The disease model of addiction describes an
addiction as a disease with biological, neurological, genetic, and environmental sources of origin. The traditional
medical model of
disease requires only that an abnormal condition be present that causes discomfort, dysfunction, or distress to the affected individual. The contemporary medical model attributes addiction, in part, to changes in the
brain's
mesolimbic pathway. The medical model also takes into consideration that such disease may be the result of other biological, psychological or sociological entities despite an incomplete understanding of the mechanisms of these entities.
The common biomolecular mechanisms underlying all forms of addiction –
CREB and
ΔFosB – were reviewed by
Eric J. Nestler
Eric J. Nestler is the Nash Family Professor of Neuroscience, Director of the Friedman Brain Institute, and Dean for Academic Affairs at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and Chief Scientific Officer of the Mount Sinai Health System. His ...
in a 2013 review.
Genetic factors and mental disorders can contribute to the severity of drug addiction. Approximately fifty percent of the chance a person will develop an addiction can be attributed to genetic factors.
["Addiction as a Disease." The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse. The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, 23 August 2016. Web. 23 November 2016.]
Criticism
Critics of the disease model, particularly those who subscribe to the
life-process model of addiction The life-process model of addiction is the view that addiction is not a disease but rather a habitual response and a source of gratification and security that can be understood only in the context of social relationships and experiences. This model ...
argue that labeling people as ''addicts'' keeps them from developing self-control and
stigmatizes them. As noted by the
harm reduction specialist
Andrew Tatarsky
Andrew Tatarsky (born August 11, 1955) is an American psychologist and the founder and director of the Center for Optimal Living. He teaches in New York City as the Professor of Professional Practice for the Harm Reduction Psychotherapy Certific ...
:
See also
*
Addiction psychology
About 1 in 7 Americans suffer from active addiction to a particular substance. Addiction can cause physical, psychological, and emotional harm to those who are affected by it. The American Society of Addiction Medicine defines addiction as "a trea ...
References
{{reflist
Addiction psychiatry