What is addiction? What are its causes and symptoms that may accompany it? Is it possible to treat such cases? You can find the answers and more in this detailed article from Web Medicine.
Addiction: all the information that interests you
Addiction has become one of the common problems that we have heard a lot about recently, but without delving into its details, as some believe that it is limited only to the use of narcotic substances and prohibited substances, which is wrong, as it is a term that includes many life practices that we may not be aware of, and we will briefly address this topic in The following lines:
Addiction: what is it?
Addiction is known as a chronic and complex brain condition that may be linked to genes and the surrounding environment that characterize compulsive actions that continue to have severe consequences.
For a long time, this term was applied to the use of alcohol or types of drugs, but in recent years it has come to include several behaviors, including exercise and eating.
Addiction: symptoms
As for the initial symptoms and indicators of addiction, they include the following points
Facing difficulties in school as well as getting low grades.
Poor performance at work.
Significant changes in the outward appearance, such as: losing weight, or neglecting personal hygiene.
Loss of energy needed for daily activities.
Difficulty forming relationships.
Resorting to the defensive method when asking the person about drug use.
Inability to stop using addictive causes that lead to personal and health problems.
Addiction: causes
This problem occurs when practicing behaviors or taking substances that a kind of psychological and physical euphoria, which leads to frequent repetition of euphoria when needed, and with the passage of time it will become very difficult to get rid of these practices, and the following are the main reasons behind this happening:
1. The presence of disorders in the brain
The response of the brain varies from person to person, for example, some may experience a certain substance or behavior, but they are not affected by it or addicted to it, while others may get addicted to it easily, and this is partly due to the frontal lobes of the brain. In the normal situation, the frontal lobe may delay feelings of euphoria or gratification In the case of addiction, instant gratification.
There are also other areas of the brain that may have an effect as well. The nucleus accumbens and the anterior cingulate cortex are associated with a sense of pleasure, which increases the response when exposed to the causes of addiction. In addition, a chemical disorder in the brain such as schizophrenia may be involved. Bipolar or schizophrenia can cause this problem.
2. Early and repeated exposure to addictive causes
Early and repeated exposure to addictive triggers is thought to play an important role in promoting injury.
It is worth noting that genetic factors also raise the risk of infection by about 50%, and cultural and environmental factors affect the way to respond to this problem.
Addiction: risk factors
The following are factors that may increase the risk of infection:
Suffering from problems of discrimination and persecution.
sexual, physical or emotional abuse.
Social discrimination because of race or gender.
Friendship with addicts.
Poverty and the necessary need that may not be met due to the inability to do so.
Family problems dominated by tension and anxiety.
Having an addicted family member.
Addiction: treatment
Medical progress has positively affected the treatment of addiction, and some of the treatment methods that the doctor resorts to, depending on the case, may include the following:
Behavioral therapy and counseling.
Pharmacotherapy.
Psychotherapy, which includes treatment of underlying psychological problems such as depression.
Control of withdrawal symptoms.
Continuing care to lower the risk of relapse.
Individual, family and community support.
