“Physiological and Psychological dependence on a substance or practice” – is the medical definition of the term addiction. An addiction is an uncontrollably strong urge to do or have something, whether it be alcohol, drugs, gambling, sex, shopping. If these activities cause you, your friends and your loved ones heartache and trouble then you can ask yourself if you have an addiction. All of these addictions usually lead to depression in the abuser.
Addiction is in fact a hydra-headed meaning having many different facets or aspects to it. Medical research and studies would say that every individual to some extent has an addiction of some kind. People who will go to any lengths to satisfy their needs for a particular drug or activity are indeed addicted. Addictions can trigger mental problems such as bipolar and manic depression.
Generally there are two types of addiction. First there is the physical addiction, or physical dependence and psychological addiction. Usually when we call a person an addict it implicates that he is addicted to a drug or other activity whereby he or she is out of control and the addiction is causing a great deal of havoc in the lives of not only themselves but their loves ones also. There are those whom we would call highly functioning addicts, these people seem to be able to conduct their lives in a normal way despite the fact that they are addicted to certain substances or activities, nevertheless many of these people also find themselves becoming despairing and depressed at some point in their lives and will endeavor to seek help for their addictions.
Do I have an addiction?
If you recognize any of the following tendencies, you may well have an addiction:
Physical dependence:
- Physically dependent on an intoxicating substance or drug, you must have it every day and sometimes at all costs, regardless of the risks to your health.
- People who suffer from alcohol addiction are dipsomaniac, a historical term describing a medical condition involving an uncontrollable craving for alcohol.
- Dependence on tobacco or smoking – nicotine addiction, spending money that you need for food and living costs on tobacco.
Do you have an addiction – a test
Drug addiction literally means addiction to certain drugs. A drug addiction is an extreme state of addiction which results from a continuing use of the favored drug, for example cocaine, amphetamines, methamphetamine, opiates (heroin, morphine and codeine) and laxatives and drugs derived from narcotics. There is a debate over the idea that freely-sold substances like alcohol and nicotine should be classified as hard drugs, as the both are linked with high mortality rates.
Psychological addiction:
The term literally means getting psychologically addicted to certain things or practices. Sometimes there are people who are highly obsessed with practices like gambling, food, sex, pornography, computer, work, shopping, spending etc. Therefore as absurd as this may sound, there are people who actually do in suffer from gambling addiction, food addiction, sex addiction, porn addiction, computer addiction, work addiction, shopping addiction, and spending addiction respectively. People addicted to food consumption are highly preoccupied with overeating, this is also an addiction. These people are sometimes mockingly dubbed as “food alcoholic”. Narcissism is also a form of addiction.
Pseudo-addiction is the state in which a patient manifests drug-seeking behavior similar to psychological addiction; however, the patient experiences genuine pain or other symptoms in such cases. Normal behavior is resumed as soon as the pain has subsided.
The physical dependence on a substances such as drugs, nicotine, and alcohol can sadly often have dire results and frequently end in fatalities or chronic illness such as depression, hepatitis C, Aids, Hep B and severe liver or kidney damage.
An addiction in any form is the sign of an abnormality that requires treatment, the sooner the better. There is new evidence that addiction is a disease rather than a disorder, but even so it is treatable. There are numerous addiction help centers or rehabilitation centers providing addiction treatment, all over the world. Standard drug addiction treatment may include behavioral therapy, medication therapy, or a combination of both.
It is often times difficult to convince the addicted person to enter into treatment, it can take years for some addicts to admit that they have a problem, some may never accept treatment and many addicts will enter a rehabilitation unit many times in order to kick his addiction. Never give up on the addict, it can never be too late, be there when he or she asks for help.
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