Last Updated:
August 20th, 2025
Too often, addiction is dismissed as a series of bad choices or a failure of willpower. Many people underestimate the drivers of addiction and tell a struggling person to just physically stop.
Yet addictions can trap us in labyrinthine complexities where the path to mental freedom and sobriety closes just before we take the final, liberating step.
What does “psychology” mean in the context of addiction?
When we first paint a mental picture of addiction, we might focus on the physical aspects, like the cravings, the withdrawal symptoms, or the visible impact on a person’s health. Yet addiction is almost as much in the mind as it is in the body. To fully understand what keeps someone in the deleterious feedback loop of addiction, we have to explore what happens psychologically, as much as physically.
Addiction’s physical and psychological roots
There are physical aspects and drivers of many addictions. Substance use disorders (SUDs) will cause changes in brain chemistry. They will lead to increased physical tolerance and withdrawal symptoms when the substance is taken away, but in many ways, the stems that have grown in a person’s mind may run even deeper than physical drivers.
The psychological roots include a person’s thought patterns, their morality and belief systems and unconscious coping mechanisms. All of these play a profound role in keeping a person going back to a substance that is clearly hurting them.
Psychological addiction can exist even when the physical dependency on a drug has faded. Even after going through extensive withdrawal, a person may still feel mentally and emotionally reliant on the substance just to get by.
Why behavioural patterns matter as much as the substance
The broad subject of psychology helps explain how behaviours become automatic over time. An addicted person’s brain becomes comfortable in certain moods, linked with substance use. The brain learns to link environments, stressors and urges with substance use, which is why many psychologists are quick to mention the importance of changing “People, places and things” early in recovery.
The deeply ingrained link between your external stimuli and the way you react is one of the hardest changes to make in recovery. Psychologists and recovery experts help you understand the “why” that drives behaviours that have become part of your subconscious.
The insidious relationship between trauma and addiction
The psychological drivers of substance and alcohol addictions may indeed be as numerous as the drivers that cause us to eat, seek shelter or procreate. If we were to unpack and label every driver of addiction, it is arguable that the word “trauma” would appear most frequently, as this profound quote from Dr. Gabor Maté illuminates:
“Not all addictions are rooted in abuse or trauma, but I do believe they can all be traced to painful experience. A hurt is at the centre of all addictive behaviours. It is present in the gambler, the Internet addict, the compulsive shopper and the workaholic. The wound may not be as deep and the ache not as excruciating, and it may even be entirely hidden—but it’s there.”
Gabor Maté – In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts
Many addiction psychologists mention how “adverse childhood experiences” (ACEs) can be directly linked with the likelihood of addiction forming. In fact, research shows that in England, almost half of all people have experienced at least one ACE, with almost 10% experiencing more. To follow the pain further, research highlights how people with 6 or more ACEs die nearly 20 years earlier on average than those without ACEs.
The effect of trauma on addiction formation should not be underestimated, and can develop in many dangerous ways:
Trauma in childhood, like neglect, abuse, or household dysfunction, will increase the likelihood of turning to substances later in life. Over time, coping mechanisms solidify into long-term habits, and behaviour that once brought relief now brings dependence and, eventually, despair.
Psychological defences like denial and minimisation can keep someone locked in their addiction without being able to fully comprehend why they’re suffering. The defence that the mind developed to protect can become the barrier that stands against getting help.
Unaddressed trauma keeps a person stuck in survival mode. When substance addiction joins the equation, it can become a cycle that’s almost impossible to break without specialist, trauma-informed support.
What psychological models are used in addiction therapy?
When people first ask, “What is rehab?” they often conjure the image of physical detox or simply quitting a substance. Yet, physical cessation from a drug is only half of the destructive fire that addiction causes.
Thankfully, addiction recovery programmes have developed a multitude of ways to help a person explore and address the psychological drivers of their addiction. Different therapy modalities are used to reshape behaviours, which is essential for long-term healing.
The most effective treatment plans will understand how various therapeutic frameworks will suit your needs. The most common and effective models include:
Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) focuses more deeply on a four-pillar foundation, which includes mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness. A balance between acceptance and change is prioritsed, which is especially helpful for addictions embedded in intense emotions.
Motivational Interviewing (MI) focuses on the importance of a person’s motivation and capacity for change. It differs from CBT and DBT in that it intentionally alters the power dynamic in therapy, in that it helps people develop their own reasons for change, rather than giving or telling them what they should be aiming for. It is often most effective for people who are more ambivalent about treatment or are lacking fully fleshed goals.
Family therapy is also used to bring loved ones into the healing process. Many people need support for families to break unhealthy home dynamics and to create boundaries that make space for deep healing. For millions, the family unit grows stronger through family therapy and is a crucial pillar of long-term sobriety.
Where can I find the help I need for my addiction?
Understanding the psychology of addiction is often critical to making positive changes. If you or someone you know needs to break free from destructive patterns, please know that we are here for you.
Therapy options at Liberty House are tailored to your needs. Our expert-trained staff are here to help you manage withdrawal symptoms while addressing addiction at its roots. You’ll be in a supportive environment that helps kickstart your journey to lifelong sobriety, with aftercare systems in place for any cravings or urges.
Don’t let destructive habits decide your future. Reach out to Liberty House today and take the first step toward lifelong healing, inside and out.
(Click here to see works cited)
- “Why Change People, Places, and Things in Early Recovery?” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/understanding-addiction/202106/why-change-people-places-and-things-in-early-recovery
- “Adverse Childhood Experiences.” Gateshead Council, www.gateshead.gov.uk/article/26368/Adverse-childhood-experiences
- Brown DW, Anda RF, Tiemeier H, Felitti VJ, Edwards VJ, Croft JB, Giles WH. Adverse childhood experiences and the risk of premature mortality. Am J Prev Med. 2009 Nov;37(5):389-96. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2009.06.021. PMID: 19840693.
- “About Adverse Childhood Experiences.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, www.cdc.gov/aces/about/?CDC_AAref_Val=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fviolenceprevention%2Faces%2Ffastfact.html
