Loss of identity through addictions

One of the effects of addictions is that we lose our identity: we cease to be ourselves.

In the societies in which we live today, constantly subjected to a torrent of novelties and constant stimuli, the need to have free time, time for leisure activities at our own pace, becomes especially important. Whether it's going out with friends, hiking in the mountains or playing sports, these pleasurable actions not only bring us well-being; they also allow us to disconnect from many of our responsibilities.

However, in some cases these pleasurable activities take up too much of our time, attention and resources, and this leads to situations of dependency. We enter into a loop of anticipation and satisfaction of needs.The difficulty in breaking this circle hinders the course of our responsibilities to others or to ourselves. And the discomfort and frustration that this loss of control generates also takes its toll on us.

Although the word "addiction" is usually associated with drugs, in reality there are many other contexts that can lead us to enter into addictive dynamics.. For this reason, it is important to have professional assistance and not to assume that to overcome addiction everything is based on simply not consuming. It is based on becoming oneself again embracing the way of life that really defines us.

The loss of identity through addiction.

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

Tackling these kinds of problems as soon as it is detected that we are losing control is essential in order to solve them as quickly as possible. Especially taking into account the extent to which addictions can have a negative impact on our health..

As shown in data from the Spanish Ministry of Health, approximately 20% of young Spaniards between the ages of 15 and 24 consumed cannabis at least once in 2018. On the other hand, in a report prepared from the 2014 ESTUDIES survey of adolescents aged 15-16 years, 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.

The evolution of substance addiction

At the beginning of drug use, it is easy to continue using the substance: the sensation of doing so is usually pleasant. However, over time, as we get deeper into addiction, this pleasure is replaced by irritation, that pleasure is replaced by irritabilityThe need to go through the experience again, even though it leads to social isolation. Along the way, it is common that health also wears down, both physically and psychologically.

In the end, this facility to get irritated with anything turns into despair and total loss of autonomy. It is therefore very important to understand the nature of addiction in order to fight it and prevent it from taking away our freedom.

The whole process by which addiction is consolidated usually takes place while the person is aware of the harmful drift that his or her addiction is taking. the harmful drift that his or her way of life is taking.. For that reason, in many occasions the person fights to free himself from that kind of dependence, and that usually produces frustration and the sensation that any resistance is useless, which facilitates the appearance of 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 we had not tried to give up the substance.

At the same time, the evolution of addictions makes it increasingly that it is increasingly necessary to take larger quantities of the substance of the substance that causes dependence: the quantity that at the beginning gave us pleasure, months later hardly serves to satisfy part of the imperious need to consume.

Of course, being trapped in this experience of dependence 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, can also be a source of pain.The addictions, contribute to generate frustration and stigmatization, and in some cases criminalization of the victim.

What is the use of psychotherapy with addiction experts?

Having professional assistance brings many benefits and useful tools to fight addiction. For example, it gives patients a comfortable and safe space in which to think, express themselves and analyze the reasons for what they feel, without being subjected to prejudices.without being subjected to prejudices and fear of what people will say.

On the other hand, psychotherapy is one of the best settings in which to set realistic goals and sensible plans of action and sensible action plans that allow us to move away durably and effectively from that which generates dependence.

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

This helps to introduce changes in their daily life that facilitate the transition to a life away from addiction. The therapeutic accompaniment is adapted to the unique experiences of each patient, and not only to the symptoms that the patient is experiencing.The therapeutic accompaniment is adapted to the unique experiences of each patient, and not only to the symptoms that appear in moments of crisis or hospitalization.

On the other hand, this type of problems must be approached from a multidisciplinary logic, in which there is not only one expert voice. In many cases it is necessary to work with both psychologists and specialized psychiatrists. The support unit is not so much an isolated professional as a team of professionals.

Conclusion

The moment an aspect of your daily life 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 becoming small. In short, your identity is becoming blurred; you cease to be you and become a version of you that cannot exist according to its own rules..

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

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