Psychological Theory of Drug Abuse

There is no one theory that thoroughly explains drug use or abuse that fits equally for every person. This is why it is important to find the "right" treatment for every person by thoroughly understanding their background. However, to me, the psychological theory of drug abuse makes the most sense.

Basically, the psychological theory explains that drug use and abuse begins because of the unconscious motivations within all of us. We are not aware of these motivations, not even when they manifest themselves. So, there are unconscious conflicts and motivations that reside within us as well as our reactions to early events in our lives that move a person toward drug use and abuse. The motivations for drug use are within us, and we are not aware of them, nor are we aware that those are the reasons we have chosen to turn to drugs. In this case, the person may be weak or without self-esteem or even see themselves in the opposite manner, as all-important. Drug use then becomes a sort of crutch to make up with all that is wrong with their lives and wrong with their selves. Drug users and abusers in the psychological theory find it incredibly difficult to find some sort of balance in their lives. When they struggle to find that balance and that state of really being okay with themselves, it is easy to resort to drugs of any sort to help restore that balance or peace. Drugs become the way of escaping the pain of being unable to find that balance. Drugs become the way they stop feeling badly about themselves. Of course, these things only last short-term, which is why the user must continue to use. Thus begins the cycle of addiction. They continue to use these drugs to stop feeling badly about themselves, and to cope with mental issues that they may be thoroughly unaware that they even have.

The psychological theory makes sense to me in the way that we all have unhealed issues inside us. Some people turn to drugs and others do not, but all of us have crutches and vices that we use when we are feeling negatively about ourselves. For some, they may be positive, like exercise. But for others, they are negative, like eating or drinking or drugs. To cure an addict from the psychological theory, intensive therapy must be given to apply other ways to cope to those issues. Therefore, simply rehab is not enough. Intensive therapy must be used to delve into the person's past to try to understand the problems that are making a person use drugs and to help them discover other ways to cope.