Definition of addiction – Any behaviour that a person craves, finds temporary pleasure or relief in, and suffers negative consequences of, but still cannot stop using or performing the behaviour.
Another definition that we use in our workshops is:
The word addiction comes from the Latin word Addicts – to enslave.
Today addiction denotes a person who is enslaved to a substance or other activity.
The most common phenomenon associated with addiction is substance use disorder, commonly called drug addiction. The phenomenon of addiction, however, can occur with other things – food, pornography, gambling.
Who can become addicted?
The unfortunate reality is that anyone can become addicted. People of all walks of life, we are all at risk in one way or another.
There are, however, major risk factors which include:
- Genetics: Having an addicted parent leaves one at higher risk of developing an addiction. A parent could be addicted to alcohol, and their child may develop an addiction to gambling.
- Biology: A chemical imbalance that has led to a mental illness can lead people to use substances as a way of managing symptoms. This in turn can lead to addiction.
- Environment: Substances are sometimes used as a coping mechanism by people that have experienced abuse and/or neglect as a way to cope with the effect this has on us as humans. All of us need connection, love, and acceptance in order to thrive. This risk factor also includes looking at the accessibility of substances including if they are available in the home, ie. alcohol or prescription drugs, as well as financial resources to participate in addictive behaviour (think gambling) .
- Lifestyle: How do you use a substance like alcohol in your daily lives? How are drugs and alcohol accepted in the daily lives of university students? Sports and steroids?
- Drug of choice: Some addictions progress slowly over the course of several months or years, while others move more quickly. Drugs such as cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamines tend to be more physically addictive than alcohol or marijuana.
Substance abuse, especially over the long term, causes extensive harm, not only to those with addiction, but to their family members, friends, and to the community at large. The impacts of substance abuse include biopsychosocial harm:
Physical/Biological impacts: Addiction physically ravages the body. According the the Health Officers Council of BC, every year in Canada, psychoactive substances are linked to more than 47,000 deaths and many thousands more injuries and disabilities.
Psychological effects of addiction include:
- Mood swings, depression, anxiety, paranoia, violence
- Decrease in pleasure in everyday life
- Complication of mental illness
- Psychological tolerance to the drug’s effects creating a desire to use ever-increasing amounts of the drug
- Desire to engage in risky behavior
- Increased risk of suicide