Addiction is a term that is widely used to mean different things. Addiction often begins as a habit and progresses to a point where individuals have no control over it. Often, the term is used in association with alcohol to explain the out-of-control behavior exhibited by individuals suffering from it. Addictive behavior affects everyone in one way or another resulting in significant impacts. It is, therefore, important to learn about the progression of addictive behavior. For this case, the progression of alcohol and substance abuse addiction will be used to elaborate the process of addiction.
Addiction is a complex disease that professionals in the field view as a chronic disorder affecting one in every four families ( Module 1, 2021 ). Addiction occurs in five stages that feed each other to result in intense pathological states (Herman & Roberto, 2015). The first stage in alcohol or substance abuse addiction is non-use, where individuals may be aware of the substance but have never tried it before. The second stage involves experimentation, where individuals will use the addictive substance once or twice ( O’Driscoll, 2014 ). Often individuals try these addictive substances to see how it affects them. However, sometimes people get prescribed medication that can be addictive if misused (Herman & Roberto, 2015). The misuse of such prescription drugs marks the beginning of their addiction.
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The third stage involves recreational use, where individuals casually use the addictive substances for leisure and other purposes ( Module 1, 2021 ). At this stage, their usage is not excessive and does not result in major interference with one’s life. The fourth stage involves a risky use of the addictive substance ( O’Driscoll, 2014 ). Here, individuals are developing a dependence on the substance and may experience difficulties as their usage increases. The final stage is out-of-control dependence, where individuals have no choice over the matter ( Module 1, 2021 ). They have already developed a tolerance to the addictive substance and must take dangerous amounts to feel its effects. Moreover, they are unable to function properly without their substance of choice.
References
Herman, M. A., & Roberto, M. (2015). The addicted brain: understanding the neurophysiological mechanisms of addictive disorders. Frontiers in integrative neuroscience , 9 , 18. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4365688/
Module 1. (2021). Module Notes : Introduction to the Addiction Spectrum. https://excelsior.instructure.com/courses/24206/pages/module-1-module-notes-introduction-to-the-addiction-spectrum?module_item_id=2033787
O’Driscoll, C. (2014). Addiction: a Guide to Understanding Its Nature and Essence. Nova Science Publishers, Inc
