An "economic" theory of addiction, hypomania, and sensation seeking

Research into the relationship between mania, sensation seeking, and substance abuse has shown that hypomanics and sensation seekers use substances frequently and often for the purpose of adjusting their moods. This essay develops an "economic" theory of addiction that attempts to account for those phenomena. The theory also supports the notion that sensation-seeking behavior and variants of manic behavior share many of the characteristics of the addictive behaviors. Implications for the treatment of addictive behaviors are discussed. Data from drug users in the military (Navy) are presented to support the theory, and suggestions for future research are outlined.