Drug dependence types

Substance dependency may occur in 2 types:

Psychological drug dependency manifests itself in persons's constant pathological need to change his/her feelings and state of mind with the use of drugs. A person strives to avoid mental discomfort or to relieve this discomfort. At the same time, he is constantly haunted by the thoughts of taking the drug. His mood is suppressed when the drug is unavailable, and vice versa - he gets excited, anticipating a new dose of the drug.

Another dependency type is so-called compulsive addiction - a condition when the desire for narcotization is so strong that it brings under control all person's desires and actions in order to get the addictive substance.

Psychological dependence will inevitably arise if the use of the drug is regular, although in the case of it no physical signs of withdrawal are present.

A different type of psychological dependence is so-called group addiction, often noted among teenagers and young people. In these cases, craving arises when the young people meet as together they constantly abuse the addictive substance, "get high". Away from the group of friends, there is no attraction to the drug.

Physical dependency is a condition when the whole patient's body has already been reconstructed as a result of continuous regular use of psychoactive substances. At this stage, both mental and physical impairments are present, they manifest themselves especially when the dose of the drug is reduced, when it is not used or is neutralized by special antagonists. In this case, the patient suffers from severe withdrawal syndrome.

The relief in this condition can be found only if the drug enters the body. The clinical presentation of withdrawal syndrome depends on the particular type of drug abused. Certain kinds of narcotic substances don't necessarily cause physical dependence, although all the other signs of chronic addiction may be present