A Systemic Understanding of Addiction

Addictions must be approached in a different way from the usual problems addressed in solution focused casework and therapy, because every substance and its process of addiction is different. The nature of a particular substance or process of addiction is not always represented or reflected accurately in the generalized definition of addiction. Due to the nature of addiction, the problem needs to be approached differently in different circumstances. It can be an unwelcome situation, a riddle to be solved or some unsolvable quandary, and this can change depending on the person. To understand the problem, we need to be quite specific about each person’s relationship to their addiction and what their addiction or substance means to them. We must also determine how the substance or addiction works to benefit that person and thus their motivation to continue with the behaviour. 

To classify the problem further, we can investigate the possible processes for ceasing the addiction. Questions like “how does the person stop the addiction?” and “how will the person keep the addiction stopped?” become relevant when defining the addiction. In addition, the issue of authority, and responsibility – what to do when the person is unable to make decisions for themselves and who will exercise authority, and how will it be exercised. Then begin to consider stages in ceasing addiction, for this specific person and addiction. Causation and constraint – how did the addiction come into being? What is the neuroscience of addiction and this addiction in particular? What contextual constraints apply in producing an addiction? Bringing these ideas together leads to composite questions – causation – what causes a person to stop? Constraints – what constraints apply to stopping the addiction? 

Next we can apply the space-time analogue to addiction. We need to understand both individual neurobiology (inside) and socio-relational interaction (outside) parts. It is crucial to Investigate the inside and outside congruence and dissonance, and how these can produce an addiction, maintain an addiction, end an addiction and what happens in the ending. We need to see how the substance or addiction produces greater congruence for the person initially and how this short-term congruence maintains the addiction. Typically, dissonance appears as the addiction progresses and is instrumental in bringing the addiction to a crisis point. Ceasing use of the substance can provide initial congruence, followed by a growing dissonance which only the substance can fix. In this lies a major challenge for the practitioner and the client.