Psychological Dependency

 

This is a dependency that develops through repeatedly behaving in a certain way until you feel you can’t manage without it. Your mind can get hooked on almost any activity that changes your mood.

It can dominate your thoughts; you can become preoccupied with obtaining, using, and recovering from the effects of the alcohol or other drug.

You can lose control of when and how much you use; you may intend to use only so much but when you have access to more you keep taking more, or maybe you have tried to stop using altogether and failed.

You keep using alcohol or other drugs even though you’ve already had one or more bad experience. Maybe you’ve been convicted for drunk driving, or being in possession of drugs, or committing a crime to pay for your alcohol or other drugs. Maybe you’ve been diagnosed with liver damage or Hep C. Maybe someone else, possibly someone you love, has been injured as a result of your behaviour. Maybe you’ve lost your job or a really important relationship. But you still keep using.

There is no drug upon which you cannot become psychologically dependent.