Addiction

Welcome to the Study of Addiction!

Hello! In this chapter, we are going to explore one of the most fascinating and complex areas of human behaviour: Addiction. This topic is part of your "Issues and Options" section. We’ll look at why people start addictive behaviours, why they find it so hard to stop, and how psychologists try to help them change. Whether it’s smoking, gambling, or drugs, the psychology behind it is often very similar. Don't worry if some of the biological terms seem a bit heavy at first—we will break them down into bite-sized pieces!

1. Describing Addiction: The Basics

Before we look at causes, we need to understand what addiction actually looks like. It isn't just "liking something a lot"; it’s a physical and mental state.

Physical Dependence: This occurs when the body has adjusted to the presence of a substance. If the person stops using it, the body goes into "protest mode" because it can no longer function normally without it.

Psychological Dependence: This is "in the head." The person feels they need the substance or behaviour to feel normal or to cope with life. For example, a gambler might feel they can’t relax or feel happy unless they are at the bookies.

Tolerance: Have you ever noticed how the first time you drink coffee, you feel super awake, but after a few weeks, you need two cups to feel the same? That’s tolerance. The brain and body get used to the stimulus, so the person needs more of it to get the same effect.

Withdrawal Syndrome: This is the collection of nasty physical and mental symptoms that happen when an addict stops. It’s the body trying to re-balance itself. Symptoms can include shaking, sweating, irritability, or intense cravings.

Quick Review: The Four Pillars

• Physical Dependence: The body needs it to function.
• Psychological Dependence: The mind thinks it needs it to cope.
• Tolerance: Needing more to get the same "high."
• Withdrawal: The "crash" when you stop.

2. Why Me? Risk Factors in Addiction

Why do some people try a cigarette once and never touch it again, while others become hooked for life? Psychologists look at five main risk factors:

1. Genetic Vulnerability: Some people are born with a genetic makeup that makes them more likely to develop an addiction. It’s not an "addiction gene," but rather a set of genes that might make the brain’s reward system more sensitive.

2. Stress: People often use addictive substances as a way to "self-medicate." If life is highly stressful, a drug or behaviour that offers a temporary escape becomes very attractive.

3. Personality: Certain traits are linked to addiction. For example, impulsivity (acting without thinking) and sensation-seeking (looking for big thrills) make someone more likely to try risky things.

4. Family Influences: If you grow up in a home where parents smoke or gamble, you might see it as "normal" (Social Learning Theory). Also, if there is a lot of conflict at home, it increases stress levels.

5. Peers: This is huge for teenagers! If your friends smoke, you are more likely to start. This is partly about normative social influence—the desire to fit in and be liked.

Memory Aid: Think of the acronym "GSP-FP" — Genetics, Stress, Personality, Family, Peers. (Get Some Pizza For People!)

3. Nicotine Addiction: The Brain and Learning

Smoking is a physical addiction to nicotine. We explain it using two main ways:

A. Brain Neurochemistry (The Biology)

When you inhale nicotine, it reaches the brain in seconds and triggers the release of a chemical called Dopamine. This happens in the mesolimbic pathway (the brain's reward centre).
Analogy: Imagine your brain has a "Reward Button." Nicotine hits that button perfectly, making you feel relaxed and happy for a short time.

B. Learning Theory (The Environment)

We also learn to be addicted through Cue Reactivity. If you always smoke while having a coffee, the coffee becomes a "cue." Eventually, just the smell of coffee makes your brain scream for a cigarette. This is classical conditioning.

Key Takeaway

Nicotine addiction is a "double-whammy": the dopamine makes you feel good (biology), and environmental cues keep you coming back (learning).

4. Gambling Addiction: Winning and Thinking

Unlike nicotine, gambling doesn't involve swallowing a substance, but the psychology is very similar.

A. Learning Theory: Reinforcement

Why do people keep playing even when they lose? The answer is Partial Reinforcement. If you won every single time, it would get boring. If you never won, you’d stop. But if you win unpredictably (variable reinforcement), the brain becomes obsessed with the "next big win."

B. Cognitive Theory: Cognitive Bias

Gamblers often have "broken" thinking patterns called Cognitive Biases:

• Gambler’s Fallacy: Thinking that because you’ve lost ten times in a row, you are "due" a win. (In reality, each spin is totally random!)
• Illusion of Control: Thinking you have a "special technique" or "lucky charm" that helps you win.

Did you know? Fruit machines are designed to give "near misses." Your brain sees a near miss not as a loss, but as a sign that a win is "coming soon," which encourages you to keep playing!

5. Reducing Addiction: How to Help

There are three main ways psychologists try to help people stop:

1. Drug Therapy: Using medicine to help. This might be Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) like patches or gum, which give a small, safe dose of nicotine to reduce withdrawal symptoms.

2. Behavioural Interventions:
- Aversion Therapy: Making the addiction unpleasant. For example, taking a drug (Antabuse) that makes you vomit if you drink alcohol. You learn to associate alcohol with being sick.
- Covert Sensitisation: Similar to aversion, but it happens in the mind. The person imagines a disgusting consequence (like being covered in spiders) while thinking about their addiction.

3. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT): This focuses on changing the "faulty thinking" (like cognitive biases) and teaching coping skills to deal with triggers and stress.

6. Theories of Behaviour Change

How do people actually decide to stop? There are two big theories you need to know.

A. The Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB)

This theory says that our Intention to change is the most important thing. This intention is built on three things:
1. Personal Attitude: "I think smoking is bad for me."
2. Subjective Norms: "My family wants me to stop."
3. Perceived Behavioural Control: "I believe I am strong enough to quit."

B. Prochaska’s Six-Stage Model

Prochaska realised that quitting isn't a one-off event; it’s a journey.
1. Pre-contemplation: "I don't have a problem." (Denial)
2. Contemplation: "Maybe I should quit, but I like it." (Ambivalence)
3. Preparation: "I'm going to buy some patches next Monday."
4. Action: Quitting! (The first 6 months).
5. Maintenance: Staying quit for more than 6 months.
6. Termination: The addiction is gone; there is no temptation left.

Common Mistake to Avoid: Don't think of these stages as a straight line. People often "relapse" and slide back from Maintenance to Contemplation. Prochaska says this is normal and part of the process!

Summary Table: Change Models

TPB: Focuses on intentions and beliefs.
Prochaska: Focuses on the time and stages of the journey.

Final Note: You've made it through the Addiction chapter! Remember to focus on the "why" (risk factors/explanations) and the "how" (treatments/change models). You've got this!