Etiology of Theories on Addiction Term Paper

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Etiology of Theories on Addiction

There are different sorts of addictions and substance abuse methods that plague the world today. However, in order to cure an addiction, one needs to go down to its root cause, and eliminate it, after which the damages caused can be mitigated and prevented. There are several theories and approaches to tackle an addiction problem. Most trained professionals use these theories in their treatment plan to get a better understanding of when and how the addiction came into being. After which, along with therapy, counseling and medication, the road to recovery can begin.

Medical etiology is the study of causes of an illness or any psychological condition. When a diseases is uncovered which the doctors are unable to explain and understand, an etiologist is responsible for determining the reason for its origin and being (Alcoholism, 2005). In this manner, the etiologist and the doctors are able to detect its main source and then localize the parts of the human body and mind that it affects, and which need immediate treatment.

Although addiction has been a part of our society for several hundreds of years, the theories of how it came into being only surfaced as recent as in the last century. This is due to the increased use of alcohol, drugs and other substances along with issues fueled by the media, pop-culture and the economic conditions, such as self-image issues, sex and gambling problem.

There have been several theories being lined up in order to help treat the aforementioned addiction issues. These include, disease theory, psychological theory, cultural theory, symptomatic theory, personality theory and the trans-theoretical model (TTM). Let us examine the origin and implementation of such theories briefly.

The disease theory has its roots in the belief that all addictions are in fact a form of illness that needs to be eradicated like any other "disease" that plagues the human body. And like any other illness, the model dictates that the origin of the addiction is somewhat neurological, environmental or even genetic.

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This theory/model prescribes total abstinence from the substance that the patient is addicted to (Sheehan & Owen, 1999). The model indicates that the addictions needs to be crushed by eliminating the source of it all.

The psychological theory is based on the cue that the resulting addiction stems from the unmet needs and desires of the patient, leading them into replacing or muting the needs with substance abuse. People that are prone to this form of addiction are those suffering from the lack of self-worth, image issues, and zero self-efficacy. The theory follows the psychological model that states that the addiction can be cured if the mind of the patient is conditioned to believe that there are things of equal pleasure and satisfaction that can replace the substance of their abuse. Since this theory states that the substance abuse is only a coping mechanism for unresolved internal conflicts of the patient, it recommends counseling and resolution of those conflicts from within as the optimum method of getting rid of the addiction. It doesn't recommend any medicinal drugs to help ease the process.

The cultural/social theory indicates that addictions are developed as a result of the surroundings of an individual in which they live. There are social, economic, cultural as well as environmental factors contributing to the addictions. Examples of such economic, social and environmental conditions include poverty, unemployment, peer pressure, dysfunctional families, ignorance, and exclusion as well as inclusion in cliques (O'Farrell and Fals-Stewart, 1999) . In such conditions, the individual is unable to cope with stresses of life and turns to drugs or alcohol for escape. It also largely depends on the availability of the drugs and other substances of abuse. The treatment for such type of situational addictions varies with the type of situation at hand with the addiction.

The symptomatic theory of addiction explains addiction as a symptom of….....

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