Addiction

An addiction can negatively affect all areas of your life, including your health, relationships and work. At Atrium Health Floyd and Harbin Clinic, our behavioral health specialists provide treatment for all types of addictions.

What is addiction?

An addiction occurs when you need to have alcohol, marijuana, opioids, tobacco or other substance despite its harmful consequences. People with addictions can’t control their urge to have the substance they crave. Substance use disorder is another term for addiction.

Causes of addiction

Ongoing use of a substance can affect how your brain responds to that substance. Certain substances can cause your brain to release more dopamine, a brain chemical that makes you feel good. Your brain and body may then start to need more of that substance to maintain that feel-good effect.

Addiction symptoms

Signs and symptoms of a substance use disorder can vary from person to person. They may also depend on the type of substance the person uses.

Someone with an addiction may:

• Be unable to stop using a substance despite wanting to quit
• Continue to use a substance despite harmful effects on their health, relationships, work or schooling
• Have a strong urge or craving to use a substance
• Have withdrawal symptoms when they stop using a substance
• Need more of a substance to get a desired effect (build up a tolerance)

Addiction types

It’s possible to develop an addiction to more than one substance. Common substance use disorders include:

• Alcohol use disorder
• Cannabis (marijuana) use disorder
• Opioid use disorder (prescription opioids or heroin)
• Sedative use disorder (benzodiazepines or barbiturates)
• Stimulant use disorder (methamphetamines or cocaine)
• Tobacco use disorder (including nicotine)

Addiction diagnosis

Your health care provider will ask you about your substance use and symptoms. They will use the guidelines about substance use disorders listed in the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) to aid their diagnosis. Your provider will use this information to gauge the severity of your condition and develop an effective treatment plan.

Addiction risk factors

Anyone can develop a substance use disorder. But certain factors can put you more at risk:

• Having a family member with a substance use disorder
• History of harmful life events, such as child abuse or other exposure to violence
• Mental health conditions such as depression, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Addiction prevention

Taking these actions may lower your chances of developing an addiction:

• Find healthy ways to manage stress and difficult life situations.
• Get treatment, such as counseling and medications, for existing mental health conditions.
• Take prescription medications, such as opioids, exactly as your provider instructs.