Understanding Addiction: Models of Etiology

Some aspects are universal (e.g., the activation of the reward system by drugs of abuse). Yet many other elements are idiosyncratic, such as the intensity of the experience of reward and the functioning of the individual’s mesolimbic dopaminergic pathway in the brain. The biopsychosocial model provides a means of considering the myriad of factors that can contribute to the risk of addiction. Ultimately, our understanding of addiction must be as dynamic and multifaceted as the individuals it affects. By embracing the complexity revealed by these psychological models, we can move towards a future where addiction is met with understanding, effective treatment, and hope for lasting recovery.

According to social learning theory, which holds that behaviors are learned through imitating and observing others, someone might be peer pressured into trying drugs for the first time. Operant https://www.inkl.com/news/sober-house-rules-a-comprehensive-overview conditioning, which emphasizes repeating behaviors that result in a reward, may explain why an individual would seek out a “high” or the reduction in stress they may get from using a drug. Khantzian revisited the self-medication hypothesis (SMH), suggesting there is more evidence that psychiatric symptoms, rather than personality styles, lie at the heart of drug use disorders.

How to use technology and apps to support sobriety

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) such as trauma, especially combined with an unpredictable and chaotic childhood, pose a risk factor for many kinds of maladaptive behaviors and poor health outcomes. Studies show that having multiple ACEs puts children at risk of poor school performance, unemployment, and high-risk health behaviors including smoking and drug use. However, there are a number of personality traits, each of which is partly genetically influenced, that contribute to the risk of addiction. These include impulsiveness, frustration tolerance, and sensitivity to rejection. Impulsivity is thought to play its strongest role in the early stages of addiction, driving the motivation for seeking drugs. Central to this attachment-based integration of neuroscience and psychoanalysis are the mental representations of attachment or the internal working models of expectations and attributions about the mother, the child, and the dyadic relationship (Bowlby, 1988).

This perspective views addiction as a symptom of dysfunction within the family unit, rather than solely an individual problem. For instance, substance use might serve as a coping mechanism for family conflict or a way to maintain a dysfunctional equilibrium within the family. Some people may be more prone to addiction because they feel less pleasure through natural routes, such as from work, friendships, and romance. Their genetic makeup inclines them to develop such personality traits as thrill-seeking. Their craving for risk and novelty takes the fear out of drug use and the huge dopamine boost powerfully reinforces the motivation to seek the reward over and over again. For another, they may inherit whatever genetic or biological vulnerabilities laid the groundwork for a parental addiction.

Brain Development

This refers to a person’s belief in their ability to succeed in specific situations. In the context of addiction, low self-efficacy might lead someone to believe they can’t resist cravings or cope with life’s challenges without substances. On the flip side, building self-efficacy is a crucial component of recovery, empowering individuals to believe in their ability to maintain sobriety. The social learning model also highlights the importance of expectations and beliefs about substance use. If someone believes that drugs will make them more confident or help them cope with stress, they’re more likely to use them.

Personality Theories in Addiction

These neurological alterations can persist long after an individual stops using substances, explaining the high rates of relapse often observed in addiction. Peers play an enormous role in addiction susceptibility, especially among teens and young adults; most people use drugs for the first time as teenagers. Misuse of prescription drugs, for example, is highest among young adults aged 18 to 25, according to the National Institute of Drug Abuse.

Implications for Treatment and Prevention: Putting Theory into Practice

It suggests that cigarette smoking and other addictive actions can be mitigated by changing social environments and behaviors. According to the opponent-process model, every pleasurable experience is followed by an opposite, unpleasant experience. For instance, the euphoric “high” from opioid use leads to withdrawal symptoms – the opposing psychological event. Lastly, the transtheoretical model of change focuses on the process of behavior change in addiction recovery. It recognizes that recovery is not a one-time event but a journey through various stages of change. It’s like climbing a mountain – there might be setbacks and detours along the way, but the goal is always to keep moving forward.

On the contrary, when an individual recognizes castration, and thus the notion of rules, impossibility, and otherness in society, two alternatives become available to deal with the resulting frustration. The first alternative is to repress the castration, as is the case of the neurotic structure. Such an approach would defy the rules of jouissance (e.g., by only using drugs sober house in social gatherings) but with a resulting quota of guilt or shame for challenging The Other (i.e., social contract).

• For example, research shows that the Japanese have unique variations of certain alcohol-metabolizing enzymes that are not present in other populations, deterring alcohol consumption— and alcoholism—because it quickly gives rise to uncomfortable body sensations.
• The Moral Model, Disease Model, Psychological Model, Social Model, Neurobiological Model, Biopsychosocial Model, and Spiritual Model each offer unique perspectives and insights into the underlying causes, mechanisms, and treatment approaches for addiction.
• By addressing cognitive deficits, addiction treatment can empower individuals to regain control of their thoughts, behaviors, and, ultimately, their recovery journey.
• The Incentive-Sensitization theory (Robinson & Berridge, 1993) proposes that the persistent use of psychoactive substances leads to a process of brain sensitization toward substance-related cues or incentives.

• By embracing the complexity revealed by these psychological models, we can move towards a future where addiction is met with understanding, effective treatment, and hope for lasting recovery.
• In conclusion, the Social Model of addiction offers a valuable perspective on the role of social, cultural, and environmental factors in the development and maintenance of addictive behaviors.
• 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.
• For instance, a treatment approach might combine medication-assisted treatment (based on the biological model) with cognitive-behavioral therapy (drawing from psychological models) and family interventions (informed by social and environmental perspectives).
• As we wrap up our whirlwind tour of addiction etiology models, it’s clear that we’ve only scratched the surface of this complex and fascinating field.

The synthetic stimulant methamphetamine is widely considered one of the most addictive agents. Often inhaled, it directly affects the dopamine and other neurotransmitter systems system to produce an extremely fast and intense—but short-lived—high, with an altered sense of energy and power. Further, by changing the responsiveness of dopamine receptors, methamphetamine blunts the experience of reward from normal sources of pleasure. Around the world and in the U.S., nicotine is the most widely used addictive substance; tobacco causes a reported 40 million deaths worldwide. Even young children have been shown to develop both positive and negative expectancies about the outcomes of drinking alcohol (Donovan, Molina, & Kelly, 2009). The datasets generated and/or analysed during the current study are not publicly available due our experimental team’s policy but are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Integration of Historical Perspectives

• When the id becomes overpowering, individuals may succumb to irresponsible substance use, leading to addiction.
• As our understanding of addiction continues to evolve, new models and perspectives are emerging, challenging traditional views and offering fresh insights into the nature of substance use disorders.
• The ultimate goal of all this research is to improve lives and offer hope to those affected by addiction.
• The drug’s effects substitute for defective or non-existent ego mechanisms of defense.
• People with addiction were often stigmatized and judged as being morally deficient, leading to punitive measures and marginalization.
• However, this developmental stage also makes adolescents more susceptible to the effects of poor sleep quality.

While cross-sectional data can reveal associations between variables, the absence of a temporal dimension prevents causal inferences. Therefore, future research should consider adopting a longitudinal design to explore the causal relationships between variables. The genetic makeup of an individual defines the neurobiological and behavioural phenotypical variations of the structure and function of brain areas involved in reward processing, executive functioning, affect- and self-regulation.