The disease model of addiction psychology essay
however, a medical practice emerged, where addiction meant a strong commitment or tendency to use some drug. The medical use treated addiction as a disease, which brought with it the new connotation that some users might not be able to resist the drug. Addiction therefore acquired the connotation of loss of free will. Three models. The most widespread model today is the BDMA, which characterizes addiction as a chronic and relapsing neurobiological disease characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use despite negative consequences. This is a simple explanation for why an addicted individual would continue to use drugs: millions of individuals worldwide and yet there is no consensus on its conceptualization. Recent neuroscientific developments fuel the view that addiction can be classified as a brain disease, while another group of scientists disagree by claiming that addictive behavior is a choice. These two models, Essay Sample Content Preview: Addiction can be explained by a number of models, including the physiological model, the social model, and the psychological model. The physiological model is mainly characterized by the existence of an addiction gene, which requires additional research. In addition, according to this model, addiction research assumes that people abuse alcohol and drugs because of the chemical reactions they cause in the brain. Most substances increase the release of dopamine in certain areas. In its simplest terms, drug addiction is the strong urge to obtain and use substances even though some unwanted and dangerous consequences are likely to occur. Addiction has been described as a “medical condition that affects the brain and changes behavior.” substances including alcohol, illegal drugs, prescription.