StudySmarter - The all-in-one study app.
4.8 • +11k Ratings
More than 3 Million Downloads
Free
Most media depictions of addiction treatment to reduce addiction show a person in rehab taking medication and receiving therapy. In reality, this process is much more complicated, and some treatments are more appropriate for different addictions than others. This article looks at medication treatment for gambling and nicotine addiction, behavioural treatments like aversion therapy, and cognitive treatments like cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).
There are three main types of drug therapy used to treat Drug therapy, Canva.addiction:
For nicotine addiction, nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) uses gum, inhalers, or patches to deliver nicotine in a less harmful way than smoking cigarettes. This therapy is an example of agonist drug therapy.
No medications have been approved for gambling addiction, but opioid antagonists such as naltrexone are being trialled. The reason is that they reduce the release of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens, thereby reducing the gambler’s euphoric response to gambling. This therapy is an example of antagonist drug therapy.
Although there is research supporting the use of medications to treat addiction, individual differences and side effects affect their effectiveness. In addition, continued research is helping to eliminate the stigma of addiction.
The following section discusses the behavioural therapy interventions available for addiction treatment.
Aversion therapy uses classical conditioning to treat addiction by associating the addiction with an unpleasant stimulus.
In the case of alcohol addiction, the addict is given an emetic that makes them vomit when they drink alcohol. In gambling, the unpleasant stimuli are often electric shocks.
In covert sensitisation, the client is encouraged to imagine the unpleasant stimulus rather than experience it.
However, some problems with this therapy are ethical, as it could cause suffering to the patient. There are also methodological problems and problems with treatment adherence. However, research supports the effectiveness of this therapy.
CBT aims to challenge faulty thinking patterns that lead to addiction. It achieves this through:
Cognitive behavioural therapy helps prevent relapse but often only works short-term. In addition, addicts find it difficult to adhere to the demanding schedule of this therapy and drop out. So, although research supports CBT, it has its limitations in treating addiction.
Be perfectly prepared on time with an individual plan.
Test your knowledge with gamified quizzes.
Create and find flashcards in record time.
Create beautiful notes faster than ever before.
Have all your study materials in one place.
Upload unlimited documents and save them online.
Identify your study strength and weaknesses.
Set individual study goals and earn points reaching them.
Stop procrastinating with our study reminders.
Earn points, unlock badges and level up while studying.
Create flashcards in notes completely automatically.
Create the most beautiful study materials using our templates.
Sign up to highlight and take notes. It’s 100% free.