Addiction

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Addiction is a multifaceted behavior that is as complex as the human being in which it is displayed. There is no one definition that encompasses all aspects of addiction. It is clear that addiction is a mesh of many forces in life converging on an individual to drive that person towards a behavior that can be easily identified no matter what the context. Although science lags, there has been some good research to demonstrate that addiction has some biological roots. Studies have shown that there are definite correlations between genes and addictive behavior. Smokers, alcoholics and drug abusers all have a larger proportion of offspring with addictions than the rest of the population. The social and environmental issues that exist are also important in nurturing addictive behavior. Attempts to study this have been met with great difficulty, but most studies suggest that addictive behavior is greatly influenced by peer groups and ritual. The extent to which non-biological factors play an important role in developing addictive behavior is not well defined. As research continues, however, the complexity of addiction unfolds, and the questions continue.

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