Denial of an Addiction It's difficult to put into words exactly why a person becomes addicted to something like drugs, alcohol, or even gambling. Addiction can be described as becoming so dependent on something that their tolerance could reach dangerous levels. When an addict needs higher doses, it is because the amount they started with no longer provides the “reward” it once did. This could lead to a dangerous fall, disability or even death. One of the most difficult aspects of addiction is when the user completely denies that a problem exists. The theory of positive and negative reinforcement has been used as a way to try to explain addiction. Positive reinforcement is “the addition of a stimulus or event that will increase the frequency of a certain behavior” (Two theories of addiction, positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement., 2012). Negative reinforcement would involve suppressing the desire or urge to consume the substance. Before the addiction hits full swing, the user will go through different stages. The user will go through many steps. The first step would be experimentation. At this point, the person is not yet considered a user. They are curious about the substance, the effects and the attraction that others also have for the substance. They may have friends or family members who talk about it. It may be peer pressure the first time the person uses the substance, or they may try it as a coping mechanism to deal with stressful situations, such as the loss of a loved one or family member. 'a job. For some individuals this goes no further than the experimentation phase, for others it begins with "recreation"....... middle of paper ......medicalnewstoday.com/info/addiction /Addiction Recovery - Definition of Denial in the Family. (2010). Retrieved from Recovered Family: http://www.recoveredfamily.com/denial/definition-of-denial.aspxDefinition of Addiction. (April 19, 2011). Retrieved from American Society of Addiction Medicine: http://www.asam.org/for-the-public/definition-of-addictionTwo Theories of Drug Addiction, Positive Reinforcement and Negative Reinforcement. (August 13, 2012). Retrieved from www.psychpost.org: http://www.psychpost.org/2012/08/two-theories-of-drug-addiction-positive.htmlStages of Substance Abuse. (2013). Retrieved from University of Rochester Medical Center: http://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?ContentTypeID=1&ContentID=3060Addiction and Denial. (nd). Retrieved from Drug & Alcohol Rehab Asia: http://alcoholrehab.com/alcohol-rehab/addiction-and-denial/