Addictions
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The basics...
An addiction is a complex illness with physical and psychological symptoms, affecting not
only the patient, but their family, friends and social environment too. The way to recovery is
long and painful and there's always the danger of relapsing. An estimated 2 million people in
the UK have an addiction, yet it remains a taboo subject.
There are a lot of misconceptions and a fair bit of uncertainty about the nature of addictions,
how they're caused, what course they follow and how best to treat them. This section will
shine some light on the key issues.
Impossible to control
If you ask anyone what an addiction is, they'll probably say it's being unable to stop using a
substance, for example an illegal drug such as heroin, or maybe alcohol.
Did you know...?
More than 1,000 children under 15 in England and Wales are taken into casualty with
alcohol poisoning every year in England and Wales.
Perhaps the best example is cigarette smoking. Anyone who has ever smoked will recognise
the strong sense of compulsion to light up, particularly in situations where this is not allowed,
such as in an aeroplane.
These aspects of addiction have a physiological basis related to how the substance acts on
the brain and a psychological aspect relating to the reasons for taking the substance (such as
smoking to improve concentration).
Addictions and addictive behaviours
Popular conceptions of addiction do not stop at drugs and alcohol. People can become
overly attached to gambling, chocolate, computer games - even using the Internet. These
non-drug addictive behaviours are similar in that the person has a lack of control over their
behaviour.
There are popular and professional definitions of addiction. In everyday language, we think
of someone who is addicted to something as having what could be called an unhealthy habit.
How does addiction affect people's minds?
Addiction usually disturbs a person's perceptions and attitudes and can disrupt their
personality. This is not just because substances such as alcohol, nicotine, cocaine, heroin
and Valium interfere with the natural chemistry of the brain. The experience of addiction has
an effect on a person's thinking and feeling, as well as the related behaviours.
An addiction such as smoking doesn't have the same harmful social consequences as
relationships with other substances do, and the psychological impact isn't so marked.
How consuming is addiction?
People can die from addiction
It's important to remember that people can die from addiction. This can be suddenly - as
from an overdose of heroin - or slowly, for example, from cancer in later years brought on by
smoking. Some addictions, such as gambling, don't involve substances although such
behaviours work in a manipulative partnership with the brain's own chemistry.
How severely people are affected psychologically depends on their mental health before
becoming addicted and the ongoing circumstances of their lives. For instance, if you're
unemployed, homeless and physically unwell, your psychological health is likely to suffer
more than if you've a home, a job and a supportive family. If the drug, say alcohol, is
particularly damaging to the brain, long term psychological harm may result. When brain
damage occurs it may not be repairable.
Does everyone have the same experience?
Not everyone who becomes addicted has the same experience. However, there are certain
psychological symptoms that most addicted people suffer sooner or later, either all at once or
in clusters. People may begin to look for treatment when these start to become severe. They
may become severe because of the growing impact of the addiction's harmful consequences
in their lives.
Psychological effects
What happens when food (or whatever the addiction) becomes your salvation and then your
enemy? The psychological effects of addiction can be divided into those that relate to
feeling and those that relate to thinking.
These thoughts and feelings may bear a close relationship with addictive behaviours that can
result from, and/or lead to, the thoughts and feelings.
For instance, an addicted person may avoid others. This leads to a feeling of isolation. He
may also feel ashamed of feeling unable to cope, and of the addiction that's causing this. To
deal with the feeling, he takes more of the drug. His relationship with the drug excludes
people, so people avoid him. The result is increased isolation - a vicious circle.
It's important to realise that the psychological effects of addiction aren't only experienced by
the person who misuses alcohol and/or drugs, but also by those who are personally involved
with them, such as families, friends, colleagues.
This article was last medically reviewed by Dr Rob Hicks in November 2005.
First published in May 2001.
Getting help:
There are many forms of help, in the first instance it is always best to speak to your GP or Drug
Counsellor. However the following therapies have been known to help ease the addiction
and in many case help people give up all together:
These therapies can help with the following addictions:
Booking:
To book an appointment click here
Prices:
Click Here
More information:
More information can be found at BBC - One Life
An addiction is a complex illness with physical and psychological symptoms, affecting not
only the patient, but their family, friends and social environment too. The way to recovery is
long and painful and there's always the danger of relapsing. An estimated 2 million people in
the UK have an addiction, yet it remains a taboo subject.
There are a lot of misconceptions and a fair bit of uncertainty about the nature of addictions,
how they're caused, what course they follow and how best to treat them. This section will
shine some light on the key issues.
Impossible to control
If you ask anyone what an addiction is, they'll probably say it's being unable to stop using a
substance, for example an illegal drug such as heroin, or maybe alcohol.
Did you know...?
More than 1,000 children under 15 in England and Wales are taken into casualty with
alcohol poisoning every year in England and Wales.
Perhaps the best example is cigarette smoking. Anyone who has ever smoked will recognise
the strong sense of compulsion to light up, particularly in situations where this is not allowed,
such as in an aeroplane.
These aspects of addiction have a physiological basis related to how the substance acts on
the brain and a psychological aspect relating to the reasons for taking the substance (such as
smoking to improve concentration).
Addictions and addictive behaviours
Popular conceptions of addiction do not stop at drugs and alcohol. People can become
overly attached to gambling, chocolate, computer games - even using the Internet. These
non-drug addictive behaviours are similar in that the person has a lack of control over their
behaviour.
There are popular and professional definitions of addiction. In everyday language, we think
of someone who is addicted to something as having what could be called an unhealthy habit.
How does addiction affect people's minds?
Addiction usually disturbs a person's perceptions and attitudes and can disrupt their
personality. This is not just because substances such as alcohol, nicotine, cocaine, heroin
and Valium interfere with the natural chemistry of the brain. The experience of addiction has
an effect on a person's thinking and feeling, as well as the related behaviours.
An addiction such as smoking doesn't have the same harmful social consequences as
relationships with other substances do, and the psychological impact isn't so marked.
How consuming is addiction?
People can die from addiction
It's important to remember that people can die from addiction. This can be suddenly - as
from an overdose of heroin - or slowly, for example, from cancer in later years brought on by
smoking. Some addictions, such as gambling, don't involve substances although such
behaviours work in a manipulative partnership with the brain's own chemistry.
How severely people are affected psychologically depends on their mental health before
becoming addicted and the ongoing circumstances of their lives. For instance, if you're
unemployed, homeless and physically unwell, your psychological health is likely to suffer
more than if you've a home, a job and a supportive family. If the drug, say alcohol, is
particularly damaging to the brain, long term psychological harm may result. When brain
damage occurs it may not be repairable.
Does everyone have the same experience?
Not everyone who becomes addicted has the same experience. However, there are certain
psychological symptoms that most addicted people suffer sooner or later, either all at once or
in clusters. People may begin to look for treatment when these start to become severe. They
may become severe because of the growing impact of the addiction's harmful consequences
in their lives.
Psychological effects
What happens when food (or whatever the addiction) becomes your salvation and then your
enemy? The psychological effects of addiction can be divided into those that relate to
feeling and those that relate to thinking.
These thoughts and feelings may bear a close relationship with addictive behaviours that can
result from, and/or lead to, the thoughts and feelings.
For instance, an addicted person may avoid others. This leads to a feeling of isolation. He
may also feel ashamed of feeling unable to cope, and of the addiction that's causing this. To
deal with the feeling, he takes more of the drug. His relationship with the drug excludes
people, so people avoid him. The result is increased isolation - a vicious circle.
It's important to realise that the psychological effects of addiction aren't only experienced by
the person who misuses alcohol and/or drugs, but also by those who are personally involved
with them, such as families, friends, colleagues.
This article was last medically reviewed by Dr Rob Hicks in November 2005.
First published in May 2001.
Getting help:
There are many forms of help, in the first instance it is always best to speak to your GP or Drug
Counsellor. However the following therapies have been known to help ease the addiction
and in many case help people give up all together:
These therapies can help with the following addictions:
- Alcohol
- Chocolate
- Drugs
- Sex
- Shopping
- Smoking
Booking:
To book an appointment click here
Prices:
Click Here
More information:
More information can be found at BBC - One Life
