Addiction
is a problem that is still under close scrutiny by the medical and
psychological community, specifically, the factors that may determine or
contribute to an individual becoming an addict. One upcoming trial for example, conducted by the National Institute of Drug Abuse in the US, aims to try and find possible connection in an individuals
genes that could increase the risk of them becoming an addict, and also
whether certain traits in the brain are linked to the risk of
addiction. When it comes to really understanding the causes of
addiction, we are often only left with speculation, as there are a
number of potential factors that can influence an individual both
mentally and physically into becoming more susceptible to this problem.
Does the key really lie in our genetic makeup?
Current Understanding of Addiction
First of all, it is helpful to understand what we really mean when we
say ‘addiction’. An addict, is in essence, not in control of their
actions to a large extent, specifically in reference to a substance or
form of behaviour that may have developed into an addiction
from an initial habit. Psychologists have recently put forward the
concept of psychological addiction. This type of addiction might be an
something such as an addiction to chocolate, gambling, sex, work, and
so on. Essentially, anything that can induce a feeling of psychological
dependency and causing tense feelings of guilt and despair could be
referred to as such. The causes of psychological addictions are often
psychological themselves, but that is not to say that physiological
problems an individual may have won’t contribute to a physical addiction
as well. Physical addictions are commonly understood to be a dependency
on a substance, such as nicotine, alcohol, heroin, prescription drugs,
and so on. Currently then, addiction is divided into substance
addiction, and behavioural addiction. There may be a
relation between the two however, as a study conducted last year points
towards certain links between behavioural and substance addictions.
Genetic Links
There have been numerous medical and academic papers and books that seem
to imply a firm link between genetics and the inheritance of
susceptibility to addiction. The American Psychiatric Publishing Textbook of Substance Abuse Treatment,
for example, offers research that supports the proposition that
addiction is a genetic problem. Furthermore, it is suggested that the
genetic link varies dependent on the type of substance that forms the
core of the addiction. Alcohol dependence, for example, is surmised to
be a result of genetic hereditary that accounts for around 50% of the
likely hood of addiction. Opiates on the other hand, especially cocaine,
seem to have a higher chance of genetic heritability. While data on
illicit drugs is not as profligate, prescription substances are another
area that can offer some insight into the importance of genetics.
Valium, for example, although a prescription substance, is often taken
without a recommendation for recreation or to relive stress. Even should
an addict manage to go through withdrawal and
rehabilitation, genetic factors may contribute to a relapse. If we can
fully understand these factors, preventative measures may be able to
stop potential addicts falling prey to substance abuse entirely.
Other Causes
Of course, as the majority of the research shows, genetics are not the only factor at work when it comes to an individuals
vulnerability to addiction. While we can certainly say that in some
cases, such as alcohol, the danger of addiction rises considerably, this
does not guarantee that such an individual will become an alcohol
addict. This is where the problem becomes complicated, because there are
a number of other influencing factors that in the right combination can
cause a person to become an addict. Our current understanding of why we
become addicted to substances such as nicotine, cocaine, heroin and so
on, is based on our knowledge of how these substances work - how they
affect the brain and body and so on. The real difficulty is
understanding how they lead to addiction. As we are all different, and
react in different ways given our social, economic, psychological and
medical factors, that can all vary greatly, it can be very hard to pin
down a single root cause. More trials, along with ongoing research and studies offer us hope that one day, we will be able to firmly identify, prevent and treat the problem more effectively.
