CADC exam prep Ch 2 |Addiction Counselor's Desk Reference| Addiction Counselor's Desk Reference

Moral Model (Definition of Addiction) - Dates to the 1850's. - Defines an addicted client as weak in character. Think "moral failure". - Based on the idea that individuals have free choice and are responsible for their behaviors. Think "morals that are aligned with God" and this approach has influenced public policy and the American judicial system. Self-medication Model (Definition of Addiction) - Originated in the 1960's among psychoanalysts. - Assumes that people self-medicate to cope with life problems. A person in emotional pain will self-medicate to find relief which may eventually lead to addiction. -Self-medication hypothesis should be considered parallel with other approaches and not in competition with them.