Addiction:

The Misunderstood Cry for Help

Robert JensenArgosy University

• What is addiction?– Symptoms– Reed (2009)– Moore and Guldner-Vukov

(2009)• The Misunderstood cry for help

– Misunderstanding by the addict– Misunderstanding by

professionals– My thoughts on addiction and

suicide.

Introduction

Disease

• Genetic and Physiological• Originally developed by AA during

the inception of that program.• Inspired the development of other

models of addiction, and helped to reduce the stigma of addiction treatments.

• Replaced the Moral Model.

• AA – NA – and now countless others

• Disease model• Addict born to suffer

addiction needing only a push

• Life-long• Powerless, Surrender• Relapse prone

12 step

Biopsychosocial

• Most popular current model• Concerned with Biological,

Psychological, Social and cultural, and environmental causes of addiction.

• Failure to validate existential causes

Existential-Humanistic

• Existentialism – meaninglessness, anxiety, death, suffering, responsibility, power (control)

• Humanistic – Positive, forward moving

• Does not minimize the physiological, social, environmental, or psychological aspects of addiction

• Symptoms, not causes.

Suffering

• Chen (2010) – Primary Suffering– Secondary Suffering

• Frankl– Inspires Change– Meaningful/meaningless

• Buddhism– Impermanence– Suffering

Meaning

• One major concern for every one. Touches nearly every aspect of life.

• Frankl • Konkoly Thege, Barna,

Yaacov, Martos, and Kusnir (2009)

Responsibility

• Moore and Guldner-Vukov (2009) genetics, environment, control, and personal responsibility

• May – The Discovery of Bieng (1983)

Recovery and Relapse

• Alcoholics Anonymous/Narcotics Anonymous

• Rogers (1961)• Wiklund (2008)

Death

• Ultimate motivator for life• Moore and Guldner-Vukov

(2009)– Power– Immortality– Early Demise

• Reed (2009)

Conclusion

• Addiction is more than the sum of its symptoms.

• Cognitive and behavioral– Caused by

• Social and Environmental– Caused by and/or exacerbates the

condition• Biological and genetic

– Physiological dependence / damage caused

– Genetic predisposition• Freedom, and becoming.

Future Directions

• Would Existential-Humanistic focuses reduce relapse ratios?

• What would the effectiveness of symptom management through CBT, combined with a focus on existential-humanistic approaches be?

References

• Anonymous (1982). Narcotics Anonymous, 6th ed. Chatswotyh, CA: Narcotics Anonymous World Services.

• Chen, G. (2010). The meaning of suffering in drug addiction and recovery from the perspective of existentialism, Buddhism, and the 12 step program. Journal of psychoactive drugs, 42(3), pg 363-376. Retrieved from ProQuest.

• Gorski, T., and Miller, M. (1986). Staying sober a guide for relapse prevention. Independence, MO: Herald House/Independence Press.

• Konkoly Thege, B., Bachner, Y. G., Martos, T., Kusnir, T. (2009). Tobacco smoking meaning in life: Does it play a role in smoking? Substance Use and Misuse, 44: 1566-1577. DOI 10.3109/10826080802495096

References (continued)

• May, R (1982). The Discovery of Being. New York, NY: W. W. Norton and co.

• Moore, L. J., Guldner-Vukov, M. (2009) The existential way to recovery. Psychiatria Danubina, 21(4), p 453-462. Retrieved from EBSCOHost.

• Reed, R.C. (2009). Love and death: An existential theory of addiction. Lexington, KY: Xlibris.

• Rogers, C (1961) On becoming a person: A therapists view of psychotherapy. New York, NY: Hughton Mifflin company.

• Rogers, Maria A., Cobia, Debra (2008). An existential approach: An alternative to the AA model of recovery. The Alabama Counseling Association Journal, 34 (1). Retrieved from PROQuest.

References (Last Page)

• Wiklund, Lena (2008) Existential aspects of living with addiction – Part I: Meeting challenges. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 17, 2426-2434. DOI 10.1111/j.1365-2702.2008.02356.x

• Wiklund, Lena (2008) Existential aspects of living with addiction –Part II: Caring for needs. A hermeneutic expansion of qualitative findings. Journal of Clinical nursing, 17, 2435 – 2443. Retrieved from EbscoHost.