Introduction
Drug addiction is a serious menace to society and to the individuals who engage in it. Many theories have been composed to try and explain the phenomenon. It makes sense for there to be a biological explanation of addiction since drugs are chemicals interacting with a biochemical system. Psychology is also important in understanding addiction since a significant correlation exists between mental health and drug use. There is also a sociological perspective of addiction that seeks to explain the phenomenon.
Biological Theories of Addiction
Sufficient evidence has been gathered suggesting that genetics plays a significant role in addiction. The idea that drug addiction runs in the family has been proven to be correct (Miller, 2013). However, this does not mean that if close relative struggles with addiction, one will definitely be an addict (West & Brown, 2014). It means that when a person has an addicted blood relative, they have an increased chance of developing an addiction.
Another critical biological factor is the developmental stage. Research shows that the earlier a person gets exposed to drugs, the more they are at risk of developing addiction in their later life. (West & Brown, 2014). Another approach to understanding the biology of addiction is sensitivity to drugs (Begun, 2020). Some people have a higher tolerance to drugs than others. Mental conditions such as depression, ADHD, and anxiety also put people at risk of drug addiction (West & Brown, 2014). This is the case because mentally ill people use drugs to make themselves feel better (Begun, 2020).
Gender is also a biological factor that affects drug addiction since males and females react differently to drugs. Women are more likely to abuse sleep medicine, while men are more likely to abuse alcohol (West & Brown, 2014). Ethnicity is also a critical biological factor because different ethnicities may have different genetic makeup (Begun, 2020). Some ethnicities digest drugs differently than others. However, ethnicity is also closely related to environmental factors.
Psychological Theories of Addiction
Psychology is a science that attempts to understand human behavior. There are a few psychological explanations of addiction. One theory is that people develop addiction due to inherent psychopathology manifested as mental illness (West & Brown, 2014). The other explanation is the possibility of people learning unhealthy behavior in response to their surroundings (West & Brown, 2014). The other explanation is that people’s thoughts and beliefs create feelings that shape their behavior; some of these thoughts are unrealistic and dysfunctional, translating to the same kind of behavior (West & Brown, 2014).
The psychopathological model suggests that mental disorders are the source of addiction. Examples of these disorders are cognitive problems, mood swings, and other mental issues. According to West & Brown (2014), it has been shown that mental illnesses usually accompany addiction to the extent that 50% of people seeking addiction treatment also have other mental conditions.
Another psychological model of addiction is classical conditioning, which explains why environmental stimuli or internal sensations often actuate an individual’s craving for substances (West & Brown, 2014). Some regions of the brain get triggered by seeing particular apparatus for administering drugs. Another model is operant conditioning which talks about the positive reinforcement angle of drug addiction. In this model, it is believed that when a person uses a drug for the first time and happens to enjoy it, it is enough incentive for them to repeat this act (West & Brown, 2014). There are also self-medication theories in which a person uses drugs to fill an emotional void in their lives (Miller, 2013). This person abuses drugs as a buffer against the reality that may be too painful. According to West and Brown (2014), the “Observational learning” model talks about people imitating others’ habits.
Sociological Theories of Drug Addiction
From a sociological point of view, drug addiction is examined from several vantage points. Some of the terms used in sociology to refer to drug abuse are unflattering such as drug abuse and drug misuse, while addicted people are called drug deviants (Weinberg, 2011). Alfred Lindesmith was one of the pioneers of sociological theories of addiction (Weinberg, 2011). He noted that drug use was more than a mere chemical reaction between the drug and human physiology. Lindesmith proposed the importance of understanding the subjective perception an addict has on drugs, their effects, and broader social lives. He noted that users who obtained drugs from the streets were more likely to develop an addiction than those who were administered in a medical setting (Weinberg, 2011).
Lindesmith’s theory was important but has been replaced by better theories (Weinberg, 2011). The functionalist theory departed from Lindesmith’s foundational approach; as an example, the Social Structure and Anomie theory suggested that drug addiction was an example of retreatism adaptation, where people ostensibly adopt deviant behavior.
In a departure from functionalism, the appreciative theory was developed in the second half of the 20th century (Weinberg, 2011). These theories departed from the deviant label of functionalists and affirmed that society was far from perfect, and suggested empathy towards the deviant (Weinberg, 2011). The theory also sought to show that drug abuse did not necessarily indicate a breakdown of any functional system of the society or the individual (Weinberg, 2011). On the other hand, rational choice theories posit that drug abuse results from a conscious, self-governed, deliberate, and quasi-rational decision. These theories have many weaknesses in that they are often inconsistent with reality (Weinberg, 2011). However, they offer a simplistic definition of addiction as resulting from the cost-benefit math of addicts.
Socio-constructionist theories are propositions seeking to explain the social forces causing addiction. Some studies suggest that addiction does not only result from social factors but is also a cultural phenomenon that can only be understood within the nexus of cultural beliefs and practices. Along this line, it has also been argued that a cultural revolution resulted from the Temperance movement that necessitated a higher level of self-control, accountability, and individualism to cope with capitalistic society and which were not compatible with high consumption of alcohol (Weinberg, 2011). Some theories have also looked at the contribution of the criminal justice system to the current state of addiction. The criminal justice system has reportedly contributed to the marginalization and stigmatization of addicts.
Conclusion
This paper has examined several theories explaining drug addiction: biological, psychological, and sociological. Biological theories have looked at some rigid concepts, such as genetic predisposition, where it is thought that some people have a higher propensity for addiction than others based on their genes. Psychological theories seem like an extension of biological factors since there is a significant convergence around mental illnesses. However, drug addiction is best explained by sociological theories since it is more of a societal problem than an individual. Scholars may have disapproved of the functionalist, but it offers a good explanation since many countries and societies with similar ethnic makeup or populations have different rates of drug problems.
Drug addiction stems from a breakdown in functionality either on the part of the individual or society. Some countries such as Saudi Arabia and even China have incredibly harsh sentences for drug traffickers and have managed to keep the scourge of drug addiction away from their lands. Ironically, fentanyl is manufactured in China yet is mainly consumed in America; it depicts a functional breakdown in the American system, probably through corruption or America’s debaucherous freedom.
References
Begun, A. (2020). Theories and Biological Basis of Addiction. Ohio State Press. Web.
Do you know your risk for addiction? (2008). Web.
Miller, P. M. (2013). Comprehensive addictive behaviors and disorders. Academic Press/Elsevier.
Weinberg, D. (2011). Sociological perspectives on addiction: Sociological perspectives on addiction. Sociology Compass, 5(4), 298–310. Web.
West, R., & Brown, J. (2014). Theory of addiction (Second edition). Wiley Blackwell/Addiction Press.