Describing addiction

• Addiction is a disorder in which an individual consumes a substance eg. nicotine, or engages in a particular behaviour eg. gambling, that is pleasurable but eventually becomes compulsive.
• Psychological dependence

  > This is the mental and emotional compulsion to keep taking a substance as the individual believes that they cannot cope with work and social life without a particular drug or behaviour

  > Absence of the drug causes the individual to feel anxious or irritable, leading to a craving
• Physical dependence

  > The state of the body that occurs when withdrawal syndrome is produced from stopping the substance use / behaviour eg. headaches
• Withdrawal

  > Collection of physiological and psychological symptoms an individual will experience when they no longer have a substance in their system

  > includes low mood, shaking and nausea

  > seriousness of withdrawal syndrome can depend on a variety of factors : substance used / type of behaviour, amount of substance consumed, drug use / behaviour pattern
• Tolerance

  > due to repeated exposure the response to the substance / behaviour is reduced. when tolerance occurs the individual will need greater doses to feel the same physical and psychological effects.

  > Cellular tolerance - brain neurons adapt

  > Metabolic tolerance - substance metabolised quicker

  > Behavioural tolerance - learn to adjust behaviour to compensate for drug effects