Understanding Patients Prone to Addiction Addiction is a condition where a person ingests a substance or engages in an activity such as gambling, sex, or even shopping. The initial involvement can be pleasurable, but the continued use can become compulsive and interfere with ordinary life and responsibilities such as working families' relationships or health. The individual may not have any idea that their behavior is out of control, and may resent having this pointed out to them. The word addiction is used in multiple ways. One describes the physical condition, while one describes a biological condition in which the body adjusts and expects the presence of the drug. Another form of physical addiction is the phenomenon of an overpowering sense of the brain to drugs or alcohol. An alcoholic going into a bar, for example, may feel an extra impulse to have a drink because of these external cues. Related: 5 Ways to Organize Your Paperwork Addictive patterns People that compulsively use drugs, gamble, or shop are all most likely doing this as a reaction to being emotionally stressed. Psychologically based addictions are not based off drugs or brain effects they can account for why people frequently switch addictive actions from one drug to a completely different kind of drug or even a behavior. It’s not necessarily the type of addiction that matters, but the need to react to certain kinds of stress. Treating the addiction of this nature requires a unique understanding of how it works psychologically. Understanding addiction It is important to understand that addiction is not simply a search for pleasure; the addiction has nothing to do with the person’s morality or strength of character. Experts agree in most cases addiction is a disease or true mental illness, where drug dependence and addiction mean the same thing and in many other aspects of addiction. It’s important for an addicted person to get support from a person or an organization; there are community organizations for pretty much every type of addiction. Treatments Treatments for addictive behaviors can vary widely. Some facilities believe in very intense hard-core rehabilitation. They may require the patient to adhere to very strict guidelines, including being on time for meetings, being in bed at a certain time and agreeing to not leave the facility until treatment
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