Summary: Despite years of research, drug addiction mechanisms are not fully understood yet. There are theories of positive reinforcement caused by euphoria or negative reinforcement caused by withdrawal syndrome and pain. Additionally, researchers know well about the involvement of the dopamine reward pathway. However, now new studies show that for drug addicts, even drug-seeking behavior itself is quite rewarding. With time it becomes deeply engraved in them, and they receive immense pleasure by seeking the drug, and sometimes this pleasure may play a greater role in drug addiction than substance abuse itself.
Despite decades of research, understanding the mechanism of drug addiction or substance use disorder (SUD) remains elusive. In addition, science is still struggling to understand why some can use substances in a controlled manner while others cannot.
Understanding the underlying mechanism of SUD is essential for finding an effective treatment strategy. However, it seems that SUD is quite a complex phenomenon with numerous overlapping mechanisms.
For example, addiction is well known to be a mix of psychological and physical dependence. Thus, some may seek drugs as they like the pleasure provided by them. On the other hand, others may go through physical pain on drug withdrawal.
Similarly, researchers have identified multiple neurobiological changes causing SUD. Thus, the dopamine-dependent reward pathway in drug abuse is well-known. Likewise, in recent years, the role of the endocannabinoid system has received increasing attention in drug-seeking behaviour1. Online Drug Addiction Treatment offers effective ways to address these complex dependencies, providing individuals with accessible support and tailored treatment to aid in their recovery journey.
Perhaps the most established theories behind SUD are positive and negative enforcement theories. Positive enforcement means that a person gets euphoria on drug use and wants to repeat the experience2.
On the other hand, negative reinforcement means that drug withdrawal causes pain, and thus person living with SUD seeks drugs to relieve pain2.
So, what does this new study add to our knowledge of SUD?
This new study had quite a different approach. Researchers think that science has been focusing too much on the impact of drugs on the brain. However, researchers have overlooked that people with SUD spend considerable time searching for drugs, which leads to compulsive behavior and enforcement of drug-seeking behavior.
Simply said, people living with SUD are not just addicted to the substance. For them, seeking drugs itself is a kind of habit. If they are deprived of this habit, it causes distress in them. It means that drug-seeking behavior in itself becomes a satisfying activity.
Therefore, if a person is stopped from seeking drugs like by confining an individual, it results in a so-called “negative urgency.” There is a formation of so-called incentive habits. Finding a drug itself is a massive incentive for a drug seeker, not just using the drug.
SUD is now viewed as a psychiatric disorder, and this new study only enforces that concept. Moreover, it shows how drug-seeking habits become deeply ingrained in individuals living with SUD.
Researchers say that there has been a considerable focus on negative enforcement when the absence of drugs causes significant pain, anxiety, and mood disorders. However, this study adds an entirely new dimension to the understanding of SUD, as it shows that inability to find drug also results in negative emotional urgency.
The inability to execute their habit itself causes significant distress for drug seekers. This study was done on animal models. And the research was published in Biological Psychiatry3.
To conclude, SUD is quite a complex disorder. Positive and negative enforcement play a significant role in drug addiction. However, those treating substance use disorder also need to remember that drug-seeking habit itself is quite a satisfying activity in many cases. Hence, therapeutic approaches to addiction treatment would need to consider these new findings.
