| One of the fascinating things about studying addiction | | | | whole new world of knowledge is opening up. |
| is that nobody can agree on a definition. | | | | Psychological components of the disease of addiction |
| The biopsychosocial model of looking at addiction is an | | | | are related to the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors |
| attempt to broaden the older, traditional view of | | | | surrounding and generated by addiction. Psychologists |
| addiction as strictly a medical problem. It was thought | | | | have looked at addiction through psychoanalytic |
| that by forcing people to look at it in a multidimensional | | | | theory, social learning theory, classical conditioning |
| aspect accuracy of diagnosis and treatment could be | | | | theory, as well as personality theory. The psychological |
| improved. | | | | component has gained importance recently because |
| The medical people had their spin on it, the 12-step | | | | of the fact that people diagnosed with addiction more |
| people had their definition, and neurobiological scientists | | | | often then not have a co-occurring mental health |
| are starting to discover new features. A more | | | | diagnoses such as depression, anxiety, or disordered |
| comprehensive way of looking at things is the | | | | eating. |
| biopsychosocial model of addiction. What exactly is | | | | The social component of the biopsychosocial theory |
| that? | | | | of addiction focuses on families and relationships. |
| Well, the clue is in the name. It is an attempt to | | | | Unquestionably addiction has a negative effect on how |
| describe the complexity of the interaction of biological, | | | | the addict relates to the world and people around him. |
| psychological, and social features of addiction. They | | | | Social theories include family systems theory, social |
| are basically saying they each component is | | | | systems theory, and even cultural or anthropological |
| insufficient unto its own to explain addiction. | | | | theories. |
| The biological aspects take into account the genetic | | | | Viewing will addiction in a multidimensional way is |
| and inherited components of addiction, as well as the | | | | instrumental in getting a well-rounded view of both the |
| effects of addiction on the body itself. It also includes | | | | problems generated by addiction and the areas that |
| the neurobiological and neurobehavioral theories and | | | | need to be addressed in treatment. Recently, some |
| studies, that are becoming predominant studying | | | | people have added the spiritual component to this |
| addiction. With the advent of brain scanning technology | | | | multidimensional approach actually making it a |
| such as MRI scans, CAT scans, and SPECT scans, a | | | | biopsychosocialspiritual look at addiction. |