Читать книгу Overcoming Internet Addiction For Dummies - David N. Greenfield - Страница 47

Physiological dependence involves the body (and brain) becoming used to a substance or a behavior. It is most typically associated with drugs and alcohol, and withdrawal is often medically treatable as a temporary condition that requires monitoring and possible pharmacological intervention. With certain types of physiological withdrawal, such as with alcohol, care must be taken to ensure against medical problems. With process and behavioral addiction such as Internet and technology addiction, some physiological withdrawal still occurs, but medical supervision and intervention are typically not needed. That does not mean professional guidance from a mental health or addiction professional is not needed — this may be necessary, and sometimes medications may be utilized to assist in both the withdrawal and recovery processes (see Chapters 11, 12, and 13 for more on diagnosis, self-help, and treatment).

Although there are notable withdrawal effects with Internet and technology addiction, these are typically short-lived (a matter of weeks). It is hard to separate physiological dependence from psychological or behavioral dependence, as the mind and body are not actually separate, but rather are an integrated system — addiction always affects both. However, physiological dependence often has to do with other organ systems of the body besides the central nervous system, and it accounts for the immediate physical withdrawal symptoms that we see with drugs and alcohol for a period after discontinuing a substance (symptoms that may require medical intervention).

Physiological dependence is not addiction; addiction is always a more complex, biopsychosocial process that involves numerous aspects of physical, behavioral, and psychological functioning.