Recognising addiction

Recognising addiction

Addiction is defined as maladaptive behaviour associated with the use of legal substances (alcohol, tobacco, etc.) or illegal substances (cannabis, heroin, cocaine, etc.), which leads to significant recurring psychological and physical problems.

The main criteria used to assess addiction include:

• The desire to use a particular substance develops into a need to consume it, often in increasingly larger quantities, in order to achieve the desired effect.
• Continued use of the substance despite an obvious deterioration in health.
• A persistent desire or unsuccessful attempts to reduce or control substance use or to stop using it altogether.
• Typical withdrawal symptoms occur when substance use is discontinued. These may include fever, sweating and muscle cramps.
• Addiction leads to the interruption or reduction of important social, professional, educational or recreational activities, as most of a person’s time is spent obtaining and using the substance or recovering from its effects.

Addiction develops in three stages:

1. Stage 1: EXPERIMENTATION – a desire to try a substance occasionally.
2. Stage 2: SOCIAL USE – substance use becomes more frequent but remains concealed and associated with specific places.
3. Stage 3: ADDICTION – substance use becomes a necessity, psychological and physical changes become apparent, and stopping becomes extremely difficult to control.

Types of addiction

1. Psychological dependence is characteristic of the use of all types of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances. It manifests as a strong emotional and psychological need to consume a narcotic drug or psychotropic substance. It is less severe than physical dependence and is characteristic of the early stages of addiction or of certain psychotropic substances (e.g. hallucinogens). In cases of psychological dependence, stopping the use of a psychotropic substance does not cause withdrawal symptoms, but may result in an irresistible desire to experience the unusual sensations provided by the substance, if it is available.

2. Physical dependence does not occur with all types of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, but only with certain substances, such as opiates and their derivatives (e.g. heroin). It manifests as a state in which the body has adapted to the substance. Physical dependence is characterised by withdrawal symptoms that occur when substance use is discontinued and may cause severe physical pain. The substance can cause unpleasant and sometimes dangerous changes in the body’s metabolism. Physical dependence is accompanied by increased tolerance to the substance.

LET’S WORK TOGETHER TO PREVENT ADDICTION. LEARN TO RECOGNISE THE SIGNS BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE.

The use of legal and illegal substances should be stopped before addiction develops. It is therefore important to emphasise that certain personality traits and environmental factors can increase the risk of developing an addiction.

Certain personality traits that may increase the risk of starting to use legal and illegal substances and subsequently developing an addiction include:

• emotional and mood instability
• heightened sensitivity to the effects of substances
• low self-esteem and a poor self-image
• limited communication skills
• difficulty expressing emotions and comforting oneself in times of distress
• disregard for social norms and a rebellious nature
• difficulty resolving conflicts effectively

The main environmental risk factors include:

• parenting style (inconsistent permissiveness or excessive criticism and the creation of feelings of guilt)
• parents’ attitudes towards addiction (alcoholism within the family)
• unemployment and very poor financial circumstances within the family
• unstable or broken families
• violence
• peer pressure
• increasingly easy access to illegal substances

At our pharmacies, you can purchase breathalysers to check your alcohol consumption.

Individual urine tests are also available to detect the presence of certain illegal substances (narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances) in the body.

One of the most common forms of addiction is nicotine dependence

Excessive and uncontrolled smoking is harmful to health. In addition to the social discomfort it causes, smoking can lead to serious illnesses, including various types of cancer (particularly lung cancer), cardiovascular diseases and chronic bronchitis, which can be fatal in the most severe cases.

Smoking poses a risk not only to smokers themselves. Inhaling cigarette smoke is also harmful to people around them.

At our pharmacies, you can consult our pharmacists about nicotine replacement therapy to help you quit smoking, available in the form of chewing gum or patches.

You can also ask about medicines to help you quit smoking. These should be selected in consultation with your GP, as they require a private prescription.