Psychology

The nature of addiction is like a downward spiral.  Science now views addiction in two ways.  The medical identity of addiction focuses on the disease model, while the other view simply views the individual addict as morally a bad seed.  Addicts can be addicted to illegal drugs, alcohol, or prescription drugs.  Addicts often speak of wanting to quit or having tried to quit, but then something happens and before they realize it they are using again.  These patterned behaviors become the central focus of an addicts life.  Whether the addict is part of the medical identity focus or the bad-seed focus, the threat of legal ramifications is ever present.  As the addiction progresses, maladaptive conduct becomes a regular part of the addicts lifestyle.  Sometimes the addict gets a wakeup call or reaches rock bottom and enters a rehabilitation program before encountering the legal system.
   
The Cognitive Theory of abnormal psychology supports the belief that behavior is learned, thereby producing specific behaviors in relation to certain thoughts and ideas.  Some children are conditioned to respond to stresses in life by reaching for an illegal drug, a drink, or a prescription pill.  Children absorb much of their parent or parents behaviors like sponges.  These maladaptive responses become normal reactions to a child.  Some children are pre-disposed to addictive behaviors simply by having a biological mother or biological father who was an addict.  From a behavioral perspective, one could assert that the addictive behaviors are the result of poor modeling or classic conditioning.
   
Addicts do not need a reason to use their drug of choice.  The brain manufacturers its own reward system for not using or in situations where they feel they need to use.  Addicts do not know how to use in moderation.  This behavior puts the individuals health and physical well-being at grave risk.  Rehabilitation is the best way to treat addictions, not jail or prison.