CONSIDERING the staggering amount of diagnosed mental health illnesses in Guyana, I’m sure we have all stumbled across quite a few.

This is the beginning of a three-part series where I will briefly explain the three most commonly found diagnoses in Guyana.
These are addiction, depression and anxiety. While they may share some qualities, they are significantly different and very damaging to any afflicted individual.

I’ll start with addiction for a few reasons. It’s my tribute to Mathew Perry, whom most people remember as ‘Chandler’ from the television show “Friends,” but was actually a recovering addict who helped so many people get sober the way he claimed he wanted to be remembered.

The second reason is that I believe this one is terribly overlooked in Guyana, and most struggling people may not even know it. What we see in movies — people on the street — is actually very rarely what an individual who has an addiction looks like. Even though it’s so prevalent, I still think it’s very misunderstood, so I intend to explain in somewhat scientific detail what happens when we become addicted to something.

The most common people in this category are actually the functioning afflicted who live seemingly normal lives with successful jobs and functioning families and social lives.
By definition, addiction is indeed a mental health issue which affects both the brain and the body’s structure and function. A drug is defined as anything which has a physiological effect on us; this means it affects how we think, feel and act.

I’m going to use alcohol with my examples as it is the most commonly abused substance not only in Guyana, but worldwide. However, the same principles apply to any drug.
There are three major aspects to developing an active addiction: cravings, tolerance and withdrawal.

We all experience cravings, but sometimes, they are so intense that we cannot think of anything else but satisfying a particular one. When you give into a craving, fully knowledgeable of the negative consequences that follow, that’s the beginning of a serious problem.

For example, some people may have one or two drinks at an early time because they know they have certain responsibilities coming up. The individual who allows those cravings to overpower the possibility of the responsibilities being done is one in the beginning stages of addiction.

After the cravings are constantly given into, we develop a tolerance for the drug; our bodies become immune to the amount, so a larger amount is needed to have the same effect. For example, when we first began drinking, two beers may have been able to get us drunk, but now, we have built a tolerance which requires a lot more than that. Withdrawal is the body’s process of ridding the drug. It’s where the lack of control comes in as it is extremely mentally and physically painful, and, in this stage, the use of the drug no longer seems like a choice.
It isn’t news that drugs feel good — that’s why so many people use them. However, are we all aware of what happens in the brain when a drug is introduced to it? Before you choose to participate in something, you should probably know what it does.

Any drug enters the body straight into the bloodstream and the pleasure centres of the brain. There is an instant release of brain chemicals such as serotonin and dopamine — responsible for happiness, positivity, energy and most things we are desperate to feel. This means the drug brings the feeling of euphoria to the brain, overwhelming it with a release of up to 10 times the normal amount of customarily produced hormones. So, it’s a fast and reliable way of feeling good. This is what causes the repetition where your brain seeks pleasure with compulsive behaviour.

It is also believed that only certain types of people can develop an addiction, but considering the uncontrollable effects on the brain — not to mention the social risk factors such as peer pressure, accessibility, affordability, trauma and negative events — it is not very difficult to develop an addiction. There is also a serious genetic component involved. An individual is up to four times more likely to develop an addiction if the illness already runs in their family.

If this has opened your eyes and you may be questioning whether you or someone you know may have an issue with alcohol or other drugs, the most common symptoms you can look for are a preoccupation with the drug. Assess whether it’s about obtaining or using it; a lack of interest in other activities that may not involve drug use; changes in eating and sleeping patterns that revolve around the drug use; irritability when not able to use the drug; increased arguments with loved ones, lying about the amount of use and one of the most important: difficulty stopping, even though all the above issues may be occurring.

There will also be issues in all other important life avenues, such as learning and memory, rational decision making and the ability to deal with life’s stresses healthily.

A question I often get is, “Why did I become addicted and others haven’t?”. This is an important question with many layers. My best guess and advice to those who ask this question- putting aside what was already mentioned of genetics, environment and trauma is how and why the drug is used. I’ll paint a little scenario. There are two people about to take a drink. One has had a bad day and feels it will get better with a drink, which temporarily does. The other has had a good day, wants to catch up with a friend and believes a drink will make it better and it does. Can you guess which I think would become addicted faster? If you look for a solution to a problem and finds it — allowing you to feel better even for a short while — you will choose the same solution repeatedly. Pay attention to how and why you are using substances, as the use of the substances is not the root of the problem; why you are using them is.

Of course, it is important to acknowledge an addiction because it can bring many other issues, such as family fallout, financial issues, mental and physical illnesses, legal issues and, very often, suicidal thoughts and behaviours. When you are ready, remember that this is not a flaw in your character; it is an illness that can be treated and managed with the commitment to change, and so many people are available for that support.