The 9 types of drug addiction and their characteristics

What kinds of people hooked on drugs can we find?

The consumption of substances with psychoactive properties, specifically drugs of various kinds, is a very common phenomenon in today's society.specifically drugs of various kinds, is a very common phenomenon in today's society. Both in the case of legal and illegal substances, it is relatively easy to access them despite the serious danger that many of them pose.

The consumption of these substances tends to cause different effects on the organism, ranging from inhibition and sedation to extreme excitement, hallucinations and other perceptual phenomena. Due to the effects they cause, and sometimes to other factors such as psychological reactivity to their prohibition or the fact that their use is socially accepted, many people start using them more and more frequently.

Over time, the subject acquires tolerance to the substance in question, needing more and more of it to achieve the same effects, and thus becoming dependent on the drug. Due to the high prevalence of substance use and dependence, it is essential to know the different types of drug addiction, it is essential to know the different types of drug addiction and the addictive process.These are explained in this article.

What is a drug and what is dependence?

We consider a drug to be any substance that, when administered to the organism, is capable of altering any of the subject's functions. of the subject. They generally provoke pleasurable sensations in those who consume them, and can cause permanent effects and damage to the nervous system and can produce tolerance or physical and/or psychological habituation to it and situations of dependence and abstinence when consumption ceases.

To consider that a drug generates dependence it is necessary that the subject presents at least tolerance to the substance, abstinence upon cessation of its use, lack of control in its use, damage in vital areas due to the use or the time spent to obtain it and the continuation of use despite knowing its adverse effects. Dependence can lead to abusive consumption that can cause intoxication, and in the absence of the substance can lead to withdrawal syndromes. All this can have serious effects both on the functioning and on the health of the subject, and can lead to death.

1. Types of drug dependence according to the type of substance consumed

There are many types of drugs and psychoactive substances, most of which are used as therapeutic tools in the medical field.. However, a part of the population uses some of these substances recreationally, despite the danger they may pose to health.

Although there are many possible classifications, it can be considered that addictive substances can be divided into three main groups according to the type of effects they have on the nervous system. Consequently, these three types of substances can create three types of drug addiction.

1. 1. Psycholeptics or depressants

These substances are characterized by producing a depression of the nervous system, i.e. by causing a decrease in the level of activation in the brain. Behaviorally this is translated by sensations of calmness and physical and mental relaxation, slowing down, tranquility, decreased level of consciousness. This group includes alcohol, opium and its derivatives (codeine, heroin and morphine), tranquilizing drugs (mainly barbiturates and benzodiazepines) and volatile or inhaled substances, such as glue.

Dependence to this type of substances is characterized by the search for tranquility or relaxation of certain functions.It may also be due to social effects (alcohol facilitates disinhibition in some people by reducing frontal lobe functioning and inhibiting inhibition).

1. 2. Psychoanaleptic or excitatory

This type of substances are characterized by producing an increase of the activation of the nervous systemproducing behavioral changes such as increased excitability, motor activation, distractibility and increased level of consciousness. Within this typology of substances are cocaine, amphetamines, xanthines (among which we find substances such as coffee, tea and chocolate, although their effects are comparatively less than those of the rest) and nicotine.

Subjects addicted to these substances seek an increase in activity and sensations, as well as an increase in energy.

1. 3. Psychodysleptic or disruptive substances

This third group of substances is characterized by modifying the activity of the nervous system, They can produce activation or inhibition and particularly affect the perception of the nervous system.. It is common for them to produce perceptual delusions such as hallucinations and delusions. The best known components of this type of substance are cannabis and hallucinogens, together with other elements such as phencyclidine (initially used as anesthesia in surgery).

People who consume these substances are usually in search of new perceptive experiences and hallucinatory phenomena, or an increase or decrease in activation (e.g. cannabis is characterized by analgesic and relaxing effects).

2. Types of drug addiction by type of dependence

Regardless of the type of drug consumed, psychoactive substances act on the body and over time the body becomes accustomed to their presence, just as the user becomes accustomed to their presence.In the same way, the consumer gets used to and ends up needing the effects that the substance has on him. This consumption makes the nervous system start to work in a different way, adapting its activity to the expectation that more and more will be consumed.

In this sense we can find that a substance can provoke two types of dependence, at a physical level and at a psychological level.

Physical dependence

This type of dependence always occurs in conjunction with psychological dependence.. Physical dependence comes from the habituation of the organism to the presence of the substance, requiring it to maintain the habitual functioning to which the body has become accustomed and producing physical alterations such as Gastrointestinal alterations, convulsions, vomiting or headaches in its absence.

This is the type of dependence that can lead to death in processes of abstinence, being necessary to avoid it that the cessation of consumption is gradual and controlled.

2. 2. Psychic dependence

Psychic dependence is an element of drug addiction which influences the influences the incessant search for consumption due to the need to maintain the state achieved with the consumption of the substance and to avoid the adverse effects of the process. and to avoid the adverse effects of the homeostatic process once its effects have worn off. It is a type of addiction mediated by expectations and habit.

For example, substances such as cannabis can generate a high psychic dependence, since many are associated with a group of friends, a leisure time activity and even a public image.

3. The process of addiction and dependence

Taking into account the type of consumption, three phases in the addiction process can be considered to exist. Although it is debatable whether all of them are considerable types of drug dependence, they have common characteristics and involve a process that can lead to a real dependence on substances. It is important to detect the early signs of drug dependence to prevent worse problems in the future.

Occasional use

Occasional use is considered to be the administration of a substance in particular situations that are not very common, in a context in which there is neither a very prolonged use over time nor is there craving or compulsive craving. This phase is generally not considered as drug addiction because the individual does not have a continuous dependence on a substance and does not usually seek it with anxiety.

However, it can be considered as a type of drug addiction if when the consumption takes place it is abusive and if, in spite of not being very frequent, this consumption is repeated over time and when it occurs it can generate lack of control. For example, Epsilon-type alcoholics are characterized by excessive drunkenness and behavioral problems, although their consumption is not habitual.

3. 2. Substance Abuse Situations

With the passage of time, substance use can lead to substance abuse situations, in which substance use can lead to substance abuse.In these situations, the substance is taken more and more often and in different situations, with tolerance and desire for its consumption.

Despite this, the craving is not yet present at an uncontrolled and compulsive level, and can pass without its presence. It is not yet considered dependence, but if it is not controlled it can become so.

3. 3. Situation of drug dependence

The last phase of the addictive process, in people with drug dependence the consumption of the drug is carried out in a compulsive way, presenting abstinence in its absence and losing control of its consumption to a great extent.causing a clear damage in areas such as work, social or academic.

4. According to the number of substances of which one is drug-dependent.

All these classifications take into account drug addiction based on various criteria such as the stages of dependence, the type of substance or the type of dependence generated, but there is one more element to take into account.

And it is that it is possible that the situation of drug addiction may be caused by a single substance, but there is another element to take into account.However, it has also been observed that in some cases the same subject can become addicted to more than one type of substance, accumulating the effects of addiction to one drug and "projecting" it onto dependence on another. For this reason, one more type of drug addiction to consider is the following.

4. 1. Polydrug addiction

This type of drug addiction refers to individuals who are dependent on one substance and are consuming another, generally due to the scarcity and difficulty in acquiring the first one.

Thus, the second substance also becomes addictive for the subject, although he/she has not abandoned his/her dependence on the first substance.The second substance becomes addictive for the subject, although he/she has not abandoned his/her addiction to the first drug.

Normally, poly-drug addiction is due in part to a propensity for impulsivity. propensity to impulsivity that addictions generate. Once the consumption of one drug has begun, it is much easier to initiate the consumption of another, since a pattern of behavior is learned that leads to orienting all addictions to the experience of a "peak" of pleasure that mitigates the effects of abstinence.

Bibliographical references:

• American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. Fifth edition. DSM-V. Masson, Barcelona.

• Belloch, Sandín and Ramos (2008). Manual de psicopatología. Madrid. MacGraw-Hill (vol. 1 and 2). Revised edition.

• Kirby, K. C., Marlowe, D. B., Festinger, D. S., Lamb, R. J. and Platt, J. J. (1998). Schedule of voucher delivery influences initiation of cocaine abstinence. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 66, 761-767.

• Santos, J.L; García, L.I.; Calderón, M.A.; Sanz, L.J.; de los Ríos, P.; Izquierdo, S.; Román, P.; Hernangómez, L.; Navas, E.; Ladrón, A and Álvarez-Cienfuegos, L. (2012). Clinical Psychology. Manual CEDE de Preparación PIR, 02. CEDE. Madrid.