Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 14, 2026

A General Method for Evaluating Deep Brain Stimulation Effects on Intravenous Methamphetamine Self-Administration
Published on: January 22, 2016
Drug addiction from a psychodynamic perspective: methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) as transitional phenomena
David Potik1, Miriam Adelson, Shaul Schreiber
1Adelson Clinic for Drug Abuse Treatment and Research, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel. dpotik@gmail.com
Purpose:
To present a psychodynamic (specifically object-relations) approach to the understanding of drug addiction and recovery among patients in Methadone Maintenance Treatment (MMT), and to discuss the role of psychodynamic psychotherapy among drug addicts, focusing on the processes which patients undergo during counselling.
Methods:
We review some psychodynamic explanations of the drug addiction phenomenon, and illustrate the psychodynamic comprehension framework of the issue according to Winnicott's theory, by describing a few psychotherapeutic interventions with our MMT patients.
Results:
The main premise is that treatment in a MMT program is accompanied by changes in-patients' life-styles and behaviour, which are parallel to transitional phenomena. As such, methadone and counselling serve as transitional objects during these processes.
Conclusions:
Drug addiction is a widespread phenomenon that affects many areas in the addicts' life; therefore, some eclecticism from therapists has a beneficial effect on the outcome.
More Related Videos
09:29Investigating Drivers of Antireward in Addiction Behavior with Anatomically Specific Single-Cell Gene Expression Methods
Published on: August 4, 2022
08:05A Prediction Error-driven Retrieval Procedure for Destabilizing and Rewriting Maladaptive Reward Memories in Hazardous Drinkers
Published on: January 5, 2018
Related Concept Videos
Drug Abuse and Addiction: Pharmacological Phenomena
Drug Dependence
Substance Use Disorders Affecting Sleep
Understanding the concepts of physical dependence,...
Analgesia and Pain Management
Therapeutic Drug Monitoring: Affecting Factors
Drug Therapy
Antianxiety Medications