WHAT ADDICTIONS DO WE TREAT?

What is addiction and what types of addiction are there?

There is much more to this term than we think. It is alcoholism, drug addiction, or gambling that are considered as addictions by the public. What about other addictions that make our lives so difficult? Of course, any kinds of stimulant substances are often the main source of addiction, but they are not the only ones. Addiction assumes various forms that are underestimated by so many people. The term “addiction” can be used to describe any behavior or activity over which a given person does not have control.

Addictions can be divided into the following types:

a) physiological addiction – it is the result of the biological adaptation of the nervous system to the presence of a given psychoactive substance. This category includes alcoholism, nicotine addiction, drug addiction, or pharmacomania.

b) psychological addictions – a strong need to constantly perform an activity or use a substance, which, if not fulfilled, does not lead to serious physiological consequences, though. Psychological dependence is a condition in which a person affected by the disease cannot interrupt compulsive behavior related to achieving and consumption without help from the outside. Psychological addictions can be triggered by a variety of activities that develop into behavioral addictions over time.

c) behavioral addictions – repetition of a specific activity (or group of activities) multiple times in order to obtain such emotional states as pleasure, euphoria, or a feeling of satisfaction. They include, among others, gambling, workaholism, shopaholism, compulsive overeating as well as addiction to physical exercise, sex, telephone, the internet, or the computer.

As can be seen, alcoholism or drug addiction are not the only known addictions. In the same way, we can become addicted to a person, marijuana, or shopping. It is the same process and the same pattern of action, namely the inability to deal with emotions. The problem of addiction does not lie in the object of addiction but in ourselves. Often, the object of addiction allows one to endure severe emptiness which they individually experience caused by the lack of love, relationship with other people, life purpose, health, or self-acceptance. As can be seen, the word “addiction” means a lot but not much is said about that. It is good to realize that addiction is a type of disease.

At our addiction treatment center, we are open to anyone who is struggling with any kind of addiction. We know that the process of recovering from this disease is the same in all of the above-mentioned cases. If you are a person who is addicted, we are looking forward to your call. We will be glad to help you.

Alcoholism

Alcoholism is a chronic and progressive disease. If the patient does not start treatment and maintain abstinence, it can even lead to death. It develops in phases – starting from consuming large doses of alcohol among friends and searching for opportunities for lonely drinking, through drinking spells followed by equally long periods of abstinence, and ending with alcohol poisoning; alcohol becomes the only goal in life and leads to mental disorders, increased aggression, and low alcohol tolerance.

Symptoms of the disease include the lack of control over the amount of alcohol consumed, depressive states, convulsions, vomiting, blood pressure surges, a feeling of tension, hypersensitivity to stimuli, delirium, which appears after alcohol consumption is limited or stopped, lack of awareness, confusion and memory loss. The sooner you receive the help offered by the addiction treatment center, the earlier you will put up a fight for yourself.

Alcohol does not require digestion, and therefore it is directly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract into the blood, from where there is a short way to all organs of our body. Even small amounts of alcohol weaken the brain centers responsible for neuro-motor coordination and attention.

Drug addiction

Drug addiction is one of the more serious diseases of modern society. Regular use of drugs results in strong psychological and physiological addiction. It is an addiction to various types of chemicals that affect brain function, reduce thinking, and cause considerable memory problems. In addition to hard drugs, we can also distinguish designer drugs, which lead to changes in the functioning of the nervous system.

Drug addiction is characterized by drug craving, compulsion to consume intoxicants, and the need to obtain drugs at all costs. People with drug addiction may experience a variety of symptoms. Typical symptoms include redness of the eyes, dilated pupils, hyperactivity intertwined with drowsiness, weird-smelling hair, and a runny nose. A person suffering from drug addiction is more and more often in a bad mood, retreats into themselves, becomes aggressive, neglects personal hygiene, and abandons their previous interests. Drug-induced paranoia appears in the last phase, and sometimes the addiction may result in death.

Drugs adversely affect almost every organ in the body. They cause strokes, heart attacks, kidney and liver damage, weight loss, embolism, and general cachexia.

Pharmacomania

It is an addiction to pharmaceuticals, which can be addictive in the same way as drugs, designer drugs, or alcohol. Pharmacomania, or addiction to medication, is about the difficulty to stop taking a given medicine.

Nowadays, trying to ensure adequate efficiency in private and professional life, we reach for various types of medicines. These include sleeping pills, sedatives, euphoriants, or doping, which we can quickly become addicted to. To avoid the unpleasant symptoms of withdrawal syndrome, the body does not want to come out of a state of weightlessness.

People addicted to medicines take increasing doses of them and very often discretionarily prolong their treatment. People with pharmacomania can make appointments with many specialists to get the desired drug, without admitting it to their loved ones. When the drug runs low, there appears anxiety about not being able to manage without the booster. Addiction to medication has undesirable physical and psychological effects so the sooner an affected person starts treatment, the better.

Internet addiction

The dynamic development of technology has created a new type of addiction: to the Internet, games, video, and telephone. Internet addiction is one of the most underestimated addictions these days, even though it is just as serious as any other. It is characterized by an extremely strong need for continuous phone use and/or internet access. This addiction is usually accompanied by a constant fear that something important will pass us by.

It may consist in the excessive use of online games, online shopping, use of social networking sites, chatting, texting, or simply surfing various kinds of websites. Although the effects of this addiction are not often seen with the naked eye, as in the case of many other addictions, it may bring about equally serious consequences over time. Hence, it is very important to contact specialists and start treatment for internet or telephone addiction at the right moment.

Gambling

Pathological gambling involves repeated gambling that becomes the most important thing in the life of a person suffering from this addiction. Each loss results in a decrease in self-respect and a sense of control. There is a desire to regain the loss, which stimulates one to seek mental comfort in successive games.

Factors that affect the addiction include a random big win, inability to deal with stress or negative emotions, loneliness, and financial problems. Seemingly innocent at first, gambling games are in fact very dangerous. As always, it starts with a “casual round” and ends with huge debts. The desire to play is so great that a person addicted to gambling can spend all their savings, forcing their loved ones into debts, and perfectly hide it.

Symptoms of this addiction include preoccupation with gambling, the need to increase stakes, ineffective efforts to cut down on or stop gambling, lying to family members, and seeking financial support from others. There are as many reasons for addiction to gambling as for other addictions: low self-esteem, lack of love and acceptance, lack of emotional balance, and problems in interpersonal relations.

Our addiction therapy center will help you put up a fight against your addiction. We will try to provide you with the best mental and physical care.

Nicotine addiction

It is not shocking to see a smoker on the street, in the bar, or at work. Both young and old people smoke, which means that a lot of people are addicted to a stimulant called nicotine. Nicotine is found in tobacco leaves and roots. While smoking, we already absorb it in the mouth and in the upper airways. Delivered to the lungs, it penetrates the alveoli and reaches all cells together with blood.

Nicotine affects our emotions. Substances that the brain produces due to the influence of nicotine cause a feeling of pleasure, which leads to the development of addiction. Our body starts to demand regular doses of nicotine very soon.

Smoking cigarettes has many negative effects, including diseases of the heart and other organs, an increased heart rate, narrowing of the arteries, cardiovascular damage, and increased blood pressure.