In the process, you get depressed, which leads to even more urgency to continue using drugs. For those who struggle with cocaine addiction or addiction to other stimulants, it’s a little different. Substances like cocaine, meth, and prescription amphetamines have different symptoms of withdrawal. Due to the cocaine effects on the brain, your withdrawal symptoms are primarily psychological. You’ll experience a lot of ups and downs while you detox as well as some intense cravings. Most substances, like alcohol and opiates, give you physiological symptoms of withdrawal.

• There are several reasons why someone with alcohol use disorder or alcohol dependency would seek treatment.
• Physical addiction implies that the consequences of substance use apply mostly to physiological factors.
• Many substances, such as caffeine, nicotine, anti-depressants, can cause physical dependence.
• Personality variables, such as neuroticism, low self-control, low self-regulation, low self-esteem, or loneliness can also be factors.

Contact us at The Recovery Village to learn more about ourtreatment programs for substance use disorder. Our trained staff will help walk you through how you can get started on the road to recovery today and what to expect during your experience.

Psychological Dependence is the Hardest Part of Addiction

DrugAbuse.govoffers an insightful explanation based on brain image studies from people addicted to drugs. The study found, physical changes in areas of the brain that are critical for judgment, decision making, learning, memory, and behavior control in addicted people. Scientists believe that these changes alter the way the brain works and may help explain the compulsive and destructive behaviors of an addicted person. Once a person begins using on a daily or regular basis, the body becomes dependent on that drug. This means the cells can’t function the way they have been without the drug they have become accustomed to.

Behavioral therapy is needed to address psychological dependence. In group therapy and individual therapy, you’ll learn how your thoughts and behaviors are linked. You’ll practice ways of changing maladaptive thought patterns and ways of relating to others. Knapp DJ, Overstreet DH, Breese GR. Baclofen blocks expression and sensitization of anxiety-like behavior in an animal model of repeated stress and ethanol withdrawal. Over time, more and more alcohol is needed to produce the same feelings of relaxation, and the feelings of hyper-excitement and stress consume the body’s energy whenever the individual is not drinking.

Understanding the Difference Between Physical and Psychological Dependence

Our systems have detected unusual traffic activity from your network. Please complete this reCAPTCHA to demonstrate that it’s you making the requests and not a robot. If you are having trouble seeing or completing this challenge, this https://ecosoberhouse.com/ page may help. If you continue to experience issues, you can contact JSTOR support. The restlessness that occurs when someone is not using substances. Delirium Tremens in withdrawal from alcohol, which can be life-threatening.

Healthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy. In therapy, you’ll typically explore patterns that trigger your use and work to create new patterns of thought and behavior. NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals, represents the professional interests of more than 100,000 addiction counselors, physiological dependence on alcohol educators and other addiction-focused health care professionals in the United States, Canada and abroad. Zironi I, Burattini C, Aicardi G, Janak PH. Context is a trigger for relapse to alcohol. Wand GS, Dobs AS. Alterations in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in actively drinking alcoholics. Valdez GR, Zorrilla EP, Roberts AJ, Koob GF. Antagonism of corticotropin-releasing factor attenuates the enhanced responsiveness to stress observed during protracted ethanol abstinence.

The Difference Between Physical Vs Psychological Dependence

These findings have clear clinical relevance from a treatment perspective. Future studies should focus on elucidating neural mechanisms underlying sensitization of symptoms that contribute to a negative emotional state resulting from repeated withdrawal experience. People with substance use disorders experience both physical and psychological dependencies.

Many symptoms that are primarily psychological in nature do have some physiological basis. Symptoms of physical dependence can impact how you experience psychological symptoms.

What are Psychological Dependence Symptoms?

Anxiety and anhedonia—upon cessation of prolonged drug abuse or certain repetitive behaviors. It develops through frequent exposure to a psychoactive substance or behavior, though behavioral dependence is less talked about. The specific mechanism involves a neuronal counter-adaption, which could be mediated through changes in neurotransmittor activity or altered receptor expression.

During physical dependence, your body becomes dependent on a substance to function. For instance, an opioid addiction may begin as a pursuit to get pleasurable feelings that come with the flood of dopamine initiated by the drug.

Psychological Dependence on Alcohol

Listed below are different some different types of treatments that are used with treating alcohol dependency/alcohol use disorder depending on several factors that vary from person to person. Understanding the difference between psychological and physical dependence, as well as how they both relate to addiction, can be helpful if you’re concerned with a loved one’s drug or alcohol use. Recognizing that many factors are involved in addictive behavior may help breed compassion as you assist a friend or family member on their road to recovery.

• Exercising is a great way to get your mind off narcotics and it helps release endorphins throughout your body.
• When drugs take over and they are more important than hobbies previously enjoyed this is a social implication of dependency.
• For a small of number of people, the detoxification process is all they need to quit using.
• There are several other benefits that come along with treatment.

Both alcohol dependence and alcohol abuse are sometimes referred to by the less specific term alcoholism. However, many definitions of alcoholism exist, and only some are compatible with alcohol abuse. There are two major differences between alcohol dependence and alcoholism as generally accepted by the medical community. Physical dependence is synonymous with the body’s tolerance to alcohol or a specific drug. This means, over time, the body will require more of said drug in order to achieve the same desired effects. Being physically dependent on a drug also means a person will typically experience physical withdrawal symptoms if they reduce dosage significantly or stop taking the drug all together.

Our staff at Comprehensive Wellness Centers is here to help you every step of the way. It has been postulated that naltrexone may blunt the rewarding effects of alcohol, whereas acamprosate may attenuate adaptive changes during abstinence that favor relapse (Heilig and Egli 2006; Litten et al. 2005). Sunshine Behavioral Health strives to help people who are facing substance abuse, addiction, mental health disorders, or a combination of these conditions.