An addiction is a strong desire to carry out an action that generates a pleasurable or pleasant effect on us. This desire makes it difficult for the person to control their actions, and in the long run it generates dependency. If the addiction stops abruptly anxiety occurs. Also, if the dependence is very strong, the withdrawal syndrome is experienced Abstinence is very unpleasant and distressing for the person, so sometimes addiction is maintained to avoid these symptoms. That is, addiction arises because the person performs an action that has pleasant consequences. However, it is maintained because the person tries to avoid the unpleasant sensations produced by leaving it. For example, it is common to listen to smokers in the process of letting them complain about the anxiety generated by quitting, or how much they have gained by quitting.
Avoiding this anxiety is what leads them to continue smoking, more than the fact that smoking a cigarette can be pleasant. The consumption of substances is a problem that is alarming at the social level, especially when it occurs in minors. Adolescents are in a situation of risk where the social pressure and the positive image of the use of substances may be more than the disastrous consequences they have in the long term. Addictions have different consequences depending on what the person consumes or does. It is necessary to understand each type of addiction to apply a specific treatment aimed at the characteristics of each of them. Among the different types of addiction are the following:
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Smoking
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Alcoholism
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Substance addiction
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Gambling addiction
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Addiction to Sex
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Addiction to new technologies
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Addiction to work
Diana Faón Psicoterapia 