When dealing with addiction, there’s a lot to consider. In fact, people who struggle with addiction have to deal with both physical and psychological dependencies. Unfortunately, few people know what these dependencies mean. More specifically, most people don’t know what psychological dependence is or that they could need a cognitive behavioral therapy program in Southern CA.

What Is Psychological Dependence?

Most people are aware that physical dependence refers to the physical symptoms that people experience from being dependent on drugs. However, people are less familiar with psychological dependence.

The easiest way to describe this dependency is to look at the hold that substances have on the mind. It includes the emotional need that people have for their drugs of choice. Once people remove those drugs from their lives, they experience harsh withdrawal symptoms. Sometimes, the emotional symptoms are just as strong as the physical ones.

The Overlap Between Physical and Psychological Dependence

The truth of the matter is that there’s some overlap between psychological and physical dependence. In fact, that’s why some people aren’t aware that there are two different types of dependencies. After all, the emotional distress that mental dependence creates can be physically painful. In that regard, it’s hard to determine the difference between the two.

Also, it’s worth pointing out that both of these dependencies typically occur in tandem. In short, people experience both of these dependencies at the same time. However, that only occurs with drug addiction.

For example, people don’t experience physical dependence with all forms of addiction. To illustrate, gambling and sex addiction don’t cause physical dependence. However, they do cause strong psychological dependence.

Finding the Root Cause of Addiction

When people learn what is psychological dependence, they must determine the cause of their addiction. Usually, finding the cause can shed some light on overcoming it as a whole. Often times, psychological problems lead to drug abuse in the first place.

The real issue is if people attempt to overcome addiction without addressing the cause. In these cases, they’re much more likely to relapse. The reason is that they didn’t solve the problem that led to addiction in the first place.

Furthermore, people who relapse find that getting clean a second time is even harder. For that reason, they must find reliable treatment the first time around. Thankfully, there’s a substance abuse treatment center that can help them get their lives back on track.

The Time to Take Your Life Back Is Now

Do you want to kick your drug addiction and regain control of your life? If so, it’s time to reach out to Phoenix Rising to find out how we can help you. We have a top cognitive behavioral therapy program Southern CA offers. Also, we use a range of services to aid you in overcoming psychological and physical dependence, including:

• Trauma-informed care
• Equine therapy
• Psychodrama
• Detox
• Residential program
• Partial hospitalization program

Don’t waste your time trying to overcome drug addiction alone. Learn what it takes to curb physical and psychological dependence. Get more information about how we can help you when you call us at 855.232.8211.