Dynamics of Addiction and Criminal Behavior

Dr. Dawn-Elise Snipes PhD, LPC-MHSP, LMHC, NCC, SPARCExecutive Director, AllCEUs.com

Examine the parallels between addiction and criminal behavior

Discuss benefits to both Identify drawbacks to both Describe what an effective, comprehensive

re-integration model would look like.

Objectives

16.6 million adults ages 18 and older, or one in every 12 adults, suffer from alcohol abuse or dependence

6.9 million Americans are addicted to drugs 1.6 million arrests for drug law violations in

2014 http://www.niaaa.nih.gov http://www.drugabuse.gov http://www.drugwarfacts.org/

Drugs and Crime

Drug-Defined Offenses◦ Violating laws related to the possession,

distribution or manufacture of drugs Drug-Related Offenses

◦ Offenses which involve the drugs effects, need to procure the drug or consequences of distribution or acquisition (violence against rivals…)

Drugs and Crime

Drug Using Lifestyle◦ Likelihood and frequency of involvement in illegal

activity is increased due to users increased exposure to peers, environments and situations that encourage crime.

◦ Characterized by an emphasis on short term goals, peers who are involved in illegal activity and a culture of criminality (people, places, things)

Drugs and Crime

Possession◦ Why are they using

Distribution◦ What is the benefit to distribution?

The average drug dealer makes 20K-30K/year http://pricetheory.uchicago.edu/levitt/Papers/LevittVenkateshAnEconomicAnalysis2000.pdf

Manufacture◦ What is the benefit to manufacture?

Sale + Higher Profits Multiple dealers

Drug-Defined Offenses

Tolerance and/or withdrawal◦ Psychological (craving comfort and safety)◦ Physiological (tolerance/needing more;

withdrawal/needing supplementation to feel normal) Continued use or engagement in the behavior

despite negative consequences… Why?◦ Numbs pain/self hatred/emptiness/guilt◦ It is the one thing the person can “control” and keep

from leaving.

A Look at Addiction

Spending more time or money planning, using or recovering from use of the substance or engagement in the behavior◦ As tolerance develops, more is needed◦ As use continues, cravings increase due to

Tolerance Increased “pain” in life Increases in the number of “triggers”

A Look at Addiction

Unsuccessful efforts to quit or cut down◦ Neurotransmitters are “wonky”◦ The chaos created by use has made sober life

unpleasant◦ Using friends are often not supportive of “sober fun”

Loss of other interests◦ Chasing the high◦ Not the same rush◦ Using friends don’t share similar interests

A Look at Addiction

Tolerance and/or withdrawal◦ Escalating sale/use/involvement to be more

powerful, more popular, richer◦ Engagement in riskier behavior to increase the rush

of getting away with the offense◦ Like other behavioral addictions, it activates reward

pathways in the brain◦ The person often defines themselves based on their

drug-involved persona (dealer, enforcer, distributor)

Alternative look at Drug Offenses

Tolerance and/or withdrawal◦ Also provides a sense of power for persons who

have felt powerless, useless or disenfranchised◦ Provides a sense of self-esteem being “smarter

than the cops” or being “BMOC”

Alternative look at Drug Offenses

Continued use or engagement in the behavior despite negative consequences◦ Benefits

Money Power/Control Social Status / Recognition

Alternative look at Drug Offenses

Spending more time or money planning, using or recovering from engagement in the behavior and loss of other interests◦ Bigger deals◦ More territory to defend◦ Life revolves around maintaining an image

Unsuccessful efforts to quit or cut down◦ No rush ◦ No external validation

Alternative look at Drug Offenses

Physically◦ Rebalance neurotransmitters so the person can

experience pleasure in legal activities◦ Ensure access to safe housing and employment

away from negative peer influences◦ Educate about basic life skills

Sleep Nutrition Time management

Recovery and Reducing Recidivism

Emotionally◦ Address issues such as

Resentment Grief Anger Shame

◦ Identify Things that make them happy Reasons for staying clean

Recovery and Reducing Recidivism

Cognitively◦ Address cognitive patterns such as:

Entitlement All-or-nothing thinking Impulsivity (Gotta have it now) Need for external validation Personalization (I ain’t nobody’s punk)

◦ Develop problem solving skills

Recovery and Reducing Recidivism

Interpersonally◦ Improve communication skills (including listening

and empathy)◦ Improve self-esteem to reduce the need for

approval and defensiveness at perceived slights◦ Identify clean, sober friends◦ Explore prosocial recreation

Recovery and Reducing Recidivism

Occupationally◦ Use decisional balance activities to improve

motivation for mainstream employment◦ Conduct a “Job Analysis” identifying all skills of

mastery◦ Use a job coach to assist in

Integration in the employment setting Maintenance of motivation

Recovery and Reducing Recidivism

The benefits to criminal behavior and/or drug use outweigh the drawbacks of jail or other sanctions

Like an addiction, criminal behavior is rewarding to an extreme for some.

Reducing recidivism/relapse involves◦ Understanding and eliminating what motivates that

behavior ◦ Understanding and improving what is unmotivating

about prosocial activities

Summary

If the criminal behaviors or substance use are serving to help the person escape or avoid pain and continue to be done despite negative consequences, and produces physiological or psychological withdrawal, then it would qualify as an addiction

Summary

Evaluate for an underlying mood disorder Address cognitive distortions Improve self-esteem Ensure the work and home environment is free from

negative influences (Reintegrative shaming) Reintegrative Shaming and Recidivism Risks in Drug Court: Explanations for Some Unexpected Findings http://cad.sagepub.com/content/46/4/522.short

Provide frequent rewards and validation Remove benefits of criminal behavior

Summary