subject: The Evil Beast Of Addiction [print this page] Most of the people I know have one addiction or another. Whether it is an addiction to cigarettes, food or alcohol they all fall into basically the same category. I have an extremely addictive personality. When I give up one addiction I tend to pick up another to replace it. Therefore, I try to pick the least harmful (and legal) things as my addictions.
When somebody is addicted their body depends on an activity or substance in order to keep functioning normally. Depending on what the addiction is the body becomes either physically or psychologically dependent on the activity or substance that is being used. The medical community widely agrees that addiction is a disease. Anxiety and mood disorders often work hand in hand with addiction.
If a person is highly addicted to a situation or substance then they will experience withdrawal symptoms when they are separated. This normally causes symptoms that are both physical and psychological in nature.
Before the addiction occurs a person simply uses a substance for pleasure. A situational addiction works in exactly the same way. A person will get themselves into a situation that is pleasurable to fulfill certain needs. After a certain length of time the goal is to relieve the anxiety that is created from not having the particular addictive substance or situation. This is where the whole cycle of using substances and situations compulsively.
One person will be different from the next when it comes to the level and how quickly an addiction leads to compulsive behavior. This is all dependent on an individual's psychological makeup and genes. Psychological dependence occurs when the mind is dependent on a substance or situation. There are very real symptoms that occur when somebody gives up a substance. These include: cravings for food, insomnia, depression and shaking. Some of the signs you might notice an addicted person showing are: hostility, poor self esteem, fear of crowds and social phobia. Once addiction has a full grip on someone the brain is unable to send a signal telling them to stop using.
If you know somebody who is trying to get off of a serious drug addiction then you need to be sure they are extremely careful. Withdrawal symptoms can be so severe that they can lead to permanent physical damage or death. Withdrawal should not be taken lightly. There are many programs available that are specifically designed to help people get off of drugs and back to a productive and healthy life.
