DRUG DEPENDENCE: CHARACTERISTICS, CAUSES, CONSEQUENCES, TREATMENT - ARTE - 2025

The drug is the psychological and physical condition causing the interaction between the body and the drug. It occurs when a person requires one or more drugs to function normally.

A person may have some type of medical condition, such as high blood pressure, chronic pain, depression, schizophrenia, or anxiety disorders, that requires them to take some type of medication to maintain their quality of life.

This can be thought of as “drug dependence”, but it is most likely not a problem, as they are needed to live. Proper medical use of the drug, regardless of whether it causes drug dependence, cannot be considered drug abuse.

On the contrary, there is a problem when the individual abuses illegal or prescription drugs; In other words, there is no proper use, but rather excessive consumption that has detrimental effects on health.

Characteristics of drug dependence

Drug dependence is characterized by significant changes in the behavior of the person, in the irrepressible urge to consume the substance to experience its effects and, on many occasions, avoid the discomfort caused by stopping taking it.

Intermittent drug abuse can evolve into dependence. In the end, the person cannot live a normal life without the substance. These people end up using larger and larger doses or taking other types of drugs to overcome the tolerance that develops with regular use.

What are drug-dependent people like?

People who are dependent on drugs and drugs usually begin to consume them in a social or controlled way and end up developing dependence. In many cases, the drug may have been prescribed by the doctor to treat a disease or medical condition. Normal and safe use can, at times, lead to abuse and dependency.

These people usually have a family history of addiction, which means that the addictive personality may have a genetic component and that seeing throughout childhood how family members abuse substances can make drugs or drugs appear as normal or desirable.

It is common for people who develop dependence to also have depressive or anxious characteristics.

They often end up depending on the substance to deal with emotional problems or stress. It is common for these people to be impulsive, do not fear risk and seek new sensations.

People with mental disorders

Substance abuse is relatively common among people with psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia, as well as among people with bipolar disorder, antisocial personality, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Also, withdrawal symptoms are worse if the person has a mental disorder.

Ambient

An influential factor in the development of a dependency is the availability of the substance. If the person lives in an environment where the drug can be easily obtained and where it is normal to use it, they are more likely to develop dependence. Price is also decisive in the dependency process.

Social support

On the other hand, if the person receives adequate social and emotional support, they are less likely to develop a dependency. Socio-economic resources (having an adequate economic level and living in a good social environment) and belonging to a structured family are also protective factors.

Characteristics of addiction and dependence

Drug dependence and addiction are sometimes interchangeable concepts. Many addicts depend on drugs to keep their bodies working normally.

However, it is possible to be dependent on a drug or medication without being addicted. This is what happens when we need medication to control a chronic medical condition, such as thyroid problems. It is also possible to be addicted to a substance without your body being dependent on it.

Addiction

The addiction to a substance entails the search and consumption of the same in spite of the negative consequences for oneself and for the people around us.

Addicted people are unable to stop using the substance and tend to put aside work or academic obligations and social relationships.

Typically, addiction is an impulsive behavior pattern that seeks a state of gratification and / or a reduction of a negative mood, as well as alleviating withdrawal symptoms.

Addiction entails physical and mental damage: in substance abuse there is a maladaptive pattern of consumption that entails a significant deterioration in personal obligations. It is consumed in risky situations, it is associated with legal problems, or the subject continues to consume despite the social consequences that it causes.

Psychic and psychological addiction

There is both physical and psychological addiction to drugs, although both types are usually given at the same time. Physical addiction occurs when the body's cells cannot function without a specific substance. Once the substance is used up in the body, withdrawal symptoms begin to appear.

Psychological or emotional addiction, for its part, is defined as a compulsion or a perceived need for consumption. For example, a person addicted to marijuana may think that they need to use it in order to fall asleep quickly and in peace. However, it is very likely that, in the end, they will fall asleep without having to use the drug.

In very serious cases of psychological addiction, without help, a drug that was initially used voluntarily and recreationally can end up being the central focus of the individual's life.

Dependence

Substance dependence often includes some or all of the characteristics of addiction, plus the tolerance that is created as the body physically adjusts to the substance, leading to the desire and need for larger or larger doses. frequent.

Dependence comprises a group of cognitive, behavioral and physiological symptoms that indicate that the person continues to consume the substance, despite the appearance of significant problems related to it.

Another characteristic of dependence is the set of physical and psychological symptoms that occur when you try to stop using the substance or reduce its use.

This set of symptoms is known as the withdrawal syndrome. The symptoms are different depending on the drug or substance that has been stopped, and cause discomfort and interference in the occupational areas of those who suffer it.

Symptoms of dependency

It can be quite difficult to recognize the symptoms of drug dependence and addiction. Both conditions are characterized by excessive preoccupation with substance, mysterious and secretive behavior, and avoidance of behaviors, activities, and relationships that were previously important to the person.

Drug and substance addicts also tend to neglect their physical appearance and have extreme weight swings.

Many times, you can determine if an addiction has evolved into dependence by observing the behavior of the person when they have not had access to the substance for a significant period of time.

Physical symptoms

The physical symptoms of withdrawal occur when the body is stressed without the substance. These symptoms vary depending on the type of substance that has been stopped. However, in general, they usually include the following:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Muscular weakness
• Nightmares
• Body aches
• Excessive sweating
• Sickness
• Vomiting

Anxiety and depression can be both the cause of dependency and the consequence, turning the process into a vicious cycle.

Treatment

When addiction escalates to drug dependence, treatment becomes more complicated. Ultimately, you have to stop using the substance, but doing so abruptly can cause very serious physical side effects.

These individuals may need to be placed in a residential detox program or attend an outpatient program.

Drug-dependent people may be given substances that mimic the effects of drugs to reduce withdrawal symptoms during treatment.

Detox programs use a combination of therapy and medical care to alleviate withdrawal symptoms and ultimately eliminate addiction. Ongoing therapy sessions are often required for an extended period of time after completing a treatment program.

Extreme cases of substance intoxication, withdrawal, or overdose may require emergency care before addiction and dependence can be treated.

Consequences: long-term prospects

If dependency is not treated, it can become very dangerous. These people increase drug use over time, in terms of frequency and quantity per dose, since the body adapts to the amount it is used to and generates a lesser response. This increase in consumption can result in overdose and even death.

Treatment can reverse dependency if it is started early and the person is willing and motivated to be treated. Sometimes treatment is successful the first time it is applied, but relapses are common among addicts and dependents.

Ongoing therapy and support groups can help recovering addicts stay on the right track and recognize the symptoms of relapse so they can be identified and stopped early.

Neurological bases: causes

From a medical perspective, most of the substances that create dependencies produce alterations in brain functions, which produce modifications in the normal mood of the person.

These changes are produced by the action of substances in the neurochemical processes of the brain; they influence the action of neurotransmitters. Drugs and drugs produce chemical dependency in the brain, as it intervenes on the reward and reinforcement areas.

Nucleus of accumbens

The nucleus of accumbens is the brain structure that explains addictions. The most recognized function of this brain area is its role in the "reward circuit."

When we do anything that we consider rewarding or reinforcing (eating, having sex, taking drugs), dopaminergic neurons (along with other types of neurons) in an area of ​​the brain called the ventral tegmental area fire. These neurons project to the nucleus accumbens, and when activated they result in increased levels of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens.

This nucleus is an important component of a major dopaminergic pathway in the brain called the mesolimbic pathway, which is stimulated during rewarding and pleasure experiences.

Since drugs, when consumed, cause pleasant and therefore rewarding sensations in our body, it seems clear that these areas and processes are involved in the development of addictions and dependencies.

This association between our rewarding experiences and dopamine levels in the nucleus accumbens initially led neuroscientists to think that the main role of this nucleus had to do with mediating reward. Therefore, it is often involved in addiction and the processes that lead to addiction.

However, since the first links between the accumbens and rewards were discovered, it has been found that levels of dopamine, the neurotransmitter related to pleasure and happiness, in this nucleus increase in response to both rewarding and aversive stimuli..

This discovery led to a reevaluation of the functions of the nucleus accumbens and of the functions of dopamine as a neurotransmitter.

Neuroscientists continue to try to understand the exact role of the nucleus accumbens in these processes. At this point, however, it seems safe to assume that this nucleus is an influential brain area in the processes of addiction and dependency development.

conclusion

The effects of drug dependence are multiple; they cause both physical and psychological, economic and social problems. Effective treatment includes a multidisciplinary approach in which factors related to health, education, social environment, community, and family components should be incorporated.