Passages Malibu - Rehab for Robin - Drugs and Alcohol H ...

In addition to physical dependence, we can develop psychological dependence. "Psychic need" is the perceived need to use a substance to cope with unpleasant feelings such as despondency, heartache, anxiety, stress, or depression. Relief from something unpleasant is a kind of reward called "negative reinforcement." That cycle is worsened by both the physical and psychological discomforts felt during abstinence. When we stop using the addictive drugs or alcohol that we've been using to cope with unpleasant feelings, those feelings return, as does the strong desire to return to the substances that enabled us to cope with them. That's what characterizes psychological dependence.

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