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Chemical Dependency

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The term chemical dependency refers to an illness or a disease that involves an addiction to alcohol or drugs. It can be used interchangeably to describe the physical aspect of addiction, the psychological aspect, or both. Sometime people see an individual suffering from a chemical dependency and do not understand the magnitude of the disease. They may believe the diseased person should “just quit,” and then everything would be fine. However, chemical dependency is a deeply rooted problem and often the body becomes unable to function normally without the addictive substance it has grown accustomed to.

The body is an amazing machine that is able to auto-regulate in order to maintain homeostasis, or a natural balance. Most of our body’s psychological conditions/moods are controlled by hormones acting upon neurotransmitters to produce a desired effect. However, when foreign substances are introduced through alcohol and drugs, it interrupts the chemical balances in the body, mainly those of dopamine and serotonin. The body will produce less of its own natural auto-regulating hormones as a response. When an addict discontinues or reduces their amount of alcohol or drug use, the body, which has adjusted to functioning on the foreign substance will react poorly. It may go into a state of withdrawal, feeling extreme agitation and possibly experiencing physical symptoms of illness. This is because a chemical dependency has occurred and the drug is needed for the user’s body to respond appropriately to normal stimulus.

In addition to a very real physiological dependence that occurs with alcohol and drug addiction, there is a psychological component of the addicts behavior cycle. DNA studies have shown that certain genes can make one individual more likely to exhibit addictive patterns of behavior than another. Cravings for a substance that the mind has come to rely on can be very strong for an addict. Each time they use, they reinforce this pattern of behavior that becomes more and more difficult to break. All addicts need behavioral therapy in order to recover from the disease of chemical dependency and return to a normal existence.


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