Drug Abuse: Solomon's and Corbit's Opponent Process Theory (Essay Sample)

Part A
Solomon's and Corbit's Opponent Process Theory
Richard Solomon' and John Corbit' opponent process theory explains our experience of emotions in relation to its opposites. Solomon and Corbit argue that an emotional experience disrupts the normal body's state of balance and that our typical emotions usually have their opposing counterparts (Solomon & Corbit, 1974). In other words, we have pairs of emotions which act in opposing pairs, for example, happiness and sadness, pleasure and pain, etc. When an emotion is experienced, the opposing emotion is temporarily suppressed. For example, since the opposite of fear is a relief, when we experience one emotion, in this case, fear, it suppresses the opposite emotion, which is relief in this case.
Solomon and Corbit further explained that when the initial emotion comes down, we naturally experience the opposite emotion to balance out the emotional state (Solomon & Corbit, 1974). However, the opposite emotion may re-emerge strongly and may lessen or interact with the initial emotion. Therefore, an experience that activates one emotion typically activates its opposite and together they may mingle as a linked pair.
Solomon, (1980) holds that sometimes the two opposing emotions can be experienced at the same time if the opposite emotion intrudes before the initial emotion wanes out. This results in a confusing combined experience of feeling two opposite mutually exclusive emotions at the same time. This can therefore explain why we can be happy and sad at the same time, scared and relieved, etc. Although this can be unpleasant, it can also be a strangely enjoyable element of an experiential thrill.
Solomon's and Corbit's Opponent Process Theory is commonly used to explain drug abuse and addiction. A first-time drug user experiences pleasure after taking the drug. This pleasure makes him or her feel the painful effect of the withdrawal of the drug afterward. To break free from this painful withdrawal effect, the drug user consumes more of the drug right away. This cycle of experiencing pleasure associated with taking the drugs, and taking more drugs to counter the pain of withdrawing from the drug, is hypothesized to be what creates the addictive cycle of drugs.
In explaining the common patterns that underlie the drug addiction patterns among the drug addicts, Solomon (1980) argues that every emotional experience results in two reactions; the A reaction, which is the rapid and intense emotion that occurs instantly, and the B reaction which is the opposing emotion of the A reaction. If an event is repeated, the B component becomes stronger while the A component becomes weaker. This sometimes results in a complete reversal of emotion. This explains why a previously exciting event becomes boring, and Solomon (1980) says, it is a result of the build-up of tolerance.
So, when a first-time drug user takes a drug, he experiences a large A reaction, for example, great feelings of joy and weak B reaction, for example guilt. However, repeated experiences of taking the drug lead to the reduction...