30/01/2010
A behavioural syndrome characterised by the repeated, compulsive seeking and using of a substance, including alcohol, gambling, sexual and eating-disorders, despite adverse social, psychological, and/or physical consequences.
This is referred to as Loss of Control and is one of the defining characteristics of addiction.
Loss of control combined with tolerance – a need for an increased amount of the substance, as time goes on to achieve the same effect or using less of the substance and achieving a lesser effect. Addiction is often (but not always) accompanied by physical dependence, resulting in a withdrawal syndrome that varies from addiction to addiction.
Addiction is an obsessive and compulsive disease that is a primary and chronic illness. The sufferer (known as an “addict”) becomes locked in a pattern of obsession and compulsion and this behaviour grows progressively worse over time and can result in death.
Addiction can manifest in many ways but most frequently in behaviours such as drug use, alcoholism, eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, gambling, self mutilation and sexual acting out and compulsivity.
Addiction can be arrested and managed through arranging an effective addiction treatment programme and following it up with the daily programme of 12-step recovery to help keep the addict abstinent.
An initial stay in an in-patient addiction rehab is highly recommended.