This chapter investigates the role that cognitive processes, especially unconscious cognitive processes play when it comes to addictive behaviours. Unconscious processes are processes a person is not aware of. This chapter focuses on automatic cognitive processes and controlled cognitive processes and how these two interact using the dual systems theory. Automatic cognitive processes are part of System 1. These processes are unconscious and can not be detected by the person. These processes do not need monitoring or control. Controlled cognitive processes are part of System 2. These processes need attention and active monitoring and a person is conscious of them. However, often times cognitive processes require both automatic and controlled …show more content…
These representations are schemas related to a person's ability to use drugs, that are stored within memory. This behaviour has become automatic and can be performed without much effort. While in the beginning the behaviour still required mental effort to perform, over time it became habitualised to the extent that no real mental effort has to be put into performing the behaviour now. This relates to chapter 4 and the incentive-sensitization theory that established the possibility of an unconscious compulsion to take a drug. Relating to automatic processes in the way that both drug wanting and automatic processes act unconsciously and lead to a compulsion to use a drug even if the person does not necessarily want to do so. Using the dual systems theory it can be argued that craving also uses two components. The automatic component is the activation of drug-use schemas and is experienced by the person as a slig compulsion to use. The controlled component is the strong urge of needing something, often accompanied by negative backlash when the thing desired is unobtainable. So, when the desired thing is in reach the automatic component allows for the addictive behaviour to happen almost automatically. However, if the thing is not …show more content…
This study found that positive assumptions about alcohol was related to alcohol consumptions, but only in those individuals that scored low on a response-inhibition task. This means that System 1 affects alcohol consumption but only if System 2 resources could not be engaged and therefore could not override System 1 responses. When considering alcohol consumption the automatic processes (System 1) seem to be almost unaffected, while this consumption majorly weakens controlled processing (System 2). This means that it becomes more likely that behaviours will be guided by learned patterns of behaviours, such as hazardous drinking. While System 1 acts as a default system, it can be overridden by System 2 but only if this system is not weakened and the person has the necessary knowledge on how to engage this system (Moss & Dyer,
In this paper I will be comparing and contrasting the Psychoanalytic formulations of addiction and the Cognitive models of addiction. According to Dennis L. Thombs, “people tend to get psychoanalysis and psychotherapy mixed up. Psychotherapy is a more general term describing professional services aimed at helping individuals or groups overcome emotional, behavioral or relationship problem” (119). According to Thombs and Osborn, “Cognitive refers to the covert mental process that are described by a number of diverse terms, including thinking, self-talk, internal dialogue, expectations , beliefs, schemas and so much more” (160). I believe these two factors play a major part in an individual’s life that has an addiction.
Drugs are recognized as the forbidden realm by society that satisfies an inner drive. As individuals, we often examine why people use drugs instead of why society condemns a variety of drugs. Andrew Weil, the author of Why People Take Drugs, analyzes the emotional bias and different conceptions of what drugs are, and how the desire for an altered consciousness is an innate trait. Weil applies his personal experience, and the study of children as they grow as his evidence to support the idea that as humans the desire for this altered mental perception exists from birth. Although studies do not focus on where the longing for an altered consciousness evolved from, Weil’s hypothesis and evidence is convincing that this drive is innate. Thus,
According to Leshner, drug addiction is a chronic brain disease that is expressed in the form of compulsive behaviors (Leshner, 2001). He believes that drug addiction is influence by both biological, and behavioral factors, and to solve this addiction problem we need to focus on these same factors. On the other hand, Neil Levy argues that addiction is not a brain disease rather it is a behavioral disorder embedded in social context (Levy, 2013). I believe, drug addiction is a recurring brain disease that can be healed when we alter and eliminate all the factors that are reinforcing drug addiction.
Before giving a broad overview on the definition of the Biopsychosocial (BPS) Model of Addiction, it must be understood that there is no simple unified theory of addiction that is universally accepted in the health world. This makes the definition of the BPS Model of Addiction not just a simple, one to two sentence definition of what this is, but rather a description of the components within the BPS model of addiction. In a broad sense, this model takes the stand that biological, psychological, and social aspects all contribute to the understanding of addiction. In short, the BPS model of addiction is an attempt to further explain addiction – how it occurs, and how it is maintained. Below is an image (Basic Representation of the BPS Model, 2017) representing this model
"NIH Study Finds Chronic Alcohol Use Shifts Brain's Control of Behavior." NIH News Release. 22 Aug. 2013: n.p. SIRS Government Reporter. Web. 19 Mar. 2014.
The cognitive behavioral models say that incentives make way for the right conditions for the need for drug abuse. Drug use is associated with experiences such as self-exploration, religious insights, altering moods, escaping boredom or despair, enhancing creativity, performance, sensory experience or pleasure, and so on (Capuzzi & Stauffer, 2012). Cognitive behaviorism has brought in appreciated data at the same time refining theories and treatments. This model stands out from other addiction models because it stands out from the expressive, organic or public causes for addiction. Because it focuses on the patient's own beliefs rather than the influence is the primary focus. The mental process of cognition is related to perception, judgment and reasoning. Cognitive behaviorism affects a person mentally as well as their physical reaction to stimuli. Example, if a person is depressed, the depression is mental but when a person cannot get out of bed, doesn’t want to eat or don’t want to partake in other activities that they usually do is the physical. The factor that can cause a person to use are become a victim to substance abuse and began drug addiction by using drugs to get away from or numb themselves from their depression.
Toates, F. (2010) ‘The nature of addictions: scientific evidence and personal accounts’ in SDK228 The science of the mind: investigating mental health, Book 3, Addictions, Milton Keynes, The Open University, pp. 1-30.
Addiction causes people to lose self-control so it is harder to resist the urge to go back to the addictive substance or drug (Jellinek 1952). For example, some people might have a harder time quitting an addiction if they have frontal lobe lesions. These lesions make it harder for people to make smart decisions of self-regulation therefore making them more susceptible to addiction (Peterson, Rothfleisch, Zelazo, & Pihl, 1990). The lesions are a physical thing that makes it easier for addictions to control people, but addictive substances and drugs also make it easier for people to lose control and make it easier for their addiction to control their actions and their wants.
It is said to believe that alcoholism is a type of behavior, which is why it shouldn’t just be studied by medical doctors, but by psychologists, psychiatrists, and psychoanalysts. Why? Psychology is the study of human behavior. This article argues that alcohol addiction is distinguished by an imbalance of two different psychological reports leading to the loss of willpower (Bechara 2005). The first one being a spontaneous reaction for signaling immediate expectations. The second report is a reflective reaction needed to decrease the response triggered by the impulsive system. The article also reviews some candidates that can trigger alcohol use either knowingly or unknowingly. According to Alcoholism and the Loss of Willpower, alcohol-related stimuli capture the attention of problematic users of alcohol, triggers specific attributes (good/bad and sedative/arousal), and both of which could increase the likelihood to drink more alcohol or to drink in inappropriate situations, like before an exam or before driving a car. (Page 1) Another main aspect of alcoholism is the diminished extent for self-control. This also includes things like addicts not being able to efficiently execute certain behaviors and regulate their emotions and feelings. This can have a lot to do with the insula, which is a region of the brain deep inside the cerebral cortex. Where a lot of decision making takes place here, once the insula is engaged it makes conscious and unconscious decisions to drink that beer or take that drug. All of these findings conclude to possessing willpower. “Willpower depends in many important ways on neural substrates that regulate homeostasis, emotion, and feeling.” (Persaud, McLeod, & Cowey, 2007) All these understandings of alcohol...
Lash, S. J., Timko, C, Curran, G M., McKay, J R., Burden, J L.; (Jun, 2011). Psychology of Addictive Behaviors; Vol 25(2); 238-251. Doi: 10.1037/a0022608
When a person first uses drugs, it is voluntary. After repeated use the user has becomes conditioned to keep using. The reason this happens is because drugs effect the brain’s reward center by filling it with dopamine. This makes the user feel pleasure by using which then makes the user want to keep using. When comparing this to classical conditioning the Neutral stimuli would be the environmental stimuli associated with drug administration, the unconditioned stimulus would be drugs effect on the brain, and the unconditioned response would be the reward received by doing drugs. After repeated use the conditioned response is now the environmental stimuli associated with drug use and the conditioned response is the reward received by doing drugs. Like with Pavlov’s dogs’ triggers response to the lab assistant and bell, Addicts can have triggers as well. Certain smalls, locations and situations can trigger and addict to use. For example, every day from work an addict sits down on their back porch and smoke a marijuana cigarette. The back porch would then become a trigger. So, every time the addict sits on their porch they then crave the marijuana cigarette. When someone is clean or sober, these triggers can lead to
George F. Koob defines addiction as a compulsion to take a drug without control over the intake and a chronic relapse disorder (1). The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders of the American Psychiatric Association defined "substance dependence" as a syndrome basically equivalent to addiction, and the diagnostic criteria used to describe the symptoms of substance dependence to a large extent define compulsion and loss of control of drug intake (1). Considering drug addiction as a disorder implies that there are some biological factors as well as social factors.
A summary of the article “Addiction: Choice or Compulsion” will explain the theories and models of addictive behavior. The moral model shows addiction as a voluntary act, which the addict can control. The medical model portrays addiction as a disease and compulsive behavior that the addict has no control over. The introduction of the third model will suggest that it is neither compulsive nor voluntary (Henden, Melberg, & Rogeberg, 2013).
So, it is clear that addiction is all around us and can attack anyone of us at any given time. Even studies conducted show that people neglect to speak around their dependency for two primary reasons. Foremost, because people do not comprehend, or they bear a total misconception to their addiction, that they do not realize that addictions can be critical to their overall wellness. Moreover, second, many people believe being an addict will never happen to them, but, in reality, most addictions start off as simple little habits. Such as starting with one drink after dinner and before you know it you are drinking several drinks a day. However, one does not opt to be addicted to a substance, because addictions are physical defects in the brain, a disease, and not one’s choice.
Systems approach is based on the fundamental principle that all aspects of a human problem should be treated together in a rational manner (Healy, 2005). I have divided this essay into relevant sections that cover an overview of systems ideas, general systems theory and ecological systems theory. This assignment will also include Germain and Gittermans life model, and it will be related back to the case study that has been provided. Limitations of systems theory will also be discussed.