By addiction, doctors mean an attraction to any psychoactive substance (PAS). In a situation where an obsessive desire to take another dose to obtain certain sensations is formed, we are talking about a mental type of addiction. The physical form implies a craving for the drug against the background of discontinuation of its use and the development of withdrawal symptoms (withdrawal syndrome). The condition requires medication. Recently, attachment to gambling and information technologies (social networks, Internet, computer games) has been highlighted. In all the described cases, addiction treatment is necessary, which is carried out by drug treatment specialists.
Why do different types of addictions develop?
The mechanisms of occurrence of mental and/or physical attachment are different.
They depend on:
- gender and age of the patient;
- characteristics of character traits and temperament;
- type of psychoactive substance or other subject (game, technology) that causes addiction.
The mental component of subordination is formed on the basis of:
Desires to repeat euphoria, pleasant sensations obtained when taking surfactants, or participating in any activity.- Obvious discomfort that develops in the absence of euphoric manifestations.
- A formed pathological habit, the gradual formation of a stable conditioned reflex, which, under certain conditions, makes you think about receiving familiar pleasures and desire their repetition.
Mental subordination can be permanent or temporary. The strength of desire varies from mild to medium and severe. A person in its power can control himself fully or partially, and sometimes even lose power over himself. Without treatment for addiction, he quickly degenerates and becomes a slave to his desires.
The formation of the physical component is due to:
- A complex of neuroenzymatic disorders. An overabundance of some and a lack of others of mediators and hormones of the nervous system. These malfunctions cause severe disturbances in the functioning of internal organs and the nervous system. They give pronounced withdrawal symptoms.
- The desire to remove these pathological disruptions with another dose of the drug.
What happens when you stop taking medications?
A person may experience negative health after stopping antidepressants, manifested in apathy, depression or aggression. The patient’s worldview is completely dependent on the use of medications. When stopping taking medications, a person feels:
- erroneous feeling that life is getting worse;
- he is overcome by a stressful state;
- headaches and desire to increase the dosage of the medicine;
- psychological disorientation occurs;
- a state of helplessness arises.
However, if you do not stop using them and tranquilizers, the chances of getting rid of addiction are sharply reduced. The reason is that such drugs provoke irreversible processes in the nervous system and brain activity, affecting their functionality.
Manifestations of addiction
The initial forms of desire are defined in narcology as the primary form of need. In this case, the patient is overcome by a strong desire to take drugs, alcohol, tobacco, and other addictions. The goal is to obtain special comfortable and euphoric sensations.
Next comes obsession, an obsessive desire to repeat the experienced sensations. In an already sick person, a serious struggle of motives occurs. On the one hand, a person understands the harmfulness of his situation. On the other hand, he cannot deny himself the usual pleasure.
The hardest thing is physical attraction. It is formed on the basis of already established psychological components. They are accompanied by physical disorders. Patients have a compulsive (indomitable) desire to take alcohol or drugs. The force of attraction is so strong that the patient no longer offers any resistance to the pathological passions that have taken possession of both the soul and the body. It is completely useless to conduct persuasive conversations with such a client, to convince him of anything. In this case, addiction treatment can only be done with medication, preferably in a hospital.
Only a doctor can choose the most appropriate type of help in each specific situation. Therefore, the patient must be shown to a narcologist. The first step on the path to recovery is an initial examination, establishing a diagnosis, stage of the disease, and associated disorders.
How to get rid of anxiety and can a psychologist help?
Any psychologist is trained to work with anxiety and stress, but there are psychologists who may focus on working with anxiety and anxiety disorders more than others. If you are struggling with anxiety or have been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, you may choose to receive advice and treatment like this. Below are things you should look for when choosing a psychologist.
What type of therapy do psychologists use?
Many different types of therapy can be used to treat anxiety. Before you start going to sessions, you should find out what type of therapy the therapist practices. The best therapist will use a combination of different techniques. Some of the most commonly used forms of therapy to treat anxiety include:
Cognitive-behavioral therapy is a highly effective, established treatment for anxiety. In this approach, you change your thoughts and behavior. Patients learn strategies to help them manage their anxiety in healthy ways.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) – This type of counseling is growing in popularity, but is not as widespread as other forms. It works as follows: the psychologist teaches clients certain eye movement patterns while simultaneously presenting non-stressful situations that will help them get rid of feelings of anxiety and worry.
Medication - Some medications can help people with anxiety disorders gain control over their emotions while they work to learn new skills to cope with anxiety and stress.
Biofeedback – This type of counseling works by showing people how their body reacts to anxiety, stress and worry. As they sit for the sessions, they are hooked up to machines that show them what their blood pressure, heart rate and other physical body responses are. They can see what happens when they become more stressed and then how their body reacts when they use certain techniques to reduce stress and anxiety. This helps them learn what they feel physically when their anxiety gets out of control, and how they might feel if they keep it under control. It also helps them identify feelings when their efforts bear fruit.
These are just a few of many options for treating anxiety. Therefore, you may want to talk to your therapist first to find out what treatment approach they use.
Author: Editorial staff of the Help-Point.net portal
Addiction Treatment
All treatment plans include four main stages:
Interruption of taking a psychoactive substance with cleansing of the blood and the whole body (detoxification), removal from games, deprivation of the opportunity to stay at the computer.- A treatment period that makes it possible to eliminate the consequences of chronic poisoning with alcohol, drugs and other surfactants. Almost all clients need support for the functioning of the brain, heart, and elimination of liver dysfunction. With the help of psychotropic pharmacotherapy, specialists relieve physical and soften mental cravings. Sleep is definitely normalized, depression, fears and other deviations from the norm are relieved.
- Psychotherapeutic complex. The most important step in addiction treatment. The professional and individual approach of a psychotherapist allows you to remove harmful attitudes from the patient and destroy painful reflexes. With the help of special techniques, it is possible to restore the motives of a normal and healthy life.
At the end of the course, the client is coded. This final stage involves the introduction of a special drug into the body that prevents a return to taking surfactants. For this purpose, there are methods of intravenous injections and stitching. The stress therapy method (according to Dovzhenko) is more applicable in cases of mental types of addictions.
The entire treatment process at the Verimed clinic is carried out with the most modern, accelerated and effective technologies, which allow us to obtain the most positive results in the shortest possible time.
Portrait of a dependent personality
The main feature of a dependent personality is infantilism. In particular, this manifests itself:
- inability to take responsibility for one's life;
- conviction that the world is problematic and that in order to eliminate personality problems the world (environment) must change;
- egocentrism (conviction of one’s uniqueness, “navel of the earth” syndrome);
- the predominance of children's emotions and feelings over adults (for example, resentment over determination);
- instability of self-esteem and its inadequacy (from self-destruction to exaltation);
- impulsive and reckless behavior, life, desires and emotions;
- the inability to plan life, the desire to get everything at once (just like that), inadequate desires;
- children's values and bodily needs (spiritual needs are not developed);
- inability to distinguish between the ideal and the real, a childish sense of justice;
- undeveloped abstract logical thinking (inability to distance oneself from emotions and adequately assess the problem);
- deceitfulness with oneself and others.
Any addiction is our “want”. Who lives by “I want” alone? That's right, child. A person who is not ready for adult life becomes dependent.
You are not given the information you need
For example, a psychologist does not want to show documents about his education, refuses to clearly explain how he works and what methods he uses, and does not say whether he has undergone supervision or personal therapy.
A competent specialist has no reason for such secrecy.
Many psychotherapists themselves post scans of documents on their websites and social networks and willingly answer questions. Refusal and negative reactions should definitely alert you.
Psychotherapeutic complex project at the “Your Chance” clinic in Bryansk
The most attractive factor is that psychotherapists work in this clinic not in the old fashioned way, but based on new, innovative creative programs. An effective action plan includes:
- Psychotherapists conduct interviews with patients, starting from the first consultation appointments and throughout their stay in the center, in a friendly tone, without humiliating the human dignity or personality of the drug/alcohol/game addict.
- The emphasis is on restoring the psycho-emotional manifestations lost during the use of psychotropics, alcohol, gaming cravings - the joy of communicating with nature, the animal world, reading books, good and instructive films.
- Watching video materials based on real medical histories during terrible withdrawal symptoms (withdrawal syndrome), degrading changes in appearance and behavior of people with chronic addiction to alcohol, drugs, and the maelstrom of gambling.
- Actively involving relatives and close circles of sick people to conduct group classes to restore successful family communication and professional work experience.
A person who has been in a depressing craving for alcohol, psychoactive drugs, or gambling addiction for many years needs a warm, friendly attitude. He cannot live after treatment if the atmosphere of neglect, disgust and hatred remains around him.
One final word, but for what useful advice! If you notice suspicious deviations in behavior, deterioration in health, or general well-being in a loved one, do not waste your efforts on persuasion and exhortations. Please contact specialists for advice and assistance using the contacts listed at the top of the page or in the “Contacts” section.
All consultations are conducted anonymously and free of charge!
