What is the Psychology of Addiction?

Psychology has played a prominent part in both addiction research and treatment. It is an essential element of the interdisciplinary approach required by the 'biopsychosocial' conception. Cognitive theory-based, psychodynamic, and transtheoretical methods are the three primary categories of applied psychology in the field of addictions. This contribution contains brief summaries of the most common models.

The Dynamic Model of Relapse from the learning theory field and the PRIME theory of motivation from the transtheoretical area are two important recent breakthroughs in addiction psychology. Both of these developments are deviations from conventional models' linear two-dimensional perspective in favour of multidimensional non-linear models that use theories like chaos theory and catastrophe theory in the modelling process. These techniques are similar to those used to describe and anticipate complicated phenomena like weather patterns in terms of explanations and predictions. Because both of these innovations are new, they have yet to be put to the test in the field. The models' comprehensive nature offers a lot of attaining better our understanding of addiction and developing effective interventions.

Alcoholism counsellors, Addiction Issues, and the Central Committee on Alcohol paid close attention to the medical and biochemical elements of Jellinek's theoretical thoughts about "alcohol addicts." If alcoholism is viewed as largely a medical condition, then its victims might be viewed as medical patients who require treatment rather than punishments. In terms of therapy and insurance coverage, they would be able to get a better bargain. Throughout all costs, the concept of alcoholics as "mad people" was to be avoided and denied. Too many alcoholics were sent to psychiatric institutions because they seemed psychotic while inebriated, and there were no alcoholism-specific treatment regimens. There were almost no treatment models available for patients with alcoholism who did not have any premorbid or accompanying psychiatric illnesses. This need provided a fertile ground for developing a humanistic and compassionate treatment for alcoholics.