What is psychological dependence? In short, psychological dependence is the emotional and mental connection you may have with substance abuse. Additionally, psychological dependence on a drug or alcohol is as challenging to overcome as physical dependence. In some ways, it can be more difficult. Thus, you may need a cognitive behavioral therapy program in Midway Utah. The psychological side of addiction is based on a perceived need the substance fills. The psychological part of the addiction can occur even if you do not have any physical symptoms. Therefore, you may be emotionally tied to a drug based on your mental desire for it. This is common for people who use drugs and may not cause severe withdrawal symptoms when you aren’t using. For example, you may not think that you have developed an addiction because you can physically go without using the drug. However, your mind creates a desire for it that can negatively impact you in many ways causing loss of sleep, anxiety, depression, and changes in appetite.
How Addiction Affects Your Brain
Physical changes in areas of your brain critical for judgment, decision making, learning, memory, and behavior control affect addicted people. Such changes alter the way your brain works and may help explain the compulsive and destructive behaviors you experience. Addictions influence the part of your brain controlling pleasurable feelings. These feelings create a strong desire to produce pleasurable feelings associated with substances. Every single drug affects dopamine levels in your brain creating the reward response, or formed need, to keep supplying it with the substance. This can even be true for food. For instance, when you eat a piece of chocolate, your brain finds it pleasurable stimulating the reward center in your brain. Because of this, you are much more likely to want to eat chocolate regularly in the future. The same is true for drugs, which is how addictions are formed.
Symptoms of Psychological Dependence
The symptoms associated with psychological dependence may include:
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Cravings
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Anxiety and depression
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Restlessness and mood swings
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Changes in appetite and changes in sleep
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Denial
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Lack of concentration, memory, judgment
Getting Treatment For Psychological Dependence
While you may start your treatment with detox alleviating your withdrawal symptoms, you may move into treatment addressing the underlying causes of your substance use including:
Also, a cognitive behavioral therapy program in Midway Utah can help you discover the underlying psychological problems keeping you from overcoming your addiction.
Get Help for Your Addiction Today
Addiction does not have to control life any longer. Especially if you Contact Acqua Recovery at 866.830.4628 to learn more about our treatment programs for substance use disorder. Our trained staff will help walk you through getting started on the road to recovery. Above all they’ll walk you through overcoming psychological dependence, and what to expect during your experience.
