Question

Research different theories that work with the addiction population. Write a paper no more than two pages and apply this skill to my professional practice. Examples: Systems theory, Social Learning and?

Answer 1

Psychological theories- Behaviourist model of addiction focuses on observable behaviour based on its foundational theory itself. Drug administration is a sort of instrumental behaviour which is reinforced due to the consequences it offers for the abuser.

Social learning theory is suggestive of the fact that a person who is exposed to another individual or group abusing substances is more likely to develop the same. Therefore, especially children are more vulnerable to developing addictions when their parents are engaging in the same.

Cognitive theories explain drug dependence in terms of cognitive constructs. Self-regulation is an important factor that plays a role here in developing addiction. This means that each individual has the capacity to engage in cognitive reasoning to bail themselves out from a trap such as this.

Personality theory on the other hand establishes that the habit of drug-taking is developed because the drug used fulfils a certain purpose that is related to the individual’s personality profile. Moreover, genetic factors too seem to have a crucial role to play here in determining the likelihood of developing addiction.

Rational Choice theory is one that attempts to understand why people voluntarily engage in such self destructive behaviour. One of the central elements of drug dependence is the fact that the individuals have impaired control over their use of the substance. This may manifest itself in continued use despite a wish to reduce or stop use of the drug, to use greater amounts of the drug than intended, or to use the drug for longer periods than intended.

Study of the brain structure and its changes on the basis of drug or substance dependence is likely to culminate from genetiic factors as well. It plays a role in determining people who are more vulnerable in terms of becoming addicts. Environmental and contextual factors also tend to play a huge role in determining the same. Difficult circumstances such as family conflict, marital discord, disadvantaged situations, poverty, modelling of drug use and attitude twards the same (such as normalizing this behaviour) is known to create more chances of develoing addiction in the individual. Currently, the biopsychosocial model of the causes of addictive behaviours forms the basis of most treatment responses to addictions. The disease model tends to look at it from a different standpoint wherein it culminates from the interaction of a complex web of factors. In fact, research and rehabilitation is doing extensive work even in developing countries in order to reduce this issue at hand.