Neither seeking pleasure nor damage motive are not enough to explain human’s odd solution way for get ride of their misery life which represent addiction. In spite of the fact that misery life has inevitable side, substance addicts have problems with defining the emotions, difficulties with resist the pain. This individuals discover that substance which make them addict enable them to control and reduce permanantly their social problems and supriseful life events. So that substance implications use against explain feelings, depression, boredom, and anger.
Psychodynamic approach form fundamental method for explaining substance function and meaning and the way addict’s act toward cope their problems. Surely genetic, social science, family and system theories have effect on determining substance addiction one by one (Larssons et al., 2001).
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Khantzian (1985) stated in his self treatment hypothesis that weakness of ego, lack of self awarness, impulses and emotional defences direct individuls use substance or close to use (p. 105). Protecting personality as a ego function is a little bit complicated. It is a part of a sequence of defence and function such as signal, anxiety, evaluate truth, control, synthesis, decision. When a problem occur in this fuctions then defence mechanisms step in like denial, projection, and rationalization. In addiction process ego put forward as a focal point of pathology. Especially regression, denial, and projection emphasised (Fine & Juni, 2001).
Ogel (2001) stated that lack of love and safety in psychosexual development stage lead to drug use for repress the anxiety and handle this situation when the child reach adulthood (p. 62).
According to Ogel (2001) as cited in Gulkan (1994) study on substance addiction with MMPI claim that this individuals have significant independency and negative thoughts, dense change in feelings, impulsive behavior, dissadtsfaction, discomfort and, imbalance. Also their are unable to comprehend and change the situaitons which they came up. This people also can describe as rigid, stubborn, sceptic, difficult and exremely sensitive and they strain social stimulies with defence mechanisms. The people who show their hostile feelings indirectly, use projection, have dominant umbrage thoughts, and sceptic aspects have instable thoughts , stress and anxiety intensively. They tend to exaggerate existing problems consciously and seem worse than they actually are due to taking more attention and escape from their responsibilities and taking more attention. These people use intellecttualization and rationalization but these defences became ineffective because their defences are weak (p. 72 – 73 ) .Denial is perhabs one of the best known defense mechanisms, used many times to define conditions where individuals appear unable to meet truth or accept an obvious reality. Drug users or alcoholics useally deny that they have a problem, while victims of traumatic events might deny that the incident never happened. Observation on addicts show that inadequacy object related task and difficulties on evaluating reality (Rutherford,1996).
If our instinct expressed randomly we faced dangerous situations because ego defence mechanisms control and warn us. In this respect drug addiction’s have inadequate ego capacity for protect their selves. When desired effect received repetetive manner, person start to use less other answers and dealing with problems . As a result of approved by society this people tend to gradually increase regression. Nevertheless in the absence of other compliance mechanisms, for reducing the stressful situation ; prefered substance amount increased or they thought using another drug reduce the side effect of origanal substance (Mulder et all, 1996).
Malaysia has changed its medicine programs from compulsory drug detention centers to ambulatory care programs with good care of hospitalized patients just in three months subsequently by after-treatment programs in order to cover permanence of the treatment program. The aim of this is to make ready patients to orientating to the society. Orientating is can be very difficult for addiction patients. A recovered addict uses his defense mechanisms in order to maintain his moderation. By and by, adapting styles might be incapably utilized by recuperating addicts as a part of their exertions to maintain a strategic distance from unpleasant circumstances and it happens when safeguard components are not being overall overseen. This is on the grounds that they make an agreeable circumstance since the addicts don’t need to manage the unpleasant circumstances (Gorski, 1992). As their component of guards justifies the activity, their come back to medication utilization is prone to happen. Except their difficulties, their actions are logical and justifiable.
Borderline and antisocial personality disorders (Presniak, Olson, & MacGregor, 2010), and emotional problems: depression and anxiety (Blaya, Dornelles, Blaya, Kipper, Heldt, Isolan, Bond, & Manfro, 2007) are personality disorders and ego defense mechanisms can be associated with them. In order to treat drug addiction with psychotherapy, the researches on defense mechanism have been extended.
Defense mechanism have been observed in drug addicts of young adults (Grebot & Dardard, 2010), substance abusers with psychotic symptoms (Aleman, 2007), and outpatient drug addicts (Redick, 2002). Gorski (1992) claimed that denial and avoidance defense style in the relapse process and the research development emphasizes the importance of studying the components of defense mechanisms. Studies above show that there is a connection between drugs and defense mechanisms. In the following list, we are going to see how defense mechanism effected by drugs;
Here is the list of defense mechanisms that used by alcoholics and drug addicts:
DRUGS AND DEFENCE MECHANISMS
Denial
The best evidence of drug using is denial of the reality. It is the clear evidence that a person drugging. Denial is the situation between, ‘I do not use drugs,’ and ‘I do use drugs but it is under my control.’ This kind of defense mechanism is the clear evidence that the defense mechanism do controlled and continued to controlling by drug. And also this process continues in spite of thinking about the disadvantages of drug addiction. The person also fears to not manage the usage of drug addiction and this kind of defense mechanism is the evidence for it.
Selective Recall
Interestingly, the defense mechanism takes only the good part of the experience and turns all deeds acceptable and justifiable. For example a person may say that he / she felt good and enjoyed the evening or he / she can say that everyone amazed of him / her. However, he / she do not remember the later part of the evening. In order to justify his / her deeds, a person remembers only good part of his / her experience with drugs and it is the work of defense mechanism. It is also called euphoric recall.
Repression
It may looks like selective recall because it also repression shameful and bad experiences during drug usage experience. Defense mechanism represses all things that are against his / her self or personality. It makes feeling that experience has not been lived. And it forces a witness of that experience to doubt about his vision and reality-knowledge. When someone questions or criticizing a drug user, he / she can use denial, selective recall and repressive defense separately or collectively.
Projection
In order to justify his / her drug use, a person can use this sort of defense mechanism. In order to be reasonable, person blames others or his / her environment to justify his / her deed. For example, a person may say that it is other fault and he / she should argue with himself / herself. Person may blame his parents and tell them that they have pressure on him / her and they should not gave him a birth. Or even a person can claim that other people never loved him / her.
Rationalization
When people do not expect the result of their actions, they mostly use this type of defense mechanism. It justifies their drug usage. For example, a person may claim that he / she deserve the celebration because he / she worked hard. Or he / she may connect his exam failure with his / her depression. And in order to justify his / her drug and alcohol usage he / she may say that everyone else was drunk and used drug, so he / she could not do anything.
Regression
Regression is when a person clings to childish actions in order to avoid the adult responsibility. A person in order to avoid his / her adult responsibility, takes role of a child. Person will try to take attention not to the drug usage but to his / her behavior such as screaming, crying and etc. When a person acts and defends himself / herself like this, those people who are against his / her drug usage focus not on his / her problems with drugs, but on person’s behavior. After all, they will let him do whatever he wills to do.
Minimizing
This defense mechanism tries to minimize the problem. For example, if a person used alcohol he may say that it was just two drinks or joints and that he knew what was going on. Or if a person sleeps deeply he may defend himself telling that he just took a nap for a while. Even if a person hits someone he may say that he did not hit another person hard. Also, he may deny that he is an addict by giving reasons such as he just uses Dope and E and not Coke and Heroin.
REFERENCES
Aleman, K. (2007). Object relation quality, alexithymia, and defense mechanisms of drug abusers with antisocial personality disorder. Social Behavior and Personality, 35 (10): 1335-1352.
Blaya, C., Dornelles, M., Blaya, R., Kipper, L., Heldt, E., Isolan, L., Manfro, G. G., & Bond, M. (2007). Brazilian-Portuguese version of defensive style questionnaire-40 for the assessment of defense mechanisms: Construct validity study. Psychotherapy Research, (3): 261-272
Fine J, Juni S: Ego atrophy in substance abuse: addiction from a socio-cultural perspective Am J Psychoanal 6 1(3):293-304,2001.
Gorski, T. T. (1992). The Staying Sober Workbook: A Serious Solution for the Problem of Relapse. Independence Press: Missouri.
Grebot, E., & Dardard. J. (2010). Cognitive schemas, addictive beliefs, and defenses in cannabis addiction in young addiction. French Psychology, 55: 373-387.
Khantzian EJ: The self medication hypothesis of addictive disorders: focus on heroin and cocain dependence. A J Psychiatry 142:1259-1264, 1985
Larsson S, Lilja J, Borg S, et al: Toward an integrative approach in the analysis of dependency problems, Subst Use Misuse 36(9-10):1323-1356, 2001.
Mulder RT, Joyce PR, Sellan JD, Sullivan PF, Cloninger CR: Towards an understanding of defense style in terms of temperament and character. Acta Psychiatr Scand 93(2): 99- 104, 1996.
Ogel (2001) A°nsan, YaAYam ve BaAYA±mlA±lA±k TartA±AYmalar ve Gerekceler. A°stanbul: IQ Kultur Sanat YayA±ncA±lA±k
Cherry, K (n.d.) . In About.com Psychology. http://psychology.about.com/od/theoriesofperso nality/ss/defensemech_3.htm.
Presniak, M. D., Olson, T. R., & MacGregor, M. W. (2010). The role of defense mechanisms in borderline and antisocial personalities. Journal of Personality Assessment, 92(2): 137-145.
Redick, R. (2002). The defense styles of outpatient substance abusers vs. non substance abuser. Unpublished doctoral dissertation: Chicago, Illinois.
Rehab centers ca addiction treatment advice. http://rehab4addictions.com/?page_id=361
Rutherford MJ, Cacciola JS, Alterman Al, McKay JR: Assesment of object relations and reality testing in methadone patients. Am J Psychiatry,153(9):1189-94, 1996.
