What are the approaches to drug treatment?
Each approach to drug treatment is designed to address certain aspects of drug addiction and its consequences for the individual, family, and society. This section presents examples of treatment approaches and components that have an evidence base supporting their use.
What are the different theories of addiction?
Theories of Addiction – A Detailed Analysis 1 Genetic Theories. How Is Alcoholism Inherited? ... 2 The Endorphin-Deficiency Explanation of Narcotic Addiction. ... 3 Exposure Theories: Biological Models. ... 4 Exposure Theories: Conditioning Models. ... 5 Adaptation Theories. ...
What is the self medication theory of addiction?
The Self Medication Theory of Addiction. The self-medication theory of addiction is based on the idea that people use substances, such as alcohol and drugs, or the effects of other addictive behaviors, such as eating or gambling, to compensate for underlying problems that have not been properly treated.
What are the psychodynamic theories of drug use?
Theoretical developments based on these investigations have focused on the psychodynamics of drug reliance. Such theories describe drug use in terms of its ability to resolve ego deficiencies or other psychological deficits—brought on, for example, by lack of maternal love (Rado 1933).
What are some treatments for the psychological piece of addiction?
Some of the most strongly supported include:Cognitive-behavioral therapy. CBT can help addicted patients overcome substance abuse by teaching them to recognize and avoid destructive thoughts and behaviors. ... Motivational interviewing. ... Contingency management.
What are 3 strategies often used to treat addiction?
There are many options that have been successful in treating drug addiction, including:behavioral counseling.medication.medical devices and applications used to treat withdrawal symptoms or deliver skills training.evaluation and treatment for co-occurring mental health issues such as depression and anxiety.More items...•
What techniques are used to treat addiction?
Some of the most common forms of modern addiction treatment include behavioral therapies delivered as individual therapy, group therapy, and family therapy.
What are the 3 factors that are thought to lead to addiction?
Certain factors can affect the likelihood and speed of developing an addiction:Family history of addiction. Drug addiction is more common in some families and likely involves genetic predisposition. ... Mental health disorder. ... Peer pressure. ... Lack of family involvement. ... Early use. ... Taking a highly addictive drug.
What is the most effective treatment for addiction?
According to American Addiction Centers, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a valuable treatment tool because it can be used for many different types of addiction including, but not limited to, food addiction, alcohol addiction, and prescription drug addiction.
What is a treatment plan for substance abuse?
A substance abuse treatment plan is an individualized, written document that details a client's goals and objectives, the steps need to achieve those, and a timeline for treatment. These plans are mutually agreed upon with the client and the clinician.
Is treatment for drug dependence effective?
According to research that tracks individuals in treatment over extended periods, most people who get into and remain in treatment stop using drugs, decrease their criminal activity, and improve their occupational, social, and psychological functioning.
What is the first step in treating a drug abuse problem?
Detoxification is normally the first step in treatment. This involves clearing a substance from the body and limiting withdrawal reactions. In 80 percent of cases, a treatment clinic will use medications to reduce withdrawal symptoms, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
Is CBT effective in treating addiction?
CBT is commonly used to treat depression, anxiety disorders, phobias, and other mental disorders, but it has also been shown to be valuable in treating alcoholism and drug addiction. This is especially true when it's part of an overall program of recovery.
What are the implications of suffering from a substance use disorder?
This can result in children and adolescents having an increased risk for internalizing problems such as depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and so on or externalizing problems such as opposition, conduct problems (stealing, lying, and truancy), anger outbursts, aggressivity, impulsivity, and again substance abuse.
What are the most important factors in recovery from a drug addiction?
An important part of the addiction recovery process is learning to be aware of emotions, accept emotions, feel emotions, and cope with emotions. The longer one is able to maintain their sobriety, the better chance they have at long-term recovery.
What are the four main factors of addiction?
As a concept, the four Cs of addiction was created to distill the disease of addiction to its most fundamental parts, which are compulsion, cravings, consequence, and control. They have since become a useful way to accurately describe or even identify addiction.
What type of theory does addiction use?
Those who work in the addiction field usually use the pharmacological or medical model, psychological theories of behavior, or operate within the confines of a criminal justice perspective.
What is the most highly cited article in the field of addiction?
Paradoxically, in the sociology field, the most highly cited article is Merton's theory of addiction. This article will examine the contributions of sociological theory to our understanding of addiction, including social definitions of "the problem ...
What is sociology used for?
Contributions from the field of sociology are limited to use of the methods of sociological investigations, primarily population surveys, which, typically, are used to identify groups at-risk for specific types of drug use.
Is illicit drug use a problem?
Surveys have identified illicit drug use as, predominantly, a problem of young males, whereas prescription drug use is predominantly a problem of middle-aged and older women in industrialized countries. Experts in addiction have accused sociologists who study addiction of being "atheoretical.".
What is the learning theory of addiction?
Learning Theory of Addiction and Recovery Implications: According to learning theory, addiction is simply a learned behavior. In other words, people learn to engage in addictive behavior according to well-established learning principles.
How do people learn addictive behavior?
People may learn addictive behavior through classical conditioning by pairing the pleasure of addictive substances or activities, with environmental cues. For example, suppose someone always smokes marijuana in the car after work. The enjoyment of smoking marijuana forms a paired association with riding in the car. The timeframe "after work" also forms a paired association. By repeatedly pairing marijuana-with-car, and marijuana-after-work, both the car and after-work will become cues to smoke marijuana. Then these cues (getting into the car, getting off work) may create powerful cravings for marijuana.
How does social learning occur?
Social learning occurs when we learn something by observing others. Unlike classical conditioning and operant conditioning, only humans and certain animals (e.g., dogs, horses) have demonstrated the ability to learn by observation. People may learn addictive behavior through classical conditioning by pairing the pleasure ...
Can loved ones stop shielding someone from addiction?
For instance, loved ones can stop shielding someone from the negative consequences of their addiction; i.e., they stop "enabling.". Without the heroic efforts of their loved ones, an addicted person may lose their job or may become homeless.
Is taste aversion more complex than classical conditioning?
They lead to the development of an aversion to the taste of that food. Taste aversion is somewhat more complex than classic al conditioning. Classical conditioning pairs the stimuli together within seconds of each other. The association between a toxic food and subsequent nausea will indeed develop.
Why is self medication important in addiction?
Many people who have been through the process of becoming abstinent feel that any drug use, including medications, allows people to avoid dealing with psychological issues and reinforces denial. In tandem with this, the self-medication theory reinforces the disease model of addiction.
What is the self-medication hypothesis?
The self-medication hypothesis began appearing in medical journals in the 1980s as clinicians noticed that people who were addicted to heroin were using the drug to cope with different types of underlying distress such as rage and loneliness. 1. The self-medication theory suggests that use develops as a way ...
How can depression be treated?
Depression, for example, can often be successfully treated with antidepressants and lifestyle modifications such as exercise, potentially freeing the individual from seeking emotional comfort from their mood symptoms in their addiction. 2 3.
Does Verywell Mind use peer reviewed sources?
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Do celebrities have drug addictions?
Addiction and its treatment are no longer swept under the carpet, and these issues have even become the subject of reality shows, such as "Intervention." Many celebrities and even politicians have admitted to past drug use.
Is the drug movement a self-medication theory?
The drug legalization movement and the medical marijuana movement, both of which have become increasingly mainstream, support the self-medication theory.
Is self medication theory popular?
Responses. The self-medication theory is increasingly popular among people with addictions and professionals who treat them. However, there are some who take a hard line on addictions and believe the self-medication theory is an excuse for irresponsible behavior. Many in the medical profession find it useful to transition people from substances ...
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Abstract
Heroin overdose deaths in the Unites States more than tripled from 2010 to 2014, reaching almost 11,000 per year. Despite the use of the term “overdose,” many of these victims died after self-administering an amount of opiate that would not be expected to be fatal for these drug-experienced, and drug-tolerant, individuals.
Recommended Reading
Brecher, E. M. ( 1972 ). (See References). Contains a pioneering and influential discussion of the mystery of heroin overdose in its 12th chapter (pp. 101 – 114 ).
Summary
Origin
- The self-medication hypothesis began appearing in medical journals in the 1970s, as clinicians noticed that heroin addicts were using the drug to cope with problems such as stress and loneliness. This lead to the idea that drug use develops as a way of coping with stress in the absence of adequate solutions and meaningful social relationships.
Introduction
- The theory gained momentum as it was recognized that many medications prescribed for legitimate ailments are similar to recreational drugs. It was further popularized by the increasing recognition in the medical community that marijuana, for many years thought of as a purely recreational drug, has many medicinal properties. The theory goes that, for some conditions, su…
Medical uses
- The self-medication theory is increasingly popular among people with addictions and professionals who treat them. While some who take a hard line on addictions believe the self-medication theory is an excuse for irresponsible behavior, many in the medical profession find it useful to transition people from substances and behaviors that they are addicted to and are cau…
Philosophy
- The theory is compassionate to people with addictions, particularly illicit drug users. It presents them not as weak-willed, but as creative problem-solvers, who are attempting to fill the gap left by limited medical options.
Benefits
- The self-medication theory is also helpful to the therapeutic process, as it provides a clear path out of addiction that unites professionals with people struggling with addictions. They have a shared goal of correctly treating the underlying problem, and can work together to achieve this.
Criticisms
- However, some argue that the theory may absolve illicit drug users of some of the responsibility for their problems. Another stance taken against the self-medication theory is that by arguing that people with addictions are self-medicating, the theory legitimizes drug use, and medication generally, as a way of solving emotional problems. Many people who have been through the pro…
Significance
- In tandem with this, the self-medication theory reinforces the disease model of addiction. It runs the risk of simplifying the complex issue of addiction, which involves many psychological and social factors, to pure physiology.
Impact
- More and more people are going public with their addictions. Addiction and its treatment are no longer swept under the carpet, and these issues have even become the subject of reality shows, such as \"Intervention.\" Many celebrities and even politicians have admitted to past drug use.
Society and culture
- With greater social change and openness about drug use and addictions, society is becoming more compassionate towards those with addictions. The drug legalization movement and the medical marijuana movement, both of which have become increasingly mainstream, support the self-medication theory. The theory will likely play an important role in current and future concept…