Causes of addictive behavior. Addictive disorders. General characteristics. Eating disorders

Every second person in the world suffers from uncontrollable cravings for something. Few people know what serious consequences and changes in life such a problem can lead to.

Definition of the concept

You can find a lot of information about the nature of this pathology, how it appears, how it affects a person, what treatment methods exist. Many people associate the problem of attachment to something with drugs, alcohol and smoking. But there is also an attachment to gambling, slot machines, etc. Pathology occurs for 2 reasons:

physiological craving - a substance or object affects a person’s brain and causes the need to smoke, drink, gamble or take drugs again and again;
psychological addiction – a person begins to smoke, drink, gamble or take drugs due to problems in life, frequent stress, depression.

Addictive behavior is one of the types of destructive behavior in which a person wants to get away from problems and close himself off from others.

He begins to get actively involved various items, change the type of activity and your psycho-emotional state with the help of chemicals.

The disorder manifests itself due to various life situations. For example, problems at work or in the family. The individual wants to close himself off from the real world and immerses himself in his own, in which there are no problems. The craving for a certain substance or object begins with a simple addiction, and when a person realizes that his emotional state from the substance is normalized, he turns to it for help again.

A person with additive behavior uses various substances and is addicted to forbidden games in order to change his life and psychological state.

Reasons for development

Where does addiction come from? There can be many reasons why a person develops addictive behavior:

various situations that negatively affect the psyche;
disagreements with others;
personal dissatisfaction with appearance, etc.

The factors that cause the problem can be divided into 3 classes: social, biological, psychological. They are all interconnected. Also, the patient can simultaneously observe all 3 groups of reasons for which addictive behavior develops.

The social type of addictive behavior develops due to problems in the family, at work, and in children due to school. Political turmoil and the state’s low interest in people’s lives also have a strong impact.

Biological dependence is formed due to the influence of psychotropic substances. Also, a person is prone to addictive behavior due to hereditary predisposition.

Psychological variation of addiction is formed by various reasons. Character traits of a person, the presence of complexes, low intelligence, no interests and meaning in life. A person’s severe psychological state – the presence of stress, shock, depression, grief. Mental dependence often develops due to poor upbringing (drinking parents), childhood trauma (death of parents, problems in childhood and the inability to overcome them).

Signs of abnormalities

Addictions and addictive behavior are a serious disorder. To start helping a person with treatment, you need to know whether he is sick or not. This is difficult to determine, especially initial stage. We will consider the characteristic signs of addictive behavior below.

Deception is a pathological human addiction. He likes to lie and shift his responsibilities to another person.
Presence of complexes. The patient closes himself off from the surrounding reality. He is looking for ways to stand out from the crowd by changing his appearance.
Fear of attachment. The patient does not want attention. Lives completely alone and does not try to find his soul mate.
Excitement. The patient experiences paranoid anxiety, because of this he can stay close to the object of affection all the time.
Manipulation. The patient has many complexes with the help of which he can manipulate his family. Threatens that he will kill them or himself in order to get what he wants.
Standard thinking. An individual lives not as he wants, but as others want. He does not have his own opinion, he always listens to his friends.
Such people usually have complexes because they believe that their opinion is wrong.
Irresponsibility. The individual is not responsible for his actions and is afraid of criticism and condemnation.

Characteristics of an addictive person

Nowadays, it is difficult to recognize a person’s addictive behavior, even if all of the above symptoms are present. Due to the fact that an individual’s life often changes, difficulties arise. They can arise in communication, behavior and actions. An individual does not fully demonstrate his abilities, and therefore he develops an inferiority complex, stereotypical thinking, etc.

Mental dependence arises from emotions and manifests itself in relation to objects, things and phenomena. An addict does not communicate with normal people. Pathology completely changes a person. The consequences of addictive behavior include loss of family, love, work and friendships. The individual gradually leaves normal life for the world of illusions. A violation occurs, and the object to which the person is drawn begins to occupy an important role in her life.

Stages of formation

Addictive addiction has 5 stages. At 1 and 2 the patient can be saved. A psychologist will help with this, who will determine the cause of development and prescribe treatment. But at the last stage, a person’s life completely collapses. The consequences can be the most unpredictable, because... mental disorder serious. We will consider the stages of development in detail below.

"Initial tests." At this stage, a person becomes familiar with an object or substance that causes addictive addiction.
"Addictive rhythm" This is the so-called transshipment point. The patient is aware of all the difficulties and thinks whether to continue taking the dose, play, drink or stop.
"Addictive behavior." The person denies the problem. Excitement and anxiety appear. He convinces himself that he simply needs this “traction”.
“Complete submission to the disease.” The old human self is killed, the substance no longer brings joy.
The last stage is “Catastrophe”. Psychological and biological personalities are completely destroyed.

Types of destructive behavior

The problem of addictive behavior is widely known today. Every day the reasons for its appearance become more numerous. Subordination consists not only of attachment to cigarettes, drugs and alcohol, but also to computer games, sports, gambling, etc. Types are divided into chemical and non-chemical.

Chemical type

The chemical type of disorder requires a specific substance that causes cravings. This could be alcohol, cigarettes, drugs, etc. It is possible to help a person with such a disorder only at the initial stage. There are 8 symptoms of the chemical type:

the dose of the substance used increases;
temporary memory loss;
pain, fear;
deterioration of speech;
dependency refutation;
misunderstanding of others;
thoughts only about a new dose;
using a substance for the sake of peace and joy.

Non-chemical type

Non-chemical types of addiction are behavioral types of pathologies. These include computer and sports addictions, as well as cravings for gambling, Internet hobbies, work, shopping, fasting and overeating. Non-chemical cravings can be identified by the following symptoms:

daily dissolution at work, at the computer, in games, etc.;
nervousness and irritation;
weakness;
inability to self-control;
new interests and negative environment.

Diagnostics

To determine whether a person has an addictive tendency, you need to seek help from a psychologist or narcologist. First, the doctor will talk to the person. Appearance and the patient’s behavior will give an answer about the presence of addictive behavior. If it is a chemical dependency, you need to go to an appointment with a narcologist. He will conduct a series of tests that can be used to determine whether a person is addicted or not.

If a person has all the signs of dependence on a harmful substance, it is necessary to urgently go to the hospital: chemical type cravings are very harmful to human health.

Treatment

The problem can be cured when the patient himself realizes that he is unhealthy. It will be difficult to start treatment against a person’s will. The quality and method of treatment also depends on the patient and his consent. First of all, support from the patient’s relatives is needed. The method of treatment is determined by the doctor. If the problem is of a drug addiction nature, then the patient is admitted to the hospital and, under the supervision of specialists, the body is detoxified. Judging by the stage they are applied sedatives so that the patient cannot escape from the clinic.

Treatment of gaming addiction and other non-chemical types of attachment is carried out by a psychologist.

The doctor prescribes a course of psychotherapy. Conducts classes with patients individually or in a group.

Prevention

It is better to identify addiction in the initial stages and prevent it from progressing further. Preventive measures have a specific action plan.

It is necessary to try to determine the tendency to addictive behavior in childhood or adolescence. With the help of conversations, you can understand whether there are problems in the family: whether the child has low self-esteem, problems at school and other experiences.

It is important to tell children as much as possible about the dangers of drugs, alcohol and cigarettes. It is necessary to talk about methods with which you can cope with stress.

As a last resort, you can contact a psychologist who will conduct a conversation and correct the child’s negative outlook on life.

Conclusion

Addictive behavior is a psychological state of a person. To avoid problems, an individual changes his life with the help of chemical and non-chemical substances. Chemical addiction includes drugs, alcohol and smoking, non-chemical addiction includes gambling, sports, shopping, etc. If a non-chemical problem can be cured at any time, a chemical one can be treated only at the initial stage.

Man is a social being and from birth society dictates how we should behave. Family, educators, teachers, bosses and the state teach us to observe socially acceptable standards of behavior. And of course, there are those who do not accept the rules and go against society. Such people are called addicts, and their behavior is addictive. The essence of addictive behavior is an escape from reality due to changes in mental state. The ways to achieve addiction are very diverse - from types of activities to the intake of substances.

The psychological essence of addictive behavior lies in a person’s withdrawal from a reality that does not satisfy him. The world has an impact on the internal mental state of the addict and makes him want to get rid of discomfort. An attempt to isolate yourself from external influences manifests itself in the form of any activity or the use of chemical substances. Moreover, methods of getting rid of mental discomfort are painful for a person. This morbidity manifests itself in social maladaptation and a person’s uncontrollable desire to repeat the chosen method of behavior.

The psychology of addictive behavior distinguishes between chemical and non-chemical addictions. In general, these types of addictive behavior can be presented in the form of a classification:

1. Non-chemical addictions:

gambling (craving for gambling);
Internet addiction;
sexual addiction;
relationship addiction or codependency;
shopping (addiction to spending money);
workaholism.

2. Chemical addictions:

alcoholism;
addiction;
substance abuse.

3. Intermediate group of addictions:

addictive overeating;
addictive fasting.

Addictive behavior of adolescents

In the last few years, the manifestation of addictive behavior has become more frequent among adolescents. This phenomenon has become a national problem. The root cause of this deviation of adolescents from reality is the disruption of the child’s interaction with the social microenvironment in which he grows and develops. Most often, teenagers are influenced by parents, peers and school. The period of adolescence is a difficult time, and if a teenager does not find support in the family, or the family climate cannot be called favorable, then the teenager’s search for the truth can lead to disastrous consequences. According to a number of studies, minors aged 11 to 17 years are most often affected by addictions. 85% of teenagers have tried various intoxicants at least once. Moreover, the same percentage of respondents had acquaintances and friends as suppliers of narcotic drugs. The main reason for the emergence of addictive behavior in adolescents, as well as addiction to psychotropic substances, is the erroneous opinion of adults that this problem should be solved by narcology. In fact, child and adolescent alcoholism and drug addiction are one whole, and the problem needs to be solved at the psychological and pedagogical level.

Prevention of addictive behavior

Before you begin to fight a person’s addictive behavior, it is worth remembering a number of nuances. An addict is a person who inadequately perceives reality, his self-esteem is impaired, he is not aware of his problems and almost constantly lives in stress. The unhealthy state of the addict’s psyche contributes to the development of asthma, headaches, tachycardia, arrhythmia, peptic ulcer stomach and other somatic ailments. Psychological prevention of additive behavior should consist of a separate approach to each group of types of deviant behavior.

1. Prevention of drug addiction and alcoholism:

Addictive behavior resembles a rejection of the surrounding world, in which the individual isolates himself from society, using any kind of entertainment in the form of Internet entertainment, sex, gambling, and excessive spending of money. This problem occurs not only in adults, but also in adolescents.

Causes of addictive behavior

The basis for alienation from reality is the lack of interaction or disruption of communication in the environment in which the child grows up. Hormonal changes that develop in adolescents lead to a surge of emotions and the appearance of aggressiveness (see). They are influenced by parents, friends, classmates, with whom the child often cannot find a common language.

The psyche of adolescents is not fully formed, and young people themselves are not sufficiently adapted to adult life. Addiction is also associated with the use of various psychotropic drugs. For some, addiction is almost invisible, for others it is combined with normal behavior and only rarely appears. Sometimes there is a violation of demeanor, expressed to the point of extremes. A high degree of severity can lead to the development of psychosomatic diseases.

There are many forms of addictions that can be combined and move from one to another. For example, having given up drinking alcohol, a teenager begins to smoke, and having given up computer games, he begins to engage in extreme sports, developing a new addiction.

Read about for diseases of a neurological and psychiatric nature.

Learn about typical symptoms and treatment.

Types of addiction

Addiction that occurs in adolescents is similar to adult addiction. There are chemical and non-chemical. The first is associated with the use of substances that affect the nervous system, causing saturation of pleasure centers. Such means include:

alcohol (see);
substance abuse;
cigarettes;
hookah smoking;
medications.

Non-chemical addiction consists of any activity that leads to the destruction of mental health. This includes:

gaming addiction;
gluttony;
workaholism;
sectarianism;
sexual behavior;
masochism;
listening to specific music.

The emergence of addiction can lead to the development of asocialization, as well as to the emergence in a teenager of:

bipolar associative disorder ();
psychosomatic pathologies;
homicidal or suicidal tendencies;
paranoid schizophrenia;
degradation;
sociopathy.

Provoking factors

There are certain points that cause a teenager to develop addictions. In this regard, consultations with psychologists who can determine his personality type and psychological portrait are important.

Children at risk include:

vulnerable;
often sick;
susceptible to criticism;
victims of domestic violence;
with a strict upbringing.

According to psychological research There are 4 main reasons:

economic;
social;
biological;
individual.

The formation of the human body and the formation of personality lies in the development of mental health and stability of the body. A teenager begins to behave more confidently after taking psychotic drugs (abuse of energy drinks, caffeine, alcohol).

The disorders that these substances lead to begin to develop in adolescence, and the acquired consequences are more often identified in adulthood. Thus, fear of the dark turns into fear of looking in the mirror, and loneliness transforms into persecution mania. In addition, deviant behavior (not corresponding to social norms) is added.

Prerequisites for the development of addiction can also be head injuries: concussion, bruises, increased intracranial pressure, and mental retardation. There are the following personality types in teenagers:

Hyperthymic. They have a non-standard appearance and speed of thinking; intellectual activity, creativity and creativity predominate in their lives. They stand out among others with their leadership qualities.
Hyperexcitable. Teenagers are too impulsive and emotionally overexcited. They are unable to control their behavior and desires, are restless, irritable and impatient. They cannot calmly deal with criticism addressed to them and take everything with hostility. The development of addiction is typical for preschool children.
Hysterical. It is manifested by thirst and desire to become noticed and recognized. They talk demonstratively, exaggerate certain events, trying to impress others, sometimes even with fictitious stories. They are also capable of lying, slandering themselves, or attributing incurable illnesses and suffering.
Epileptoid. Adolescents experience personality changes reminiscent of epileptic disorders. They are in an aggressive state and constantly come into conflict.
The unstable type is characterized by weakness of will and apathy. Teenagers are disobedient, do not follow the usual rules of behavior, and require constant supervision. But they are afraid to obey other people. At school, such children are lazy and constantly run away from lessons. Capable of committing petty crimes such as hooliganism and theft.

These personality types sometimes do not occur independently, but are combined with each other, leading to the development of addiction. Psychologists or psychotherapists must diagnose addictive disorder. A test for addictive behavior is carried out in order to find out the neglect of a particular addiction (alcohol, nicotine, gaming), as well as to identify its effect on the body. Not only teenagers, but also their parents should take the tests.

Helping teenagers with addictive behavior

Depending on the severity of the addictive disorder, treatment is carried out by specialists in psychotherapeutic sessions or in a psychiatric clinic. In cases of mild impairment, special techniques are used to help a teenager get rid of addiction to games, overeating, and shopaholism.

For alcohol, drug or drug addiction, therapy is provided in a special department, carrying out detoxification of the body. Then they help the teenager regain mental health.

Preventive measures must be carried out in sanatorium-resort places to saturate the life of a teenager with new impressions. Addictive disorder in most cases is destructive in nature. The earlier bad habits are detected, the easier it is to get rid of them with timely complex therapy.

ADDICTIVE BEHAVIOR

(from English addiction- addiction, addiction; lat. addictus- slavishly devoted) - a special type of forms of destructive behavior that are expressed in desire to escape reality through a special change in one’s mental state. Syn. addiction. The main types of addictions are distinguished: 1) abuse of one or more substances that alter the mental state, for example. alcohol, drugs, medications, various poisons (see. ); 2) participation in gambling, including computer games; 3) sexual A. p.; 4) overeating and starvation; 5) “workaholism” (“workaholism”); 6) prolonged listening to music, g.o. based on rhythms. When addiction forms, there is a reduction in interpersonal emotional relationships. In the narrow sense, addiction is limited to only the first type of addiction. Wed. . (B.M.)

Large psychological dictionary. - M.: Prime-EVROZNAK. Ed. B.G. Meshcheryakova, acad. V.P. Zinchenko. 2003 .

See what “ADDICTIVE BEHAVIOR” is in other dictionaries:

ADDICTIVE BEHAVIOR- - a form of deviant behavior, which is expressed in the desire to escape from reality by changing one’s state by taking certain substances or constantly fixating attention on certain objects or activities (types ... ... Terminological juvenile dictionary

Addictive behavior- one of the most common types of deviant behavior; is expressed in a person’s desire to escape reality by changing his mental state by taking certain substances (alcohol, smoking, drugs and... ... Modern educational process: basic concepts and terms

Addictive behavior- one of the forms of deviant (deviant) behavior with the formation of a desire to escape from reality by artificially changing one’s mental state by taking certain substances or constantly fixating attention on... ...

ADDICTIVE BEHAVIOR- behavioral disorder that occurs as a result of the abuse of various substances that change a person’s mental state, including alcohol and tobacco, until the moment when the fact of mental and physical dependence is recorded... Dictionary of career guidance and psychological support

Addictive behavior- (English addiction tendency, addiction) abuse of one or more chemicals occurring against the background of an altered state of consciousness... Human psychology: dictionary of terms

Addictive behavior- Addictive behavior is one of the forms of deviant behavior of an individual, which is associated with the abuse of something for the purpose of self-regulation or adaptation. There are such forms of addictive behavior as chemical dependence (smoking, alcoholism,... ... Official terminology

Addictive behavior- - behavior based on a pathological need for certain drugs or activities (alcohol, gambling, overeating, etc.) in order to change one’s own psychological state, primarily the emotional state and associated ... encyclopedic Dictionary in psychology and pedagogy

Gambling behavior- Gambling as a redistribution of material values based on chance and risk is an event that is always associated with a loss for one side and a gain for the other. In some gambling games, such as poker or point games, on... ... Psychological Encyclopedia

Deviant behavior- deviating from generally accepted norms: moral and sometimes legal. Behavior is mainly determined by socio-psychological deviations of the individual (primarily micro-social and psychological neglect). Is a manifestation of situational... ... Encyclopedic Dictionary of Psychology and Pedagogy

Addictive behavior (AP) is one of the forms of destructive behavior, which is expressed in the desire to escape from reality by changing one’s mental state. state through the use of certain substances or constant fixation of attention on a certain... ... Psychology of communication. encyclopedic Dictionary

Books

Healing mental wounds. Lectures on Orthodox psychology, Dmitry Aleksandrovich Avdeev. The book presents seven lectures, namely: “Psychotherapy”, “Neuroses”, “Main forms of neuroses”, “Causes of mental illnesses”, “Depression”, “Addictive (dependent) behavior”,... Buy for 169 rubles
Healing mental wounds. Lectures on Orthodox psychotherapy, Dmitry Avdeev. The book presents seven lectures, namely: “Psychotherapy”, “Neuroses”, “Main forms of neuroses”, “Causes of mental illness”, “Depression”, “Addictive (dependent) behavior”,…

Addictive behavior refers to any deviation from normal conscious behavior. This is one of the varieties in which a person, thanks to his mental state, departs from reality. Translated from English, this term means addiction and bad habit. In other words, people’s dependence on various needs.

Addictive behavior has a negative impact on a person; at first glance, the subject of addictive behavior has a certain satisfaction in security, an illusion of balance. But over time, this same dependence can become stronger and stronger, thereby completely covering his entire consciousness and owning it. In other words, with addictive behavior a person becomes helpless and dependent, in some cases he cannot completely resist the addiction.

In this state, people most often adapt to the object of their addiction; they try to find a lifestyle that would correspond to it. How does addictive behavior arise? To answer this question, it is necessary to identify the causes of addictive behavior. Each person reacts differently to external and internal changes. The mood is constantly changing, failures and difficulties appear. And this is where addictive behavior begins to emerge, when people are unable to deal with their mood swings and failures.

Another way to explain it is this. A person who does not receive what he so desired and strived for experiences disappointment. People prone to addictive behavior endure this disappointment extremely painfully, but at the same time they avoid their problem, focusing on other issues. But the real problem remains, new ones appear, and the dependent person, unable to fight them, again leaves these negatives. Over time, all this becomes a habit, and then a regular pattern in life.

Thus, addictive behavior means the subject’s dependence on specific objects, which can be in various forms:

Chemical dependence, it implies addiction to drugs, alcohol and medicine;

Food addiction, which consists of starvation or overeating;

Gambling addiction, when a person constantly needs gambling and computer games;

Sexual addiction;

Workaholism and music.

All this is not a complete list of what a person can depend on, which affects his character and negatively changes the personality itself.

In order not to be dependent on anything, it is necessary not to focus on your addiction, but to attend trainings that are aimed at personal characteristics, their correction and improvement. Always improve yourself and expand your horizons.

Sometimes addictive behavior is confused with inappropriate behavior, but there is a very big difference. In the first case, a person becomes fixated on his addiction, and in the second option, emotions are to blame, which can disrupt the overall development of the brain, which subsequently leads to Inappropriate behavior is a manifestation of mental illness, which can manifest itself in the form of aggression towards others or, conversely, as isolation. But in any case, you need to fight this, you need to see a specialist and undergo a rehabilitation course of treatment. Modern methods medicine fully guarantees a speedy recovery.

Also, do not confuse codependency and addictive behavior. Codependency develops from a young age, when a child turns 2 years old, it is during this period that he begins to explore the world and strives for independence if he feels safe. But adults can also have codependent behavior, which is caused by the fact that a person is dependent on other people, constantly seeks approval and does not believe in his own strength.

Each case requires its own tactics and its own method of treatment, because anything abnormal can always be transformed into normal, you just need to approach it correctly.