Characteristics Flashcards
What did are the 6 characteristics for addiction ( Griffiths 2005)?
Salience Mood modification Tolerance Withdrawal symptoms Conflict Relapse
What is mood modification?
When an individual engages in the activity, they experience a change in mood, this can be either positive or negative. E.g upset after gambling or relaxed after smoking.
What is salience?
The activity has become the most important thing in the person’s life. It dominates their thoughts, feelings and behaviour. Even when not engaged in the behaviour it’s all they can think about. E.g. constantly thinking about smoking while working.
What is conflict?
Individuals may experience disagreements in their lives between their friends, family and careers due to engaging in the addiction. They may also experience this with themselves. E.g losing their job due to drinking alcohol at work.
What are withdrawal symptoms?
If the activity is dropped, the individual may experience negative effects. These can be physical or psychological. E.g being agitated and shaky die to not smoking.
What is tolerance?
As time goes on, the individual needs more of the drug/behaviour to achieve the same effects as they did the first time. This can be applied to chemical and behaviour addictions. E.g. needing to smoke 20 a day instead of smoking 3 a day.
What is relapse?
Addicts have a strong tendency to return to their addictive behaviours even after years of engaging in it or after having treatments. E.g starting smoking again after quitting.
