Psychoactive drugs are chemical substances that affect neurotransmitter transmission in specific parts of the brain. The chronic use of psychoactive drugs results in drug addiction; a compulsive urge to continue using the drug, physical and or psychological dependence on drug and a tendency to increase the dosage of the drug. Compulsive drug-seeking behavior and psychological dependence have biological and psychological dimensions. The psychological dependence implies the compulsive self-administration of the drug, caused by both its reinforcing or rewarding effects and the unpleasant experience, such as abstinence syndrome produced by the sudden interruption of its consumption. The biological dependence implies that addiction to psychoactive drugs is a disease and the several researchers have supported the hypothesis that a gene may exist that predisposes those inheriting this gene to addiction condition (Seymour and Smith, 1987). Recently, the focus of the addiction researches has shifted to analyze the biological dimension of the addiction and the probable effect of causative gene.
Addiction’s consideration as disease is treated through the pharmacological administration along with psychological treatments. Drug therapy involving agonist and antagonist treatment is the administration of the drugs to either reduce the drug craving or to block the effect of the addicting drug. Agonist treatment curbs drug craving and relapse to the drugs, nicotine patch and nicotine gums are common example of the agonist treatment used to quit smoking. Though the drug therapy involves the replacement of the addictive drug with another milder and less harmful drug, it is still harmful as it can also cause addiction however, this is preferable over antagonist treatment wherein the pleasure of consuming the addicting drug is reduced but not provided with a replacement and high level of motivation of the addict only helps in fighting the addiction.
References
Garrett, B. (2011). Brain and Behavior: An Introduction to Biological Psychology. Los Angeles: Sage.
Heyman, G. M. (2009). Addiction: a disorder of choice. Harvard University Press.
Peele, S. (1998). The meaning of addiction. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
R. Seymour and D. E. Smith. (1987). The physician's guide to psychoactive drugs. New York: Routledge.
