Cognitive Impairment in Substance Use Disorders PMC

This article explores the relationship between cognitive dissonance and addiction, shining a light on the psychological struggle individuals face when dealing with addictive behaviors. Cognitive dissonance has a positive influence on the discontinuous usage intention of pan-entertainment mobile live broadcast platform users. Pan-entertainment mobile live broadcast platforms are online platforms that allow users to access a wide range of entertainment content, such as music, gaming, talk shows, and so on, through live streaming on mobile devices [22]. These platforms typically feature a variety of live streams from different content creators, including both amateurs and professional broadcasters, and allow users to interact with the content and with other users in real time [23]. Seemingly poor decision-making is a prominent feature of addiction, reflected in the continued use of drugs and alcohol in the face of negative consequences5.

cognitive dissonance and addiction

They were then given either $1 or $20 to tell a person in the waiting room that the task was fun. Someone recovering from substance abuse is not immune from the continuing battle with cognitive dissonance. Cognitive dissonance is the fundamental coping mechanism that people abusing drugs use throughout their active addiction and can often follow them into recovery. Taken together, transcranial stimulation interventions seem to have both an effect onclinical outcome variables and cognitive functions within SUD patients. However, asyet no information is available on the question of whether these cognitiveimprovements are the drivers of the clinical effect. I know that using drugs/alcohol might cause me to lose my drivers’ license, employment, spouse, health or freedom, but I continue to use because it helps me keep my anger under control.

Participants

This approach works by encouraging people to say things or role-play behaviors that contradict their beliefs about food and body image. Research into the changes in cognition that accompany addiction and the neural substrates of learning and addiction is still in its infancy but has potential to reshape views on addiction. For example, a recent discovery cognitive dissonance and addiction that has generated excitement in the addiction field is that smokers who suffered damage to the insula often lost their desire to smoke (Naqvi et al., 2007). The authors of this finding proposed that the insula is involved in the conscious urge to smoke and that therapies that modulate insula function may facilitate smoking cessation.

  • It is the internal conflict that arises when a person holds conflicting beliefs, attitudes, or behaviors.
  • All of these influences permeate the final outputtest measures, which then reflects a combination of the performance of participantsin the targeted cognitive skills + prerequisite skills + other complex strategiesemployed during test performance.
  • The smoker may focus on more accommodating belief (e.g., “smoking cannot be very dangerous”).
  • Inhibitory control refers generally to the ability to suppress or counter responses – whether these responses are behaviors, thoughts, or motivational states.

Family members are counselled so as identify potential risk factors for relapse, such as emotional and behavioural changes. Dealing effectively with interpersonal problems in the family, and improving communication and avoiding conflicts have been effectively employed in the Indian context16,17. His therapist identified strategies to enhance his motivation, to help him engage in therapy, deal with craving, reducing social anxiety, assertiveness and beliefs and positive expectancies about alcohol use, and confidence or sense of self-efficacy in remaining abstinent.

Moving past cognitive dissonance

Finally, due to the interference of endogeneity issues, we cannot make further causal inferences and may think further about the issue if future survey data allow. Researchers have adapted several methods in an attempt to restore the balance https://ecosoberhouse.com/ of top-down and bottom-up processing. For example, working memory training (as discussed above) seems to bolster the central executive subsystem, reducing discounting84, improving working memory89, and decreasing substance use89.

  • Cognitively, individuals with addiction may face a mental conflict between their desire to continue using substances and their awareness of the negative impact it has on their health and relationships.
  • Furthermore, they may devise justifications for their addictive behaviors, deceiving themselves and avoiding the harsh reality of their addiction.
  • You might go to great lengths to relieve this discomfort, denying information or hiding your behavior to justify your actions and avoid guilt and shame.
  • Cognitive dissonance is the uncomfortable feeling that can occur when you have conflicting beliefs, values, or behaviors.
  • The current body of literature indicates a growing trend of discontinuous usage intentions among users of social media platforms.

Through therapy, individuals can explore their negative feelings and challenge the reasoning behind their addictive behaviors. The psychological struggle of addictive behaviors is rooted in the impact of cognitive dissonance on the perception of addiction. Individuals may downplay or rationalize their addictive behaviors to maintain consistency with their self-image or personal values. This process allows individuals to minimize cognitive dissonance by justifying or denying the negative aspects of their addictive behaviors. Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) is a structured, time limited, evidence based psychological therapy for a wide range of emotional and behavioural disorders, including addictive behaviours1,2.

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