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Addiction is a complex psychological and neurological condition shaped by conditioning and reinforcement. It develops over time as someone turns to a substance or action to release more and more dopamine, and being aware of how addictive behavior begins is key to reducing the stigma associated with it.
From a psychological standpoint, addiction can be understood through classical and operant conditioning, two key concepts in behavioral science.
Classical conditioning occurs when a person associates a neutral stimulus with a reward. Russian neurologist and physiologist Ivan Pavlov is a popular example; Pavlov conditioned his dogs to associate the sound of a bell with food and drooling.
Similarly, someone may begin to associate a particular environment, such as stress, with the high of a drug, triggering cravings even before the substance is used. Something as simple as spilling a drink has the potential to trigger stronger compulsive behaviors over time.
Operant conditioning reinforces the addiction through rewards and punishments. According to the article “How opioid use disorder occurs” by the Mayo Clinic, opioids release endorphins and boost feelings of pleasure.
When a substance or behavior brings pleasure or relieves stress, the brain releases dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with reward. The more often drugs are used for their short burst of dopamine, the addiction is reinforced and encourages the brain to seek more.
Neuroscience shows that repeated exposure reshapes brain pathways, particularly in the reward system. These changes reduce impulse control and make it harder to experience pleasure from natural rewards, further enforcing the addiction.
The University of Pennsylvania: College of Liberal and Professional Studies’s article “Neuroscience and addiction: Unraveling the brain’s reward system” states that, “…an individual with depression may turn to substances to self-medicate and elevate their mood, inadvertently reinforcing the addiction cycle. Or those with social anxiety might overindulge in alcohol to ease their nerves around others.”
Understanding addiction as a learned and conditioned response helps reduce stigma and supports more effective interventions to stem the addiction at the start.
This article was written as part of a program to educate youth and others about Alameda County’s opioid crisis, prevention and treatment options. The program is funded by the Alameda County Behavioral Health Department and the grant is administered by Three Valleys Community Foundation.
