[Psycho(patho)logy of "addiction." Interpretative hypothesis]

This work deals with the possible role of psychopathological features as for the pathogenesis of substance use disorders, across three distinct stages of its spontaneous course: initiation, transition to habit, that is becoming accustomed to regular substance use, and eventual self-maintaining addiction. Reviewed data from literature are discussed concerning personality characteristics of addicted patients and the issue of addictive personality. On such basis, we propose a classification of addictive styles according to our personal experience in the field (environmental reaction, self-medication, and metabolic automacy) in the attempt to better illustrate the dynamics of the various stages of the abuse, each accounted for as a distinct milestone along the same path of pathogenesis. In fact, interpretative models elaborated so far, though partly useful in providing with a plausible explanation for special subpopulation of addicts, failed to portray an overall shared dynamic. In other words, no satisfactory explanation has been so far provided to justify the basic development of the addictive condition along the bare events observed along its course. Our integrated model especially accounts for the issue of mood disorders as the a weightsome psychic substrate for the development of a substance-resorting attitude.