About Addiction
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What is addiction?
Addiction is an umbrella term. Watch the video to get an understanding of what addiction really means…
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Why are drugs addictive?
The connections between pharmacology and psychology are what makes sense of addiction. Watch the slide show…
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How do drugs work?
Both fascinating, challenging and fundamental to understanding addiction and effective treatments. Watch the slide show…
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Drug & alcohol testing
Understanding testing for alcohol and drugs is imortant for safety, treatment planning, and checkiing on progress…
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What is comorbidity?
Comorbidity, sometimes called ‘dual diagnosis’, is very common in people with addiction problems. See the particular challenges…
Mental health and addiction are interwoven…
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Epidemiology & key findings
The association between substance use and mental health problems is so common that it is almost the norm. Sometimes it is the substance use causing issues and sometimes the other way around.
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Dealing with anxiety
Anxiety is a normal feeling but it can be overwhelming, in a general and pervasive way or in the form of panic or a phobia. Drink or drugs can be both a cause and effect of anxiety.
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Dealing with depression
Sadness or more serious depression is a normal response to awful or traumatic things happening. Drinking or taking drugs can be both a cause of and response to low mood.
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Psychosis & mental illness
Some drugs cause the most serious of mental illnesses notably psychosis, delirium on withdrawal from depressants and brain damage leading to dementia or memory loss.
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Emotional regulation
Problems with emotional regulation are rooted in personality development and lead to excesses of emotion and also substance use which tends to intensify impulsive behaviours.
