Addiction – types of addiction, treatment, prognosis [EXPLAINED]

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Nowadays, almost anything can be an addiction and addictive behavior. The most common addictions include: alcoholism, nicotinism, workaholism, drug addiction, drug addiction, workaholism, sex addiction, gambling and eating disorders. Addictions have a destructive effect on human life. Breaking free from addiction is very difficult, although there are many ways to recover from them. Psychotherapy is common, but also detoxification and pharmacological treatment are used.

Tolerance can occur simultaneously. A person may be addicted to more than one remedy.

The diagnostic criteria for addiction according to ICD-10 (International Classification of Diseases) include the following symptoms and behaviors:

1. a strong desire to take a substance or a feeling of compulsion to take it,
2. difficulty controlling substance use behavior – start, end or amount,
3. physiological withdrawal symptoms, occurring after discontinuing or reducing the amount of the substance taken, in the form of a substance-specific withdrawal syndrome, or the use of the same or a similar substance to reduce the severity or avoid withdrawal symptoms,
4. statement of tolerance,
5. increasing neglect of alternative sources of pleasure or interests,
6. increased amount of time spent on acquiring or consuming a substance, or reversing the effects of its action,
7. taking substances despite evidence and knowledge of its harmful somatic, psychological and social consequences.

Also read: Can you become addicted to nasal drops?

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Addiction – mental, physical, social, behavioral

There are three key types of addiction: mental, physical and social. Recently, there has also been talk of behavioral addiction, i.e. addiction to activities.

Mental addiction – it is based on the fact that the addictive substances cause strong, quick emotional gratifications. This type of addiction arises as a result of an interaction between the substance consumed, the person taking it, and the context in which the interaction takes place.

Physical (physiological) dependence – results from the effect of the agent on the metabolic processes of the body. The manifestation of physical dependence is the occurrence of withdrawal symptoms that occur after discontinuing the intoxication state. The clinical picture of these symptoms depends on the type of agent, period of use, dose and psychological variables such as individual expectations. Not all agents are physically addictive, and agents that produce them have different abilities to (physically) make the body addictive.

When it comes to physical dependence, it can manifest itself in both physical and mental symptoms. These symptoms occur because of changes in the brain and central nervous system that result from chronic substance abuse. If it becomes physically dependent, the following symptoms may appear:

1. memory loss,
2. mood swings,
3. depression,
4. irritability,
5. headaches,
6. seizures
7. nausea,
8. vomiting,
9. confusion,
10. dyspnoea,
11. dry mouth
12. dilated pupils,
13. feeling pain
14. changes in heart rate
15. changes in blood pressure.

Social addiction it is related to the willingness of individuals to belong to social groups that consider the use of psychoactive substances as a moral norm and an integrating element. Such behavior is characteristic mainly of subcultural groups and informal peer groups. We also meet them in organized crime groups.

Behavioral addiction – it is a dependence on the performance of a given activity or on given drives. Behavioral addictions mainly include addiction to:

1. computer games,
2. internet,
3. gambling
4. food,
5. shopping,
6. work,
7. mobile phone,
8. sex,
9. payment cards,
10. mass media.

If you want to know more about behavioral addiction read: Behavioral addictions – what do they mean?

Addiction are also behaviors, activities that the person cannot control. This group includes: gambling, work, shopping, using the Internet and playing computer games, TV, eating, and sexual addiction.

1. See: The World Health Organization is alarming – porn addiction is a disease!

Addiction to love – according to a study published in the Journal of Neurophysiology, the cycle of emotions triggered by love – the shift between ecstasy and desperation or longing and harmful actions in the name of losing love – clearly resemble the emotions we associate with ‘conventional’ addictions.

In fact, the similarities are so striking that many scientists now believe both love and drug addiction rely on similar – if not completely identical – psychological, chemical and neuroanatomical processes,

Addiction to plastic surgery – addiction to plastic surgery (mainly on the use of Botox) is caused by not accepting oneself and striving to obtain a perfect appearance. Both men and women who compulsively go under the knife are obsessed with body modification. Moreover, there are few medical and medical regulations limiting the number of plastic surgery procedures. Addicts can undergo 100 surgeries and that will never be enough … just as an addict will never get enough drugs,

Addiction to shopping (shopaholism) – shopping addiction is characterized by excessive time spent and every money spent on shopping. In addition, there are lies about the amount of money spent and purchases and their hiding,

Shopping addicts feel a strong euphoria related to buying new, new things. This is similar to the situation where the person with a substance abuse problem uses the drug of choice. Shopaholism also creates feelings of helplessness, emptiness, anger, depression, and an urgent need to establish a sense of control. When you are addicted to shopping, you buy frivolous things and feel extremely guilty afterwards.

Addiction to computer games – this form of addiction mainly affects young people who have no way to spend their free time. The main symptoms are: spending many hours of time playing a computer game and lying to loved ones about its amount, neglecting duties, devoting only to the game, obsessive thinking about the game, irritation and anger in the absence of access to the game,

Addiction to smartphones (phono addiction) – that is, addiction to a mobile phone is born when the bond that connects the user with the device goes far beyond mere interest. The main symptoms are: not leaving the phone for a while, panic symptoms, when the phone stops working or when you leave it somewhere, the phone becomes an intermediary and a tool in everyday contacts with other people, social media replace real face-to-face contact, feeling an internal compulsion to constantly contact someone by phone, very frequent writing of messages – even those unimportant, trivial – on instant messaging,

Addiction to exercise Exercising rigorously is one of the best ways your brain releases endorphins – the same neurochemicals released by drugs and alcohol. The resulting enhancement of endorphins makes you feel like you are on top of the world – also known as the runner’s top.

Research from the Brazilian University of Sao Paulo has found that 10% of high-performance runners and 10% of bodybuilders are addicted to exercise. Addicts typically exercise for more than two hours a day, and many quit work or school to exercise.

Addiction to social media – Facebook addiction or Instagram addiction becomes dangerous when the symptoms clearly indicate a behavioral addiction, including:

1. lack of appetite, lack of sleep,
2. loss of control over time spent on the Internet,
3. feeling of lack, anxiety, irritation and emptiness when using the Internet becomes impossible,
4. lack of time for family and friends and neglect of duties,
5. feeling of disappointment, anger when the published content does not gain popularity among friends / observers.

There are also:

1. tanorexia (addiction to sunbathing, mainly in the solarium),
2. orthorexia (excessive concentration on healthy eating),
3. bigorexia (excessive care for your own figure, by undertaking physical exercise, a high-protein diet, the use of anabolic steroids),
4. alcoholorexia nervosa (replacing food with alcohol to maintain a slim figure).

Addiction treatment

Addiction treatment is a difficult matter. Each of us is different and needs different stimuli. Therefore, there is no universal method of treating addiction. The aforementioned therapy is often used. However, it all depends on whether the addict wants to fix and change his life.

Therefore, the first step in trying to heal yourself is admitting to yourself that you have a problem and that you want to change it. This is very important because without this attitude, no treatment method makes much sense. If the patient is forced, for example by a family member, to go to therapy, and he does not understand his problem, the treatment will be apparent. Therapy is an opportunity to restore harmony in the addict’s life. However, you need to be honest with yourself and others for this to happen.

1. See New Treatments for Cocaine Addiction

Read: What Is Alcoholism Treatment

Suddenly the alcoholic has to get used to the fact that after returning from work, he no longer pours whiskey into a glass and drinks it all at once. Recovery is a process that requires addictive thinking and putting your whole life in order. Such a person has to learn new reflexes, be born a second time. An addict, however, must remember that the most important and first thing is to be honest with himself, admit the problem and face it.

In cleansing the body of toxins will help Stop Addiction – the Panaseus dietary supplement, which additionally improves the well-being and protects against the harmful effects of free radicals.

See: Addiction treatment – how to deal with yourself and the world?

Alcoholism – the most common addiction of the XNUMXst century

Alcoholism is one of the most common problems in the modern world. According to the definition of the World Health Organization, it is any type of drinking that exceeds traditional and customary consumption, or is beyond the scope of customary, community-wide, social drinking, regardless of the factors that lead to it. It is commonly said that this is a loss of control over alcohol consumption, which can lead to death. Alcoholism is also a primary disease, which means that it underlies many other somatic and mental illnesses.

The onset of alcoholism is difficult to diagnose. The line between social drinking and sick drinking is very fluid. This is due to many factors, as well as the fact that each of us reacts to alcohol differently.

Factors that predispose to developing alcoholism include:

1. genetic factors,
2. early alcohol initiation,
3. home alcoholism – when one or both parents have used alcohol excessively
4. geographical zone and religious factor,
5. the younger a person is, the faster alcoholism develops, the development of the disease depends on age.

The following phases of alcohol dependence are distinguished:

preliminary phase – pre-alcoholic:

1. drinking to maintain balance
2. there is a mental addiction,
3. increase in alcohol tolerance,
4. as a rule, he does not get drunk and has control over his drinking,

warning phase – teaser:

1. there are gaps in the biography,
2. increased concentration on alcohol,
3. drinking alcohol alone,
4. avoiding talking about drinking alcohol,
5. organizing drinking opportunities,
6. feeling guilty about overusing alcohol
7. experiencing the symptoms of a “heavy hangover”,
8. memory impairment,

critical phase – acute:

1. symptoms of alcohol craving,
2. loss of control over the amount of alcohol consumed,
3. making excuses,
4. blaming the environment and reacting with aggression to the environment,
5. neglecting family, work,
6. the accumulation of alcohol,
7. constant replenishment of the alcohol level in the body,
8. concentration of life around drinking alcohol,
9. decreased sex drive,
10. family neglect,

chronic-chronic phase:

1. periods of multi-day drinking “Drinking sequences”,
2. lack of moral principles,
3. decrease in alcohol tolerance,
4. the presence of all the symptoms of addiction,
5. seizures
6. psychosis, memory impairment,
7. the alcoholic is marginalized in society.

Alcohol dependence – health consequences

Excessive consumption of alcohol has many health, social, family and professional consequences. Health effects include disorders of:

1. cardiovascular system – hypertension, stroke, heart failure, myocardial infarction, cardiac arrhythmias, coronary artery disease, numerous damage to the heart muscle, enlargement of the heart and adipose tissue build-up,
2. digestive system – irritation of the oral mucosa, erosion, gastrointestinal varices, gastric ulceration, nausea, nausea, heartburn, diarrhea, stimulates the production of digestive enzymes, destroys the mucosa lining the stomach, gastroesophageal reflux disease,
3. pancreas – chronic pancreatitis, pancreatic cancer,
4. liver – steatosis, inflammation, liver fibrosis, liver failure, cirrhosis, liver cancer
5. intestines – destroys the protective layer of the digestive tract, ulcers, tumors,
6. respiratory system – chronic inflammation of the tracheal and bronchial mucosa, which in turn leads to the destruction of cilia and mucous glands. The consequence of this is an increased susceptibility to infections of the upper respiratory tract,
7. urinary system – increase in the level of uric acid in the blood, acute kidney failure,
8. endocrine system – abnormal secretion of the hormones: testosterone and luteotropin, decreased sperm motility, potency disorders, menstrual disorders, infertility, abnormal secretion of thyroid hormones,
9. cancer – cancer of the liver, throat, larynx, esophagus, breast and nipple cancer in women,
10. skin – skin changes, faster aging, yellowish skin color.

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