Harnessing Addiction: A Neuropsychological Framework for Rechanneling Compulsive Drive Toward Positive Outcomes

This paper explores addiction not merely as a pathology, but as a redirection of an adaptive neuropsychological system. By analyzing the dopaminergic circuits involved in motivation, learning, and reward, the study proposes a framework to rechannel compulsive behavior toward prosocial and goal-oriented outcomes. It bridges neuroscience, psychology, and ethics to suggest that understanding addiction through its underlying mechanisms offers new pathways for intervention and transformation. Keywords: Addiction, Dopamine, Neuropsychology, Motivation, Compulsion, Reward System, Behavioral Therapy