Cog Ap Alch addiction

• Addiction

  A physiological disorder characterised by an inability to stop engaging in certain behaviours or consuming certain substance despite negative consequences.
• Two types of addiction:


  Physiological and behavioural
• Physiological addiction:

  where someone has a dependence on a substance, indicated by withdrawal symptoms when the person stops taking the substance.
• Behavioural addiction


  where a person has become addicted to behaviour such as gambling rather than a chemical substance. They are considered to be addicted because the behaviour produced the same effects as a chemical substance
• Reasons for people to turn to alcohol

  To relax or for enjoyment

  To be part of a group

  To avoid physical and/or psychological pain

  Experiment out of a sense of curiosity

  Rebellion

  Cope with problems

  Relieve stress

  Overcome boredom

   
• Self medication model of alcohol addiction:


  Views addiction as way of relieving current feelings of distress caused by experiences of trauma. How we perceive or think about the trauma and distress is a cognitive process.
• According to Edward Khantzian (1985) addiction to alcohol can be explained as the following

  Initiation

  Maintenance

  Relapse
• Initiation:

  Addiction to alcohol can be attributed to early childhood trauma, such as neglect or abuse, which may result in psychological disorders like depression or anxiety. These individuals may use alcohol as a self-medication to manage their symptoms and achieve emotional stability.
• Initiation- specific effects:

  As self- medication is used to manage negative emotional states the choice of drug is not random.

  Khantzian believed there is a link between the specific state and the drug used to relieve it. He called this ‘specificity’

  People who experience anxiety may self-medicate with alcohol because it has relaxing effects as it is widely and easily available.
• Maintenance

  Individuals experiencing distress, low self-esteem, and lack of stress management skills often resort to self-medicating with alcohol. This self-regulation disorder, as described by Khantzian, is a result of individuals' inability to regulate their self-esteem, relationships, or self-care. Alcohol's short-term relief of these issues reinforces dependence, as individuals learn they cannot survive without it. Trauma often leads to temporary stress relief through alcohol use.
• Relapse

  Alcohol self-medication can be counterproductive and self-defeating as it relieves stress but still leaves the stressor present. Reducing alcohol use can lead to withdrawal symptoms, increasing stress and making life unbearable. This paradox of self-medication is triggered by a self-perpetuating cycle of distress, use, addiction, and relapse. Khantzian argued that underlying psychological disorders should be treated, not alcohol addiction, as addiction resolves after dealing with emotional distress, eliminating the need for self-medication.
• Strengths

  The self medication model can be used to help avoid addiction

  Another strength is that there is evidence confirming the role of early trauma such as the study by Vincent Felittie et al (1998)
• Weakness

  There is lack of evidence for role of specificity, model claims that people self-medicate with a drug that best relieves their emotional distress, if so then each addicted person should use one drug more than other.