ADDICTION: Characteristics Flashcards
Definition of Addiction
A chronic relapsing brain disease characterised by compulsive drug seeking and use despite anticipation of negative consequences.
SMTWCR
[Saturday Morning Toast With Coffee, Roger]
GRIFFITHS
Salience / Mood Modification / Tolerance / Withdrawal / Conflict / Relapse
Griffiths Salience
The behaviour / substance has become the most important thing in a person’s life
- Dominates a person’s thoughts / feelings / behaviours
Griffiths Mood Modification
When a person engages in addictive stimulus, it will change their mood
- Either positively or negatively
Griffiths Tolerance
A person builds tolerance to the addictive stimulus
- As time passes, they need to engage more in the addictive behaviour
Griffiths Withdrawal
If the behaviour is stopped, an individual will experience withdrawal symptoms
PHYSICAL: Headaches / constipation
PSYCHOLOGICAL: Irritability / moodiness
Griffiths Conflict
INTERPERSONAL CONFLICT: Addicts experience conflict with their social support groups due to their addiction
INTRAPSYCHIC CONFLICT: Addicts experience conflict within themselves (Want to stop engaging in addictive stimulus but struggle to)
Griffiths Relapse
Addicts tend to return to the addiction after seemingly successful treatment
- More common in chemical addictions
Walters 4 Ps
Preoccupation
Persistence
Progression
Perceived
Walters Preoccupation
Addict is engrossed by their addictive stimulus
Walters Persistence
Addict continues to engage in addictive stimulus despite difficulty & conflict
Walters Progression
Addict continues to engage in addictive stimulus more and more as tolerance increases
Walters Perceived
Addict feels that they have lost control when they may not have
Characteristics - Internet Addiction Definition
DSM-V lists Internet addiction as a formal disorder though recommends more research should be carried out
Chinese Government - Recognised internet addiction as a disorder in 2008 (effected 24/632 million Chinese internet users)
- Many teenagers were sent to controversial boot camps to try wean them from the addiction
Characteristics - Internet Addiction Support
Lin et al. - People who use the internet excessively show similar brain abnormalities to those with substance addictions
Griffiths - It’s important to distinguish between an addiction to the internet and an addiction which takes place online (internet addiction vs online gambling addiction)
Characteristics DSM Categories of Addiction
- 10 categories of addictive substances
- Only behaviour recognised as an addiction is gambling [Others require more evidence]
- Substance use disorders = Addictions
- Substance induced disorders = Symptoms caused by substances (intoxication / withdrawal)
- 11 criteria for diagnosis, person must meet the following to be diagnosed as…
- 2-3 symptoms = mild addiction
- 4-5 symptoms = moderate addiction
- 6+ symptoms = severe addiction
😟 Limited in its ability to diagnose behavioural addiction
- Excluding gambling, no behavioural addiction has a set diagnostic criteria
DSM Name
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
Characteristics - General Issues of Researching Addiction
SELF-REPORT: - Addicts may be reluctant to be honest (addiction is often embarrassing & can negatively affect a person’s life)
- Addicts may not accurately recall what they do / have done or feel / have felt
VALIDITY: Due to ethical consideration, researchers cannot ask individuals to engage in addictive behaviours to measure its effects
SAMPLING: Difficult to obtain a representative sample for addiction research / Research often requires addicts to be compared against a matched control group to assess the effects of addiction
