Public Health Awareness Week: Addictions

As per the experts, “An addiction is a chronic dysfunction of the brain system that involves reward, motivation, and memory. It’s about the way your body craves a substance or behaviour, especially if it causes a compulsive or obsessive pursuit of “reward” and lack of concern over consequences.”

If you are unaware of the signs of addiction then here are some. An individual experiencing an addiction will:

• Won’t be able to stay away from the substance
• Exhibit an absence of self-control
• Feels the increased desire for the substance
• Do not pay heed towards how their behaviour is creating problems
• Feel the absence of an emotional response

Different Types

The most common types of addiction that people experience is the consumption of toxic substances like alcohol, smoking, tobacco and drugs. As per a survey conducted by the National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre (NDDTC), AIIMS, nearly 16 crore Indians consume alcohol and every third person needs help for alcoholism. From the people who are addicted to alcohol, just 2.6% receive treatment and 0.5% are hospitalised for treatment.

With time, addictions to these harmful substances start interfering with your day-to-day activities and daily life and can even lead to various health complications.

• Alcohol: the addition of alcohol also known as alcoholism is a type of disorder that is affecting people of every age. Heavily relying on drinking for an elongated time is known as alcohol addiction and if it left untreated then it can increase the risk of various health complications.

Signs and symptoms of alcohol addiction:

• Consuming increased quantities of alcohol frequently
• High tolerance for alcohol
• Absence of the symptoms of a hangover
• Drinking at inappropriate times
• Smoking: Nicotine addiction is behavioural and is quite dangerous. Every 3 in 5 people in India are suffering from the addiction of smoking and smoking-related diseases are responsible for about 435,000 deaths every year. People who are consuming tobacco at a high risk of developing smoking addiction. Smoking gives you pleasurable feelings by releasing the feel-good endorphins in the body and that is why it makes its space in the life of the people. Lung cancer, heart diseases, stroke, and diabetes are the most common health complications that people can get due to smoking.
• Drugs: Drug addiction is a disorder that is also behavioural and can increase the chances of various health complications. Injecting or consuming drugs in the body can give a sense of contentment to you.

Symptoms include:

• The feeling of frequent consumption
• Feeling of intense urges under stress
• A feeling of consuming more drugs with time
• Taking larger amounts with time

Addictions of smoking, alcohol and drugs can easily lead to toxicity while increasing the risk of various health complications like heart diseases, stroke, cancer, diabetes and many others that could be life-threatening as well.

Effective ways to quit

• Try replacement therapy
• Avoid triggers
• Go physical
• Try relaxation techniques
• Distract yourself by chewing

Footnote

By choosing the right ways, you can easily break the powerful urges and addiction to these toxic substances. Just take baby steps with the above-written ways and fight off!