iatrogenic addiction
If you are suffering from an iatrogenic Addiction, it is important to know what this really means. Before understanding the nature of IATrogenic addiction, it is important to know what an addiction is in general. All addiction is characterized by a dependence on a substance which usually has substances which are not good for our body. The dependency develops over a period of time and the person becomes physically and psychologically dependent on the substance which is now considered as the drug or substance of abuse.
The physical dependence on the abused substance develops through changes to the brain’s chemical system. The brain must receive certain chemicals in order to perform certain functions and to be efficient in the process of functioning. The body needs the substances which are produced by the brain in order to make it function correctly and for the brain to respond properly to the substance.
But when a person uses too much of that substance, the brain gets use to those chemicals and this causes some serious effects to develop in the long run. This is when the person develops the dependency. The IATrogenic addiction is a type of substance abuse because it develops physical dependency on the abused substance which then affects the brain. When the brain’s chemicals are used constantly and in large quantities, the person suffers the long term effects.
There are three major effects of iatrogenic addiction. The first is the mental disorder which can cause depression and other mental illnesses. The second is the physical ailment caused by the IATrogenic addiction to the drug. And the third effect is the devastating effects on the family of the addict, which can lead to the breakup of the relationship. Read more on addiction and family.
Most drug addictions begin with the casual use of the drug by the person. Over time, the person may start using it heavily and without prescriptions. As a result, the body of the person develops an immunity to the drug and it starts to affect the brain chemistry. When the body of the person takes it heavily, it results in an iatrogenic addiction. The brain chemistry changes as a result of continuous use and the person develops severe side effects from that.
effects of iatrogenic addiction
In cases of iatrogenic drug addiction, the person develops anxiety and panic attacks as a result of the continued use of the drug. He or she might suffer from insomnia as well and this could lead to the person taking more medication to alleviate the symptoms. There are other psychological effects such as social phobia, paranoia and mania. There are also cases where the person becomes so withdrawn from the society due to the harm caused to him by the addictive drug. But the worst effect of the IATrogenic addiction is the damage done to the brain chemistry.