Introduction
The problem of addictive behavior has not lost its relevance in society and the world for decades. Dependent behavior of a person is a serious social problem since in a pronounced form it can have such negative consequences as loss of working capacity, conflicts with others, and the commission of crimes. In addition, this is the most common type of deviation, affecting any family in one way or another. Since ancient times, various forms of dependent behavior have been called harmful or harmful habits, meaning drunkenness, overeating, gambling, and other addictions. In modern medical literature, such a term as pathological habits is widely used.
Main body
Substance abuse affects each household and each family member separately. Unmet developmental requirements, attachment difficulties, economic difficulty, legal issues, emotional discomfort, and, in certain cases, violence are examples of these impacts. Discord and conflicts begin to reign in families, and unity and trust disappear. The family can no longer adequately and socially perform their educational functions, cannot form a healthy personality of the child, and therefore fully prepare children for future independent life, life in society. In addition, children and adolescents perceive the behavior of people with addiction as a model, and thus the dependence of one person generates the dependence of another. A problem for society is a large number of crimes associated with addiction to psychoactive substances. Furthermore, addiction has a detrimental impact on societal welfare. Many addicts engage in community-funded programs such as specialized justice, social work, or vocational recovery.
Addictions associated with dependent human behavior also harm the very psyche of the addict. Over time, pathological attachment can become a trigger for the development of serious mental complications: depression, neurosis, and disorders of various genesis. If a person experiences chemical dependence, the effect of psychotropic substances on the body can have serious consequences (Capuzzi & Stauffer, 2020). The symptoms of a co-occurring condition may impact efforts to cease drug usage. For example, one of the symptoms of depression – procrastination can negatively affect attempts to get rid of addiction because a person has no desire to get out of bed. Moreover, addiction causes neurosis, this symptom can cause a sudden breakdown if a person wants to quit addiction.
Generalized anxiety disorder, for example, might make addiction treatment challenging. Individuals with persistent, regular anxiety or panic episodes, as well as symptoms such as sleep difficulties, restlessness, and functional impairment, are diagnosed with it. Living with constant anxiety might lead those who are addicted to relapse into using drugs or alcohol to try to cope with the disorder’s symptoms. Addiction can arise due to the overuse of prescription anxiety drugs such as Xanax due to problems with social skills or attempts to cope with other anxiety symptoms.
Substance abuse or addictive behaviors may temporarily counteract the symptoms of a comorbid disorder. For instance, there is a substantial link between mental diseases, particularly depression and schizophrenia, and cigarette usage (NIDA, 2021). Smoking can help patients cope with the symptoms of certain conditions, such as poor attention, depression, and stress. This reduction in symptoms may explain why persons with mental illnesses are less likely than the general population to quit smoking.
At the first signs of deterioration of health and changes in behavioral patterns, it is necessary to consult a doctor. Self-treatment is ineffective in most cases. However, there are also positive examples. In this case, conditionally addictive behavior is a passion for creativity, sports, meditation, and yoga (La Rosa et al., 2022). However, they are not dangerous to humans and society; on the contrary, they are very useful. From the point of view of medicine, this condition is not considered a disease and does not have its code number in the world classification of diseases.
The development of a ritual around substance abuse or addictive behavior can be used to strengthen an addiction or be used to treat an addiction. Rituals accompany addiction and are critical components in continuous usage, to the point where removing the main rituals might cause the addiction to lose its attractiveness. Addictive behavior is a means of adapting to or coping with the environment, but rituals are also a way of adapting to or coping with the environment. People who use psychoactive drugs to cope with stress may be able to overcome their addiction by altering their cognitive and environmental situations.
When it comes to the condition of addiction, the type of substance or other obsession matters. The use of numerous substances is common, and many people acquire multiple comorbid drug use disorders. For example, more than 66 percent of those with a heroin use problem are addicted to nicotine, over 25 percent have an alcohol use disorder, and more than 20 percent have a cocaine use disorder (NIDA, 2021). This complicates therapy since various medicines have varying impacts on comorbid condition symptoms. Patients seeking therapy for mental illnesses should be evaluated for drug use problems, and vice versa.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the addictive behavior of a person is a threat both to himself and those around him. Therefore, fighting and working in this direction is necessary because the world that makes up a person’s life is not always ideal. This is true for the reality surrounding a person from the outside and the reality created inside. Such a world almost always causes a desire for change. It just so happened, and it makes no sense to blame oneself or the surrounding reality for this. Changing one’s world is always challenging, obvious, or predictable. It requires effort and is accompanied by mistakes, after which it is necessary to get up and continue moving.
References
Capuzzi, D., & Stauffer, M. D. (2020). Foundations of addictions counseling (4th ed.). New York, NY: Pearson Education, Inc.
La Rosa, V. L., Gori, A., Faraci, P., Vicario, C. M., & Craparo, G. (2022). Traumatic distress, alexithymia, dissociation, and risk of addiction during the first wave of COVID-19 in Italy: results from a cross-sectional online survey on a non-clinical adult sample. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 20(5), 3128-3144. Web.
NIDA. (2021). Why is there comorbidity between substance use disorders and mental illnesses? National Institute of Drug Abuse. Web.
Satchell, L. P., Fido, D., Harper, C. A., Shaw, H., Davidson, B., Ellis, D. A., Hart C. M., Jalil, R., Bartoli, A. J., Kaye, L. K., Lancaster, G. L. J. & Pavetich, M. (2022). Development of an Offline-Friend Addiction Questionnaire (O-FAQ): Are most people social addicts?Behavior Research Methods, 53(3), 1097-1106. Web.