How to recognize your addiction and fight it

According to psychiatrists and psychologists, dependent (or addictive) behavior can be defined as a destructive form of activity aimed at escaping reality, relieving psycho-emotional stress at the expense of some object or subject. At the same time, as clinical psychologist Alisa Galats , > you can do anything. >,” she says. >,” explains the psychologist.

Moreover, absolutely all addictions have a destructive effect on a person’s life. > over time, replaces the rest of your life - everything that is really important and necessary for you: family, work, relaxation >>, says Alisa Galats.

As the expert explains, this is due to the fact that any addicted person falls into a trap >: the more he tries to cope with oppressive problems with the help of the object of addiction (alcohol, shopping, food, sports), the worse he feels, the more nervous he becomes and, as a result, feels an increasing need for >. As a result, the meaning of existence is narrowed down to this very thing, life becomes sharply poorer. >,” explains the specialist.

The expert says that all such different types of addiction have certain common characteristics. >, where Bradley Cooper’s character switches from alcohol addiction to love and back >>, explains Alisa Galats.

The concept of addiction and types of addictive behavior

In a broad sense, addiction is the desire to rely on someone (something) for satisfaction and adaptation. Scientists consider normal and excessive dependence separately. Any person experiences normal dependence (for example, on vital objects, including air, water, food).

Most individuals experience fairly healthy attachments to other people (parents, friends, spouses). Sometimes a disruption of normal dependency relationships can be observed. For example, personality disorders such as autistic, schizoid, antisocial, can manifest themselves due to a catastrophically insufficient attachment to other people.

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On the contrary, the tendency to become overly dependent can create problematic symbiotic relationships. In turn, dependent behavior is directly related to abuse on the part of a person or a violation of his needs.

Note 1

Dependent behavior is sometimes considered a type of deviant personality behavior. It has many subspecies, which are differentiated, first of all, in accordance with the object of addiction. In theory, under certain conditions, it can be represented by any objects or forms of activity.

The severity of dependent (addictive) behavior varies. This can be practically normal behavior or severe forms of biological dependence, which are accompanied by severe somatic and psychological pathology.

It is customary to distinguish between addictive behavior and simply bad habits that do not reach the level of addiction and do not pose a fatal threat (for example, smoking, overeating). There are distinct subtypes of addictive behavior that represent continuums of different manifestations.

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Experts recognize that alcoholism as a clinical form of alcohol dependence cannot be considered monolithic. In fact, it is more correct to speak of “alcoholism.”

Partly, the choice of an object occurs through its specific effect on the human body. Individuals differ in their individual predisposition to certain objects of addiction. Thus, the particular popularity of alcohol is largely due to the wide range of its effects. It is equally used to stimulate, warm, relax or even treat colds. Some people drink alcohol to increase self-confidence and become more relaxed.

Tempting factors of attraction

People do not immediately get used to bad habits, since each form of behavior has a specific source, where it all began. Provoking factors that push people towards addiction are:

• Mentality. In our country, people with bad habits are treated leniently, they forgive them a lot, and view their behavior from the point of view of humor or touching condescension.
• Lack of spirituality. It gives rise to permissiveness; people strive to take everything from life, and this is immoral.
• Stress, despair, hopelessness.
• Wrong relationship building in the family.
• Negative character traits.

Forms of addictive behavior

Different forms of addictive behavior have the ability to combine or transform into each other. This shows the commonality of the mechanisms of their work. Thus, smokers with many years of experience, having given up cigarettes, often feel a constant desire to eat, so they quickly gain excess weight. A person who is addicted to heroin will usually try to maintain remission by starting to use lighter drugs or alcohol.

Regardless of apparent external differences, the forms of behavior under consideration are characterized by fundamentally similar psychological mechanisms. For this reason, it is customary to consider the general signs of addictive behavior:

1. A persistent desire to change the psychophysical state, experienced by the subject as impulsive-categorical, irresistible, insatiable (outwardly it sometimes looks like a loss of self-control);
2. Gradual emergence as a continuous process of formation and development;
3. A harmless initial course followed by increased addiction and outcome.

The motivation for various forms of addictive behavior differs at the stages of personality formation. For example, the development of drug addiction occurs in several stages. First, under the influence of the youth subculture, a person occasionally becomes acquainted with the drug. Further, episodic use occurs, accompanied by positive emotions and maintaining control.

Gradually, the dependent person develops a stable individual rhythm of use. In this case, control is relatively maintained. This stage is often called the stage of psychological dependence. Gradually, the individual gets used to increasingly large doses, accumulating at the same time socio-psychological problems.

The next stage is characterized by an increase in the rhythm of using maximum doses, the formation of signs of physical dependence, which are combined with signs of intoxication, withdrawal syndrome and complete loss of control.

What to do if you find yourself addicted?

If you suspect that you have an addiction, this is already half the success: you are still able to evaluate yourself critically.

However, according to Alisa Galats, any addictive behavior requires the help of qualified specialists - a psychiatrist, narcologist or psychologist. >, says the expert.

According to the psychologist, in addition to turning to specialists, you can support yourself on your own: learn to be more tolerant of stress, master different methods of dealing with psycho-emotional stress, and expand your range of interests.

Perfectionism

The constant desire to do everything in the best way and demand the same from loved ones often leads to addiction. A person is constantly dissatisfied with everything, there is no internal harmony in him. He drives himself and others to the point of exhaustion, trying to do the impossible. When he realizes that he cannot achieve his goal, he falls into bad habits, trying to take a break at least for a while from the constant race for the ideal.

To prevent negative consequences, it is necessary to raise children without unnecessary strictness. You should not demand that your child fulfill all his desires. He will get used to constantly justifying the trust placed in him and will not be able to forgive himself if he failed at something.

Attempts to get out of addiction - distancing, counter-dependence

People find that the ways they use make them unfree. There is a desire to do something differently.

It seems that you can get out of a relationship by physically distancing yourself. But that doesn't help. We continue to control our partner from a distance. Detachment causes anxiety, an abstinent state. It seems that our connection is breaking down.

I may also begin to hold myself back from getting closer—counterdependent behavior.

There is no pleasure in this relationship, only exhaustion and exhaustion. Usually the client has a lot of shame and anger at the therapist when he discovers how it works for him, this is normal.

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Lack of stress resistance

Low resistance to stress often becomes the cause of addiction. Life cannot always be calm and measured; it presents its own surprises, which are not always pleasant. People lacking stress tolerance cannot cope with discomfort with dignity. Instead of taking constructive steps to improve the situation, they try to hide behind illusions of stability. They find solace in drugs, alcohol or slot machines. They do this deliberately so as not to face the truth.

To prevent this from happening, it is necessary to teach children to be independent from birth and to avoid excessive guardianship over them. Growing up, such a person becomes helpless. In order to prevent addiction in an adult, it is necessary to help your family and friends who find themselves in a difficult situation. By surrounding them with care and warmth, you can avoid further addiction on their part.

Psychological factors

The psychological characteristics of a dependent personality include:

• lack of self-control;
• violation of self-regulation;
• low self-esteem;
• lack of self-esteem;
• lack of motivation;
• disturbance of the emotional sphere;
• inability and unwillingness to take care of oneself;
• lack of willpower;
• lack of compassion and empathy;
• aggressiveness and authoritarianism;
• inadequate response to social support;
• lack or violation of constructive communication.

Manipulation

Dependent people can easily manipulate others. They adapt to the world around them, notice even the smallest details and see their own benefit in everything. They are good psychologists (to their advantage) and see the weaknesses of other people, which they then cleverly exploit. Addicts play on pity, use flattery, and pretend to be incompetent and helpless.

The recipe for treating such people is very simple: you should not allow them to manipulate you even for the most insignificant reasons. Parents are advised to instill independence in their children and not allow excessive guardianship on their part.

Above we named some character traits of dependent people. The list of negative qualities of addicts is actually very long, so there is no point in listing them endlessly. You just have to understand that addiction is an insidious disease, which in its negative power is equal to death (and sometimes even worse), since it affects the person and everyone who is near him. You must try to never depend on anyone or anything, because freedom and independence are the strongest desires for any self-sufficient person.

Gaming addiction

Another type of addiction is gaming addiction. Gaming addiction has many varieties, among which one of the most common is addiction to slot machines. It is human nature to want everything at once, and this cannot be called something abnormal, as long as one maintains a realistic attitude towards one’s desires and control over them. Slot machines are perceived by many as harmless entertainment, one of the ways to have fun and relax, but the excitement and attractiveness of “easy” money quickly captivates people. In the beginning, a person occasionally visits slot machines, makes small bets, and when he wins, he calmly leaves, realizing the minimal probability of winning again. Losing discourages frequent visits. Some people stop at this stage. But some go further and begin to play more often and longer, but the desire has not yet turned into a habit and stopping the game is still possible. Gradually, the person notices that it is difficult for him to stop, he begins to get nervous when he loses, and when he wins, he throws the entire amount back into the machine. With each loss, the illusion of imminent success grows, and its own systems of number combinations, superstitions and rituals appear. Anxious anticipation of the desired gain is an alarming sign of addiction. If desires become noticeable and difficult to overcome, then perhaps treatment for gambling addiction has become relevant for you. Do not forget that gaming addiction leads not only to obsessive thoughts about the game, increased anxiety and destruction of relationships with loved ones, but also to significant financial losses.

Computer addiction (Internet addiction, gaming addiction) is a relatively “young” and at the same time especially relevant type of addiction in our time. Computer addiction is dangerous primarily because it leads to a significant disruption of adaptation in society (inability to work or study, inability to start a family or even take care of oneself). A person suffering from computer addiction transfers all his desires, needs, and ambitions into virtual space and gradually replaces real life with virtual life. In the life of any person, communication with other people is important, and making acquaintances and subsequent communication is often easier to establish in the online space. This becomes a problem when, with an abundance of virtual acquaintances, in real life all social connections are destroyed: relationships with acquaintances, friends, relatives deteriorate . In the modern world, a large number of people spend significant time at the computer. Work, study, searching for information, entertainment - for many, a computer, including the use of the Internet, is a necessity. However, if you spend most of your free time at the computer, if online games attract you more than the entertainment of real life, if the desire to check your email or your page on a social networking site arises several times a day and becomes an obsession, if communication With friends and acquaintances online you find it more interesting than communicating in reality, then these are the first signs of computer addiction.

Infancy

One of the signs of a dependent personality is infantilism. These people prefer not to leave childhood, allowing themselves all kinds of entertainment and never feeling responsible for themselves. They easily make any compromises with their conscience, and in case of danger they easily shift the blame to other people. Infantility is the basic state for all types of addiction. Very often this phenomenon can be observed in couples where a woman cannot take a single step without her partner (it happens the other way around, but it is much less common). The second example would be adult children who are completely dependent on their parents, which sometimes goes beyond acceptable norms.

The most effective way to get rid of addiction in this case is the correct moderate upbringing of the child, when he is not overly pampered and is not kept under a tight rein. If you are dealing with an adult infant addict, you need to deprive him of guardianship without regret and help him adapt to the serious world of responsible people.

Social factors

Many people wonder what kind of dependent people they are, and do not understand that a huge number of such individuals surround us in society. The difference between them lies only in the form or degree of dependence. If this degree is low and cannot harm health, such an addiction is considered completely acceptable (for example, a person likes to watch TV or devotes all his time to work). But the main serious social factors are the following:

• demographic aspects such as gender and age;
• unhealthy atmosphere in the family;
• insufficient control and prevention of addictions;
• deterioration of the economic situation in the country;
• decline in general spirituality;
• availability of harmful substances;
• fashion and traditions in various activities that allow dependence;
• imperfection of legislation.

Reasons for development

There are many reasons for addictive behavior. This:

• instability of the political situation in the country;
• weak participation of the state in the life of the people;
• incorrect style of raising a child in the family;
• antisocial behavior of parents, unfavorable psychological situation in the family;
• childhood psychotrauma as a factor in addictive behavior;
• genetic predisposition of a person to various forms of addictive behavior;
• melancholic type of human temperament;
• minimal brain dysfunction and mental retardation;
• lack of hobbies and meaning in life;
• prolonged stay in a state of frustration;
• poor development of personal emotional intelligence;
• weak willpower, weak type of nervous system;
• stress, depression;
• problems with studies, academic debt among students during the session;
• parental divorce, family breakdown;
• death of a loved one;
• lack of positive emotions in life;
• problems on the personal front, lack of mutual understanding with loved ones and colleagues;
• conflict style of behavior;
• tendency towards conservatism;
• alcohol abuse;
• smoking;
• substance use;
• excessive enthusiasm for religion, the individual’s involvement in sects;

Deceit

Addicted people always lie. You can never rely on them because they will not be able to keep their promise under any circumstances. Addicts are determined to get what they want, so their fantasy works in one single direction: deceiving the victim. They cannot be called scammers, because sometimes people feel remorse. It’s just that the thirst to get what you want is so great that a person can’t do anything about it. Priorities are shifted in favor of dependence, so the person simply no longer belongs to himself. It is useless to call him to conscience; he will come up with a lot of excuses and present himself as a victim of circumstances.

It would not be out of place to say that the habit of telling the truth begins in childhood. If parents turn a blind eye to the fantasies (sometimes even unsafe) of their children, they have a huge risk of becoming an addict as a result. It will not be difficult for him to lie, and parents will not have the opportunity to prevent negative consequences. An adult addict should never be trusted under any circumstances.

Prevention and treatment

Almost all addictions have a destructive effect on the psyche. They are extremely difficult to treat, and the risk of relapse is very high. Therefore, prevention of addictive behavior is necessary for all people, especially those who have a predisposition. It needs to start at school , telling children in detail how dangerous bad habits are. It is also important to clearly explain to them that almost every adult who smokes or drinks would happily give up their addiction, but cannot do so.

You can get rid of addiction on your own only at the first or second stage - it is enough to realize the danger in time and make a firm decision. If it has entered the third stage, it is almost impossible to get rid of it on your own. And if a person is determined, he should consult a psychotherapist or other specialist, depending on the type of addiction.