Speakers - PAWC2025

Abstract

Substance use has become increasingly prevalent worldwide, with significant implications for both individuals and society. The rise in global drug users, which saw a 20% increase in the past decade, and has reached 292 million in 2022, underscores the urgency for in-depth understanding on risk factors of addiction. Modern psychiatry categorizes addiction as a medical condition, primarily focusing on biological, environmental, and developmental factors. Lacanian psychoanalysis, on the other hand, offers a valuable perspective by exploring the impact of societal influence and how it shapes the new psychic structures. Melman's concept of new psychic structures addresses the limitlessness and constant pursuit of pleasure that emerges due to the dominance of technology and neoliberal policies in the contemporary discourse.

The aim of this study was to examine the moderator roles of shame and impulse control in the relationship between negative affect and substance abuse, within the framework of the Lacanian psychoanalytic perspective. The participants were 100 adults, 91% of whom reported prior substance use and 7% reported themselves as currently addicted to a substance. The analyses were conducted using the Hayes Process Macro for Moderation Analysis with two Moderators (i.e., Model 2), where the moderators were feelings of shame and impulse control. Regarding shame, analysis revealed that higher feelings of shame were more strongly associated with addictive behavior. On the other hand, surprisingly, high impulse control was more strongly associated with the severity of addiction. These findings were discussed within the context of repression and the Lacanian concept of jouissance. This perspective has the potential to deepen our understanding of the causes of addiction and provide valuable information for intervention studies on addiction.