Biological Approach to Addiction
Outline and evaluate the biological approach to addiction
For “cool” Amreen
I structure it like this:
How the approach explains initiation of an addiction
How the approach explains maintenance of an addiction
How the approach explains relapse
Evaluation (AO1, AO2, AO1, …)
IDA
The biological approach suggests that genetic factors may create a predisposition to the initiation of an addiction. An individual who inherits a genetic abnormality relating to the regulation of dopamine is more likely to develop an addiction. An individual who possesses such an abnormality will be less sensitive to the rewarding effects of dopamine, meaning that they need to engage in a behaviour more to feel the reward, therefore they are more likely to initiate an addiction. It has been found that the SLC6A3-9 gene is linked to an increased risk of smoking addiction and the possession of the A1 variant of the DRD2 gene is linked to an increased risk of gambling addiction. The maintenance of an addiction is explained by biological tolerance. Long-term engagement in an addictive behaviour resluts in a neuroadaptation to occur where dopamine receptors become less sensitive to the rewarding effects of an addictive behaviour, therefore an individual must increase the amount that they engage in the behaviour in order to feel the same effects as when they first started the behaviour. A smoker will continue to smoke in order to maintain nicotine levels and a gambler will continue to gamble in order to feel the rewarding effects of dopamine produced while gambling. Relapse occurs in order to avoid the unpleasent effects of abstinence. When an individual abstains from an addictive behaviour, they experience withdrawal symptoms due to a reduction in dopamine levels. Smokers experience withdrawal symptoms such as anxiety and difficulty concentrating, and gamblers experience unpleasent effects such as depression and boredom. In evaluation, there is evidence to support the role of
For “cool” Amreen
I structure it like this:
How the approach explains initiation of an addiction
How the approach explains maintenance of an addiction
How the approach explains relapse
Evaluation (AO1, AO2, AO1, …)
IDA
The biological approach suggests that genetic factors may create a predisposition to the initiation of an addiction. An individual who inherits a genetic abnormality relating to the regulation of dopamine is more likely to develop an addiction. An individual who possesses such an abnormality will be less sensitive to the rewarding effects of dopamine, meaning that they need to engage in a behaviour more to feel the reward, therefore they are more likely to initiate an addiction. It has been found that the SLC6A3-9 gene is linked to an increased risk of smoking addiction and the possession of the A1 variant of the DRD2 gene is linked to an increased risk of gambling addiction. The maintenance of an addiction is explained by biological tolerance. Long-term engagement in an addictive behaviour resluts in a neuroadaptation to occur where dopamine receptors become less sensitive to the rewarding effects of an addictive behaviour, therefore an individual must increase the amount that they engage in the behaviour in order to feel the same effects as when they first started the behaviour. A smoker will continue to smoke in order to maintain nicotine levels and a gambler will continue to gamble in order to feel the rewarding effects of dopamine produced while gambling. Relapse occurs in order to avoid the unpleasent effects of abstinence. When an individual abstains from an addictive behaviour, they experience withdrawal symptoms due to a reduction in dopamine levels. Smokers experience withdrawal symptoms such as anxiety and difficulty concentrating, and gamblers experience unpleasent effects such as depression and boredom. In evaluation, there is evidence to support the role of