Addiction is a disorder that is characterized by a variety of experiences. This observation differs from the notion that there are a variety of types of addiction. It is true that the number of potential objects of addiction continues to multiply. There are, of course, the well-known objects of substance addiction, such as alcohol, specific drugs (e.g., cocaine, opiates, nicotine, etc.), and even certain types of food (e.g., sugary, sweet, and fatty foods). However, the concept of addiction has also been extended to refer to various activities (e.g., Internet pornography use, Internet gaming, gambling, shopping, social media use, etc.). Importantly, each type of addiction is unique and probably warrants focused inquiry into the factors that contribute to its development. Yet, there is a sense in which addiction may also be considered a singular phenomenon comprising multiple forms and affecting multiple dimensions of human experience. In other words, the evidence that is emerging suggests that all of the different types of addiction seem to share many common objective and subjective features. Objective features of addiction include the specific neurological and behavioral patterns that characterizes it, and subjective features of addiction refer to experience, that is, how it feels to be addicted. This page is devoted to explaining the way that addictive behaviors both emerge from and give rise to the variety of addiction experiences.
Contents
The Behavioral Phases of
Addiction Experience
Addiction is a bio-psycho-social-spiritual disorder that is characterized by three discrete behavioral phases:
1) pursuit – actively seeking involvement with a substance or activity (e.g., drug addict stealing/selling property to get money for drugs; sex addict “cruising” in search of someone to “act out” with). Pursuit is quintessentially goal-directed behavior, in that it is directed toward some specific end (i.e., feeling good, feeling better, performing good/better).
2) involvement – actively consuming a drug or engaging in an activity (e.g., alcoholic imbibing; gambling addict betting; sex addict “acting out”). The behavior of involvement is usually associated with positive experiences, which are described below. In general, the behavior of active involvement sets the cascade of addictive behaviors in motion. This is the phase that is accompanied by the experience of “reward,” which can reinforce the behavior. In the earliest stages of use, before addiction will have taken hold, one may or may not be able to regulate or moderate his/her involvement. However, during the later stages, once full-blown addiction has developed, one will generally be unable to control the amount, duration, or frequency of involvement. In recovery parlance, this is described as the phenomenon of craving, wherein “Once you start, you can’t stop.” Hence, there is rapid oscillation between the pursuit and involvement phases. At this point, one experiences an acute loss-of-control over behavior.
3) abstinence – There are effectively two types of abstinence: passive and active. Paradoxically, abstinence, that is, not doing something, is nevertheless constitutive of addictive behavior insofar as it tends to follow involvement, and usually represents a phase transition back into pursuit. Passive abstinence refers to the incidental intervals between episodes of active involvement, whereas active abstinence, for an addict desiring to refrain from involvement, refers to intentional cessation of involvement to avoid attendant consequences or to attain the benefits of abstention. Passive abstinence may be intrinsically motivated, as it may follow loss of consciousness, loss of interest in involvement (i.e., hangover), lack of resources (e.g., money, drugs). Alternatively, passive abstinence may be extrinsically motivated, in that it may follow external constraints placed on the individual (e.g., hospitalization, incarceration). On the other hand, active abstinence represents a potential transition into recovery, which I describe here.
From a behavioral standpoint, the experience of addiction can be understood as a dynamic cycling between these three phases. Importantly, each of these three phases is accompanied by a variety of corresponding bodily, psychological (i.e., mental and emotional), social, and spiritual experiences, which I describe below. Hence, the behaviors that characterize addiction are objectives correlates of multidimensional subjective experiences.
Each of these three phases can be considered a behavioral experience of addiction. However, these behavioral varieties can be extended to comprise their escalation and progression over time (Figure 2). The most current clinical portrait of substance use disorder (a proxy for addiction) represents these pathological behaviors along a continuum ranging in degree of severity.
On the “mild” end of the spectrum is essentially a variation of what might be considered the experience of a bad habit, where the consequences of involvement may only slightly outweigh the benefits, but self-correction, self-regulation, and self-control are, at least in principle, still possible. Nevertheless, at this point, the individual finds him/herself behaving in ways that are contrary to his/her self-interest. The intervals between pursuit, involvement, and abstinence will be infrequent, relative to the other categories.
In between the two poles of the spectrum is the “moderate” experience of addictive behaviors, which might be regarded as a hybrid of bad habit and bona fide addiction. One will have “moderately” lost the ability to control his/her behavior. Further, beyond merely acting in ways that are inconsistent with one’s self-interest, “moderate” addiction begins to be characterized by actions that are inconsistent with one’s values. One may be acting under the influence of the substance or activity, or in pursuit of involvement, that he/she would otherwise disavow.
On the opposite side of the spectrum is “severe” addiction. By this point, the cylcing between involvement, abstinence, and pursuit will be more-or-less constant. In other words, the individual will exhibit severely impaired ability to control the extent of involvement with the object of addiction, despite the high probability of negative consequences, many of which will tend to manifest at objective observable levels (e.g., interpersonal conflicts, legal and/or professional consequences, physical injury, financial trouble, etc.). Moreover, the well-known addiction-related features of tolerance and dependence, which I will discuss below, will become operative and even determinative at this stage of addiction.
Bio-psycho-social-spiritual
Dimensions of Addiction Experience
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