug was discovered in 1819 by a man named Friedlieb Runge. Friedlieb found this substance while examining mocha beans.

Coffee is essential in the daily morning routine for many. The beverage provides a much-need caffeine boost after a late night of studying or a long night of work. However, according to a recent study by the Department of Bio-molecular and Sport Sciences at Coventry University, caffeine can also improve your cognitive skills. The study titled "The Effect of Acute Caffeine Ingestion on Coincidence Anticipation Timing in Younger and Older Adults," suggests that consuming caffeine may be useful in enhancing functionality, cognition, tasks of daily living, and psychological well-being in older adults. The relatively new study carried out by Michael J. Duncan, Jason Tallis, Sheila Leddington Wright, Emma L. J. Eyre, Elizabeth Bryant, and Dominic Langdon, uncovers "that older adults are more susceptible to the performance-enhancing effects of caffeine than younger adults." An article in The New York Times written by Gretchen Reynolds titled "This is Your Brain on Coffee"

One of the more common addictions that were mentioned is substance or drug addiction. In the medical dictionary substance abuse means, “Excessive use of a potentially addictive substance, especially one that may modify body functions, such as drugs.” The effects of substance abuse can show a discrepancy between physical and psychological effects. Essentially every drug has dissimilar physical effects on the body; they all have an effect on the brain initially in a similar manner. The physical effects of substance abuse includes; respiratory issues, cardiac issues, and even gastrointestinal issues. With these issues, they can get severe enough to lead up to further severe issues such as lung cancer, heart attacks, and kidney or liver damage, which can ultimately lead to death. The psychological effects of this addiction can be just as harmful. The psychological effects included; hypothermia, paranoia, anxiety, violent behavior, hallucinations, depression, loss of interest, loss sense of reality, confusion, flashbacks, sense of distance, and catatonic syndrome (which affects the body’s central

Addiction is defined as “a persistent, compulsive dependence on a behavior or substance” (Donatelle & Kolen-Thompson, 2007, p. 263). How an addiction develops is very fascinating. Addiction is a process that evolves over time. It begins when a person repeatedly seeks relief from pain or unpleasant feelings and or situations. This pattern is known as nurturing through avoidance and is a maladaptive strategy of trying to take care of emotional needs. As a person becomes increasingly dependent on the addictive drug, there is a corresponding deterioration that responds and reacts to these situations which alters relationships with family, friends, and co-workers. The performance at work, school and qualities of an individual’s personal life diminishes. Often times, these individuals do not find the addictive behaviors or drug pleasurable, there motivation is to escape from there hopeless situations. In many cases addicts may wish to cease the abuse of a drug but the withdrawal symptoms, which can sometimes be very severe such as irritability, trembling or delirium, depending on how long an individual has used can be much more unbearable to an individual.

“Did you know that over 400 million cups of coffee and 3.8 billion gallons of tea are consumed per day worldwide?” (Bytes, 2003/2017) Both of these beverages are drunk on a daily biases for the same effect. That effect is caffeine. Caffeine is “a crystalline compound that is found especially in tea and coffee plants and is a stimulant of the central nervous system.” Everyone in the world thrives off these drinks. They need coffee and tea to “get them through the day.” The reason so many people drink tea and coffee is that people do not get enough sleep at night therefore throughout the day in order for them to function they consume tea and or coffee. Coffee and tea have effects that give humans a boost. These effects allow them to

al coffees to try to wean oneself off of the real stuff. (Caffeine Addiction and its effects)

Caffeine consumption is on the rise amongst adolescents in America. The effects of caffeine addiction can leave some people with long-term health problems. America has seen a significant increase in coffee and soda consumption amongst college-aged students in the past couple of decades. Caffeine helps increase awareness and boosts energy. Caffeine addiction comes in many different forms but it most prominently affects people who suffer from caffeine withdraws who commonly experience headaches and fatigue. Caffeine can even have an extreme impact on not only physical well-being, but psychological well-being as well. Caffeine addiction can lead to sleeping disorders, anxiety disorders, and in some cases, a type of caffeine intoxication. Some argue that caffeine addiction is one of the least harmful addictions, and they excuse their dependency by considering that there are worse things in the world that they could become addicted to. However, people who fail to acknowledge that they have an addiction, may not be prepared to experience its lasting effects on their health. Often, people who are dependent upon caffeine do not recognize if they have a bigger health concern, they blame any fatigue or illness on either lack of caffeine, or too much caffeine. Caffeine only takes somewhere around half an hour to start having its effects on the body and brain. After these effects are processed by the body, it builds up a certain amount of tolerance which causes people to crave more