Addiction Types: A Clinical Sociology Perspective

Author(s): Jawad Fatayer

Source: Journal of Applied Social Science, Vol. 2, No. 1 (Spring 2008), pp. 88-93
Published by: Sage Publications, Inc.
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/23549240
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Addiction

Types

A Clinical
Jawad

Perspective

Sociology

Socio-Psych Consultant

Fatayer,

ABSTRACT
This paper
clinical
cal

a new

presents

sociology

practice

in the United
enables

of the author

experience
are

is to put

to establish

and

practice

successfully

analysis,

process.

treatment

and

in perspective

world.

The

a perspective

of the addictive

since
an

provide

on 20 years

cross-cultural

on addiction
Addiction

1986.

in

types presented
of this paper
instrument

diagnostic

and

of

clini

that focuses

The purpose

effective

the addiction,

treating

based

of addiction,

types

the Arab

and

for

the potential

enhancing

recovery.

for

THE CONCEPT
What

OF ADDICTION

is addiction?

it a substance

Addiction

addicted

by the culture
yet I see

to anything,
major

conditions

love

alcohol

food,

between

or heroin,

that kills!

It's a passion

etc.).

manufactured

three

is a pathological

as nicotine,

(such

or the internet,

construct

occur,

of addiction

types

an accurate

making

love,

on clinical

based

States

him

dimensions

on the social-psychological
this paper

to categorizing

approach

as a means

that addiction

Addiction
for a given

is solely

are to be present:

the person

(1)

the addictive

(such

object,

as gambling,

be

work,

is a social-cultural

invention;

a social

Facts

that people

become

goal.

a human

a social

and

or an event

etc.)

reflect

phenomenon.

And

for addiction

(a consciousness,

cognition

to

knowledge,

shared meanings and purpose, etc.) in the mind of the addict toward the addictive objectsocial
cognition tends to be a reflection of learned experiences and effortsand impacts of the social envi
ronment;

(2)

a vulnerable

emotional

makeup

self-esteem,

(troubled

lack

of confidence,

abuse,

emo

tional deprivation, etc.); and (3) a possible chemical imbalance in the body. People do not just be
come addicted, especially when the addictive object is meaningless to them. The addictive object
generates appealing and rather attractive positive "meanings and feelings" in the mind and the self
of the addict. Only on rare occasions do people become addicts by force. And a minor number of
addicts have either a chemical imbalance or inherited gene for their addiction. Addiction takes place
in addicts' lives by their own effortsand their own will. It is a matter of question whether the out
comes

are apparent

to underestimate

to the person
the

impact

of

involved
social

who

opts/has

environment

and

opted
the

to take
pressures

the addiction
of particular

agents such as family, peers, school, and media on the making of addiction.
88

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path.

This

is not

socialization

/ Addiction

Fatayer
of the physical

Regardless

is sociologically

ject

of addictions

jority
bler

without

and

emotional

constructed
are

and

learned

and

the concept

learning

the person's

background,
ever

hardly

not inherited.
of "risk

own

her/his
No

one

as

taking"

is expected

a means

of the addictive

cognition

invention.

I claim

Thus,

to become

ob

that the ma

a compulsive

the "thrill"

and

/ 89

Types

gam

or the excitement

of

winning as value or goal. No one is expected to become an alcoholic without learning: (1) what the
"buzz" is supposed to mean, (2) what one is supposed to feel when one gets it, and (3) where to get
itthe bottle.
Addiction is a "social action" driven by desires (emotion), managed by the cognition of the ad
and

dict,
we

The

most

the following:

positive

values

peace,

comfort,

power,

sense

and

emotional

cognitive

the mid-1980s,

addicts
erage

from
people,

report
the

them

sexual
desire

the culture

or otherwiseby

directly
motivate

concentration,

of belonging,

the addictive

toward

like

everybody

I've

had

are

objects

confidence,

escape,

performance,

to be

in which

and

else,

cop

many

other

to work

with

children,

av

energies.

in the United

all walks
and

addicts

CLINICAL PRACTICE

CROSS-CULTURAL
Since

an extent

promotedto

common

thrill,

mechanism,

ing

and/or

supervised

exist.

of life:

prisons,

with

people

and Arab

States

status.

This

rich

the opportunity

treatment

departments,

probation

significant

countries,

street

centers,
has

experience

made

me

that not

realize

many effortsare given to investigate the impact of social forces on adopting an "addictive lifestyle."
of media,

The

role

and

school,

rather

I consider

which

the most

establishing

powerful

as well

today,

environment

a pro-addiction

as the role

of peers,

family,
and

been

seriously

underestimated

on food

addiction

in contemporary

has

neglected.
much

How
ciety?

on

How

can

one

much

can

of TV

the impact

deny
one

negate

the impact

advertisement
of billboard

ads

on attracting

people,

especially

so
young

sters, to drinking alcohol and cigarette smoking? How much can one defend the media position in
What

to media

applies

ity and

(the

gambling

promoting

quantity.

That

lottery)

applies

social

as an acceptable

to peers

is not to advocate

and

other

behavior,

socialization

the notion

fun, excitement
with

agents
are

that addicts

"victims

amusement?

and

different

impact

of the social

in qual
environ

ment," nor is it to release them from the responsibility of their actions. It is an attempt to provide a
balanced
addiction,
Clinical
the most
Addiction
emotive

to the reality

reading

the previous
experience
successful.
is

section
and

treatment

Recovery

an

unnatural

behavior

therapy.

Primary-Secondary

of the matter.
was

way

And

since

models

is a goal
to live.

which

reflect

theme

upon

professionals
some

of this paper

from

that an integrated

challenges

I reflect

the core

to the concept

an introduction

success

which

therapeutic
from
stories

is the types

the types
all

approach
sciences

treated

of

emerged.

by

remains
involved.
cognitive

Addiction

I have treated alcoholics, heroin addicts, and marijuana and hash addicts in Egypt and the United States.
I had the opportunity to treat a computer addict/netaddict when he was placed on probation for DWI
(Driving While Intoxicated) in Texas in the mid-1980s. I realized throughthese years of experience that
for each Delta addiction case there is usually a primary and a secondary addiction. In this case the pri
The
mary addiction was not alcohol, as it was supposed by the authorities, but computer addiction.
same distinction between types appeared in Delta cases which included alcohol, gambling, and sex.
This is an illustration where the primary addiction is sex, while alcohol or gambling is secondary.

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90

/ Addiction

/ Fatayer

NEW DIAGNOSTIC

Types

MODEL

The core goal of this paper is to provide or introduce a diagnostic model that will help facilitate the
treatment

efforts

and

the recovery

enhance

as the management

as well

of addiction.

The

model

has

clinical, emotional, social, economic, and legal ramifications on behalf of the client involved and
his family
What

as on the quality

as well
it takes

to diagnose

of the treatment.
as an addict

a person

that is not in the scope

is a debate

of this paper,

yet it's an issue that is relevant. Once addiction types are identified, the diagnosis is secured, thus
the potential

and

of the treatment

success

recovery

becomes

more

realistic

and

finan

cost-effective,

cially and emotionally, for the people involved.

No

one

denies

that food

could

an addictive

be

or object,

topic

as could

nicotine

and

It

alcohol.

is a fact that all are substances (physical in nature), yet the impact of each type on the patient's life,
mind, self, relationships, abilities, and general health could vary in quality and value. Matching food
addiction
bias
ment

or alcohol

to heroin

to a certain

argument,

of the matter,

start quite
or party.

theory,

life,

reputation,

It's not a matter

an argument.

It's rather
and

a diagnosis,

reaching

on the person's

stigma

could

being

motivation

and

costly.

objective

to seek

of fair or unfair,

treatment

or of

in the assess

professional

Not

treatment.

prescribing

and

and

to mention

the impact

or respond

to therapeutic

of

efforts.
No

doubt

all

diction,"

maybe

ture

and

the

and

on his

addictions
because

features

loved

harmful

are
I never

ran into

of damage

ones

are

and

one

of harm

scope

not the same

I do not believe

in my long

at all

years

in its depth

as my experience

in what

some

as a therapist.
on the
has

life

call

"positive

Furthermore,
of the person

ad

the na
involved

me.

taught

Why Do We Need This Classification?

The

purpose

To

enhance

To

secure

To

enhance

To minimize

follows:

the diagnostic
a more

process
treatment

efficient

the patient's

plan

collaboration

the negative

image,

and

thus

maximize

of the patient

motivation

to seek

believe that recovery is a real possibility

To

support

toward

work

of this

To

efforts

prevention

by increasing

awareness

of the public

and

the official

help

and

authority

the issue

alleviate

of the people

the pressure
involved,

and
thus

the pains
maximizing

of the stigma
the potential

that is attached
for success

to treatment
and

in the minds

recovery

To facilitate research effortsin the field at local and international levels

To
encourage international organizations such as WHO (the World Health Organization),
UNDP (United Nations Development Program) and professional associations to examine the
model and evaluate its utility

Four Types of Addiction

Based

on over

twenty

years

of cross-cultural

experience

in treatment,

consultations,

college

teaching,

research, and personal experience, I introduce the following four types of addiction (see Table 1).

Alpha Addiction, which encompasses all sorts of physical addictions. What distinguishes this type
from others is that its main impact is limited to the body and other physical health issues. The follow

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/ Addiction

Fatayer
Table

1. Diagnostic

Types

of Addiction

Main

Alpha

addiction

Body/physical

Criteria
Types / Examples

Impacts
health

Food

addiction

sweet),
Beta

addiction

Body functions

to mind functions

caffeine,

Alcohol,

addiction

Mind functions

addiction

narcotics,
sedatives,

opioids,

cocaine,

hash,

hypnotics,

Gambling, driving, online games/video

games,
porn, sex, love, shopping, work holism,
solitaire,

computer/net,
Delta

(foods and drinksfatty, salty,

nicotine

medications,

marijuana,
anxiolitics
Gamma

/ 91

Types

Mind and body

lying

Examples:
Nicotine + alcohol
Food + alcohol + work
Nicotine + drugs + gambling
Caffeine
Cigarettes

+ alcohol + porn
+ inhalant + sex

ing are brands under this type of addiction: food addiction (sweets, salty/fattyfoods, and drinks), caf
feine addiction, nicotine addiction. The addictive fix in alpha addiction is usually physical.
Beta Addiction, which encompasses all sorts of physical-mental addictions. What distinguishes
Beta type from other types is its impact, which goes beyond the body functions to the mind func
tions.

The

This

Beta

type

mans.

type

This

at work

performance
the unacceptable

its toll

the integration

influences

type

has

usually

illustrates

and

on the way
and

our decision-making

and

in public.

rather

we

It's the type

non-normative

the way

think,

the body,

between

the cognitive,

gets

it generates.

behavior

and

feel,

we

as well

with

following

as our

the law

are

act.

of hu

makeup

ability,

us in trouble
The

the way

emotional

management

relationship

that usually

we
and

due

brands

to

under

this type of addiction: alcohol, medications, and narcotics such as heroin, cocaine, hash, marijuana,
and

sedatives,

qat,
harm

of the

Beta

trary, it always

of its damages

Beta

type

ceives
men

the most
and

is more

of addiction

addiction

other

type
or less

is the type

is the type
research,

professionalstend

and

legal

is never

its damage

expands

cern

Beta

more

many

addiction

where

academic,

illegal

confined

to the way

substances

we handle

patients
and

to believe

referred
seek

than

professional
exists.

to when

or are

issues

ourselves

behavioral-conduct-related
that is most

identified

to body-health

forced

attention.

It's the addiction

worldwide

on the stage

into

On

of reality.

health

physical

the word

or locally.

or damages.

It's the type

con
zone.

is mentioned.

It's the type

that most

that governments

The

or personal

"addiction"

treatment.

The

the con

and

that re

peoplelay
families

deny,

due to the shame, guilt, and responsibilities that are associated with it. This type usually has the wider
scale effect on the public and the people involved. The addictive fix in Beta addiction is usually
physical-mental.
Addiction, which encompasses all non-substance mental addictions. What distin
this
type from others is its toll on the workings of the mind. Gamma addiction has a seri
guishes
Gamma

ous

effect

on our lifestyle,

the way

we

manage

ourselves,

and

on our relationships.

It also

has

a se

rious effect on the way we handle things, take responsibilities, make decisions, and evaluate
situations. Addicts of this type describe the adrenaline and the dopamine shooting in their brain

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92

/ Addiction

/ Fatayer

Types

when they participate in the addictive event (gambling, sex) just like the heroin addict gets the
"high" from the needle, but it's all a mental high generated through cognitive and emotional
that take

processes

in the person's

place

and

mental

emotional

addiction

Gamma

makeup.

is demon

strated in the following: gambling (national lottery,football pools, raffles, fruitmachines and pubs,
bingo, horse racing, casino gambling, online gambling), speedy/reckless driving, online games,
videogames, porn, love, cyber/computer (net addiction), shoplifting, solitaire, shopping, lying, and
work holism. The addictive fix in Gamma addiction is usually mental.
Delta
An

This

Addiction.
of Delta

example

two or more
encompasses
+ caffeine
+ gambling

of addiction

type

addiction

be:

would

of the aforementioned

food

types.
+ sex,

+ alcohol

or nicotine

etc. The Delta type is distinguished by its effect on the mind and the body, but it might not involve
any normative or illegal aspects. Delta addiction combines multiple addictions together in one per
son. The addictive fix in Delta addiction is usually physical and mental.
In the Field

Developments

The spread of Narcotics Anonymous (NA) afterAlcoholics Anonymous (AA) in the 1980s indicated
our

of the fact that not only

recognition

alcohol

could

our

damage

but also

lives,

cocaine

and

mar

ijuana. The emergence of Gamblers Anonymous (GA) in the early 1990s indicates our recognition
of the harms
have

of Gamma

to handle

all

addictions

type

of these

types

such

as

of addiction

work,

sex,

in a more

and

efficient

In the 21 st century,

computer.
manner.

We

can

we

human

minimize

pain and sufferingby facilitating our effortsand capitalizing on the latest theory,research, and prac
tice in this field. By classifying addiction to types, we enhance not only our awareness of it, but also
we

the way
I have

utilize

This

the same.

and

the resources

worked

with

new

clients

who

the outcomes

secure
were

is not to discriminate

approach

of our

efforts.

by the practice

defeated

among

that views

all

addicts

but to facilitate

people

and

as one

and

better

bring

results to all. Hepatitis has types A, B, and C, but just imagine if all three types were categorized
the same
believe

way.

What

personality

Drawing

even

on patients,
of any

structures,

genetic

people

and

hospitals,
sort.

Under

even

find themselves

I always

governments?

various

circumstances,

addicts,

and

cultures,

this usually

takes

of the crisis.

stage

awareness

public

be

an addict

to become

plans

and

types,

in the later

place

there

would

impact

that no one

to the advanced

in the clinical

developments

is a general

sociology

re

sponsibility of professionals in this field for the simple reason that any sort of addiction is a loss to us
and

that any addict

all those

through
has

no one

else

is one

of us. Neither

shared

years

aliens

nor animals

with us his story

in his life left to share

the needle

of sharing
with

become

usually
the heroin

except

addicts.

needle

that poor

with

monkey,

One

only

patient

his pet monkey.

and

he shared

He

heroin

with her. His concern while he was in the hospital was how she was doing. He was certain that she
had become an addict like himself! Actually what happened to the poor monkey is that she became
chemically
shared

dependent

on heroin,

rather

the nature

of the addictive

about

cognition

than

an addict.
object

For
along

addiction

to take

with an expected

place

there

emotional

has

to be

experience

when addiction takes place. Addiction requires many other cognitive and emotional elements that are
specific to humans. Addiction is not about a sick body needing chemicals, ratherit is about an ill mind
and a troubled self residing in a body. This is not to deny the fact that in some case, chemical imbal
ance

or genetic

factors

could

generate

chemical

dependency,

but

I doubt

that is addiction.

Some

ba

bies are born with chemical imbalance (crack babies) due to mothers using heroin during pregnancy,
but these children are as chemically imbalanced as any diabetic patient. At the same time, they will
not turn to cocaine

until

some

one

teaches

them

what

cocaine

is and

where

to find

it.

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Fatayer / Addiction Types / 93

REFLECTIONS
I speak

ON THE ARAB-MUSLIM

from

also

personal

COMMUNITY

as a recovering

experience

addict

nicotine

who

used

four packs

to smoke

a day. After eighteen years in recovery from nicotine addiction, 1 feel the difference in my physical
and mental health ability. Kids in college, who may never have touched a cigarette in their lives be
fore,

cigarettes

and

by freedom,

lack

experience

characterized

alcohol

under

of parental

the

motivations

supervision,

of the

money,

and

new

youth.

environment,

which

I reflect

upon

also

is
my

=
Inhalant), con
experience with street children in Cairo, Egypt, who find the glue bottle (Kollah
tains

the cheapest

We

resort

and

most

to addictive

convenient

objects

to get high

substance

in order

to feel

good,

on.
for something

searching

in our life;

missing

we think we find it in the "high."

I reflect
never

upon

touched

Muslims

many

a drink

or even

of addiction

the existence

who
knew

alcoholics

became

what

is an expected

heroin
attitude

was.

or heroin
For

in order

most

addicts

of these

to protect

and

had

Muslim

the honor

patients,

and

who

parents

denying
of the

reputation

family. Islam identifies alcohol intake and gambling as sins, which are mentioned clearly and
specifically in the Quran (Islam's sacred book), yet addiction in its four types is presenting a risk in
the modern

Muslim

community

today.

I see

how

the mixture

between

addiction

types

increases

the

potential for more victims, particularly improper procedures and dysfunctional policies. Addiction
to anything is recognized as sinful in the three major religions' holy books (the Jewish Scriptures,
Bible, and Quran) for the same reason, which is the harm caused to the body, mind, or the self.
Even today, Muslims in various Arabic and Muslim countries around the world consider hash or
qat

use

to be

non-addictive

or even

safe,

simply

because

they

are

commonly

used

in their

commu

nities. Some Muslim youth take some hallucinogens and justify their use of the drug because it looks
like medicine, and it is not alcohol, which is sinful according to Islam. Furthermore, the idea of buy
ing lottery

tickets

or participating

in a raffle

draw

in a supermarket

is considered

neither

sinful

nor

addictive, thus millions of Muslims practice this every day. The main justification for such behavior
is that only gambling in casinos is sinful, however we find Muslim Arabs as regular customers in
Las Vegas. To millions of people worldwide, addiction applies only to those who use illegal drugs.
Religious beliefs from all world religions preach about safe and healthy living. Our perspectives of
religious

teachings

tend

to match

our desires

and

interests

in many

ways.

Addiction

most of us, as we try to justify our wishes even if they turn to be addictive.

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is a challenge

to