Do you know about addiction?

What is the difference?

Consultation and treatment of addiction

To family and people around you

Various addictions

What I want everyone to know about addiction

Addiction refers to "a condition in which you are hindering social life but want to stop certain things / actions but cannot be stopped." Typical addictions include alcohol, drugs (illegal drugs, prescription drugs and over-the-counter drugs), gambling, etc.

When you hear addiction, many may imagine drinking for 24 hours or stopping the use of medicine. However, it is actually possible to treat from a more milder stage.
Some episodes that you think may be addictive include:

• I regret about the occurrence of alcohol, gambling, etc., but repeat it.
• People around me repeatedly point out that I want them to stop because they are in trouble.
• I don't think it's good for me, but I can't say I want to change if I'm careful about my surroundings.

　Alcohol, drugs, gambling, etc. can be easily checked by self-check. If you are worried, be sure to do a self-check and check it out, or consult a consultation desk.
⇒　Addiction self-check

　You may think that addiction is due to weak will, but that's a big mistake. There are no personalities or trends that are prone to addiction, but there are data that some people are serious and perfectionist or those who do not like to consult with others very much.

　In addition, it is very often that other factors such as depression and developmental disorders are hidden in the background of addiction. It is said that it may become a habit while you do it.

　Addiction is also referred to as "brain disease" among experts. By continuing alcohol, drugs, gambling, etc., the neural circuits related to dopamine in the brain strongly remember the benefits of their behavior. In that case, it is said that the brain issues a directive to drink alcohol, use drugs, gambling, etc. every time something is in trouble, and if you notice it, it becomes a habit and becomes addiction You.

　In this case, brain directives cannot be easily controlled by the power of will, and it is important to aim for improvement by receiving support tailored to the person.

　Addiction can be recovered! It is a misconception about addiction that many people have that they cannot recover once they become addiction. In addition, many people think that addiction is recurred, but the recurrence rate of addiction is said to be 40-60%, which is the recurrence rate of common diseases such as asthma and hypertension (50-70%) It is about the same as, and is not extremely high.

　On the other hand, it is said that recovery often takes time, and it is necessary to walk slowly for a long time.

　Prevention of addiction varies depending on the age and the environment in which you live, but what is common is
１．To have the right knowledge
２．Avoid isolation
It's two points. Above all, isolation is said to have a significant relationship with addiction, which not only leads to the onset of addiction, but also worsens addiction. Therefore, it is important that there is an environment where everyone can consult with their problems without isolation.

The treatment of addiction can be broadly divided into the following three types.

• Treatment of the body damaged by addiction
• Prevention of recurrence
• Treatment of diseases other than comorbid addiction

　Let's talk first for recovery. Addiction is a disease that is difficult to recover by yourself or your family alone because brain directives are affected. Let's think about where to work with supporters with specialized knowledge.

There are actually a lot of facilities that support recovery from addiction.

• Hospitals and clinics
• Self-help group
• Recovery facilities
• Public consultation agencies
• Other consulting agencies

Each facility has its own characteristics, and people suffering from addiction can use the institution that suits them. Consultation agencies for addiction in Kanagawa Prefecture, including Yokohama City, are summarized on the Kanagawa addiction portal site, so please take a look.
⇒　Kanagawa addiction portal site (outside site)
⇒　Health consultation center addiction consultation of Yokohama-shi heart

　That's not the case! Of course, there are many cases where it is better to consult a hospital for maintenance, such as when your body becomes rugged due to drinking too much, but some use support groups such as self-help groups other than hospitals, There are a variety of ways to recover, such as those who review their lifestyle habits or find new hobbies.
　However, addiction is a state where it is difficult to control itself. Also, as I mentioned a little in the talk of prevention, a state of isolation and anguish alone is the biggest risk factor that worsens dependence. It is important to first talk somewhere, such as those who can be trusted around you and consulting agencies.

　A major feature of addiction differs from other diseases is that it affects the lives and mental and physical health of people around you, such as family members. First of all, it is recommended that you get the right knowledge about addiction and learn how to respond. For more information, please refer to the "For Family Members" page.

　⇒　To all family members

　There is something important to ask everyone other than your family. Because addiction has a very strong social prejudice, individuals and families suffering from addiction often hide the addiction to those around them. Depending on the survey, addiction is so common that one in four people and one in their relatives suffered some kind of addiction.
　Maybe some of your friends and colleagues who usually treat you casually suffer from addiction. It is very important for everyone to be compassionate and have the person suffering from addiction and their families treat them not to use hurt words.

　Alcoholism, as the name implies, refers to a condition in which drinking affects the mind and body and social life. Symptoms that suspect the possibility of alcoholism include:

• In physical checkup, doctors recommend that you repeatedly review how you drink alcohol.
• I continue to drink when I have something bad or painful.
• It is common to drink before going to bed.
• Drinking alcohol causes trouble with people around you, and you can stop drinking from others.
• Choose alcohol with a high alcohol content, such as strong drinks.

　Alcohol is the most familiar addiction, and long-term drinking can cause various damage not only to the mind but also to the body. If you start consultation and treatment early, there are many cases where you can deal with it by reviewing your drinking habits without refusing, so we recommend that you consult first!

　Drug addiction is a condition in which the use of drugs interferes with the mind and body and social life. Some of the typical drugs that may lead to addiction include:

• Drugs received at hospitals (prescription drugs)
• Over-the-counter drugs (over-the-counter drugs) that can be purchased at pharmacies, etc.
• Stimulants, Cocaine
• Caffeine

　These are just examples, but if you continue to use some drugs in a state where you cannot consult with family doctor or someone with specialized knowledge, you may not be able to stop even if you have trouble with your life. In addition, not only illegal drugs such as stimulants and cocaine but also legal drugs are at risk of addiction, but illegal drugs tend to refrain from consulting because of the image of "illegal". The consulting organization has a duty of confidentiality of the content of the consultation, so please consult us.

　Gambling addiction refers to a condition in which gambling cannot be stopped despite the following symptoms due to games such as pachinko, public competitions such as horse racing, bicycle racing, and financial products such as exchange transactions. .

• Economic effects of debt, etc.
• Deterioration of relationships with people around me
• The mind becomes unstable, such as depression and frustration.

　In many cases, these three problems are intricately intertwined. For example, because the relationship with the surroundings deteriorated, it was not possible to confess that there was debt (or only a part, not all), and as a result, gambling etc. escalated to repay debt, impatience and depression It is a form that comes out. Therefore, in the recovery of gambling and other addiction, it is said that it is important to talk not only with family members but also with third parties, such as hospital doctors with specialized knowledge.

　Game dependence (game failure) is a newly reported addiction in recent years. In addition, net dependence is not defined as an addiction internationally, but is often discussed in conjunction with game dependence. Game/net dependence is particularly common in children among addictions. If you repeat the following, you will suspect game/net dependency.

• I can't keep the time I promised with my parents
• I am absorbed in the game and neglect my diet and sleep
• You spend too much money due to charges, etc.
• It's a matter of game.

　The reason why children become dependent on games/nets is often related to factors such as worries at school and family life, friendships, and developmental disabilities. Therefore, it is not uncommon for us to work together on problems and problems other than these dependencies.

Addiction may seem somewhat distant, but it's actually a very common and familiar disease that everyone can interact with.

I'm very happy if you have the right knowledge about addiction, such as being a recoverable disease, not a will or personality problem, and have compassion for those suffering from addiction and those around them.