Addiction to Drugs and Medications: risks and solutions

In the vast majority of cases, drugs are understood as part of the resources available in the world of medicine to cure or treat diseases of all kinds; and for the most part, this is true.

However, to consider that a drug only exists in the form of an aid that the doctor makes available to the patient is to see only part of the story. After all, drugs don't appear spontaneously out of nowhere; they arise from substances that already exist in the reality that surrounds us, and follow the laws of physics. That is why most drugs have side effects, in addition to therapeutic effects; and among these unexpected consequences, it should be noted that some drugs can be addictive. Let's see why this happens and what can be done about it in the field of psychiatry.

• Related article: "The 14 most important types of addictions"

Why psychoactive drugs can generate addictions?

First of all, let's address this somewhat counterintuitive idea that a medication can generate a pathology as severe as an addiction: what are the causes of this? The first thing you need to know to understand it is that the only way for a drug to cause a disorder addictive is by entering the neurons of the brain and interacting with its nerve cells in a certain way manner. This means that

only a small portion of drugs are associated with this risk, and furthermore, not all psychoactive drugs give rise to this problem.

Medications that have effects on the brain (and, therefore, also on the mind to a greater or lesser extent) are psychoactive drugs. These contain active ingredients in the form of molecules capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier (a protective layer that maintains the brain relatively protected from the substances that are mixed with the blood in the circulatory system) and that are taken up by the neurons.

The latter work by constantly emitting and capturing molecules generated by the organism itself, the so-called neurotransmitters; It is their way of communicating with each other. And when they receive a substance from a psychoactive drug, they can treat it as if it were a neurotransmitter. After all, the important thing about a molecule is not its origin, but the chemical reactions that it can trigger.

This is precisely the way drugs such as antidepressants or the antipsychotics: they try to "compensate" the functioning of a brain that in some aspects is chemically unbalanced. However, since the active principles are still elements lacking intelligence with which to know where they should act and where they shouldn't, side effects are a possibility to watch out for get prepared.

And in this sense, one of the unwanted consequences that can appear is addiction. This occurs when the psychoactive drug, associated with a certain mode of consumption, enters into a dynamic of overstimulating the brain reward system, that part of our nervous system that makes us want to repeat certain actions over and over again because of how they make us feel.

In short, in several senses, there is a clear dividing line that separates psychotropic drugs, on the one hand, and substances considered drugs, on the other; the fundamental logic in which both substances interact with neurons is the same, although in the case of First, they have shown that under medical supervision they are useful in the treatment of some psychological disorders and psychiatric

• You may be interested in: "Psychopharmaceuticals: drugs that act on the brain"

Dependence on a drug is not the same as an addiction

Technically, the concepts of dependency and addiction do not refer to the same phenomenon. We only speak of an addiction when the brain functions in an abnormal way that predisposes the person to feel the need to take action to alleviate the withdrawal syndrome. However, drug dependence can occur when using substances that do not significantly alter brain function, but they do alter other cell tissues in the body and make it necessary to continue consuming for the body to function with normal.

• Related article: "The types of Psychiatry (and what mental illnesses they treat)"

What solutions are there to the risk of drug addiction?

There is no totally infallible way to avoid the appearance of an addiction to a psychoactive drug; however, yes there are protocols and strategies to minimize the risk. Everything happens by following in a very disciplined way the indications of the doctors who have prescribed a psychoactive drug (let's not forget that a substance can only be considered a psychotropic drug in the context of therapy and medical indications in the form of instructions for consumption).

Thus, several of the most relevant aspects to avoid addiction to a drug are the following:

• Take exactly the recommended amounts; no more no less.
• Take the drug as often as indicated by the doctor.
• Report any unexpected side effects immediately.

Do you need therapeutic support to overcome an addiction?

If you need professional help to overcome an addiction, contact us.

In Llaurant la Llum we specialize in caring for people who have developed addictive disorders, both in cases of drug addiction and behavioral addictions; We offer counseling services, outpatient care, and admission treatment at our facilities. You will find us in Picassent, Valencia.