Social Learning Models Of Addiction

“Etiology is the reason a condition occurs or the cause of a condition. There are several etiologies of addictions that influence the onset, severity and course of the addiction. In 1980, the DSM separated the diagnosis of addiction from its etiology” (Miller, 2011).

The first etiology of addition is the personal responsibility model. “In the majority of societies, problems with drugs and alcohol are said to be a failure of self-control, violation of morals, ethics and standards” (Miller, 2011). In many religions, the use of substances such as alcohol are prohibited. There is much controversy that says a person who has an addiction brought it upon themselves, but this is not really the case. If you think about individuals who have hypertension

This model places the cause of the addiction on the drug or substance itself. The models says that anyone who is exposed to the agent is at risk because of its addictive and destructive properties (Miller, 2011).

The next model is known as the dispositional models. These models places the primary cause of the addiction within a person with emphasis on an individual whose addiction is beyond a person’s willful control. In other words, these individuals do not have any control over the addiction itself (Miller, 2011).

Social learning models emphasize the role of experience in shaping an addiction. This type of models suggests that the addiction comes from peer pressures and the changing environment. Drinking and drug uses are highly influenced by a social environment and modeling (learning by observation) (Miller, 2011).

Sociocultural Models are ever broader and emphasize the influence on cultural and societal factors. This basically means that the ease of the availability and the price of the stimulant affect the use and the level of consumption. High school and college students are highly influenced by social media and advertising (Miller,

The agent aspect focuses on the characteristics of the drug itself including its addictive property (rapid onset, tolerance and interaction with neurotransmitters). The speed to which a drug reaches the brain increase the more reinforcing its use teds to be. Many individuals increase the amount of a drug because of the effect it has on their primary neurotransmitters in the experiences of pleasure. The effect of the drug can be highly influenced by many other factors such as pregnancy, when driving, weight, etc… There is a certain way that drugs gets classified and it is based upon the effect it has on the body ( ex, alcohol, psychotics, etc…) (Miller,