The Biological and Psychopathological Model
Quetion:
Discuss about th Addiction Etiology and Recovery Implications.
The model of addiction etiology that best describes why people get addicted and how best to help them is the biological and psychopathological model of addiction and implications of recovery. Addiction is an effect on the neurological structure of a human body. Mostly, the medical view of having an addiction focuses on the psychopathological health of a person. Addiction is subjectified with cognitive complicatedness, mental disorders and mood disturbances as well as biological health (Wormer and Davis 2016). The following position paper would comprise of the best possible model of addiction etiology of a person getting addicted and the ways to help a person get through the process of recovery from addiction.
As per the biological model approves, every person has a unique feature by their physiology and genetics. This acts as a contributing factor for addiction in a person. The biological model of addiction etiology depends on the affect that genetics has on a person and the natural forces driving the addictive nature (Best et al. 2016). Addiction can be regarded as a mental disorder driven by chemistry of the brain, structure of the brain and abnormalities found in the genetic structures. This can be emphasized in a simple example. A person may find a substance like kerosene smell very enticing and irresistible, whereas another person may not be affected with the same substance at all; even to the extent of not even trying experiencing the smell by any means. In the similar way, resisting giving in to impetuous desires is also a strong and rational neurological action that is not present in every person (Heyman and Mims 2016). Genetic vulnerability is a rationale for developing addictions over impulsive stimuli and recovery implications depends on recognizing this issue in a person.
The biological model etiology states that addiction in a human body depends on the genetic vulnerability of a person and the force of the nature responsible for the driving force of the addiction. There are many evidences noticed all around that strongly establishes this point of view of a person developing addictions. For example, in a group of office colleagues, not everybody is seen to develop the same habits even after spending almost the entire day together. Some may have the habit of smoking cigarettes, some may be addicted to alcohol and some may be seen not addicted to anything at all. Although, it may be seen that the person addicted to cigarettes or alcohol offers the others, but some may decline the offer. This proves that the person declining has rational view of not giving into a habit that may affect his or her neurological health. On the other hand, the people who are already under the garbs of addiction do not have neurological strength to give up the desires on their own (DiClemente 2017). The only way to find out the path of recovery for the people addicted is to find the reason behind the addiction (Nolen-Hoeksema and Rector 2015). It can be possible that the addicted person could not muster the courage to stay strong in front of peer pressure or psychopathological reasons may inflict the person into being an addict.
As every model of etiology has its strengths and limitations, there are ways in which the biological and psychopathological model of etiology can become limited in depicting the nature and causes behind addiction. It can be said that since this model focuses more on the physical abilities and disabilities of a person in falling into or staying out of addiction, it does not consider mental illness as an underlying cause for addiction. The biological approach focuses more on the nature of the cause, the hormonal effects of the neurotransmitters, and genetics. It is a deterministic approach since the focus of the model of etiology is on a measurable aspect (Schulte et al. 2014). Even for reliability, the experimental procedures can be repeated while calculating the possible recovery implications. However, in case of psychological approaches, it may be possible that the subject is not is in the same state of mind as before. Therefore, the approach has advantages as well as its disadvantages in determining the reasons for addiction development in a person.
It can be concluded from the above discussion that the biological and psychopathological model of etiology is the best possible way of deriving the cause of addiction in people and the recovery implications. Although this process has its limitations in justifying the addictions with respect to a person’s mental health, a systematic approach paves its way to a much analytical process to detect the causes. Therefore, the biological and psychological model of etiology and recovery implications for making out the reasons for addiction is so far the best possible approach.
References
Best, D., Beckwith, M., Haslam, C., Alexander Haslam, S., Jetten, J., Mawson, E. and Lubman, D.I., 2016. Overcoming alcohol and other drug addiction as a process of social identity transition: the social identity model of recovery (SIMOR). Addiction Research & Theory, 24(2), pp.111-123.
DiClemente, C.C., 2017. Addiction and change: How addictions develop and addicted people recover. Guilford Publications.
Heyman, G.M. and Mims, V., 2016. What addicts can teach us about addiction: a natural history approach. Addiction and choice: rethinking the relationship, pp.386-408.
Nolen-Hoeksema, S. and Rector, N.A., 2015. Abnormal psychology. Boston: McGraw-Hill.
Schulte, M.H., Cousijn, J., den Uyl, T.E., Goudriaan, A.E., van den Brink, W., Veltman, D.J., Schilt, T. and Wiers, R.W., 2014. Recovery of neurocognitive functions following sustained abstinence after substance dependence and implications for treatment. Clinical psychology review, 34(7), pp.531-550.
Van Wormer, K. and Davis, D.R., 2016. Addiction treatment. Cengage Learning.