The opponent process theory is a theory of emotional and motivational states that may explain the psychological factors behind addiction

The opponent process theory is a theory of emotional and motivational states that may explain the psychological factors behind addiction. Proposed by psychologist Richard Solomon, the theory pairs emotions as opposites, for example:

• Happiness and sadness
• Fear and relief 
• Pleasure and pain

According to the theory, when you experience one emotion, the other is temporarily inhibited. With repeated stimulus, the initial emotion becomes weaker, and the opposing emotion intensifies. The second emotion is likely to suppress the first emotion.

5 examples of opponent process theory

1. Example 1: You may be apprehensive about trying out an adventure sport, such as skydiving. However, after your first experience, you feel exhilarated. The more you engage in the sport, the more the initial fear gets suppressed to the opposing reaction of relief and exhilaration.
2. Example 2: As pain alleviates, negative feelings start to subside, and positive feelings arise. This is associated with non-suicidal self-injury and suicide attempts in adolescents and college students. One study found that while initially the participants attempted suicide to escape their pain, after repeatedly attempting suicide, their original reason for wanting to commit suicide (to remove pain) became overshadowed by being unafraid of death.
3. Example 3: Emergency room doctors often experience extreme levels of stress and adrenaline. With time, however, the rush of adrenaline may drive them to perform better instead of being stressed out.
4. Example 4: In a new relationship, a couple may initially embrace each other’s imperfections, but over time, they might find these imperfections less appealing.
5. Example 5: People who find horror movies shocking and disturbing may start to enjoy them after watching them more and more.

How is opponent process theory related to addiction?

Solomon’s opponent process theory may explain the factors behind addiction. The initial response to an event may not necessarily be long-term behavioral tendencies related to that event. 

Initially, when a person takes drugs, they may experience pleasure followed by a negative experience. However, after taking drugs a few times, the positive effects of drugs may diminish and withdrawal symptoms may increase. The person then takes drugs to avoid withdrawal symptoms.

Activities that initially cause negative emotional states such as fear or anxiety (such as parachuting) may gradually become addicting because the positive emotional states that arise afterwards create a rewarding effect. Thus, the opponent process theory helps explain the psychological factors that contribute to a tendency toward addictive habits or addictive behavior.