On Understanding and Treating Narcotic Dependence: A Neuropsychopharmacological Perspective

The etiology of narcotic dependence in man is multifactorial and complex. Social, psychological and pharmacological factors all play important roles in Ike genesis of this disorder. Viewed from a scientific standpoint, addiction to narcotics is a remarkable phenomenon; that a foreign substance (the narcotic drug) with no known biological function can produce a “hunger” of such intensity that the drive for the toxic foreign substance displaces all other basic needs and responsibilities. Such a profound alteration of human behavior by a foreign chemical may originated in some important biochemical events somewhere in the body. This review examines the psycho-pharmacological and biochemical factors that may be pertinent and the interaction of these fators which may contribute to the phenomenon of narcotic-seeking behavior. Rational guidelines for new and improved biomedical modalities for treatment of narcotic dependence are suggested by past and ongoing research.