What Are The Effects Of Addiction

Is It A True Addiction

Like other behavioral addictions, video game addiction is a controversial idea. While video gaming research is showing some disturbing effects, particularly in younger players, there is a lack of long-term research and insufficient evidence to definitively conclude that video game overuse is indeed an addiction.

In addition, cautionary messages from groups, such as the American Medical Association, which believes that video games are potentially harmful, have to compete with the aggressive marketing of the video games industry, whose own research, unsurprisingly, shows no ill effects.

Internet Gaming Disorder is currently included as a condition for further study in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders , the “gold standard” reference for mental health conditions. Therefore, although it is not yet recognized fully as a disorder, proposed criteria have been published.

What Is Porn Addiction

The American Psychiatric Association hasnt formally recognized porn addiction as a diagnosis. However, the compulsion to watch porn mimics that of other behavioral process addictions.

Porn is highly accessible, and most of it is completely free. These factors can pose serious barriers for people wishing to cut down or abstain from their engagement.

Viewing porn doesnt qualify someone as an addict. However, you may be struggling with a porn problem if you:

• Spend excessive time using porn .
• Experience a sense of craving or need to watch porn.
• Feel guilt or shame while viewing or after viewing porn.
• Struggle to enjoy masturbation or sexual activity without porn.
• Feel unable to resist porn even if its hindering your life or relationships.
• Feel like youre living a double life due to your porn use.
• Feel angry or anxious if your partner asks you to stop using porn.
• Lie, deny, or otherwise rationalize your porn use.
• Need to watch more explicit porn to achieve your desired effects .

Different Drugs Different Effects

Drugs affect your body’s central nervous system. They affect how you think, feel and behave. The three main types are depressants, hallucinogens and stimulants:

• Depressants slow or ‘depress’ the function of the central nervous system. They slow the messages going to and from your brain. In small quantities depressants can cause a person to feel relaxed and less inhibited. In large amounts they may cause vomiting, unconsciousness and death. Depressants affect your concentration and coordination, and slow your ability to respond to situations. It is important to not operate heavy machinery while taking depressants. Alcohol, cannabis, GHB, opiates and benzodiazepines are examples of depressants.
• Hallucinogens distort your sense of reality. You may see or hear things that are not really there, or see things in a distorted way. Other effects can include emotional and psychological euphoria, jaw clenching, panic, paranoia, gastric upset and nausea. Ketamine, LSD, PCP, ‘magic mushrooms’ and cannabis are examples of hallucinogens.
• Stimulants speed or ‘stimulate’ the central nervous system. They speed up messaging to and from the brain, making you feel more alert and confident. This can cause increased heart rate, blood pressure and body temperature, reduced appetite, agitation and sleeplessness. In large amounts stimulants may cause anxiety, panic, seizures, stomach cramps and paranoia. Caffeine, nicotine, amphetamines , cocaine and ecstasy are examples of stimulants.

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Physiological Changes How Does An Addicts Brain Work

On top of the effects of addiction on the brains neurotransmitters and associated chemicals, the brain also changes physiologically. The brain actually changes with addiction, and it takes a good deal of work to get it back to its normal state. The more drugs or alcohol youve taken, the more disruptive it is to the brain, said Dr. George Koob, director of NIHs National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Drugs and alcoholaffect the brains ability to form and store important memories. These substances also can cause irreversible brain damage.

There is a misconception that an addict can just turn away from their addiction- but this is further from the truth. When an individual gets addicted to a substance, the natural rewiring of the brain gets distorted through the influx of chemicals that are generated by the substance. Drugs or alcohol can start to control the pleasure/reward circuits in the brain, leaving the individual wanting more and more. As a result, when an addict tries to quit, the brain also sends emotional danger-sensing circuits. This leaves the addict wanting more of the substance to make them feel more secure and happy.

Causes And Effects Of Drug Addiction

Causes and Effects of Drug Addiction. The causes and effects of drug addiction circumscribed both the reasons for a person to start using drugs and the aftermath of becoming a addicted. Drug addi

Research Links Severe Mental Illness And Substance UseNew data linking severe mental illness and substance use could lead to more effective and streamlined treatment options for clinicians and patients, according to a leading expert in psychiatry and addiction issues. The Washington University School of Read more on Huffington Post

Column: Alcohol vs. Marijuana CNN recently reported on some extensive studies and evidence surrounding the topic, especially in comparing use, addiction, withdrawal and the effects on using motorized vehicles. Let me summarize those and cite some others.

Drugs vs. the drug war: A response to Michael GersonCarly Tangney-Decker and her husband Jeff Decker want New York State to legalize medical marijuana, to help their 8 month old daughter Mabel Tangney-Decker, who has a rare genetic disorder that causes seizures, at their home on Saturday, Jan. 11, 2013

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How Addiction Affects Your Family

Addiction isnt just a disease that affects one person. It also takes a toll on the entire family. Since addiction leads to irresistible cravings and urges to drink or use to avoid experiencing withdrawal symptoms, people who are addicted make substances their priority. They no longer have a choice in the matter.

Even though it may not seem like something you would normally do, if you developed an addiction you would likely find yourself lying to your family members about whether you are using and how much you are using. You may take money that is earmarked for paying bills and use it to support your addiction.

These types of actions erode the trust built up between you and your family members, leading to increased conflict. Over time, relationships between you and your family will suffer due to multiple occurrences of lies, half-truths, and broken promises. Once trust has been broken, its very difficult to rebuild it.

Someone who is living with an addiction can start to find their way back by seeking professional help at a drug and alcohol treatment center. Long-term recovery is possible with individualized addiction treatment.

Effects Of Addiction On The Body

Beyond just the effect addiction has on the brain, when a person is addicted to drugs and alcohol the entire body is affected too. Drugs and alcoholaffect major organ function and with prolonged drug or alcohol addiction, permanent effects on vital systems and functions can lead to disability or even early death. The effects of addiction on the body can also carry over to physical changes.

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Antidepressant Drug Addiction Dependence And Withdrawal In Online Addicts

Due to the evident link between video game or Internet addiction and depression, it is not surprising that many addicted gamers take antidepressant medication to help with the symptoms. Though most healthcare professionals consider this type of medication to be safe and effective, it also comes with its own set of risks and side effects. One factor to consider before beginning antidepressant medication is that it may be difficult to stop taking it. It is common to experience withdrawal symptoms, including anxiety, irritability, nausea and dizziness. In more serious cases, it is possible to experience depression as a symptom of withdrawal from the medication. This depression can be even more severe than the original depression, leading the patient to believe that the illness has returned.

Stunts Natural Sexual Development

Its normal for adolescents and teenagers to have sexual curiosity. This is the time when most people begin dating and engaging in intimate relationships.

However, porn can disrupt this natural development. Children are most vulnerable to sexual beliefs and ethics, and porn use can hinder this stage.

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The Many Ways Addiction Affects The Family

Battling a substance use disorder is viewed by many as a personal experience. Because harmful substances have devastating effects on the user, many may not take into consideration the other people involved. Spouses, children, and parents may all be impacted by the way addiction affects the family.

The effects of drug and alcohol addiction can be both short-term and long-term. Peaceful, loving homes can be divided by the strain caused by drug and alcohol abuse. Conflict becomes normal as family members fight to engage with a child who abuses Heroin, for example. Trust begins to erode. Relatives may become more guarded if a relative abusing illicit substances acts with aggression or hides their disorder in secrecy. Marriages can end due to changes caused by addiction. Communication becomes more difficult, highlighting frustration.

Family members may see their relative endure side effects of drugs or fly into rages when under the influence of alcohol. Others may see their relatives lose weight rapidly, becoming unrecognizable. Some may not hear from a loved one for an extended period of time, only to discover that they are living on the street or have fatally overdosed. Such shocks can cause a relative to endure severe trauma or develop unhealthy coping mechanisms like codependent behaviors in response.

What Do Drugs Really Do Your Body

Every time you drink a beer, you smoke a joint, you pop a pill, you take a hit you make a choice. You make an active choice to put substances in your body because, in the heat of the moment, it seems like the right thing to do. It will make you feel better, it will get you high, it will be fun. This is what you tell yourself. But did you know that it is also putting your health in danger?

We know youve heard it before. Your parents told you that drugs are bad. Your friends told you to stop drinking so much. Maybe a doctor has even said that your drug use has taken a toll. Not to mention, you know hangovers and come-downs quite well. Unfortunately, drug addiction is a persistent thing. It is your brain relentlessly telling you that its okay to take drugs, despite the physical consequences and the terrible aching your body experiences soon after. And it makes you wonder, what do drugs do to your body, exactly? Why do you feel this way, and why cant you stop? What are the risks if you keep using?

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The Negative Side Effects Of Addiction

• May 5, 2021

Addiction is a primary, chronic, neurobiologic disease with genetic, psychosocial, and environmental factors influencing its development and manifestations. Addiction is characterized by behaviours that include:1

• Impaired control over drug use
• Compulsive use
• Continued use despite harm
• Cravings

As addiction is a multifaceted and complex issue, so are its negative effects across the lives of drug users and their families. It is often not one type of complication that disrupts the daily life of a person with addiction. The factors often work in tandem to create health risks.

One of the most noticeable side effects of addiction are the associated physical maladies. People with addiction often have one or more associated health issues, which could include: lung or heart disease, stroke, cancer, or mental health conditions. Often, these ailments can be spotted and diagnosed via imaging scans, x-rays, and blood tests or through psychiatric assessment.

While it is well known that alcohol can negatively affect the liver, and smoking anything can damage the lungs It is a lesser known fact that amphetamines can contribute to poor dentition, and inhalants may damage or destroy nerve cells in the brain or peripheral nervous system.

Addiction can also wreak havoc on a substance users interpersonal relationships. Alcohol is considered by experts to be the most harmful drug to other people , followed by heroin and crack cocaine.

Complications By Length Of Use

Some people march right into treatment plans early in the addiction process. But its not at all unusual for people to live with addictions for very long periods of time before they get the help they need. For example, in a study in the journal Drug and Alcohol Review, researchers found that people who used heroin had an average time gap of nine years between first use and entry into a treatment program. What this indicates is that some people may spend about a decade using drugs before they get help, and they can face very specific health complications every step of the way.

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How Does Addiction Affect The Brain

The brain is the most dynamic and complex organ in our bodies. The brain’s proper functioning ensures our very survival. When our brains function well, we are constantly adapting to our environment . Ironically, it is the brain’s ability to be so adaptive that contributes to the formation of addiction. Addiction causes changes to the brain in at least four fundamental ways:

1. Addiction causes changes to the brain’s natural balance .

4. Addiction causes changes to brain structures and their functioning.

1. Addiction changes the brain’s natural balance .

Addiction interferes with an important biological process called homeostasis. Scientists consider the human body a biological system. All biological systems attempt to maintain a “normal” balance, known as homeostasis. The brain functions as the “overseer” of this balance. It makes various adjustments to maintain a balanced, well-functioning, biological system. Each person’s “normal” balance is individually determined. Drugs of abuse and activity addictions lead to changes in this normal balance.

Chronic over-stimulation of the brain interferes with the maintenance of this balance . When the brain has difficulty maintaining homeostatic balance, the wonderfully adaptive brain makes adjustments. It does this by creating a new balanced set-point. The creation of a new balance is called allostasis.

Cocaine Use And The Body

As one of the most dangerous drugs in the world, what cocaine does to both the body and mind has been well documented.However, there are many factors that can influence the precise nature of the long-term physical effects that cocaine hason a user. Some of these factors include:

• Timespan
• Frequency of consumption
• What type of cocaine
• How the drug was taken
• The average amount of cocaine consumed per dose
• Individual biology, psychology and physiology, which can include current mental health status, family history, age, gender,diet, the presence of other drugs, etc.

Among the long-term effects of cocaine are a decrease in bone density and muscle mass, which canlead to osteoporosis.Cocaine suppresses appetite, so much so that it can be a cause of, and a consequence of,eating disorders. The drug significantly changes the bodys metabolism, rendering fatty foods meaningless and givingaddicts much less body fat than people who dont use cocaine.

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What Causes An Addiction To Video Games

Many different causes factor into video game addiction. One of the main reasons that video games can become so addictive, however, is they are designed to be that way. Video game designers, like anyone else trying to make a profit, are always looking for ways to get more people playing their games. They accomplish this by making a game just challenging enough to keep you coming back for more but not so hard that the player eventually gives up. In other words, success for a gamer often feels just out of reach. In this respect, video game addiction is very similar to another more widely recognized disorder: gambling addiction.

Risk Factors For Internet Addiction

Certain types of people are believed to be potentially more vulnerable to developing an Internet addiction compared to the general population, based on proposed risk factors.

Risk factors for Internet addiction include:

• history of mental health disorder
• history of substance misuse
• young age
• genetic predisposition

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Understanding What Addiction Does To Your Brain

To better understand how addiction can impact your social life, lets take a look at what happens in your brain when you develop a substance use disorder.

There are two sides to a substance use disorder: physical dependence and addiction. The dependence aspect is fairly straightforward as it describes your bodys physical dependence on your substance of choice, which means it goes into withdrawal in the absence of the substance.

Addiction is the trickier component, and it takes place in your brain. When you form an addiction, your brain’s neurotransmitters are altered in a way that creates uncontrollable cravings and the inability to quit using, which can have a serious impact on your social life.

The Effect Of Addiction On The Family

Tuesday, December 20, 2016

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administrationâs 2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 21.5 million people aged 12 years and above had a substance use disorder, including drug and/or alcohol addictions. Substance abuse and addiction exert a huge impact on the family life of countless individuals who suffer from the devastating effects of these addictions. Far too many of these people do not receive the help they need in order to overcome these problems in their daily lives and subsequently, their families suffer alongside of them.

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