A Few Words on Psychological Addiction
Addiction comes in many shapes and sizes. Sometimes it means the dependence of a substance, like the nicotine found in dip, snuff, cigarettes, cigars, and all other tobacco products. In this case, the body itself craves the substance, sending signals that cause unease and various other symptoms. Sometimes, in turn, the dependence is more subtle and comes from the brain. In the case of psychological addiction, it’s not the substance or the activity itself that we become dependent of but a feeling. It’s the stimulus, not the substance, our brain starts to crave, and when we fail to treat ourselves with it, our body starts producing symptoms similar to withdrawing chemicals.
Can anyone become psychologically addicted?
Yes and no. Seeking out activities and products that make us feel good is something completely normal – pleasure is always preferable to pain, after all. Yet there is a certain percentage of people that experience the pleasure caused by these much more intensely – and they are the ones that can become addicted to stimuli (and substances, for that matter).
How many people prone to such addictions are there? Well, according to a study conducted in 2014 by the Harvard Medical School’s Division on Addiction, the percentage of people with such personalities is relatively low. When taking a better look at online gambling, accused of being highly addictive and the destroyer of society, the researchers found that only a small percentage of players show excessive gambling behavior. The study has shown that playing the games of All Jackpots Casino can indeed be dangerous but only for those with certain personalities. Otherwise, the games at All Jackpots, even if they are played for real money, feel a lot like the social games you play on Facebook. Of course, most online games share a lot of traits with the most ‘addictive’ social games – a lot of excitement, the same state of mind, and the repeated sense of accomplishment – but you have to have a certain type of brain to become hooked on the high of winning enough for it to be dangerous.
A tough treatment
When you are addicted to a substance, your body starts to recover after you stop using it. There are quite a few symptoms you experience, ranging from nausea to anxiety, but once the substance is cleared from your body, you start to recover. Getting rid of psychological dependence is harder, though, and comes with the increased possibility of rebounding. Treating psychological addiction takes a lot longer, and it involves a lot of methods and techniques like education, continuous support, relapse prevention, etc.
