Cognitive Explanations of Addiction.

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Cognitive Explanations of Addiction. (25)

The cognitive approach states that negative behaviour is caused by faulty thought processes by the person. It focuses more on why the behaviour started and more specifically why a person may come to rely on a drug or behaviour when in some cases using the drug can cause more harm than dealing with the problems they are trying to hide from. In areas it also over laps with the behavioural approach as the cognitive behavioural; here it concedes that faulty thinking can be learnt often through vicarious learning. There are three main theories contained within the cognitive model these are; the self medication model, the rational choice theory and the expectancy theory.

In 2002 Gelkopf developed the self medication model; this states that individuals use drugs to treat psychological problems. He also said that the drug a person took what carefully chosen, for example a person smoking to relieve stress or anxiety. Smokers then persist in their behaviour because they have the impression that the drug, cigarettes, are working. Cigarettes have an instant effect on stress as it stops the withdrawal symptoms the individual would have been experiencing. The cigarettes