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Maslows

Hierarchy of Needs and How It Relates to Drug Addiction 1


Maslows Hierarchy of Needs and How It Relates to Drug Addiction

Student DM Sample

Chandler-Gilbert Community College

Author Note

Student DM, Department of Psychology, Chandler-Gilbert Community College. This research

was supported in part by Dr. Ramos in the Psychology Department, Dr. Reineke in the English

Department, and Chandler-Gilbert Community College. Correspondence concerning this article

should be addressed to Stud, Department of Psychology, Chandler-Gilbert Community College,

Chandler, AZ, 852252. Contact: xxxx.xxxx@yahoo.com


Maslows Hierarchy of Needs and How It Relates to Drug Addiction 2

Abstract

This paper explores three different articles and their findings, opinions, and thoughts on heroin

addiction. This information is then examined in relation to how heroin addiction could relate and

embody the drive-reduction theory in psychology. Each article has its own thematic angle it is

pursuing and can vary in approach drastically to get that theme across. Jack Rodolicos Anatomy

of Addiction: How Heroin and Opioids Hijack the Brain is a newspaper article that explains

briefly how opioid addiction works and follows the story of young man who has gone through it.

Larceny in My Blood, which is a book by Matthew Parker, is told by him in person and it depicts

his story in relation to heroin addiction. Thirdly, David M. Fahey and Jon S. Millers article by

the name of heroin speaks of the statistics of heroin use and its role in the history of the United

States of America. This paper takes the findings and thoughts of these articles and attempts to

relate heroin addiction Maslows Hierarchy of Needs theory.


Maslows Hierarchy of Needs and How It Relates to Drug Addiction 3

Introduction

Chandler-Gilbert Community College recently held an event called the Human Library. During

the event authors of many different backgrounds came to the school and spoke. The speeches

they made were a mixture of their life stories and the contents of their book. Each speech was

held in multiple different classrooms across campus on April 12th, 2017. In this essay the book

Larceny in my Blood is explored and examined in relation to the other articles. In this book

Matthew Parker touches upon many aspects of the life of a drug addict, specifically a heroin

addict. Through his book and speech, the audience gained a much more detailed understanding

of what drug addiction is and can become. The events that have occurred in Matthew Parkers

life served as an instrument for learning and understanding to those present during his speech.

This paper will try and relate the events of his life and the psychological theory Maslows

Hierarchy of Needs, which pertains to motivation. Through the case study and theory, the idea

that just like food or water, to an addict drugs can become a psychological need.

Background: Case Study

Throughout history drugs have had a major impact in many peoples lives whether it be financial,

emotional, physical, psychological or all of these. Matthew Parkers book attempts to tell the

story of how drugs affected one persons life. Matthew Parker, now a published and respected

author, was born in Connecticut as the middle child with one older brother and one younger

brother. His family tree was riddled with cases of alcoholism and drug addiction. At the age of

12 his mother was distributing marijuana and therefore introducing him to the world of drugs. At

age 15 he had already had his first arrest for criminal damage. After his arrest and a few other

arrests in his family, they moved to Pennsylvania. He alone hitchhiked home, got a job, and got
Maslows Hierarchy of Needs and How It Relates to Drug Addiction 4

an apartment. He had tried and gotten bored of almost every drug in the book after living back in

Connecticut. This was the beginning of what would come to consume everything in Matthews

life.

Matthew, at age 16, shot up or intravenously injecting heroin for the first time. He had Found

his love (Parker). For a decent period of time he only used occasionally, he said that someone

who was not a habitual user of heroin was called a chip (Parker). Years later after first

shooting up, Matthew was married when he received a phone call from his mother asking him if

his older brother had any tattoos. When he responded no and asked why, his mother said they

found a body. His brother had been murdered in Phoenix. This is when his downward spiral

began. Matthew divorced his wife and began shooting a lot more heroin. During the next four

years he had times of sobriety from heroin but during these he was still using all sorts of other

drugs including alcohol. After 4 years had passed he came to find out that his younger brother

had just committed suicide. To Matthew this was the nail in the coffin, he started to shoot

exponentially more heroin than he ever had before. For over a decade he had battled with his

addiction to heroin and the law, at one point getting a 2-and-a-half-year sentence on top of

another sentence. His record had charges from counterfeiting money to possession to many other

crimes. During his second to last stint in jail, he had what he called an epiphany and at that

moment decided to stop using heroin. He got out of jail, enrolled in college, graduated, published

his book and has stayed clean the whole time except for two instances. At the time he was

speaking at Chandler-Gilbert Community College he had almost 15 years clean.


Maslows Hierarchy of Needs and How It Relates to Drug Addiction 5

Theoretical Approach

Maslows Hierarchy of Needs is a theory based on the idea that there are different levels of needs

that we as humans tend to, some being more urgent than others. The theory states that the most

basic of needs must be met first before the individual will focus on or be motivated to tend to the

others. For example, someone who is starving will not be able to focus on finishing their

homework until they can find food. The hierarchy is layered out into 5 distinct categories. The

first category is physiological needs, these are the things the body needs to survive, air, water,

and food. The second category is safety which can be due to war, a natural disaster, or an

imminent threat. The third category is social belonging which is the need to belong somewhere

or with someone. The fourth category is esteem or idea of self. The final category is self-

actualization or living up to you full potential. These 5 categories are according to Maslow, how

we make choices in respective situations.

Matthew Parker lived a life where he felt that heroin was just as important as food or water. He

speaks of a situation during his speech where he risked his safety by walking into a situation,

knowing he would most likely be arrested, to get heroin. This demonstrates that his mind and

body valued getting high over his own safety. When a person becomes dependent on heroin,

stopping use of it will lead to withdrawals. Withdrawals are a symptom that includes cold

sweats, nausea, diarrhea, muscle aches, cramps, anxiety, depression, and what some addicts

describe as feeling like you are dying. Similar to hunger or thirst the body send a strong

message to the person that they need to do heroin.


Maslows Hierarchy of Needs and How It Relates to Drug Addiction 6

Outcomes Discussion

The need to use in an addicts life is not all mental. It is a very understandable physical urge or

need that some have little to no control of. Just like humans will do anything they can to find

food and water in a survival situation, an addict will do everything in their power regardless of

the risks to get their next fix. Even though addiction is a product of making a choice to try and

use a substance, once in that situation it can be seen as almost impossible to stop. Through this

case study, information on how an addicts mind and body works is revealed.

There are many lessons that can be taken from this case study and from Matthew Parker. As

someone who, at some points, valued use over everything else, his actions exemplify Maslows

Hierarchy of Needs theory. It is possible that to an addict, using drugs could be just as important

as food or water. An addicts mind, which has been rewired through years of use, sends messages

to the body that it needs the substance in order to feel normal. With this case study we should

realize that for some addicts, it is not always as simple as choosing to stop using drugs.

Conclusion

This case study is just scratching the surface on addiction and how it alters a persons mind, body

and motivation. There is much more research that needs to be done in order to grasp the situation

fully. Research and testimonials from addicts, their thoughts, and their experiences would be a

start. Another helpful study would be to monitor addicts brains at the start, during, and end of

withdrawals. This could possibly bring to light what is actually happening physically and

psychologically to an addict going through withdrawal. This has been a very interesting subject

to research and discuss and there is many misunderstandings and misinformation is daily life
Maslows Hierarchy of Needs and How It Relates to Drug Addiction 7

about it. Addicts are still people and are also valuable research subjects if they are willing. With

their help the sad reality of addiction could possibly one day be much more easily curable or at

least more easily managed.


Maslows Hierarchy of Needs and How It Relates to Drug Addiction 8

References

Ed. David M. Fahey and Jon S. Miller.(2013). Alcohol and Drugs in North America: A
Historical Encyclopedia. Vol. 1.Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, . p304-316.

Matthew Parker. (2012). Larceny in My Blood: A Memoir of Heroin, Handcuffs, and a Higher
Education. Gotham Publications.

Jack Rodolico. (2016). Anatomy of Addiction: How Heroin and Opioids Hijack the Brain. NPR.
Morning Edition.

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