It suggests that interventions should focus not only on the individual but also on their social environment. For example, prevention programs might target peer influence and social norms around substance use, while treatment approaches could involve family therapy or peer support groups. Psychodynamic approaches to addiction treatment focus on uncovering and resolving these underlying conflicts, often through long-term therapy. While this model provides valuable insights into the emotional roots of addiction, critics argue that it may be too time-consuming and lacks the immediate, practical interventions that many individuals with substance use disorders urgently need. A person might use a drug for the first time and enjoy the feelings it creates, which is a positive reinforcement for the behavior. Similarly, the person might find that the drug decreases a negative feeling like pain, low mood, or anxiety.
New Approaches to the Study of the Addictive Process: Neuroinflammation
Studies show that repeated use of a substance (or an activity), encouraged by a surge in dopamine, creates changes in the wiring of the brain—and those changes are reversible after drug use stops. Understanding the pathways in which drugs act and how drugs can alter those pathways is key when examining the biological https://yourhealthmagazine.net/article/addiction/sober-houses-rules-that-you-should-follow/ basis of drug addiction. The reward pathway, known as the mesolimbic pathway,32 or its extension, the mesocorticolimbic pathway, is characterized by the interaction of several areas of the brain. The disease model views addiction as an illness stemming from impaired neurochemical processes in the brain. It considers addiction a chronic, relapsing disorder characterized by compulsive substance use despite harmful consequences. As our understanding of addiction has grown, so too has the recognition that no single theory can fully explain this complex phenomenon.
Stress is a risk factor for many kinds of nonadaptive behavior, and addiction is one. There is some research to support the view that adverse events in childhood and in adulthood change the responsiveness of brain systems. Stress also increases the risk of mood and anxiety disorders, which are linked to addiction. Creative activities like painting, sculpting, music, and writing can help people express their feelings and experiences in safe and healthy ways.
The dimension of alienation plays an important role in the effect of drug use stereotype threat on the type of self-acceptance of drug addicts. Bandura’s theory suggests that individuals form perceptions of social groups based on others’ views, which may lead to simplified or biased information processing and prejudice. Zeng et al.‘s ERP experiment found that participants responded faster and more accurately to negative Sober Houses Rules That You Should Follow words related to drug addicts 54, suggesting an implicit negative stereotype that affects their self-acceptance and leads to social detachment. A tangled web of biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors lies at the heart of addiction, challenging our understanding and treatment of this pervasive issue. As we delve into the complex world of substance use disorders, we find ourselves navigating a labyrinth of theories, models, and frameworks, each offering a unique perspective on the nature of addiction. This journey through the various models of addiction is not just an academic exercise; it’s a crucial step towards developing more effective, compassionate, and holistic approaches to treating those struggling with substance abuse.
- It emphasizes the individual’s ability to perceive, accept and regulate internal experiences.
- Ultimately, our understanding of addiction must be as dynamic and multifaceted as the individuals it affects.
- Giordano, A. L., Prosek, E. A., Stamman, J., Callahan, M. M., Loseu, S., Bevly, C. M., Cross, K., Woehler, E. S., Calzada, R.-M. R., & Chadwell, K.
- As our understanding of substance use and substance use disorders continues to evolve, using a perspective which includes an intersectional approach may help us to address some of the societal inequities that put people and communities at risk of substance use disorders.
- The study in this paper used LPA to explore the subtypes of self-acceptance among drug addicts in Sichuan Province, China, and then analyzed their influencing factors through multiple logistic regression.
One psychological theory of addiction is the learning theory, which focuses on how nurture (how we are raised) shapes our behaviour. The learning theory identifies several processes through which an individual’s addictive behaviour is influenced by their environment. This can be individual, family, peer and community.(30) Substance use may be familial, a person may have watched a parent or caretaker use alcohol on special occasions or more frequently. Perhaps you had a parent who smoked tobacco, and this may have played a role in whether you smoke.
Psychological Models: Delving into the Mind of Addiction
In fact, in 1956, the American Medical Association declared alcoholism a disease that should be addressed with medical and psychological approaches (Mann et al., 2000). According to the biological theory, addiction can be explained by a genetic vulnerability of an individual. Addiction often runs in families; therefore, it’s theorised that it might be the genetic makeup of some individuals that make them much more susceptible to engage in reward-seeking behaviour and become addicted. Not every person who uses a substance will develop a disorder; for some the pleasant feeling is just that, a pleasant feeling. For example, programs that offer a harm reduction approach are a direct challenge to the moral model, as they offer a lack of judgment and support people “where they are,” embracing the stages of change and allowing for engagement at each level of pre-contemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, and relapse.
Prevention
It suggests that addiction might be a way of coping with unresolved conflicts or traumas buried deep in our psyche. It’s as if we’re trying to fill a void with substances or behaviors, but the void is actually a black hole that just keeps growing. Enter Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), the superhero of addiction treatment approaches. CBT aims to identify and challenge these distorted thoughts, replacing them with more realistic and helpful ones.
Psychological theories of addiction
After the questions, the DSM-5 criteria are used to identify the likelihood of the person having substance use disorder.77 After these tests are done, the clinician is to give the “5 RS” of brief counseling. By grasping these models, you’re better equipped to comprehend addiction’s complexity and support evidence-based interventions. Remember, no single model fully explains addiction, but together, they offer a comprehensive view of this challenging issue. Your understanding can make a difference in addressing this critical public health concern. Conversely, the temperance model sees addictive substances themselves as inherently destructive, requiring abstinence.
The Evolution of Psychological Theories of Addiction
Understanding these factors is crucial for effective prevention and treatment approaches. Considering their role in organizing behaviors and expectations in relation to danger and adversity, attachment representations may be a central element in understanding addictions across generations. Studies have emphasized how extreme childhood experiences, including trauma, abuse, and adversity, can be barriers to coherent and secure attachment representations (Speranza, Nicolais, Vergano, & Dazzi, 2017).
The history of psychological theories of addiction is as colorful and varied as a patchwork quilt, with each patch representing a different school of thought. In the early days, Sigmund Freud and his psychoanalytic disciples viewed addiction as a manifestation of unconscious conflicts and unresolved childhood traumas. This perspective, while groundbreaking for its time, was just the beginning of a long and winding road of theoretical development. We don’t require performance or an endorsement of any specific goal as a prerequisite for care.
The latent profile analysis of 16 items of self-acceptance scale was carried out, and 6 latent profile models were developed. The results of each modeling index of potential profile analysis are shown in Table 2. The BLRT and LMRT values at 2, 3, 4, and 5 potential profiles were statistically significant, in which the entropy value of the 5 profiles was larger (0.826) and the BIC, aBIC, and AIC values were smaller, showing better model fitting, indicating that the model of the 5 profiles was the optimal model. Some studies show that genes can account for as much as 50 percent of a person’s risk for addiction, although the degree of genetic influence shifts in importance over time. For example, environmental factors such as family and social relationships are more strongly tied to use of alcohol and nicotine in adolescence than later in life. Theories of addiction, like threads in a tapestry, weave together biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors to create a complex and captivating picture of how individuals become entangled in the grip of substance abuse and compulsive behaviors.
Behavioral addiction
Studies show that those who are high in the trait of neuroticism—they are prone to experiencing negative emotions—are overwhelmed by minor frustrations and interpret ordinary situations as stressful. Neuroticism is linked to a wide array of mental health problems, including anxiety, depression, and eating disorders as well as substance abuse. Neuroticism is also linked to a diminished quality of life, another factor that could increase the allure of substance use. Instead, research indicates that it is more related to what else is, or isn’t, going on in a person’s life that makes the sensation a substance induces so attractive. There are various biological, psychological, and social factors that contribute to addiction.
- The effects of drugs are pleasurable and rewarding only in relation to how a person feels emotionally and physically in the context of his or her relationships and social life and other opportunities for development and reward.
- The cognitive model helps us understand the thought patterns that maintain addiction, while the psychodynamic approach delves into the deeper emotional currents that fuel substance use.
- Stepping back from the individual, sociocultural theories remind us that we don’t exist in a vacuum.
- Because individuals gain self-concept by categorizing themselves into a social group 48, HIV-negative drug addicts may be more likely to see themselves as part of the ‘healthy’ or ‘uninfected’ group.
- The psychodynamic approach may provide particular insight to what protects, predisposes, and maintains substance abuse from a longitudinal and intrapsychic point of view; however, the individualized nature of its methodology make it difficult to test its hypothesis on the wider population.
Withdrawal syndrome is an example of positive punishment, making a person less likely to try and quit again in the future. Theories of addiction attempt to explain addiction in terms of general principles (e.g., genetic inheritance or operant conditioning). Both biological and psychological theories of addiction have been proposed, with the former highlighting the influence of nature and the latter the influence of nurture on addiction. The field of Social Services is working to move beyond a moral model of substance use disorders.