What is addiction? Addiction is a word that is thrown around quite frequently in today's society. We often hear the word attached to behavioral habits such as "sex addiction" or "gambling addiction". In other contexts we hear the word addiction correlated with chemical dependency, such as a crack addiction or a methamphetamine addiction. Regardless of the context in defining addiction, its core meaning remains tucked away in the sound corner of an addict's mind. According to the highest-ranking online dictionary, addiction is defined as "the state of being enslaved to a habit or practice or to something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming, as narcotics, to such an extent that its cessation causes severe trauma." This definition of addiction rings a bell of truth in the minds of family members and friends impacted by a loved one's addiction. The user does not dictate the terms of addiction; the chemical or behavior takes precedence over the logical mind.
Physically, addiction is characterized by the compulsive need to take the drug despite an increased tolerance and withdrawal symptoms upon cessation of use. Knowledge of withdrawal symptoms -- before they actually begin -- will not deter the addict from using, once addicted. The length of time necessary for an addiction to breed within a human being depends upon a litany of variables, impossible to identify to an exact degree. For example, an adolescent teen with a volatile home life and history of sexual abuse, begins drinking alcohol at age 12, and hangs out with a new group of friends who glamorize the drug culture and all that it entails. His father and paternal grandfather have recovered from alcoholism within the last ten years, working extensive programs to maintain sobriety. His chances of falling privy to alcoholism are exponentially greater than his peers in which the inclusive variables are not present.
Some families become highly acquainted with what it means to be an addict through the eyes of a family member. A father watches as his son exhibits increasingly less control over his actions related to alcohol consumption. A brother watches his sister destroy her body by means of a food addiction, overeating several times throughout a typical day and undertaking serious risks to her health. In all cases, family members and friends share a sense of powerlessness over their addicted loved one.
In psychological terminology, the person in the family suffering from an addiction is coined as the "identified patient". This is because his or her actions become central to everyone else's actions. It is as if the addict takes up a central driving force within the family system, guiding everyone's movements in a tree-to-branch relationship. In other words, members of the family other than the identified patient end up simply reacting to behaviors and symptoms exhibited by the addict.
What causes someone to develop an addiction? Again, the answers are complex, multifaceted, and vary on a case-by-case basis. In any case, if you or a loved one suffers from the following symptoms, be wary of a potential addiction at bay:
- Profound changes in mood and/or behavior
- A slowly declining level of attention to personal hygiene and appearance
- Insomnia or vastly oversleepingv
- Irritability, restlessness, and agitation
- Physical cravings that are reoccurring and induce negligence in sustaining plans, obligations, and responsibilities
- A shift in neurological patterns of natural reward-system creation, particularly poignant in opiate addicts -- such as heroin and morphine -- and barbiturate addicts
Left untreated, addiction can ravage through otherwise peaceful families, destroy otherwise healthy bodies, and lead to emotional devastation. Familial relationships, romantic partnerships, and employment opportunities become crushed in a matter of weeks or months. Thankfully, recovery from addiction is possible through a number of venues. Inpatient rehabilitation centers, outpatient rehabilitation programs, and substance abuse counseling are three of the main forms of help available in today's society. All three options entail personal commitment on behalf of the addict -- any program will fail if the addict is not willing to meet professionals halfway in the quest for sobriety and/or abstinence. Little more than willingness and a desire to change for the better can be the building blocks upon which long-term sobriety is constructed.
