Towards a ‘Sociorelational’ Approach to Conceptualizing and Managing Addiction

Abstract

This article looks at how and why addiction should be understood as a 'sociorelational' (social and relational) disorder, and what this implies on a policy level in terms of the treatment and prevention of addiction. In light of scientific research, we argue that the neurobiological changes that underlie addiction are heavily influenced by sociorelational processes. We thereby advocate for a conceptual approach in which autonomy in addiction is a sociorelational concept, and social environments are considered autonomy undermining or autonomy promoting. We then discuss the various implications this should have on policies.

To Each Stress Its Own Screen: A Cross-Sectional Survey of the Patterns of Stress and Various Screen Uses in Relation to Self-Admitted Screen Addiction

“…There is controversy whether behavioral compulsions should be treated as addiction disorders or as an individual’s adaptive choices [73,101] that should be dealt with by accounting for socio-relational heterogeneities [72]. Weisel et al have previously suggested that screen addiction is not necessarily a problematic phenomenon (as it is commonly referred to in the literature), but a manifestation of the individual’s coping strategy, which should be channeled toward care [24].…”

“…Life satisfaction related to external factors that include relationships at work and with friends and family, financial control, and work/leisure satisfaction. These findings underline the necessity of designing experiments that account for personal and social variants that account for population heterogeneities in media selectivity, resilience, and coping [72-74].…”

“…Although the clinical questionnaires are designed to be sensitive enough to diagnose the problematic or at-risk cases, they may not be sensitive to detecting subtle interindividual heterogeneities that explain variations in general daily screen usage for dealing with normal stressors of life. In the same vein, although there are strong objective markers to link addiction to neurobiology, the less explored individual and socio-relational components may better explain the likelihood of developing stress-related addictions to both drug and certain behaviors—eating, gambling, compulsive internet use, etc [72]. In fact, some argue against the pathological conceptualization of addiction as a purely biological phenomenon and emphasize the primacy of the individual’s choice in seeking pleasure through repetition of a behavior [73].…”

Editorial: Human Connection as a Treatment for Addiction

“…The aim of this Research Topic, Human Connection as a Treatment for Addiction , is to bring together scholars from various fields to explore the question of whether intentionally increasing meaningful, caring interaction between people may reduce substance and/or non-substance related addictive behaviors. Previous research supports the role that social connection may play in the initiation and maintenance of addiction in both animals and humans (van der Eijk and Uusitalo, 2016 ; Christie, 2021 ).…”

Reconciling Competence and Consent in Opioid-Dependence Research: The Value of Vulnerability Rhetoric

“…Addiction in general or the opioid-dependent kind in particular is, therefore, foundationally sociorelational. Eijk and Uusitalo (2016) recently argued that this perspective is crucial for developing more ethical treatment and prevention policies. In the context of siOAT research, a sociorelational lens nuances voluntary consent since its underlying idea of competence is mired in uncertainty that can only be specified on a case-by-case basis.…”