What Are Possible Solutions to Addiction?: A Focus on Psychology and Biology
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58445/rars.745Keywords:
Substance Abuse, Addiction, Biology, Psychology, Epigenetics, Genetics, TreatmentsAbstract
Within the past year, addiction has reached an all-time high with over 88,000 people dying from alcohol use disorder and over 100,000 people from substance abuse disorder. Yet only 10-13% of people with addiction-focused disorders receive treatment. Common present day treatments focus on psychological approaches, such as rehab and counseling. While these approaches are effective methods, supplemental treatment options are needed to keep up with the rapid increase of these issues. Increased knowledge of genetics could provide an alternative solution to the recent rise of these disorders. In this paper, I will discuss the possible solutions to alcohol and drug addiction through both psychological and biological (genomic) methodologies.
References
American Addiction Centers Editorial Staff. History of Drug Abuse and Addiction in the U.S. and Throughout the World. 2023 March 1. drugabuse.com/addiction/history-drug-abuse/.
Bohnsack JP, Zhang H, Wandling GM, He D, Kyzar EJ, Lasek AW, Pandey SC. Targeted epigenomic editing ameliorates adult anxiety and excessive drinking after adolescent alcohol exposure. Sci Adv. 2022 May 6;8(18):eabn2748. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.abn2748.
Brande L. Long-term drug addiction effects. DrugAbuse.com. 2023 Oct 19. drugabuse.com/addiction/long-term-effects/.
Brandon TH, Vidrine JI, Litvin EB. Relapse and relapse prevention. Annu Rev Clin Psychol. 2007;3:257-84. doi: 10.1146/annurev.clinpsy.3.022806.091455.
Buzzi B, Koseli E, Moncayo L, Shoaib M, Damaj MI. Role of neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in cannabinoid dependence. Pharmacol Res. 2023 May;191:106746. doi: 10.1016/j.phrs.2023.106746.
CDC. What is Epigenetics?. 2022 August 15. cdc.gov/genomics/disease/epigenetics.htm#:~:text=Epigenetics%20is%20the%20study%20of,body%20reads%20a%20DNA%20sequence.
Cleveland Clinic. Is Addiction Hereditary?. 2023 March 1. health.clevelandclinic.org/is-addiction-genetic/.
David D, Cristea I, Hofmann SG. Why Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Is the Current Gold Standard of Psychotherapy. Front Psychiatry. 2018 Jan 29;9:4. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00004.
Demontis D, Rajagopal VM, Thorgeirsson TE, Als TD, Grove J, Leppälä K, Gudbjartsson DF, Pallesen J, Hjorthøj C, Reginsson GW, Tyrfingsson T, Runarsdottir V, Qvist P, Christensen JH, Bybjerg-Grauholm J, Bækvad-Hansen M, Huckins LM, Stahl EA, Timmermann A, Agerbo E, Hougaard DM, Werge T, Mors O, Mortensen PB, Nordentoft M, Daly MJ, Stefansson H, Stefansson K, Nyegaard M, Børglum AD. Genome-wide association study implicates CHRNA2 in cannabis use disorder. Nat Neurosci. 2019 Jul;22(7):1066-1074. doi: 10.1038/s41593-019-0416-1.
González-Pardo H, Pérez Álvarez M. Epigenetics and its implications for Psychology. Psicothema. 2013 Feb;25(1):3-12. doi: 10.7334/psicothema2012.327. PMID: 23336536.
Haile CN, Kosten TR, Kosten TA. Pharmacogenetic treatments for drug addiction: cocaine, amphetamine and methamphetamine. Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse. 2009;35(3):161-77. doi: 10.1080/00952990902825447.
Harvard University Center on the Developing Child. Epigenetics and Child Development: How Children’s Experiences Affect Their Genes. 2010. developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/what-is-epigenetics-and-how-does-it-relate-to-child-development/.
Hoeg N. Motivational Interviewing. Addiction Center. 2023 Oct 26. addictioncenter.com/treatment/motivational-interviewing/.
Li Y, Kong Q, Yue J, Gou X, Xu M, Wu X. Genome-edited skin epidermal stem cells protect mice from cocaine-seeking behaviour and cocaine overdose. Nat Biomed Eng. 2019 Feb;3(2):105-113. doi: 10.1038/s41551-018-0293-z.
Kyzar EJ, Zhang H, Pandey SC. Adolescent Alcohol Exposure Epigenetically Suppresses Amygdala Arc Enhancer RNA Expression to Confer Adult Anxiety Susceptibility. Biol Psychiatry. 2019 Jun 1;85(11):904-914. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2018.12.021.
Magill M, Ray LA. Cognitive-behavioral treatment with adult alcohol and illicit drug users: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. J Stud Alcohol Drugs. 2009 Jul;70(4):516-27. doi: 10.15288/jsad.2009.70.516.
Mennis J, Stahler GJ, Mason MJ. Risky Substance Use Environments and Addiction: A New Frontier for Environmental Justice Research. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2016 Jun 18;13(6):607. doi: 10.3390/ijerph13060607.
Mental Health Foundation. Alcohol and Mental Health. 2022 February 16. mentalhealth.org.uk/explore-mental-health/a-z-topics/alcohol-and-mental-health#:~:text=Drinking%20too%20much%20can%20affect,more%20relaxed%2C%20courageous%20or%20confident.
Nestler EJ, Lüscher C. The Molecular Basis of Drug Addiction: Linking Epigenetic to Synaptic and Circuit Mechanisms. Neuron. 2019 Apr 3;102(1):48-59. doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2019.01.016. PMID: 30946825; PMCID: PMC6587180.
NHS. How it works - Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). 2022 Nov 10. nhs.uk/mental-health/talking-therapies-medicine-treatments/talking-therapies-and-counselling/cognitive-behavioural-therapy-cbt/how-it-works/.
NIDA. Understanding Drug Use and Addiction Drug Facts. National Institute on Drug Abuse. 2018 Jun 6. nida.nih.gov/publications/drugfacts/understanding-drug-use-addiction#:~:text=Factors%20such%20as%20peer%20pressure,life%20to%20affect%20addiction%20risk.
NIDA. Genetics and Epigenetics of Addiction DrugFacts. National Institute on Drug Abuse. 2019 Aug 5. nida.nih.gov/publications/drugfacts/genetics-epigenetics-addiction.
Petry NM. Contingency management: what it is and why psychiatrists should want to use it. Psychiatrist. 2011 May;35(5):161-163. doi: 10.1192/pb.bp.110.031831.
Pfund RA, Cook JE, McAfee NW, Huskinson SL, Parker JD. Challenges to Conducting Contingency Management Treatment for Substance Use Disorders: Practice Recommendations for Clinicians. Prof Psychol Res Pr. 2021 Apr;52(2):137-145. doi: 10.1037/pro0000356.
SAMHSA. Substance Abuse Treatment: Group Therapy: 1 Groups and Substance Abuse Treatment. 2005; 41. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK64223/.
SAMHSA. Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Family Therapy: Chapter 3—Family Counseling Approaches. 2020;39. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK571088/.
SAMHSA. National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) Results Detailing Mental Illness and Substance Use Levels in 2021. 2023 Jan 4. hhs.gov/about/news/2023/01/04/samhsa-announces-national-survey-drug-use-health-results-detailing-mental-illness-substance-use-levels-2021.html.
U.S. Food & Drug Administration. What is gene therapy?. 2018 July 25. fda.gov/vaccines-blood-biologics/cellular-gene-therapy-products/what-gene-therapy.
Weaver I. Epigenetics in Psychology. Noba textbook series: Psychology. 2023. https://nobaproject.com/modules/epigenetics-in-psychology.
Yale Medicine. How an addicted brain works. 2022 May 25 yalemedicine.org/news/how-an-addicted-brain-works#:~:text=That%27s%20because%20addiction%20develops%20when,when%20it%20comes%20to%20addiction.
Downloads
Posted
Categories
License
Copyright (c) 2023 Charlotte Hastings, Samantha Lanjewar
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.