Sober Living

A Biopsychosocial Overview of the Opioid Crisis: Considering Nutrition and Gastrointestinal Health

The same theory-shift that sober house transformed biology also transformed neuroscience and cognitive psychology, enabling a coherent biopsychology. As to the domain of social interactions, there is no shortage of research programs on its major importance to our biopsychology in phylogenesis (Barrett, Henzi, & Barton, 2022) and ontogenesis (Blakemore, 2008). Drawing on previous work (Bolton & Gillett, 2019), I will present a case that Engel’s main idea – that a BPSM was required to replace the BMM – was visionary but programmatic. It was visionary in anticipating radical changes in the ways that health and disease were becoming theorized and researched, but programmatic because the radical changes were in their early stages, still in progress and not yet widely implemented.

As we delve into the realm of psychological models of addiction, we embark on a journey through the human psyche, exploring the myriad ways in which our minds can become entangled in the grip of substance abuse and compulsive behaviors. When we see substance use disorders/addictions in a binary fashion, we are choosing one lens or another, which does not give us a clear picture of the person. You can further explore poverty, race, gender, and other examples of intersectionality that may play a role in a person’s substance use/addiction as you are working with them, ensuring your work is cultural, spiritual, gender-sensitive and trauma-informed.

The appearance of personal processes in the new psychological science – beliefs, about the world and our agency, personal goals, emotions, and behavior – has substantial relevance to the question whether a broader BPSM is needed in health science and healthcare. Engel gave a long list of important issues the BMM could not account for, and top of the list was ‘the person who has the illness’ (Engel, 1977, p. 131). Here the point is, at least, that biomedicine can theorize diseased or otherwise dysfunctional organs or systems, but has nothing to say, over and above that, about the person who has the illness. Equally, it can be added, cognitive psychological models of specific systems such as memory and attention, need a wider, person-level framework to theorize how lowered function affects the person, for example, or typically, by compromising agency. The social domain tends to account only for proximal environmental and social properties.

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  • These Models of Addiction provided valuable insights but failed to capture the full picture.
  • There are many theories that hope to explain why individuals use and abuse substances.
  • The empirical foundation of this model is thus interdisciplinary, and both descriptive and applied.
  • Personality theories in addiction explore the connection between personality traits and a person’s vulnerability to addiction.

Although I don’t find this philosophical position defensible, it does deserve mention, especially because so-called downward causation (i.e., higher levels of reality having causal power relative to lower levels) is philosophically tricky. The revitalized, cross-disciplinary BPSM proposed here can be used to theorize personal and institutional factors relevant to clinical care and highlight their role as critical and not merely discretionary considerations. It was advanced in genetics that introduced into biology theoretical ideas of a new kind of science involving coding, information-transfer, error, regulation and control, additional to energy-transfer and -exchanges covered by physical–chemical laws (equations). Further, theories of genetics have always been thoroughly interactional across domains, in evolutionary theory, and recently in the new field of epigenetics, including in psychiatry (Campanile, Fanelli, Fabbri, Serretti, & Mendlewicz, 2022; Cecil, 2020). In this sense, it is psychology and biology that made the theory changes critical to the BPSM, thereby becoming more aligned with concepts familiar in the social sciences. Culture is very personal and we need to allow it to be whatever the person identifies it as.

biopsychosocial theory of addiction

Meat Addiction: Unraveling the Science and Psychology Behind Excessive Consumption

As we continue our journey through the landscape of addiction theories, we arrive at the biopsychosocial model, a veritable Swiss Army knife of addiction understanding. This model is like looking at addiction through a kaleidoscope, where biological, psychological, and social factors all come together to create a unique pattern for each individual. Treatment approaches based on the social learning model often incorporate social skills training and peer support. These interventions aim to help individuals learn new, healthier ways of interacting and coping, essentially “reprogramming” their social learning.

Theorized models of causal mechanisms

biopsychosocial theory of addiction

In fact, San Francisco reported a higher cannabis use rate than Amsterdam (Reinarman, Cohen and Kaal 2004). This can be individual, family, peer and community.(30) Substance use may be familial, a person may have watched a parent or caretaker use alcohol on special occasions or more frequently. Perhaps you had a parent who smoked tobacco, and this may have played a role in whether you smoke. These social connections that are critical for our development as babies, toddlers, youth and into adulthood play a role in what we do, how we act, and how we live. The implications of these theoretical models for addiction treatment and prevention are profound.

Feeling State Addiction Protocol: A Revolutionary Approach to Treating Addictive…

It’s like suddenly discovering you’re allergic to your favorite food – surprising, distressing, and potentially life-altering. Dopamine, the rock star of neurotransmitters, takes center stage in addiction’s neurobiological concert. ” When we engage in pleasurable activities – eating chocolate, falling in love, or unfortunately, using addictive substances – dopamine levels surge. Over time, the brain can become like a toddler throwing a tantrum, demanding more and more dopamine to feel satisfied. Poverty, lack of education, and limited access to healthcare can all increase the risk of addiction and make recovery more challenging. It’s like trying to climb out of a pit – the deeper the pit and the fewer the tools available, the harder the climb.

Addiction Scale: Measuring Substance Use Disorders and Their Severity

Systems theory, therefore, balances reductionism and the intrinsic heterogeneity within systems. The developmental model of addiction views substance abuse through the lens of life stages, recognizing that our relationship with potentially addictive substances and behaviors can change as we age. Our addiction treatment centers in West Palm Beach, Florida offer comprehensive programs that address the physical, psychological, and social factors of addiction using the biopsychosocial model, personality theories and neuropsychology.

It advocates for creating safe, supportive environments and using trauma-specific interventions alongside traditional addiction treatments. This approach not only aims to address substance use but also to promote healing and resilience in individuals who have experienced trauma. They provide a more nuanced and comprehensive understanding of addiction, recognizing its complexity and avoiding overly simplistic explanations. This holistic approach can lead to more personalized and effective treatment strategies, addressing multiple aspects of an individual’s addiction simultaneously.

It has been argued that failure to address nutritional conditions can severely undermine treatment (197). In Los Angeles, nutrition services are offered at less than a third of SUD treatment centers (198). Our work has shown educational and culinary interventions can be effective despite operational challenges (199). Nutritional protocols for OUD have been described elsewhere (200) and specific group education topics for SUD treatment have also been recommended (201). The biopsychosocial model of addiction emphasizes the interplay of biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors in the understanding, prevention, and treatment of substance use disorders. This model challenges the traditional biomedical approach, which reduces addiction solely to biochemical causes and often overlooks the significant roles of psychological and sociocultural influences.

Integrating the Models: A Symphony of Understanding

This refers to a person’s belief in their ability to succeed in specific situations. In the context of addiction, low self-efficacy might lead someone to believe they can’t resist cravings or cope with life’s challenges without substances. On the flip side, building self-efficacy is a crucial component of recovery, empowering individuals to believe in their ability to maintain sobriety. The social learning model also highlights the importance of expectations and beliefs about substance use.

  • Learning theories represent one set of psychological principles that have had a strong influence on our understanding of the causes of addiction, as well as informing some of our intervention strategies.
  • You can further explore poverty, race, gender, and other examples of intersectionality that may play a role in a person’s substance use/addiction as you are working with them, ensuring your work is cultural, spiritual, gender-sensitive and trauma-informed.
  • Gillett criticizes theories of decision-making that conceptualize choice as autonomous phenomenon only if inner mental states or networks cause it.
  • Another key component of the biological model is the neurotransmitter imbalance theory.
  • Social factors include influences like family, friends, and socioeconomic status.

Emerging theories continue to refine and expand our understanding, offering new insights and treatment possibilities. It’s a bit like adding new instruments to our addiction orchestra, creating an ever richer and more nuanced understanding of this complex issue. These distortions aren’t just abstract concepts; they have real-world implications.

Many post-modern theorists such as Christman (2004) have challenged the original Kantian privileging and definition of autonomy. One claim is based on the fact that decisional autonomy, or rationality, is not the most valuable human characteristic, and the individual-as-independent does not adequately characterize human beings (Russell 2009). Accordingly, the matrix of a person’s socio-historical context, life narrative, genetics, and relationships with others influence intention, decision, and action, and thus shape the brain. Autonomy, therefore, is not adequately https://yourhealthmagazine.net/article/addiction/sober-houses-rules-that-you-should-follow/ defined just by the events in the brain or the “quality” of the decision being made. Many individuals who have serious addictions live in impoverished environments without suitable resources or opportunities. Thus it is the limited option for choice that is one prevailing variable, not only the reduced ability to choose alternatively.