Addiction in Any Form is Abnormal

“Psychological and physiological dependence on a substance or practice” – is the medical definition of the term addiction. An addiction is an uncontrollably strong longing for something - an abnormal kinky obsession for things. A person with an addiction is called an addict.

Addiction is in fact a hydra-headed concept having different facets. Medical researches and studies have divulged that every individual to some extent has an addiction. People who have an uncanny pining or obsession for anything, are indeed addicted. Medical studies have also revealed other forms of addiction besides alcohol, nicotine and drugs.

According to the medical community, generally there are two forms of addiction. First there is the physical addiction, or physical dependence and psychological addiction. The second type is called pseudo-addiction.

Physical dependence: An addiction in which the addict becomes physically dependent on intoxicating substances or drugs. People dependent on tobacco or smoking suffer from nicotine addiction. Dipsomaniac people suffer from alcohol addiction.

Drug addiction literally means addiction to certain drugs. A drug addiction is an extreme state of addiction resulting from drug abuse. Drug abuse is a common practice where hard drugs are abused – for example cocaine, amphetamines, methamphetamine, opiates (heroin, morphine and codeine) and laxatives - drugs derived from narcotics. There is a debate over the idea that freely-sold substances like alcohol and nicotine should be classified as hard drugs, as the both are linked with high mortality rates.

Psychological addiction: The term literally means getting psychologically addicted to certain things or practices. Sometimes there are people who are highly obsessed with practices like gambling, food, sex, pornography, computer, work, shopping, spending etc. Therefore as absurd as this may sound, these people actually do in fact suffer from gambling addiction, food addiction, sex addiction, porn addiction, computer addiction, work addiction, shopping addiction, and spending addiction respectively. People addicted to food consumption are highly preoccupied with overeating and overeating is food addiction. These people are sometimes mockingly dubbed as “food alcoholic”. Narcissism is also a form of addiction.

Pseudo-addiction is the state in which a patient manifests drug-seeking behavior similar to psychological addiction; however, the patient experiences genuine pain or other symptoms in such cases. Normal behavior is resumed as soon as the pain has subsided.

The physical dependence on a substance such as drug addiction, nicotine addiction and alcohol addiction can sadly often have direly fatal results.

An addiction in any form is the sign of an abnormality that requires immediate treatment. An addiction is a disorder, but it is treatable. There are numerous addiction help centers or rehabilitation centers providing addiction treatment, all over the world. Standard drug addiction treatment may include behavioral therapy, medication therapy, or a combination of both.

People experiencing any symptoms of addiction should go forward for treatment before their addiction becomes significantly advanced.

Addiction; Desperate Maladies Require Desperate Remedies

An addiction is an uncontrollable strong craving for something, or to be abnormally dependent on something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming. There are many types of addiction, the most common are alcohol addiction, narcotic addiction, and drug addiction; also known as substance dependence. Drug addiction is the compulsive use of drugs, to the extreme point where the user has no other choice but to continue to use them. A drug addict might address his beloved drug in De Quincey’s words, “thou hast the keys of Paradise, oh, just, subtle, and mighty opium!” An addict’s paradise is an inferno in disguise. The demon of drug abuse has engulfed the entire world. It has clutched the youth of society in its deadly jaws. The range of addictive drugs or substances and widely abused drugs include Alcohol, Anabolic steroids, Analgetics, Barbiturates, Buprenorphine, Butorphanol, Chloral hydrate, trichloroethanol & derivatives, Cocaine, Codeine, Dextroproxyp, Dextromethorphan, Ethchlorvynol, Fentanyl & its analogs, Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB), Glutethimide, Heroin (Diacetylmorphine), Hydrocodone, Hydromorphone (Dilaudid), Ketamine, Laxatives, Levo-alpha-acetylmethadol (LAAM), Meperidine, Meprobamate, Methamphetamine & other Amphetamines, Methaqualone & related sedative-hypnotics, Methadone, Methcathinone, Morphine, Nicotine, Oxycodone, Opium, Xanax, Paraldehyde (Paral), Phencyclidine (PCP), and Flunitrazepam (Rohypnol). Drugs have dragged the addicts to the deep dungeons of oblivion. The whole international community that is direly worried about the problem of drug abuse, has given a loud and clear call to medical institutes and organizations to liberate the victims of drug addiction. Psychological experts and researchers are always raking their minds to know why people fall prey to drugs. Their studies have divulged that drugs and intoxicants are used to forget or negate the frustrations of life, failures in life, dejected love affairs, depression, or sometimes for fun or adventure. “Thank the Lord, there’s a ray of hope!” Doctors and researchers have been able to invent some treatments for drug addiction. Standard drug addiction treatment may include behavioral therapy, medications, or a combination of both. Medication therapy includes medical treatment to beat drug addiction. Behavioral therapy consists of counseling, cognitive therapy, or psychotherapy. The third method, the combination of both, is proving to be the most effective treatment for addiction recovery. In medication therapy, for instance, addiction treatment like methadone, LAAM, and naltrexone are helpful for opium addicted people. Nicotine replacement therapy, nicotine patches, gum, nasal spray and bupropion are quite effective for people addicted to nicotine. Antidepressants, mood stabilizers, or neuroleptics, are helpful for treatment of mental disorders such as depression, anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder, or psychosis. As drug addiction is a chronic disorder, there’s no effective short-term treatment for it. It requires a long-term treatment to beat drug addiction. Finally, strong will power plays a key role in addiction treatment and addiction recovery. Psychotherapists can play an important role in building up the patients’ will to beat drug addiction. Martin H. Fischer says, “There is only one reason why men become addicted to drugs, they are weak men. Only strong men are cured, and they cure themselves.”