Addictions come in many forms and almost always involve a complex three-way interaction between the person, the object of the addiction (e.g., drugs, gambling, chocolate), and the societal context of the addiction. This complex interaction raises a controversial social question: Is addiction always a bad thing? Although there is often a significant amount of social stigma attached to addictions, and popular media often focuses on the treatment and prevention of addiction, there may also be associated positive qualities of addictive substances and behaviors.
For your initial post, the class will be split into two groups. Please see below for your assigned topic group.
Initial post will be written on a specific substance that has addictive potential (e.g., alcohol, cocaine, ibogaine, marijuana, ayahuasca, MDMA) of your choice.
Begin your initial post by choosing either a substance or a behavior with addictive potential based on your assigned group. To create a meaningful and interesting discussion, it would behoove you to choose a substance or behavior that has not already been addressed in the discussion board. For this discussion, you must explain both the positive and negative potential of addiction to your chosen substance or behavior. Therefore, you must choose a substance or behavior that presents both positive and negative potential outcomes.
