Impulsivity and Substance Addiction (The Causal Relation)

Abstract

In our country Iraq the number of traffickers and drug users is increasing according to statistics issued by psychiatric hospitals and the general directorate of narcotics affairs. Addiction can be impulsive and compulsive, but previous studies didn’t determined the causal relation to identified which one is the cause of the other. There is a set of biological and environmental factors the current research takes into consideration that cause impulsive behavior. One of its results is substance use and addiction which in turn result in impulsive behaviors that are more dangerous than the former. Impulsivity to substance use occurs in early stage , and the transformation from impulsive behavior to compulsive behavior occurs in later stage. The current research concludes that the relation between impulsivity and addiction is a circular relation begins and ends with impulsivity, with the addiction as a mediator factor. The research presents a set of suggestions and recommendations.c