Author: Brian Brown (Page 5 of 8)

Saah, T. The evolutionary origins and significance of drug addiction. Harm Reduct J 2, 8 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1186/1477-7517-2-8.

Summary

Drug addiction is believed to have evolutionary origins in the way the human brain responds to substances that can alter mood and behavior. It is thought to have emerged as a byproduct of the brain’s reward system, which originally evolved to reinforce behaviors necessary for survival, such as eating and reproducing. When individuals are exposed to addictive substances, the brain’s reward circuitry can become hijacked, leading to compulsive drug-seeking and drug-taking behavior. The significance of drug addiction is profound, as it can lead to numerous social, health, and economic issues. In current society drug use is promoted at such an high status this influences us people at young ages to make it seem ok but no one emphasizes on how detrimental substance use is on a humans’ mind and body.

Rhetorical Analysis

In “The evolutionary origins and significance of drug addiction” writer Tammy Saah describes the conditions and consequences of substance use. The use of drugs were used within ancient civilizations specifically natural drugs; where it wasn’t detrimental for the average human body due to the lack of salient [wanting] behavior. However, now drugs are produce more than ever with no limitation of the resources there’s “excessive amounts of salience in modern environment, we have no internal comtrol … leaving us vulnerable to addiction” (Saah 2). This highlights the major destruction in the the modern world  due to drugs we are so openly accessible to and leaves us to not having a strong mindset to thave a control over yourself if you do or don’t do drugs.

What so amazing is when the ancient civilizations were using psychotropic plants instead of it having negative effects it actually had positive effects boosting energy and fitness. When Saah speaks about how human brains have evolved dealing with emotions and drugs are used it brings more “positive emotions”and with some people it’s hard to deal with emotions so drugs are used to not have these “negative emotions” avoided. “To regulate and compensate for negative emotions… expose themselves to fitness-increasing situations and avoid fitness-decreasing situations…”(Saah 3). This then helps lead to the important fact of how substance use may create this positive feeling it keeps a false reality in your brain now wanting the drug more not realizing the effect on one’s body.

Once Saah has shown us how emotions had some advantages on a person it goes more deep in how drugs effect emotions and go into addiction. It’s told what specific parts of the brain is targeted by the drugs “Their emotional systems are now concentrated on drug-seeking rather than survival”(Saah 4). This emphasizes the results of taking the drugs and how the person would rather depend on temporary pleasure then health.   A theroy is brought up “drugs for reward” stating people are between the mindset of like vs. want and how different drugs stimulate a different “positive emotion”. “Dependence is often continued because of temporary positive effects with the denial of the more permanent, negative pharmaceutical effects”(Saah 5).

Additionally, Saah represents the idea not only it’s ones’  house to use but can be influenced by the modern day environment we are in. It can come poor parenting, social exposure, and stress a major influence. Drug addiction is looked over so much that treatements for drug abuse isn’t given as much . “extremely short-term and non-frequently offered to jail inmates… considering the correctional institution holds more substance abusers than any other national institution.”(Saah 6). Showing that arresting people is more important than helping people who are in jail who are substance users.

In Saah’s journal she goes in depth on how drugs started to how it is now and drug addiction isn’t taken seriously. The influence in modern day is very high and the production of drugs is high, which is a need to be fixed.

Throughout history recreational drugs have been made and made massive destruction throughout the world, especially in America within the minorital communities. When go outside and see the drug addicts outside I tell myself “I would never get to that point” and shake my head in disappointment. This comes with my question “Why do people take drugs knowing it’s bad for them ?”. I bring this question to argue how people don’t have to result in drugs for whatever reason they have and how there’s other ways to do things then go to these drugs. The importance of this topic is for people to understand that drugs not good at all but to know how these drugs are made will even ehnace the fact that these drugs are unacceptable. Sometimes I wonder where these drugs come from how are these ideas even made and why is it that a person of color can be judge quickly, but for a person that’s white(or caucasian) they seem to be looked passed. I feel like, drugs is a set up for African-Americans to be oppressed and stay in low mental and not unlocking their true potentials.

I’m interested in this topic because all drugs seem to do is destroy things. With an exception with weed, which is becoming more legal now, but there’s still people that are adding things with weed for a stronger feeling they desire. This is casusing people’s death, so many advertisements for addiction help or even meetings for people with addiction; this is a step to help people already on it but to know was to make our world better and less cruel. Drugs has its own system and with so many competitors trying to make money it all leads to destruction and I need people to know how serious things is if drugs aren’t to be stopped.

In my adolescent years I was in love with dinosaurs and scientists. This kid named Isaiah was in love with dinosaurs more than me he helped me gravitate more to it; he was really a genius when it came to dinosaurs. And the scientists finding fossils on the extinct dinosaurs was even cooler  which is called a Paleontologist. However, that wasn’t the only scientist I wanted to be I also wanted to be a Marine biologist because I love the water so much and the marine life love it as much or maybe even more than I do there’s an connection. Where I wanted to help stop humans polluting the ocean destroying marine environments and killing or even extincting sea life. Which this thought in my head my occupation was now to be switched to a Zoologist what influenced my liking toward this occupation because of the love for animals I have, specifically I really loved kangaroos for some reason with their human like actions, the way they hop around, and my favorite the way they fight humans like there boxing. Now in my life it’s not there anymore and I feel like that because my curiosity went down when my middle school enforced their behavioral system where I felt like a robot only to sit, listen, and do the work given to me.Thinking about how long school was gonna be for being those type of scientists and the way middle school was making me feel I wasn’t as interested in it then I was during elementary school. Now I’m interested in getting my associates degree for Electrical Engineering Technology because I’m on this mindset that I want something that’s gonna make me financially stable and where school isn’t overbearing with all them years. This major I choose because I see it deeper than just it’s name it could really change the way you think and observe things critically; we all know this world is gonna continue making homes, buildings, and other electronics, so being a electrician would be a strategic move for my life. I wanna have generational wealth.