Loss of identity through addictions

In the societies in which we live today, constantly subjected to a torrent of novelties and stimuli constant, the need to have free time, moments to carry out leisure activities to our rhythm. Whether it is going out with friends, going on a hike in the mountains or playing sports, these pleasant actions not only bring us well-being; they also let us disconnect from many of our responsibilities.

However, in some cases these pleasant activities get to capture too much time, attention and resources on our part, and this generates situations of dependency. We enter a loop of anticipation and satisfaction of needs, and the difficulty to break this circle hinder the course of our responsibilities with others or with ourselves. And the discomfort and frustration that this loss of control generates also takes its toll on us.

And it is that although the word "addiction" is usually associated with drugs, in reality there are many other contexts capable of making us enter addictive dynamics. Therefore, it is important to have professional assistance and not to assume that to overcome addiction everything is based on simply not using. It is based on being oneself again by re-embracing the way of life that really defines us.

• Related article: "Types of drugs: know their characteristics and effects"

Loss of identity through addiction

In any situation in which we notice that we lose control of our lives because of some type of consumption or activity that causes us dependence, it is essential to consider the possibility of going to psychotherapy. Psychological assistance from mental health professionals can help us break this vicious circle in situations such as drug addiction, gambling, toxic relationships with people who dominate us, etc.

Facing these kinds of problems as soon as it is detected that control is lost is essential to give them a solution as quickly as possible. Especially considering the extent that addictions can have.

As shown in data from the Spanish Ministry of Health, approximately 20% of young Spaniards between 15 and 24 years old used cannabis at least once in 2018. On the other hand, in a report prepared from the ESTUDIES survey in 2014 in adolescents between 15 and 16 years old, in the 30 days Prior to being asked, 65% had consumed alcohol, 37% had consumed alcohol excessively, and 28% had consumed cannabis. The use of these substances is increasing, and the age of onset is getting younger.

• You may be interested: "The 14 most common causes of drug addiction"

The evolution of substance addiction

At the beginning of a drug use, it is easy to continue using that substance: the sensation when doing so is usually pleasant. However, over time, when we get into addiction, that pleasure is replaced by irritability, the need to go through that experience again despite the fact that it generates social isolation. Along the way, health often wears out, both physically and psychologically.

In the end, that facility to get irritated with anything turns into despair and total loss of autonomy. For this reason, it is very important to understand what the nature of addiction is, to be able to combat it and prevent it from taking away our freedom.

The whole process by which the addiction is consolidated usually occurs while the person is aware of that harmful drift that is taking its way of life. For this reason, on many occasions the person struggles to free himself from that kind of dependence, and that usually produce frustration and the feeling that any resistance is useless, which makes it easier for relapses.

On the other hand, the periods in which we try to avoid consumption generate even more desire to repeat the experience of taking the drug, which predisposes us to go through the rebound effect: relapse occurs with a greater and more intense consumption than it would have been if they had not tried to quit that substance.

In turn, the evolution of addictions makes that each time it is required to take larger amounts of what causes us dependence: the amount that at first gave us pleasure, months later hardly serves to satisfy part of the imperative need to consume.

Of course, being trapped in these experiences of dependency is painful for those who experience it in their own flesh, but it is also very painful for their loved ones. At the same time, false beliefs about addictions, such as the idea that quitting is a matter of willpower, contribute to generating frustration and stigmatization, and in some cases criminalization of the victim.

What is psychotherapy with addiction experts for?

There are many benefits and useful tools to help you fight addiction by having professional assistance. For example, give patients a comfortable and safe space in which to think, express yourself and analyze why you feel, without being subjected to prejudice and fear for what they will say.

On the other hand, psychotherapy is one of the best settings in which to set realistic goals and sensible action plans that allow us to permanently and effectively deviate from what makes us dependent.

On the other hand, the possibility of having a therapeutic perspective that goes beyond the symptoms seen from the prism of psychiatry is also very valuable. Psychotherapists work taking into account the global context of people's lives, their lives as something unitary: relationships with the patient's relatives, their workplace, their hobbies etc.

This helps make changes in your day-to-day life that will ease the transition to a life away from addiction. Therapeutic accompaniment is tailored to the unique experiences of each patient, and not only in the symptoms that appear in moments of crisis or in hospitalization.

On the other hand, these types of problems must be approached from a multidisciplinary logic, in which there is not just one expert voice. On many occasions you have to work with both psychologists and specialized psychiatrists. The support unit is not so much an isolated professional, as a team of professionals.

Conclution

The moment an aspect of your day to day appears that takes control of your life, and determines when you can rest, when you can work, when you can go out and how you should talk to other people... it is a sign that your autonomy is being damaged and your quality of life is being done little. Ultimately, your identity is fading; you stop being you to become a version of yourself that cannot exist according to its own rules.

However, addiction does not have to be a trait of your personality that determines what you can or cannot do. Seek professional accompaniment to facilitate your return to a freer and healthier life.

Author: Alejandro Noriega de Jesús. Addiction Specialist and Psychotherapist at Ara Psicología