Disease Process of Chemical Dependency

Not too long ago, "addiction" was the term used to describe the condition of people who were unable to control their consumption of alcohol or drugs. Within the past decade, this word has been replaced by "dependency" to reflect how strong the physical aspect of this condition is. Chemical dependency is a progressive disease that involves the mind and the body.

Identification

• Chemical dependency is a condition where individuals are unable to stop, or control their drinking behavior. This dependency is something that becomes increasingly worse with time. The more a person indulges in the behavior, the more the body becomes dependent on the effects. This interplay between body and behavior is where the disease process takes root. After prolonged use, eventually a person's mind and the body become unable to function without alcohol in the system.

Function

• At the outset, a person may choose to drink for social reasons, or as a way to "take the edge off" in a stressful event or set of circumstances. And while this may be helpful in the moment, a person's brain processes take notice of this immediate source of relief. So the next time a stressful situation arises, the brain will recall the immediate relief that alcohol provided. Pleasure centers in the brain are designed to seek out all possible cures when the body or mind is under duress. Individuals inclined towards addiction will latch onto the immediate source of relief that alcohol provides.

Brain Processes

• The immediate relief provided by alcohol occurs as a result of the effects it has on a person's central nervous system. Chemicals in the brain, called neurotransmitters, are responsible for regulating every process that takes place in the body. Dopamine is the chemical linked with the feeling of being high. The ingredients in alcohol have the same effects as dopamine. Over a period of time, a person's dopamine receptors become unable to secrete this chemical on their own. This is the point where the brain becomes dependent on the effects of alcohol. The addiction has become physical which is where the disease process begins.

The Addiction Process

• The disease process of chemical dependency follows a predictable cycle within the course of a person's daily life. The Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) identifies three stages that take place in the addiction process: preoccupation/anticipation, binge/intoxication, withdrawal/negative effect. These stages outline the physical and mental processes that take place each time a person drinks. Preoccupation/ anticipation is the state of mind caused by the body's cravings. Binge/ intoxication represents the act of drinking which satiates the body's craving for alcohol's effects. Withdrawal/ negative effect describes how the body and mind respond when the effects of alcohol wear off.

Effects

• As the effects of chemical dependency continue to impair the brain's ability to function, other systems in the body begin to break down. Alcohol affects the centers that regulate movement or motor skills in the body. These areas also control processes like digestion, metabolism and blood sugar. As the brain becomes more dependent on alcohol, its ability to regulate body processes weakens. After years of drinking, a person's body chemistry may be permanently altered to the point where medical conditions begin to develop. At this point, chemical dependency has become a full-blown disease that will continue to get worse in the presence of continued alcohol use.