A Comparison of Psychoanalytic Formulations of Addiction and Cognitive Models of Addiction

The three models of addiction examined in this week’s readings include the medical model, the psychosocial model, and the disease of the human spirit model. The medical model “rests on the assumption that disease states are the result of a biological dysfunction, possibly one on the cellular or even molecular level” (Doweiko, 2012, p. 333). Many consider this model and “maintain that much of human behavior is based on the interaction between the individual’s biological predisposition and the environment” (Doweiko, 2012, p. 333). Individuals under this model view free will “as an illusion” (Doweiko, 2012, p. 333). There is controversy regarding this model as “to the degree to which the

Addiction, it is all around us, affecting people from all walks of life, it is not limited to certain social classes or lifestyles. It is found in every ethnic group, regardless of gender or age. It affects our neighbors, our friends, and our family either directly or indirectly. Although substances such as alcohol and illegal drugs are two of the most common addictions we hear about, there is a wide range of substances and even activities such as gambling and shopping. There is some debate whether addiction is a brain disease or a choice.

The counseling student attended two AA meetings as an observer in order to understand the dynamics of the AA culture and to experience the possibilities of working in the field of addictions. The purpose of this essay is to discuss the various behavioral patterns of use described in the AA meetings (e. g., intensity, frequency, length of time and attempts to quit). This paper also identifies other necessary information required for proper assessment and diagnosis. This essay concludes with a synthesis of the information gathered from personal observation and this course’s texts assignments.

Every day, hundreds of people experience the overwhelming effects of addictions. Individuals can become addicted to virtually any action or item. If individuals use addictive substances, there will be serious medical repercussions. This paper will focus on the idea of addiction through the fields of anthropology, psychology, and sociology, and how these fields have benefitted this prominent issue. Addictions are currently being researched by various social scientists in an attempt to fully understand their causes and cures.

Many people believe the misconception that an addiction is a moral problem and not a disease. To better understand the reasons why an additicition is in fact a disease; I will identify several types of addictions, and the problems associated with them. I will examine reasons why certain people are more susceptible for developing an addiction. Also, I will determine why many addicts deny their problems and many recovery methods addicts use to fight their illness. Researching these issues, will help aid my claim that addiction is a disease.

The definition provided above is accessible and easy to understand; however, it initiates false beliefs among individuals because it fails to acknowledge that drug addiction is a mental health problem. Moreover, when words such as, “dependence”, “control” and “craving” are used to define drug addiction, it leaves an impression to the reader that addicts are indeed “people who cannot control their impulses.” Consequently, when we fail to recognize that drug addiction is a mental health problem, our focus is diverted towards the physical aspect of drug addiction. This could cause the belief among individuals that drugs alone cause the addiction. It is essential to acknowledge that there are chemical hooks in drugs; however, individuals need to understand that drugs alone do not cause the addiction. We need to identify and distinguish the “root cause” of addiction and ask ourselves: what caused the individual to take the drug in the first place?

Dr. May then goes into a much more in-depth look at the psychological factors of addiction. The text furthers the discussion of self-deception and goes into specific defense mechanisms that we use when we struggle with an addiction. During this portion of the text it elaborates on the understanding of how we will denial to others and more importantly to ourselves that we are increasing the particular behavior that we are addicted to. The book also mentions how we attempt to rationalize the situation to help us continue our addictive behavior. The text then goes into detail about hiding and delaying tactics, such as how we tell ourselves that “we will quit tomorrow.” The book then goes into the understanding of control issues within the addiction, along with how it effects other and how other effect an individual’s addiction. The book then goes into different areas of the psychological factors and discusses the behavioral issues and the understanding of the psychoanalytical aspect of the issue through explaining how addiction uses our unconscious to develop. There is also a

Drug and Alcohol Treatment in America has been based on the Medical Model of Treatment. According to Wikipedia, the medical model of addiction is rooted in the philosophy that addiction is a disease and has biological, neurological, genetic, and environmental sources of origin. Treatment includes potential detox with a 28 day or more stay at a residential treatment facility. The continuum of care can include an additional 28 days at the partial hospitalization level, followed by another 6 weeks of Intensive Outpatient.

Imagine laying on the floor in your own pool of sweat—miserable, your mind bouncing off the walls while the cloud of your darkest thoughts looms over you. Teeth chattering anxiously, waiting to receive the next second, minute, hour of painless bliss. This—this is the life of an addict; does this horror appear to be a choice or more like a disease haunting the mind of the user? Despite the fact a choice was needed to initiate the result, addiction itself is a debilitating disease NOT a choice due to initial influences and anatomical changes to the brain.

Addiction is like all behaviours “the business of the brain”. Addictions are compulsive physical and psychological needs from habit-forming sustenances like nicotine, alcohol, and drugs. Being occupied with or involved in such activities, leads a person who uses them again and again to become tolerant and dependent eventually experiencing withdrawal. (Molintas, 2006).

Addictions are strongholds and bondages that are more often than not difficult to overcome. The addiction holds a person’s well-being captive which result in unusual behavioral patterns. According to Gabor Maté and Arold Langeveld “addiction means be to a slave” relatively speaking when a person is addicted in reality they are a slave to the stimuli. Furthermore the outcome of addiction will result in behavioral patterns that will satisfy the addiction.

For most of us there is a mental leap to be made between negative thinking induced by shame and addiction or dependence. We have trouble with the addicted label, at least in part, due to the stigma attached to the words

Addictive thought is inherently self-deceptive, yet offers a superficial logic that can be misleading to the addict as well as to the addict's family members.

According to the APA, psychologists of health have been instructing patients in ways to manage enduring diseases and in other ways that could help them to avoid the diseases that are for the most part preventable. They are able to help with this by using theories with in the field of psychology along with other research that is being conducted in order to aid with the advance of certain methodologies which could help patients with starting and maintaining a lifestyle that is both healthy and also provides the most chance of emotional and mental wellbeing” (Uyemura, B (2011.) According to psychologytoday.com, “a leading website in the study of addiction”, a major study was performed in the Epidemiologic Catchment Area that shows that in the

The other opinion on addiction is people having the choice to consume drugs. An article explains that people learn to engage in addictive behaviors, such as consuming drugs. The classical conditioning, deals with having the choice to consume drugs according to AMHC article. The learning theory states that addiction is simply a learned behavior, which basically people learn to engage in an addictive behavior. The AMHC talks about all the conditioning stages that result from addiction being a choice. The third type of learning the AMHC article talks about is social learning. Social learning is learning behaviors observed by other. For example, teens are using drugs and other teens see that behavior and want to engage in it too.