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What is addiction?
We all talk about being addicted to things – chocolate, TV, texting, you name it. It seems that most of us have some compulsive behaviour patterns, but most of the time these don't cause us physical harm or damage our lives.
Real addiction, on the other hand, is more complex than simply feeling like you've got to watch 'Big Brother' tonight. One good definition of addiction is 'uncontrolled, compulsive use of a substance, despite harm' (Wikipedia). This means that even though you know the negative consequences of what you're doing, you can't stop.
But why is that? In some cases, it's because you're using a physically addictive substance. Physical addiction happens when an addictive substance continuously alters your brain chemistry, which eventually adapts so that it stops producing its own natural versions of chemicals that make you feel good, and even produces opposing ones. This is why people experience withdrawal symptoms when they stop using heroin or alcohol, for example.
In other cases, people become psychologically dependent on a substance or a kind of behaviour that makes them happy but causes them harm. If they stop, their withdrawal symptoms are only psychological, but can still be severe. Psychological addiction seems to be very individualised, but it only tends to reach a really serious level in people with existing mental health problems.
So while different 'types' of addiction might feel similar to the person experiencing them, how should they be treated? Is addiction a disease, a psychological disorder, a genetic condition or a symptom of an unhealthy society? Some people believe strongly that addiction is a disease and can be treated as such, with medicines and medical care.
While scientists might dispute the accuracy of this approach, and those concerned with societal issues might say it ignores the causes of addiction, the disease approach is useful for treating addiction. It gives a structure for doctors and patients, and helps the addicted person feel more supported.
There are several therapies available on the NHS that are aimed at helping people overcome addictions to both legal and illegal drugs. Examples include nicotine replacement therapy, such as nicotine patches and gums, which are designed to alleviate some physical withdrawal symptoms. There are also drugs such as disulfiam, which are used as 'aversion therapy' in the treatment of alcohol dependence.
However, at more extreme end of this, the Narcotics Anonymous way of thinking – that addiction is an incurable disease affecting the user's whole life, drug use being just one symptom – ignores the many other factors that influence drug use. For example, is addiction hereditary? You often notice that addictions appear to run in certain families, but is this genetic, or is learned behaviour a strong factor? Figuring out how addiction runs in families could have positive implications for its treatment.
Addictions vary culturally, too, depending on what's available in a particular society. Would there be a binge-drinking problem in the UK if alcohol was not so widely available and part of our social culture? Again, it's hard to say, but research into the wider problem of substance availability and drug/alcohol culture as well as into individual addiction can only be a positive thing.
There are many perspectives on addiction, but one thing's certain: it's a complex problem that affects different people in different ways. It may not be a simple 'disease', but neither is it just a weakness or lack of willpower. An open-minded approach to addiction that takes into account all kinds of causal factors will increase our understanding of addiction, and how we can best manage and prevent it.
The Roots of Addiction
www.channel4.com/health/microsites/0-9/4health/drugs/dus_addiction.html
Cold Turkey – Smoking
www.channel4.com/health/microsites/0-9/4health/drugs/haw_smoking.html
