Overview
Addiction is a deep-rooted disease which causes malfunction of the brain’s reward circuit. Addiction can come in the form of alcohol addiction, gambling addiction, gaming addiction, drug addiction, sex addiction, or the likes. Approximately 60 percent of addiction sufferers have probably inherited the disorder genetically (National Institute of Drug Abuse,2010) whereas other people may have damaged their reward system by overusing it. A modern understanding of addiction is that, with chemical dependency like drugs or alcohol, it also includes a range of highly stimulating behaviour which can be potentially addictive.
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People with addiction seek to reinforce their blunted reward feeling by seeking out substances or behaviours that will increase pleasurable feelings. It is a chronic condition (American Society of Addiction Medicine, 2011) which means that it lingers, and symptoms will return if not treated. Neural pathways get effected involving the neurotransmitter dopamine.
There are three distinct ways that this shows itself:
- Craving for the object of addiction
- Loss of control regarding its use
- Ongoing involvement with the object despite adverse consequences
Both substance use and addictive behaviours such as gaming addiction, gambling addiction, and sex addiction have an increased likelihood of being accompanied by mental conditions such as depression and anxiety or other pre-existing problems.
Addiction Epidemiology
It is not necessary that everyone who uses drugs or indulge in certain behaviours like gambling or gaming becomes addicted to it. Some factors that may raise the chances of addiction are:
- Family History: if your parents or siblings have had this problem then you are more likely to get it as well.
- Early drug use: taking drugs or indulging in certain behaviours at an early age make you more likely to get addicted when you grow older
- Mental Disorders: people going through Anxiety or Depression have higher chance or getting addicted. A history of trauma also can have a significant effect on this.
- Troubled relationships: growing up in troubled family and not having close bond with parents or siblings can raise the chances of addiction.
A study conducted by Singapore Mental Health 2016 cited that alcohol abusers are seeking help and recovering within an average or four years as compared to thirteen years in 2010. But at the same time about 2 in 3 Singaporeans admit that they have a social networking or internet addiction. Therefore, treatment of such addictions need not just tackling the physical manifestation but emotional as well. Counselling plays a vital role in the recovery process by improving motivation, learning skills to avoid relapse and involving social support into treatment.
Therapy for Addiction
Addiction treatment requires collaboration of the addict, the families, and the therapist. A Dialectical Behavioural Therapy approach and behavioural activation methods are useful ways to combat addictive behaviours.
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Before it gets worst, let us help you process and validate your feelings, identify triggers, stressors, and contributing factors that may have put you in distress leading to you engaging in your addictive behaviours. We will explore effective coping skills, stress and behavioural management skills or solutions that will help you excel better to meet your daily life demands and responsibilities effectively.
This article uses material from WebMD and other useful references for addiction issues. The article is for use of reference and information only, for specific diagnoses and treatment, please reach out to our licensed and/or certified professionals.