Addiction

Basic concepts

Psychoactive substances:

These are chemical substances, whose use could change the way of functioning of the brain, and therefore could influence person’s perceptions, mood and physical state.

Tolerance:

This concept describes the compatibility towards certain quantity of the substance. When the tolerance is increased, that means that it’s necessary to take a bigger quantity of the substance in order to achieve the same effect or state.

Abstinence syndrome:

A group of physical or/and psychological symptoms, which occur during a harsh diminution or stopping of the drug, which has been used frequently or for a long period of time in high doses.

Psychological addiction:

It’s experienced as a psychological discomfort, caused by the lack of the substance or by the faith of the user that he needs to take the drug in order to feel good or to function normally.

Physical addiction:

It appears as a result of the adaptation of the organism to the frequent use of the substance.
It consists of change of the tolerance and appearance of abstinent symptoms when the use is stopped or diminished.