Alcohol - Cognitive approach

• What does the cognitive approach to addiction focus on?

  Perception and interpretation of events
• What are faulty cognitions responsible for in addiction?

  Initiation, maintenance, and relapse stages
• What does the self-medication model propose about drug use?

  • Individuals use drugs to treat psychological problems
  • Drugs like alcohol relieve anxiety, stress, and nervousness
  • Belief that the drug alleviates symptoms leads to reliance
• According to Gelkopf, why do people self-medicate with alcohol?

  They believe it alleviates their symptoms
• What happens to individuals who rely on alcohol for psychological relief?

  They develop overreliance and addiction
• What is the effect of long-term alcohol abuse on psychological problems?

  It increases anxiety and stress
• What does Gelkopf suggest about the initial decision to use alcohol?

  It is a deliberate attempt to relieve issues
• What are the stages of addiction according to Gelkopf?

  1. Initiation
  2. Maintenance
  3. Relapse
• How does alcohol consumption become part of a person's thought process?

  It becomes automatic processing over time
• What does the self-medication model state about continued drinking?

  It increases initial psychological problems
• What is an example of faulty cognition in alcohol use?

  Believing they manage anxiety while worsening it
• What is relapse in the context of addiction?

  Inability to exert control over drinking
• What happens to initial psychological problems when alcohol consumption stops?

  They become withdrawal symptoms
• Why is relapse considered a high probability for alcoholics?

  Withdrawal symptoms hinder everyday life coping
• What is the long-term effect of alcohol on psychological problems?

  It worsens them over time
• How does loss of control affect an alcoholic's stress levels?

  It increases their stress and anxiety
• What cognitive states are used to explain alcohol addiction?

  Faulty thinking and anxiety
• What does the self-medication model suggest about faulty thinking?

  Correcting it removes alcohol addiction
• Which therapy is mentioned as successful in treating addiction?

  Cognitive behavioural therapy
• What is a limitation of the cognitive approach to alcohol addiction?

  It lacks analysis of physiological factors
• Why is it difficult to establish cause and effect in alcohol addiction?

  It's unclear whether faulty thinking precedes addiction