What Is Psychological Dependence?

What Is Psychological Dependence?

woman covering face with hands wondering what is psychological dependence

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Having an addiction makes you feel like you’re in a frightening and confusing place. Your emotions may be a mess, and you feel confused, irritated, frightened, and no longer in control of your life. Addiction can put you in a lonely place. The psychological dependence aspects can be just as bad as the physical ones.

Having a drug or alcohol addiction is a complex problem. Your body craves the drug to function. Second, your mind has been tricked into thinking that it can’t live without it. At Liberty Bay Recovery, we want you to learn the different types of addiction as well as how they impact your healing process. As a leader in addiction therapy in Portland, Maine, we give you the tools to succeed.

Understanding Physical Dependence

If you take a drug for an extended period, you will quickly build a tolerance. The receptors in your brain that once were stimulated with the drug now need more to have the same effect. Your body has become physically dependent, and it no longer makes the natural equivalent of the drug’s chemical but is relying on you to supply the need. You become physically dependent when your body adapts to taking a substance. Should you stop this drug, you will have withdrawal symptoms, which is why detox is important. You must understand the physical effects of dependence before you can grasp the psychological ones.

Physical dependence occurs when changes happen in the brain. The body can be dependent on a drug, but you are not addicted. Some signs of physical addiction include:

  • Blacking Out
  • Headaches
  • Shortness of breath
  • Dry mouth
  • Body aches
  • Racing pulse
  • Increased blood pressure
  • Tremors
  • Restless leg syndrome
  • Disorientation
  • Intense sweating
  • Tremors and shaking
  • Nausea, upset stomach, and diarrhea
  • Intense headaches

What Is Psychological Dependence?

Psychological dependency is an urge or necessity that takes place in your mind. You can become mentally addicted because you like the way a drug makes you feel or act. At Liberty Bay Recovery, we treat people from all walks of life. Some of our patients are those with big careers and demanding jobs.

They got addicted to drugs because they believed they couldn’t function in court or in front of the board without the help of a substance. In these instances, their body wasn’t necessarily craving it, but their mind believed they couldn’t perform without it.

Many people will seek out the drug of choice once doctors cut them off. They will become so desperate that they may head to a dark alley where such sales occur. When they can’t find someone selling the drug on the black market, it’s at that moment that they are most volatile. They may have anger outbursts and become violent. All these emotions are signs of psychological dependence. Whether mentally or physically addicted, you will still suffer from withdrawal symptoms. Here are some of the withdrawal issues you may experience with a psychological dependence:

Controlling Your Cravings

Have you ever had a craving for sweets? Cravings for drugs and alcohol is a sign of psychological addiction. When you try to stop taking drugs, your body will crave them more. Addiction can rule your life. While these feelings are troubling, they don’t last forever. One of the main reasons that people relapse is because they cannot manage their cravings. Craving-related symptoms of psychological addiction include:

  • Loss of appetite
  • Restless nature
  • Insomnia
  • Moodiness
  • Cravings even years after quitting
  • Feelings you cannot cope without the drug
  • Mentally obsessed with getting more
  • Anxiety
  • Depression

At Liberty Bay Recovery, we understand that physical and psychological addiction are linked. We have developed intensive programs to help you conquer your addiction. Our therapeutic approach gives you the best chance at sobriety. We use yoga, motivational interviewing, DBT, family, and trauma therapy, which gives you the tools to conquer your psychological dependency. If you need addiction therapy in Portland Maine, then call [Direct].