'Psychological/Mental' cause of addiction

[MizZoo]

Hello everyone,


For a school project I'm doing research to the mental/psychological causes of addiction, and I was hoping that you could help me out with some questions.

- What are the proven mental/psychological causes of addiction? (Does depression, enviroment, family situation, etc. play a part in addiction.)

- Is it true that some people are mentally more vulnerable to addiction than others? If so, how come?

- When people are physically totally cured, are there any psychologycal/mental causes which make them fall back into their habits easily again?

I would really appreciate if anyone could help me answering these questions. Any other information that you can provide about the psychological/mental causes of addiction is very welcome as well.:)

Thank you!

MizZoo

[Lord Vee]

Your Questions Raise Many More Questions. The Fact Is Any One Person With A Problem Is Some What Different To Another. Some Addicts Can Kick The Habit Only To Revisit It Later On In Life. Some Addicts Can Kick Their Habits Only To Go Onto Another. This Is One Of Sciences Greatest Problems. Medical Science Is In Fact Just A Best Guess. As The Human Mind Has No Boundries. A Reformed Addict Is Not Realy Reformed But Lead Away From There Comfort Zone. So Why The Addict Is Around Supportive Persons Its A Lot Easier For Them. But Then Take The Support Away And The Addict Is So Easly Lead Back To A Place Where They Feel At Ease. Addiction Is Only A Word That Labels People With Habits So The General World Can Disassiate With Them. Good Luck. I Am Only A New Member But Have Many, Many Years Of Knowledge.

[larrylive]

Personally I don't feel there are any underlying causes to my addiction. When it started I was quite happy with my life...Married with 2 beautiful daughters,self employed in an area that I loved, life was going my way. Unfortunately I found crack and have since lost it all and more.

As to can predisposition, I was working in a night club when it started, I had always been a marijauna smoker (read addict) but I was fine with that. I liked to think that I smoked only during appropriate times. I also began drinking heavily in the club, which was unusual for me, as I did not keep alcohol in my house. Then I discovered crack, again. (another story) Away when I left the club I stopped drinking, and since I spent all my money on crack I could no longer afford marijauna and that "addiction" has abated. My piont is if I were prediposed to become an addicted under the "drug is a drug" theory, I should have become an alcoholic long before being a crack addict.

I think addiction is a learned behavior fulfilling physiological needs, I do not use every day, or even every week and that is because I get bi-weekly paychecks. (see pavlov & premack)

Good luck and thanks for the interest.

Regards,
Larry

[Swastik]

Yes, there are some factors like: depression, family situations, and atmosphere that plays and important role in it.

Yes, they are more vulnerable to addiction than others.