The Four Cs of Addiction

As a concept, the four Cs of addiction was created to break down the disease of addiction to its most fundamental parts, which are compulsion, cravings, consequence, and control. This can be a useful way to accurately describe or even identify addiction.

When all four Cs are present, a person is considered to have an addiction or a substance use disorder. Consequently, they’ll need professional addiction treatment to recover.

Let’s discuss each of the four Cs of addiction in more detail.

1. Compulsion

Compulsion means someone has an irresistible urge or an uncontrollable desire to perform a specific action. Compulsive behavior is an intense, overwhelming drive to behave in a certain way.

Someone with an addiction is overpowered by the urge to find and use drugs. This type of behavior is described as compulsive drug-seeking. 

2. Cravings

Drug cravings mimic physical needs like hunger or thirst. To an addicted person, drugs become as vital as food and water. Cravings can become so intense they cause insomnia or a lack of appetite. 

People struggling with addiction tend to become anxious, agitated, and unable to think of anything else when drug cravings aren’t satisfied.

3. Consequences 

The third C of addiction refers to someone who continues to use drugs despite an awareness of negative consequences it will bring. Consequences of addiction can be far-reaching: substance abuse harms a person’s physical, mental, emotional, financial, social, spiritual, and professional health. The impact of addiction on relationships can be downright devastating.

This drug use continues despite the knowledge that it has negative consequences. Carrying on with substance use in spite of knowing the problematic consequences that it brings raises the concern that addiction has progressed and without the proper treatment cannot be arrested

4. Control

The fourth and final C of addiction is characterized by a complete loss of control over drug-using habits. Sometimes, at the beginning stages of developing an addiction, someone starts to realize their substance use is spiraling out of control and may try to stop. When a person is unable to exercise restraint when it comes to their drug-using habits, a severe addiction has set in and treatment is vital.

Fortunately, no person battling addiction is a lost cause. We at Pathfinder Recovery are humbly ready to assist you on your path of healing