Addiction, a volitional disorder.

 In a current scenario where therapeutic approaches focus on the damage caused by substance use dysfunction and/or behaviors, there is a lack of psychopathological elements that undermine the importance of the individual's subjective experience. In order to enrich discussions about psychopathology in addiction, volition is proposed as a central element, which gives it structure and uniqueness for four main reasons to be discussed. 1) Impulsivity is widely reported as a common manifestation in addicts, being considered an alteration of the volitional process. 2) Volition is a central point in the literature of many classic authors, from philosophy to psychoanalysis. 3) The neurobiological basis of the brain reward system helps us understand altered volition. 4) The main complaint that we encounter daily in health services: the inability to deal with the desire to consume the substance despite suffering serious harm.
 Following a phenomenological perspective that considers the ''primacy of form over content'' (Jaspers, 1913, p. 157) and which remains a guiding premise emphasized by current authors such as Josef Parnas, Zahavi and Stanguellini, it is necessary to observe the form just as we do with the course in volitional processes and with the content, the object of the will.Through the report of four cases, two of which were related to substance use and the other two to behavioral addiction, we evaluated volition trying to understand its structure, its changes and clinical correlations.
 It was noticed that addicts share changes in the form of volition, and that the qualitative and quantitative classifications, commonly used, are insufficient to describe them. By giving more importance to volition in the assessment of addicted patients, it is possible to notice more subtle destabilizations of the condition and, sometimes, anticipate relapses or periods of more harmful use, as well as risky behaviors.
A better understanding of the psychopathology of addiction is not a descriptive whim but a useful tool to support clinical practices, stage the disease and define management.