The term addiction is often used quickly. But when is one addicted and what can you do then?
Addiction is not a problem of a few weak-willed people, addiction can affect anyone.
Addiction is a disease
Addiction is a disease that affects both the body and the psyche. There are a number of features that characterise addictive behaviours. The characteristics help both experts to recognise addictions and everyone themselves to assess whether their behaviour is already addictive or not.
Characteristics of addiction
- Loss of control
This means that one cans no longer stop. It does not matter whether it is about the consumption of an addictive substance or about certain behaviour. Loss of control therefore means that one can no longer control one’s own behaviour.
- Development of tolerance
The development of tolerance means that the effect of an addictive substance decreases with continued use, as the body becomes more and more accustomed to it, i.e. tolerates it. In order to achieve the same effect, the dose must then be increased again and again to achieve the desired effect.
For example, if someone drinks alcohol to forget his sorrow, he will have to drink more and more alcohol as he continues to drink in order to achieve the same effect.
- Psychological and physical dependence
Psychological dependence is characteristic of addiction, although with many addictive substances there is also a physical (= bodily) dependence.
Physical dependence means that when a substance is discontinued, physical withdrawal symptoms occur, e.g. heavy sweating, nausea, cramps, etc.
Psychological dependence, on the other hand, describes the mental signs of dependence. Simply described, psychological dependence means that one only feels good after taking a substance or performing an action and everything simply revolves around the addiction.
The characteristics mentioned above appear in different forms in different addictions.
Addicted to what?
When we think of addiction, many people automatically think of certain substances that can be ingested. E.g. drugs, alcohol, medication.
But addiction is not always linked to addictive substances.
A distinction is made between substance-related addictions and non-substance-related addictions.
Substance-related addictions
In the case of substance-related addictions, there is a dependence on a substance. Something is consumed. A further distinction must be made between legal and illegal addictive substances. Examples of legal (i.e. permitted by law) addictive substances are alcohol and nicotine. Illegal addictive substances (prohibited by law) include e.g. heroin, cocaine, cannabis, LSD, ecstasy.
Non-substance-related addictions
Every human behavior can become an addiction. Even though this may sound strange to you now.
The term “non-substance-related addictions” covers all addictions in which there is a dependence on certain actions. Examples are gambling addiction, shopping addiction and internet addiction.
Development of addictions
The development of addictions is very difficult to describe, because the paths to addiction are very different. However, it is not the case, as some people think, that an addiction develops from one day to the next. That is, that you take a substance once and are immediately addicted. However, there are some hard drugs that are addictive after the first use, such as heroin. Often the path to addiction follows the following steps:
Pleasure:
In the beginning, there is usually pleasure. This means that a substance or a behaviour is consumed or carried out in a proper measure. E.g. drinking a glass of champagne to celebrate with friends or going shopping with friends simply because you feel like it.
Abuse:
Misuse means that one no longer uses a means or behaviour according to its purpose, but as a way of evading it. E.g. to relieve one’s anger or simply to distract oneself. Examples of this would be going shopping because you have just been angry with a friend or drinking alcohol because you don’t want to think about your heartbreak.
Don’t be alarmed if you recognise yourself in this, because all of us “abuse” a substance or behaviour at some point, for example to comfort ourselves. And that is quite normal. You should worry when it becomes a habit.
Habituation:
Habituation is when the abuse is done on a regular basis. When the abuse of a substance or behaviour is already quite normal. For example, you automatically drink a glass of wine every evening or go shopping whenever you want to be in a better mood.
Dependence:
Dependence means that the substance or behaviour becomes necessary to cope with life. E.g. you can’t go out without drinking alcohol, you can’t watch TV without drinking alcohol, and you have to go shopping to feel good.
Addiction:
Addiction is when the addictive substance or behaviour is at the centre of one’s life. Everything revolves around the addiction. All other things in life that was important before fade into the background. For example, you can no longer live without alcohol, you don’t think about anything else, or your thoughts only revolve around shopping, it has not been about treating yourself to something nice for a long time, but only about the feeling of buying something.
As mentioned before, this development doesn’t just happen from one day to the next and not everyone who abuses something once will become an addict in any case. In terms of development, each stage is a prerequisite for the next. The fact is that the development from pleasure to addiction is often easy and fast, but the path in the other direction is very slow and difficult.
Find more about addiction here
For further help and support — Speak with a licensed therapist today.