{"id":7395,"date":"2020-08-27T06:34:04","date_gmt":"2020-08-27T06:34:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/brujulasm.com\/post\/questions-about-addiction-problems\/"},"modified":"2023-07-25T16:25:51","modified_gmt":"2023-07-25T16:25:51","slug":"questions-about-addiction-problems","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brujulasm.com\/en\/post\/questions-about-addiction-problems\/","title":{"rendered":"Questions about addiction problems"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
At some point in our lives we may be affected by the problems that addictions bring to those who suffer from them, as well as to family and friends. In this section we have tried to answer many of the questions we ask ourselves. In Br\u00fajula Salud Mental “We guide the north of your life”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) it is a physical and psycho-emotional disease that creates a dependence or need for a substance, activity or relationship. It is characterized by a set of signs and symptoms involving biological, genetic, psychological and social factors. There are chemical and non-chemical addictions: There can be many characteristics of an addiction, this can vary depending on the person, age, gender, context, culture, family, among others. Some of the most common characteristics are: There is no single theory or explanation for the phenomenon of drug addiction and addictive behavior, it is described as a complex pathology of biopsychosocial origin, i.e., the causes are multiple and act in a complex way to produce the addictive disorder. Perhaps it is this multifactorial and compound etiology that makes understanding the disease so difficult. People often consume out of curiosity, social pressure, to feel good, to not feel bad, to socialize, to be socially accepted. It is of vital importance to have a proper assessment, carried out by people specialized in the subject, since, based on this, the intervention plan is established. And it can often be counterproductive to use treatment strategies that are not appropriate for the person’s situation. In Colombia and according to public policies regarding drug use and addictive behavior, as well as Resolution 3100 of 2019, which establishes the conditions of qualification for health service providers, establish as guarantor of the initial assessment and diagnosis the Psychiatrist, supported by an interdisciplinary team composed of psychology, social work. A person with addiction difficulties has always been accommodating to an environment, surroundings, family that consciously or unconsciously have facilitated his disease. Coaddiction is characterized by a lack of clear boundaries, permissiveness, absence of regulatory standards, manipulation, poor communication, role reversal, among others. Withdrawal syndrome refers to the manifestation of signs and symptoms of physical and psychological origin that occur in a person when, after prolonged drug use or addictive behavior, the substance is no longer administered, intense discomfort and anxiety appear, which can lead to repeated use. The underlying symptoms of withdrawal syndrome vary depending on the drug used or the addictive behavior; they also vary according to the person and their individual factors. No one wants to have an addiction problem in their family, yet when it comes, it can be seen as a great learning opportunity. We are facing a systemic problem; it is important to understand that not only the consumer needs help, but also the whole family system. It is important to assume a respectful attitude, to recognize, not to judge, not to assume a defensive posture, not to attack. Good communication, empathic listening, full attention, showing interest, reaching agreements and seeking help from professionals in the field should be sought. Drug use and addictive behavior itself generate different health effects. People addicted to substances often have one or more drug-related health problems that may include lung or heart disease, stroke, cancer or mental health problems. Scans, chest X-rays and blood tests can prove the harmful effects of long-term drug use throughout the body. Usually the person with addiction problems does not measure the consequences of how his or her behavior affects their As with any other disease, the likelihood of becoming addicted depends on the individual and there is no single determining factor that explains whether someone will develop an addiction. The more risk factors a person has, the more chances he\/she has. Risk factors are said to be related to family, culture, social, biological and self-responsibility. Children’s early interactions with their families are crucial to their healthy development and to their risk of drug use. As with other chronic diseases, such as asthma or some heart diseases, treatment of drug addiction is usually not a cure. But it is possible to manage addiction successfully. Treatment enables people to counteract the detrimental effects of drugs on the brain and behavior and regain control of their lives. No. Addiction as a chronic disease means that for some people relapse, i.e., returning to drug use after trying to quit, is an active part of the process, although one of the fundamental goals is to stop using. Drug relapse rates are similar to rates for other chronic diseases. When a person enters addiction treatment or rehabilitation, the objective is not only to stop consuming, possibly this is the least complex problem, the process seeks to accompany the person to realize what is the meaning of his addiction, what is its meaning and why he does it, why he repeats again and again the addictive behavior. We often see how addiction is an alarm and a symptom of many other things that underlie the symptom and manifest themselves represented by drug use. Centro de Rehabilitaci\u00f3n – Br\u00fajula Salud Mental At some point in our lives we may be affected by the problems that addictions bring to those who suffer from them, as well as to family and friends. In this section we have tried to answer many of the questions we ask ourselves. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7078,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_joinchat":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[164,145,163],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7395","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-addictions","category-blog-en","category-rehabilitation"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nTe puede interesar informaci\u00f3n del Centro de rehabilitaci\u00f3n<\/a><\/code><\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is characterized by the obsessive and recurrent search for the realization of the addictive behavior, despite its harmful consequences. The consumption of psychoactive substances and addictive behavior itself modifies the brain and its reward systems, affecting its structure and functioning. In general, the initial decision to consume drugs is voluntary, after which the habit begins to establish itself and little by little the problem and its stages are configured:
– Experimentation:<\/strong> Initial contact with the Substance or addictive behavior without establishing thought on the fact. It lives in isolation.
– Use:<\/strong> Contact with the substance or occasional addictive behavior, without premeditation. It just happens without including everyday dynamics.
– Abuse:<\/strong> Frequent consumption or addictive behavior, some areas of the person’s performance have been affected, some difficulties associated with the addictive behavior begin to appear without generating a break. The person in this state usually enjoys the consumption or addictive behavior, finds “pleasure”, does not present a clear recognition of the problem, minimizes and justifies his behavior.
– Dependence:<\/strong> State in which obsessive and compulsive behavior is evidenced, it is not consumed for pleasure but for necessity, drug consumption or addictive behavior is no longer sought to feel good but to NOT feel bad. The internal limits disappear, difficulty to contain the behavior, they are not able to face the consequences of the facts, promises are made and are not fulfilled; State that leads to feelings of guilt, deep sadness, loss of meaning, insecurity and again resorts to consumption or addictive behavior.<\/p> <\/div>
Chemical:<\/strong> All those that appear when in contact with a substance of natural or chemical origin (legal or illegal) and that have the possibility of acting on the Central Nervous System and\/or can affect perception. (Marijuana, cocaine, alcohol, tobacco, bazuco, ecstasy, 12B, benzodiazepines, inhalants, among others).
Non-chemical or behavioral: <\/strong>All addictive behavior that is transversalized by an obsessive idea of repeating a behavior or activity in order to obtain a reward and mitigate the current feeling. Without the use of a Psychoactive Substance or drug. (internet, sex, gambling, work, vigorexia, among others). <\/p> <\/div>
– Difficulty in maintaining abstinence from drug use or addictive behavior, deterioration of impulse control, evident manipulation of their environment, lying, impulsivity, constant anxiety, deterioration of their areas of performance (family, friends, work, partner, etc.), low frustration tolerance, inability to put consequences to their actions, lack of recognition of their problems, blaming their environment, victimization, emotional lability, disproportionate responses to stimuli, difficulty in complying with limits and rules. <\/p> <\/div>
The disease of addiction often arises as a symptom, as a consequence of multiple factors that have traveled in time, in the family, social, cultural system and in the particular way each person makes sense of his or her experience. In other words, it does not manifest itself out of nowhere, but there is a background on which the disease is sustained: there are psychological vulnerabilities, stressful environments, dysfunctional families, genetic predisposition and altered brain mechanisms. <\/p> <\/div>
Drug use can produce episodes of pleasure and stimulation. Adolescents are more likely than adults to act in risky or challenging ways to impress their friends and demonstrate their independence from parents and social norms, however, everyone will relate to and give particular meaning to the addictive behavior.
Addiction researcher Martin Kooyman mentions that “addiction is related to self-administered self-medication, which aims to inhibit, remove and anesthetize everything you don’t want to feel and experience”. It is the sum of biological factors and predispositions, neurological imbalance, the need to compensate for insecurity, fears, anger, loneliness, overprotection, abandonment. It is the disease far from balance and moderation. <\/p> <\/div>
You may be interested in information about the Rehabilitation Center<\/a> <\/em>
Some of the symptoms are:
– Need to consume or engage in the addictive behavior frequently, either daily or even several times a day
– Difficulty concentrating on something other than the drug, drug use or addictive behavior.
– Each time you need to increase the dose of consumption in quantity or frequency to obtain the same effect.
– Taking more of the drug for a longer period of time than you had intended.
– Make sure you always have the drug available.
– Spending money on the drug, even acquiring debt for it.
– Absences at work and non-compliance with social, emotional, family and economic commitments due to drug use or addictive behavior.
– Persisting with drug use or addictive behavior in spite of generating affectations in their life, family, partner, children, work, economy, health, physical and\/or psychological damage.
– Doing things you wouldn’t normally do to get the drug.
– Taking risks or doing other dangerous activities that you would not normally do while under the influence of the drug.
– Spending a lot of time trying to obtain the drug, using the drug or recovering from its effects
– Attempting on several occasions to discontinue drug use or addictive behavior without satisfactory results.
– Experiencing withdrawal symptoms when you try to stop drug use
– Minimization of his situation, always believing that in the future he will fail whenever he wants.
– Loss of control, feelings of guilt and the inability to stop using or engaging in the addictive behavior.
– Changes in physical appearance, such as deterioration of personal grooming and personal presentation.
– Nosebleeds.
– Use of substances or objects that may mask the odor or signs of drug use (breath mints, drops, perfumes, incense, etc.).
– Changes in mood. Irritability or depression.
When the addicted person comes to seek help, most of the time he\/she does not do it voluntarily, but pressured by external factors in his\/her environment, which force him\/her directly or indirectly to undertake the process of change.
These patients follow the same treatment as those who are exclusively addicted, although individual psychotherapy and psychiatric consultations are sometimes necessary. <\/p> <\/div>
The family is often afraid to set limits because of the manipulative relationship that has been built up, which implicitly leads to feelings of guilt and confusion about what to do and the consequences of these limits.
Absent parents, overprotection, paternalistic accompaniment, lack of knowledge, fear and personal issues to be resolved in the family nucleus, are put at the service of addiction and allow the addict to settle in a place of comfort that he\/she will hardly recognize and want to get out of it to take responsibility for his\/her development as an autonomous and independent person. <\/p> <\/div>
It is true that at the beginning the subject consumes for pleasure or taste, but after having suffered the Abstinence Syndrome, he\/she consumes partly for fear of it appearing.
Abstinence Syndrome has an impact on family, couple, work, social and personal relationships, creating a system of instability, anger, alienation, confrontation, fear and other appearances. <\/p> <\/div>
There are substances that generate psychological dependence and others that generate physical dependence, although there are certain manifestations that to a greater or lesser extent are present in all types of drugs: anxiety, irritability, sleep disturbances and above all ‘craving’ or the desire to consume the drug (psychological symptom).
The intensity of the symptoms is variable depending on the amount of drug consumed, the frequency of consumption, the route of administration, the purity of the drug, etc.
It is worth mentioning that, in general, withdrawal syndrome can be dealt with without difficulties with medical (if required) and therapeutic support; however, in the consumption of alcohol, benzodiazepines and opiates, medical and pharmacological support is of vital importance in order to overcome it. The aim is to stabilize the organic area and then continue with the psychological, family and therapeutic process. <\/p> <\/div>
You may be interested in information about the Rehabilitation Center<\/a> <\/em> <\/p> <\/div>
However, different studies have concluded that there are damages and alterations in the proper functioning of the organism and the mind.
Other important risks are those associated with addictions such as accidents, absenteeism, hiv, hepatitis, diseases and risks of a life without limits and without responsibility. <\/p> <\/div>
Often in adolescence, social pressure and the need to belong to groups is one of the most frequent causes of the onset of drug use. The Presidency of the Republic and the axes of the national public policy are working to promote mental health and prevent the consumption of psychoactive substances and addictive behaviors through the enhancement of protective factors from a methodology called “life skills”. <\/p> <\/div>
Starting drug use at an early age is one of the greatest risks; while drug use at any age can cause addiction, studies and research suggest that the younger a person is when they start using drugs, the more likely they are to have serious problems and difficulties associated with substance use, such as impulse control problems. This may be due to the detrimental effect that drugs can have on the still developing brain.
Another important aspect is the family, lack of balance, absence, poor or inadequate communication, permissive systems without clear rules, inverted or non-existent family roles, overprotection or abandonment. There is also a combination of social and biological factors, including lack of a stable home or family, physical or sexual abuse, genes or mental illness.
The availability and access to substances, as well as the quality and the way in which they are administered, is also an important aspect. Drugs that are administered intravenously have a potential for greater dependence. As well as the use of opiates, these have a high addictive potential and often begin their use as trauma medication. <\/p> <\/div>
You may be interested in information about the Rehabilitation Center<\/a> <\/em> <\/p> <\/div>
Relapse is a process, i.e. the person can perceive warning signs, and if recommendations and self-care are not followed, relapse is likely.
Addiction treatment is not only based on stopping drug use, but also includes the modification of deeply rooted behaviors, changing the style and way of life. Relapse does not mean that the treatment has failed. On the contrary, we see it as an opportunity to evaluate what happened and to learn from it in order to give continuity to their treatment. <\/p> <\/div>
Just as consumption is seen as a symptom, many habits and behaviors acquired in the history of addiction also begin to change. These become part of the addict’s life, often automatically and unconsciously.
A good treatment program must establish basic values, framed in ethics, responsibility, honesty, humanization and others. So that once this is clear, a comprehensive and quality treatment can be offered to each of the participants in the treatment process. It’s not about having ultra-qualified people. What is most effective is teamwork, where synergy and an integral approach are generated, with contributions from each of the areas for the benefit of the patient. No ego bias, or need for recognition.
It is important to verify the suitability of the place chosen for the treatment, it must be authorized by the competent authority to provide such service with suitability.
You may be interested in information about the Rehabilitation Center<\/a> <\/em> <\/p> <\/div> <\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"