Oscar Sun

With many attributing substance abuse as a biological disease, how important are the other factors, outside of physiology, to the development and treatment of drug addictions? What are some drugs’ clinical applications and commercial values, apart from the negative stereotypes associated with them?

Started July 20, 2022

Abstract or project description

Everyone deals with addiction at some point in their lives, whether that be as insignificant as video games, or as impactful as alcohol and drugs. Approximately 21 million Americans possess at least one addiction currently. More specifically on drug usage, 4 percent of Americans have drug use disorders in the past year and 10 percent at some times in their lives.

This research interprets drug addictions through the biopsychosocial model, and focuses on addictions’ causes, impacts, treatments, and prognosis. The biopsychosocial model looks at addictions not only as a physiological disease, but also includes the influences of the patient's psychology and his/her socio-cultural environment. From a physiological perspective, this research goes in depth on how biological processes and chemical compositions of drugs impact animal systems. From a psychological and social perspective, the project attempts to create an unbiased narrative of drugs with a balance of their advantages, namely, clinical applications, and drawbacks such as substance abuse and overdoses. Many addicts develop dependence from a combination of factors such as family history, peer influence, poverty, and stigmatization in their societies. How psychosociology contributes to addictions is a big focus, so the resolutions must not only target physiological causes but psychosocial ones as well.

With the exploration of drugs and addictions, the curious case of psychedelic drugs would be especially researched, because of its history of being banned in the 1960s, but have recently emerged as a crucial treatment for mental health disorders. There is a gap in literature on psychedelic drugs because there was no scientific investigation dedicated to them, until the rising popularity and recent leniency of state policies that legalize them again. The focus on psychedelic drugs shall be interdisciplinary with a report on its moral, legal, and commerce potentials.

With a biopsychosocial focus, audiences of this project can learn more about the impacts of drugs and addictions, as well as the position they are placed in the world today. This project introduces some treatments of addiction, such as unconventional therapy sessions targeting psychosocial factors. With special interest in psychedelic drugs, this project provides readers insights on psychedelic usage in future clinical applications.