Standard therapies for addiction treatment include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy (REBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and Motivational Interviewing. While therapy alone can have limited success, its effectiveness significantly improves when combined with family interventions, social supports, and job assistance.

Addiction is characterized by a strong need or urge to engage in an activity or use a substance, which can disrupt how you function in various aspects of life. Substance use disorders, like chronic diseases such as heart disease and asthma, involve brain chemistry and genetics. While treatment doesn’t cure addiction, it can be effectively managed. There is a difference between the terms “addiction” and “substance use disorders,” although the general public may not always recognize this distinction.

Neuroscientific research highlights dopamine’s complex role in addiction, varying by brain region and neuron type. Two key theories are the “reward prediction error” model, where unexpected rewards trigger dopamine, and the “incentive salience” model, where dopamine drives wanting, not liking. Drugs like cocaine and alcohol increase dopamine release, but the effect is less clear for cannabis and opiates, indicating other factors also contribute to addiction. There are many different theories on this topic, as well as varying research depending on the substances and behaviors involved.

Drugs or alcohol can take over the brain’s pleasure and reward circuits, leading to an increasing desire for more. Addiction can also overstimulate the brain’s emotional danger-sensing circuits, causing anxiety and stress when not using drugs or alcohol. This is a highly complex question with equally complex answers, but this summary captures the core effects.

Stress-coping theory suggests that addiction-like behaviors can develop when a person faces significant stress, their usual coping mechanisms don’t work, and they are regularly exposed to potentially addictive activities like drinking alcohol or gambling. This creates an unhealthy cycle where excessive behavior is used to avoid stress, and the inability to control this behavior eventually leads to addiction.

Many models link trauma to addictive behaviors. Generally, these trauma models suggest that early life experiences can predict later substance use problems. Additionally, unresolved trauma can lead to unhealthy habits that may develop into addictive behaviors.