Summary Of Addiction: Choice Or Compulsion?

Addiction: Choice or Compulsion?

Introduction

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).

Addiction and Irresistible Desires

Compulsive behaviors are often thought to involve free will. It also is contrasted to be the same as compelled behavior, where the person is under the influence that they are behaving some way under their own accord. If someone resists an impulse it become increasingly difficult to be successful over time. By resisting these impulses, they experience excruciating levels of psychological pain; making it feel literally impossible to resist urges. Compulsive people have not lost the amount of self-control they have, rather that they are over whelmed by the psychological influence of the addictive behavior. These behaviors are not necessarily caused by the irresistible desires, rather habitual repetitive patterns (Henden, Melberg, & Rogeberg, 2013).

The Theory Of Rational Addiction
According to the theory of rational addiction, the addictive behaviors come from the specific rewards that arise now and in the future.

Drug users rationalize that they would be unhappier if they were kept from addictive substance, therefore they increase drug use. Increased drug consumption displays what is labeled as addiction in this theory. A situation is created where high drug use becomes a daily problem. Harmful addictions have two properties: reduced welfare and increased need for the good (Henden, Melberg, & Rogeberg,

2013).
Evaluating the Theory of Rational Addiction
According to non-economists, the theory seems completely unrealistic. The reason being that economic models have far too many views and variables. In this respect, the flaws of this theory give other attempts at explaining addictive and irrational behavior. Addictive behavior is cycling, and the behavior by the addict can be explained by “rising, falling, cyclic and chaotic” according to non-economists. They believe addict is driven by euphoric feelings released when their need is satisfied (Henden, Melberg, & Rogeberg, 2013).
Addiction and Compulsive Behavior
Compulsion involves goal-oriented behavior cause by an external source. There is an evident lack of self-control. To maintain self-control one must pull their attention away from harmful desires to maintain the most desirable path. The combination of self-control and will power makes it difficult to handle the simplest cases of compulsive acts. In persons with OCD, they may not want to or see the point in performing their compulsion, but unconsciously need to satisfy the urge.
Conclusion
Compulsive behavior is torn between voluntary acts and the unconscious acts of the brain. The Medical and Moral models seem to contradict each other, but when looked at deeper the third model explains the acts of the addict and compulsive behavior. It is not impossible to refrain from the behavior, just much harder than for those that are not addicted (Henden, Melberg, & Rogeberg, 2013)
References
Henden, E., Melberg, H. O., & Rogeberg, O. J. (2013, August 07). Addiction: Choice or Compulsion? Frontiers in Psychiatry, 4, 1-11.

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