Understanding Addiction: Helping a Loved One
Addictions come in all shapes and forms. Difficult to define exactly, it has become popular to think of almost any behavior that has a compulsive quality as an “addiction.” But for those who have an addiction, or for those affected by the addiction of a loved one or close friend, it’s clear what an addiction means in “real” terms.
The relationship between mental health issues and substance use is convoluted. According to research gathered at the Centre for Addictions and Mental Health in Ontario, more than half of people with substance use disorders also have mental health issues such as anxiety or depression. Some people with mental health problems use different substances to self-medicate, but end up making things worse.
Common Characteristics of Destructive Addictions: The substance activity or activity that triggers must initially cause feelings of pleasure and changes in emotion or mood. The body develops a physical tolerance to the substance or activity, so people with addictions so people must take larger and larger amounts of a substance to feel the same effects. The removal of the drug or activity causes painful withdrawal symptoms. More than physical tolerance, an addiction develops physical and psychological dependence separate from the need to avoid the pain of withdrawal.