Dependencies

Dependencies from various substances and Addictions (cigarette, alcohol, drugs)

All types of dependencies have biological, psychological or social causes. By the word “addiction” we mean every substance which a person cannot be deprived of such as smoking, alcohol, painkillers, drugs etc.

Smoking: A dependency that might arise from peer pressure, enjoyment or habit. Usually, smoking begins in adolescent years together when teenagers feel the need to prove that they have grown up, that they can be independent and that they want to try out new life styles etc.

Alcohol: When an adult drinks a little and from time to time in order to simply enjoy a drink, alone or in company, he or she is not in danger of succumbing to alcoholism. However, when we try to escape from anxiety and stress-related situations in our lives through alcohol and we feel that this is the way to find our strength and maturity that we need in our lives, then we are driven to alcoholism and add one more problem to our lives without having solved any of our real problems.

Pain-killers: To relieve physical pain we use pain-killers. When we use more pain-killers than we actually need to cope with pain, then we become addicted and we try to justify the use of pain-killers by pretending that we do it to prevent pain.

Drugs: Drugs are natural or chemical substances that cause mental or physical addiction.  The causes for which people resort to drugs can be either social, economic, political or psychological ones. Peer associations, curiosity, a challenge for a new or risky experience, wrong impression about dependency and the solution to problems can lead a drug user to self destruction and death. Many delude themselves into believing that they will not be like other drug users because they are stronger. In this case, they have to prove, through actions, their resolve by not using such substances at all and by finding realistic ways to fight for their lives, to enjoy life, to cope with their problems and not succumb to delusion. Drug users will never manage to be mature enough; they will simply experience total alienation from themselves, their social environment and society in general.