Addiction

What is Addiction?

In medical terms, addiction refers to a repetitive compulsive behavior that continues despite the individual knowing the potential negative consequences. Individuals with addiction typically experience the following:

Inability to distance themselves from the addictive substance or stop the addictive behavior.
Lack of self-control, with a strong craving for the addictive substance or behavior.
Increasing cravings for the addictive substance or behavior, requiring more of it to achieve the same level of satisfaction.
Negative emotional and physiological reactions when attempting to reduce or stop the addictive substance or behavior.

Various studies indicate that addiction problems have negative impacts on individuals, families, work, and society, including mental health issues, declining work and academic performance, and debt problems. Without appropriate treatment, addictive behaviors typically worsen over time, with severe cases potentially leading to mental breakdowns, suicide, or harm to others.

Alcohol and Health Questionnaire

Types of Addiction

Addiction can be mainly categorized into substance addiction and behavioral addiction.

Substance Addiction

Drugs: Heroin, marijuana, cocaine, ketamine, cough syrup, amphetamines, etc.
Alcohol (alcoholism)
Tobacco (smoking)

Behavioral Addiction

Pathological Gambling
Compulsive Shopping
Internet Addiction

1a) Drug Addiction

Drug addiction, also known as substance use disorder, involves the compulsive use of illegal drugs or the misuse of prescription medications. Individuals may develop a tolerance, requiring more of the substance to achieve the same effects, and may experience withdrawal symptoms when not using the drug. This type of addiction can lead to significant health issues, relationship problems, and legal troubles. Treatment often requires a combination of medical intervention, counseling, and support groups.

1b) Alcohol Dependence

Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant. In small amounts, it can have a calming effect on the brain, leading to feelings of relaxation. At the same time, alcohol stimulates the release of dopamine, creating a pleasurable sensation. However, this feeling of pleasure and relaxation can easily lead to increased consumption, resulting in one drink after another. The effects of alcohol on the body can become increasingly severe, leading to confusion, lethargy, and even inappropriate behavior or accidents. Regular drinking can escalate to alcoholism.

Four Common Signs of Alcoholism:

Strong cravings: A persistent need and desire for alcohol.
Loss of control: Inability to stop drinking once you start.
Tolerance: Gradually needing to consume more alcohol to achieve the desired effects.
Withdrawal symptoms: Experiencing symptoms such as nausea, tremors, and anxiety when not drinking.

Long-term alcohol consumption can decrease serotonin and norepinephrine levels in the body while also stimulating the release of stress hormones. This chemical imbalance can make individuals more susceptible to depression and other emotional disturbances. Chronic drinking may also impair cognitive functions, leading to declines in memory, learning ability, and judgment. In some cases, excessive drinking can lead to early signs of dementia. Even individuals who do not exhibit severe physical issues may frequently find themselves injured due to loss of control while intoxicated or involved in criminal activities (such as drinking and driving).

2a) Pathological Gambling

Pathological gambling refers to a state in which an individual’s gambling behavior becomes uncontrollable. Common gambling activities include horse racing, sports betting, casinos, and gambling boats. Pathological gambling typically exhibits the following symptoms:

Frequently gambling or thinking about gambling, with anxiety or restlessness when not gambling or when gambling less.
Gradually increasing the amount of money bet to enhance the thrill.
Pursuing losses in an attempt to recover money, resulting in significant financial losses and severe debt.
Fraudulently borrowing money from family and friends and deliberately concealing the frequency and amounts spent on gambling.
Repeatedly trying to control, reduce, or stop gambling but failing.
The gambling behavior negatively impacts family relationships, finances, work, emotions, and physical health.

2b) Compulsive Shopping

Most people shop with purpose and planning to meet daily needs or for affordable luxuries. Compulsive shopping refers to a state where an individual is dominated by the urge to buy, making it hard to resist impulsive spending, driven more by psychological needs than actual needs. Common characteristics of compulsive shopping include:

Enjoying shopping alone.
Purchasing items that are often unnecessary.
Feeling euphoric and lost in the moment while shopping.
Experiencing impulsive spending, especially when feeling negative emotions such as unhappiness, disappointment, or anger.
Feeling guilt after shopping, knowing the spending exceeds personal financial limits but still finding it hard to stop.
Hiding shopping habits and amounts from others, borrowing money fraudulently from family and friends, leading to loss of trust and potential relationship breakdowns.

2c) Internet Addiction

The widespread use of the Internet and computers has made life more convenient, but excessive Internet use (averaging six or more continuous hours daily) can lead to addiction. Internet addiction generally refers to excessive use of the Internet, where individuals spend large amounts of time online even when it is not necessary; they lose interest in other activities, negatively affecting personal, family, academic, or work life. Symptoms of internet addiction include:

A strong craving or impulse to use the Internet.
Anxiety or restlessness when reducing or stopping Internet use.
Continuously increasing the time spent online and the level of engagement to achieve satisfaction.
Difficulty controlling the amount of time spent online.
Reducing or giving up other interests, entertainment, or social activities due to excessive Internet use.

Addiction Treatment Methods

Both medication and psychotherapy (cognitive-behavioral therapy) can effectively improve addictive behaviors.

Medication helps patients reduce their impulses toward the addictive substance or behavior.
Psychotherapy assists patients in positively addressing the issues related to their addiction.

Early detection and intervention are crucial for better control of the condition, and relapse prevention is an important component of psychotherapy.

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