Taboo, difficult to diagnose, long remission, addiction is an illness that we would really like to do without and that affects everyone around us. At the microphone of Julia Vignali and Mélanie Gomez, Jean-Pierre Couteron, addictologist, clinical psychologist and spokesperson for the Addiction Federation and Jérôme Adam, producer of the film Everything to be happy? dealing with addiction, came to share their expertise. And to help, we must first recognize. What is an addiction? Who may be susceptible to developing one? And above all, what to do?
What exactly is addiction?
“Addiction is the loss of control of a psychoactive substance or now of a device, of a behavior, which allows us to have psychoactive effects. It is the loss of control. “is use. If I use my mobile phone, it’s use. If I can’t manage to measure the time I spend on my mobile phone, I get into addictive behavior” , explains Jean-Pierre Couteron.
According to the specialist, addiction is a complex disorder, because it has two sides: a sickness side and a “social behavior” side, namely how the addict interacts with the world and with those close to him.
Are we all equal when it comes to addiction?
Certain social backgrounds, certain age groups seem to be more exposed to addictive risks, but for the clinician, there are not necessarily predispositions, rather vulnerabilities. “There are indeed social vulnerabilities which mean that, depending on social backgrounds, depending on living conditions, we can have parameters. But there are also psychological vulnerabilities. According to life stories, if we have experienced a trauma , that we have family difficulties”, he explains.
“And then there are physiological, genetic vulnerabilities. There is not an addiction gene, but there are parameters that mean that we do not have the same physique and that we will not have not the same reaction to the substance. So all that mixes, can be balanced. The positive effect of one can meet the negative effect of the other. But indeed, the basic principle to know, it is that we are not equal and that what works for one does not necessarily work for the other.
However, one constant seems to be emerging: it is during adolescence that the majority of addictive risks arise.
How to recognize an addict?
According to Jean-Pierre Couteron and Jérôme Adam, who lost his brother to addiction and motivated the creation of his film, in case of doubt, it is necessary to monitor the behavior of the relative and in particular if he loses control. “So the signs that show that the person is not able to live up to the control, which they still say they want to have. That they agree to do such and such a thing at such a time and they don’t That she agrees not to drink again the same evening when she is going to do it… These are the signs, “says the addictologist.
“I understood very quickly that [mon frère] consumed, that he had consumption problems because there were attitudes with delusional episodes during the night, episodes where he had taken medication from my mother to compensate and find certain effects”, says Jérôme Adam.
There are also physical signs for certain addictions: alcoholic intoxication, euphoria with a product such as cannabis, states of excitement with stimulant products such as cocaine. And if these two types of signs persist and they have been spotted, that’s when the subject can be addressed.
How not to rob her?
“Often, the trap we’ll fall into is to talk to him about it and tell him right away: ‘Stop!’ However, he does not immediately want to be told to stop because for him, it still works as a solution. It comes to calm an anxiety, it comes to calm something. The first step is for him say that we see that he consumes, that we imagine that it is useful to him and that this is what we would like to talk about. It is to see what it is for him, “explains the clinician.
For Jérôme Adam, the question of love is very important. “There is a whole job of making the addicted person feel guilty. Now, love, what I’m trying to say in the film, is that it must be present and therefore “you have to stay present, reach out your hand. But that’s not necessarily enough and above all, you can’t do it in the place of the other. So it’s all this balance between accepting your helplessness and being present despite everything that is fundamental,” says the director. Conversely, separation or the threat of estrangement can also act as a trigger, but you have to be very careful and the effect is not systematic.
Where to take it and what to do?
If the addict recognizes his disease and agrees to discuss it, several things are possible. “The majority of addicts get away with it without consulting professionals,” says Jean-Pierre Couteron. For certain addictions, such as cigarettes or mobile phones, it is possible to “rearrange your environment, your surroundings. It’s the famous story: I met someone, I have a job”, adds the psychologist.
With a little difference in intensity, you don’t have to consult. However, the more we get into complex issues where there are psychopathological problems, life stories, vulnerabilities, the more difficult it is to get out of them alone. In these cases, it is best to be followed by a doctor. “There are many places to consult. There are doctors in town who are interested in addiction issues, specialized, medico-social centres, care, support and prevention centres”, details the professional. Finally, medication, prescribed by the doctor, can help reduce the effects of addiction.