Publisher's Synopsis
To be addicted means to devote or surrender (oneself) to something habitually or obsessively. It could be gambling, taking a substance, pornography or anything that makes a person become so obsessive and finding it very difficult to leave or becoming indispensable. Addiction is the state or quality of being addicted; a compulsive need for and use of a habit forming substance such as heroin, nicotine, or alcohol characterized by tolerance and by well defined physiological symptoms upon withdrawal and it is the persistent compulsive use of such substance known by the user to be very harmful. In order for us to fully understand what addiction is all about, there is a need for us to mention a few issues that will enable us to understand the subject matter of addiction. When people hear the word "ADDICTION," the first thing that comes to mind is perhaps an addicted person, a person that takes drugs. This is not necessarily so, because for us to understand what addiction really is, the key points that we are going to highlight will enable us to see how addiction hijacks and controls the brain. When an individual continues to crave for something intensively, and it becomes obvious that the person has lost control over the use of that thing, and continues to involve him or herself with such a thing to the extent that the usage of such thing becomes detrimental or has adverse effects, but yet, the user continues to indulge in it. That is addiction. The resultant effect of addiction is it causes a change in the brain. Like a python hunting its prey, catches and strangulate it before beginning to swallow it. Addiction affects the brain by firstly destabilizing the way it records pleasure and thereafter it corrupts other natural or normal drives like learning and motivation. That is why you see some crimes are committed especially by those who are under the influence of hard drugs or alcohol etc.
