The Difference Between Psychological, Physiological Dependence and Addiction

Let’s take a deeper look into the differences between physical and psychological dependence. People who suffer from addiction will typically experience both physical and psychological dependence. However, it is possible to become physically dependent on a substance without becoming psychologically addicted. Since addiction is such a complex disease, many people get confused about the difference between physical and psychological dependence. Treating physical dependence is often possible using a medication-assisted treatment approach.

• As we stated earlier, we’re an outpatient Suboxone clinic that is dedicated to help as many patients as we can to overcome their addiction and begin to live life at its fullest once again.
• Someone with an alcohol dependence may have an emotional reaction to something as simple as ice clinking against a glass.
• Once you have all traces of the drug out of your system and you’re stable, you’ll be given treatment to address the psychological aspects of your addiction.
• Patients in a detox program will be under medical supervision 24/7.
• In contrast, psychological dependence is a disease that affects the brain and can cause compulsive drug-seeking behavior that then potentially leads to addiction and abuse.

Although you may feel that you can stop whenever you want to, the reality is probably very different, as you are dealing with an illness, not just a habit. If you’re feeling worried and lost in terms of seeking out help for your physical or psychological addiction, don’t be. There is so much help out there if you’re just willing to take the first step and ask for it.

Substance Abuse Treatment Programs

The Derek Jeter Center Adolescent program in Brandon, FL provides comprehensive outpatient services that help families deal with teen substance use and related mental health conditions. It’s so much more than overcoming the physical sensation of withdrawal. Understanding the mental and https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/alcohol-and-aging-does-alcohol-make-you-look-older/ psychical aspects behind it can help explain why it’s a complicated disorder. In addition to detox and medication, you will also participate in therapy while in treatment. Therapy is an integral part of recovery, as it can help you understand the underlying causes of your addiction.

If opioid analgesics are tapered instead of abruptly withdrawn, withdrawal symptoms do not occur. Usually the opioid dose can be reduced by 50%–75% every 2–3 days without ill effect. If restlessness or agitation is anything more than very mild, the rate of tapering should be slowed.

How Support Groups Can Aid Your Recovery

Detox and treatment for those substances involve using other medications to reduce withdrawal symptoms. This can help people effectively stop using as their body is supported in learning to live without the drug. Since psychological addiction is deeply connected to a person’s mental health, rehab proves to be an effective approach. Studies confirm that addictions tend to co-occur with a wide range of mental health diseases.

The Diamond Rehab Thailand was born out of a desire to help people recover from addiction in a safe, low-stress environment. The symptoms you feel will largely depend on your drug of choice. Addiction encompasses both a mental and physical reliance on a given substance. Join the thousands of people that have called a treatment provider for rehab information. Considered by some people to be a taboo subject, there is a far greater understanding of addiction among both laymen and professionals nowadays. You’re suffering from an illness, and you need to get treatment for it as soon as you possibly can.

Getting Help for Physical and/or Psychological Addiction

With determination and courage, you can beat your drug addiction, and life can be good again. Once you have all traces of the drug out of your system and you’re stable, you’ll be given treatment to address physiological dependence on alcohol the psychological aspects of your addiction. Another notable difference is that most stimulant users will go through psychological withdrawal, rather than a physical one when they cease to use drugs.

• During detox, you will be closely monitored by our medical staff to ensure your safety and comfort.
• As mentioned before, mood swings are usually a big part of a person’s addiction.
• Contact us today to learn more about our treatment programs and how we can help you or your loved one recover from addiction.
• Both can be extremely problematic and will only worsen through addiction.
• For that reason, treatment of addiction should particularly focus on the psychological aspect in order to truly help a person on the road to recovery.

There is a lot of confusion surrounding physical dependence and psychological dependence. Many people use these words interchangeably, but they have different meanings. Substance use disorder (the medical term for drug addiction) involves psychological aspects and changes to the body’s processes. Your brain will respond differently to regular stimuli due to its altered state. Firstly, physiological dependence does not necessarily mean you or a loved one has a substance use disorder. The differences between the two can be hard to distinguish, but one does not mean the other.

On the flip side, psychological addiction is more involved in the addictive process that affects a person’s behavior. “Addiction” is a word that many people attach negative connotations. That said, sometimes you can have symptoms of addiction that are mostly psychological. For example, if you are addicted to gambling, you’ll solely suffer from an intense psychological urge to gamble. If, on the other hand, you’re addicted to a substance like a specific drug or type of spirit, you’ll usually first develop a psychological addiction and then a physical one.