Kasra Hossinpour Zadeh November 8th 2021

ADDICTION
Nature & Nurture or Genetics?

The body and mind are tied

Does our environment cause addiction, or do our genes play the main role in the onset of
together and work in unison,
addiction? This is a question that has been debated for centuries, yet it seems like nobody therefore physical changes
can come to a clear consensus as to what really causes addiction. For now, most doctors can a ect the mind and vice
versa. Addiction is not one
and scientists have agreed that addiction can be caused by both genetic causes and
sided, the whole body inside
environmental causes as the mind a ects the body and vice versa. In reality, humans are and out are a ected no
genetically wired and predisposed to addiction due to our evolution. There are arguments on matter the cause. Addiction is
a complex disease, and its
both sides of the debate, scienti cally 50% of your risk for addiction comes from your genes
causes are unique in each
and the other 50% is your environment and circumstances (nature & nurture). In the case that case.
addiction is genetic,

Psychology 11 - Theory Application 1

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 Kasra Hossinpour Zadeh November 8th 2021

possessing certain genes may contribute to or lower your risk of

addiction. The DRD2 gene is responsible for the release of
dopamine in the brain and sometimes the gene causes the brain to
release more dopamine than it's supposed to. Dopamine release is
one of the main factors that causes addictions to develop. You can
possess genes that create a bigger emotional response to the
release of dopamine or you could have a set of genes that lower
the intensity of substance abuse side e ects such as withdrawal.
On the nature and nurture side of the argument, people argue that
addictions can be caused by the environment and the people the
person is around. Some people may experience a form of trauma
while they are growing up which may later result in an addiction to
due emotional and social issues and setbacks. These people have
higher rates of substance abuse and self hard, they use substances
as a form of self-medication and comfort thus developing physical
and psychological dependence on said substances. Under these
circumstances, it is no longer a genetics issue and more of a
nurture issue as they use these substances to cope and nd
comfort in their lives. In addition to drug use in adults, there is also
an increased risk for addiction for younger people. When drug use
begins at an early age it is more susceptible to damage and
addiction. The earlier people start to consume drugs, the more
damaging and long-lasting their e ects are. Another contribution to
the nature and nurture aspect of addiction is peer pressure,
something we all experience. When other peers and friends
pressure teens to use drugs and other substances, in most cases
they cave in. This can also be applied to children with parents who use substances in front of Psychologists use
them at an elevated rate. For example, parents who drink or smoke weed at home in front of both perspectives of
their young and impressionable children could be nurturing an addiction as they are not old genetics and nature &
nurture to help
enough to understand the concept of drugs and substance abuse and may grow up to believe
patients recover from
that the e ects of substance abuse are not as severe as they really are. It could also be seen as
addiction. Using
a sort of activity that parents enjoy for fun and that also can cause a warped de nition of
medications to help
substances and addiction for younger children. At the end of the day, both genetics and nature with the genetic and
& nurture can cause addiction in anybody no matter the age and they are usually intertwined physical aspect of
and create unique circumstances for each person which makes the recovery process di cult. recovery and using
The body and mind are both intertwined and they both work in unison therefore, certain e ects strategies such a talk
on the brain will also a ect the body. Evolution has set us up to be susceptible to substance therapy to aid in the
abuse and our brains are in nitely growing and caving in to our wants and needs, therefore, psychological and
emotional aspect of
there isn’t a direct quanti able point in which we can say that addiction is caused by genetics or
recovery.
nature & nurture. Addiction is something extremely personal for each of us and there isn’t a
magic pill that can solve somebody’s emotional physical dependence on a substance, therefore,
there may not ever be a simple answer to what causes addiction, we develop and change every
day and so does our mind and our dependencies.

Psychology 11 - Theory Application 2

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