Obsessions and addictions – what do they tell us about normal behaviour?

Obsessions and addictions – what do they tell us about normal behaviour? FREDERICK TOATES

S – R link Stimulus Response CNS (a) Stimulus S – R link Response CNS (b) State Cognition Stimulus S – R link Response (c) CNS State

Changing Weight • The properties of behaviour depend upon the particular relative weight attached to the factors. • The relative weight of these factors that is necessary for optimal performance differs according to circumstances. • Changing performance under changing conditions often reflects such a shift; and • Under sub-optimal conditions the weight distorts, such as to lead to behavioural pathology.

Factors that Change the Weight of Off-line/On-line Controls • Development • Learning • Phylogeny • Brain damage • Chemical influences

A sequence of OCD logic • The photographer must have been close to Hudson because the photo was a “close up” • So the photographer himself might have been contaminated. • So, when he developed the negative, he could have contaminated it. • The negative was in contact with the print of the photograph and so could have contaminated it. • The man in charge of printing the newspaper used the photograph, and so, he could have passed its contamination on to the newspaper’s printer. • The printing press could have passed the contamination on to the picture in every newspaper. • So, when I touched the newspaper, I too might have been contaminated.

Addictive substances/activities • Food • Sex • Drugs • Alcohol • Heroin • Cocaine • Nicotine • Gambling • Shopping • Internet • Oil

Comparison of OCD and addiction

AVOID T E N D E N C Y DISTANCE T E N D E N C Y AVOID DISTANCE APPROACH APPROACH

Obsessions and addictions – what do they tell us about normal behaviour?