Addiction Psychiatry Hub

05/01/2026

Love Addiction: Dangerous Roller Coaster Ride by Addiction Actually .

In the addiction to love, there becomes a toxic, obsessive, and unhealthy dependency to another person.

Love addicts can become dependent on any person- a friend, parent, acquaintance, coworker, child, celebrities - so long as the person/ object helps to provide an emotional escape from reality-- just as a alcohol, co***ne, or any other addiction would for an addict.

Most commonly- love addiction occurs in interpersonal love/romantic relationships.

The dependency to a person resulting in unhealthy behaviour's, obsessive compulsive thinking, leading to obsessive compulsive actions which may then become reinforced as we repeat them over time so they become part of our daily routine.

If a love addict had any sense of purpose and self worth before becoming 'hooked', it dissolves once the obsession kicks in.

The object- (drug of choice) allows the love addict to feel alive; gain a sense of purpose; gain a sense of value; and help to increase a sense of self worth--

Like a he**in addict, love addicts abandon themselves as all their energy becomes preoccupied on their drug of choice; a fabricated love relationship.

Love Addiction (some call it relationship addiction) is a compulsive, detrimental dependency in relationships that negatively affects both the love addict and the other person.

Denial, fantasy and impaired expectations fuel love addiction.

These relationships are played out by toxic patterns, push-pull, love-hate dynamics; and drama/intensity.

By definition, an addiction or dependence is a recurring compulsion by an individual to engage in some specific behaviour or activity, despite harmful consequences to the individual's health, mental state, or social life.

People fall into many categories of addictions (alcohol, drugs, s*x, gambling, etc.) -- love addiction is one of the categories- and is a substantial one.

Copyright : Addiction Actually 2025 . All rights reserved.

05/01/2026

Mr. Rawan was 43 years old, married once, a father of three beautiful children, and a man who had spent most of his life fighting a battle he never truly chose.

His story began early—far too early.
At just 12 years old, while studying in class 6, Mr. Rawan was introduced to cannabis. At that age, he did not understand addiction. He only knew that the substance made him feel different—calmer, braver, accepted. What began as curiosity slowly turned into habit, and the habit quietly took control of his life.

As he grew older, substances changed. Cannabis was no longer enough. He began using Spasmoproxyvan, swallowing nearly 30 tablets a day. Life appeared to move on—family, work, responsibilities—but dependency had already taken deep roots.
Eventually, Mr. Rawan shifted to adulterated he**in, commonly called “BS.”
His use escalated rapidly to 2–3 grams per day, and with it came the slow destruction of everything he valued.

His marriage could not withstand the turmoil. He divorced his wife and was separated from his three children, whom he loved deeply but could no longer care for in the way they deserved. The pain of separation only strengthened the grip of addiction.

His professional life also collapsed. Repeated absences, intoxication during working hours, and declining performance led to loss of his job. Shame, isolation, and hopelessness followed.

Over the last 10 years, Mr. Rawan spent much of his life moving in and out of rehabilitation centers. There were moments of success—weeks, sometimes months of abstinence—but relapses kept occurring. Each relapse felt heavier, more discouraging than the last.

Throughout these years, he was repeatedly told that medicines were unnecessary, that addiction could be overcome by sheer willpower alone. Influenced by significant others, he refused medical treatment, believing that relapse meant weakness and failure.

Eventually, exhausted in every sense, Mr. Rawan realized a painful truth:
Addiction was not a lack of willpower.
It was not a moral failure.
It was a chronic, relapsing medical illness.
For the first time, he stopped blaming himself.

With courage and clarity, Mr. Rawan asked his family to take him to a doctor—not just another rehab—but for proper medical detoxification and evidence-based psychosocial therapy.

That decision did not erase his past, but it marked the beginning of genuine recovery—one based on treatment, understanding, and support rather than guilt and force.
This time, Mr. Rawan was no longer fighting alone.

Dr. Satish Rasaily
Addiction Medicine Specialist & Psychiatrist
Sikkim State Branch of the Indian Psychiatric Society

05/01/2026

Disulfiram is a medicine used in the treatment of alcohol dependence. It helps people stay abstinent by creating an unpleasant reaction if alcohol is consumed.

How it works:

Disulfiram blocks the breakdown of alcohol in the body.

If a person drinks alcohol while taking disulfiram, toxic acetaldehyde builds up.

This causes very uncomfortable symptoms, which discourage drinking.

What happens if alcohol is taken with disulfiram?

Within 10–30 minutes:

Flushing of face
Severe nausea and vomiting
Headache
Palpitations
Sweating
Chest discomfort
Dizziness

In severe cases: low BP, arrhythmias, collapse (medical emergency)

⚠️ Even small amounts of alcohol can trigger this:
Mouthwash
Cough syrups
Aftershaves
Hand sanitizers
Alcohol-containing foods

Uses:

Alcohol dependence (as a deterrent, not a cure)

Best for motivated patients with good supervision/support

Important precautions
Do NOT use disulfiram if the patient has:
Severe heart disease
Psychosis
Severe liver disease
Pregnancy
Cognitive impairment without supervision

Alcohol reaction can occur up to 7–14 days after stopping disulfiram

04/01/2026

We applaud mental health awareness—until it becomes uncomfortable. We say “talk to someone”—but when someone talks, we call them “too emotional,” “dramatic,” or “crazy.”

04/01/2026

04/01/2026

Recovery & Relapse. High Risk Situations.

Taken from Relapse Booklet - Hamrah Addiction E-Book - Hamrahco (Google to find the reference)

04/01/2026

Mental health rarely collapses all at once. Most of the time, it fades quietly. It looks like waking up exhausted even after a full night’s sleep. Losing interest in things you used to enjoy. Feeling foggy, unmotivated, or disconnected for reasons you can’t quite explain. It can show up in your body before your mind catches up changes in appetite, sleep, energy, patience, or how close you feel to people. These aren’t failures or overreactions. They’re early signals that something inside you is struggling. And too often, they get ignored because everything still “looks fine” from the outside.

03/01/2026

03/01/2026

Please remember that the first sign that our mental health is suffering
isn’t a su***de attempt,
and it isn’t an emotional breakdown.

It begins quietly.
Soft changes that we often ignore.

It starts with waking up exhausted
—even after sleeping for hours.

It shows up in struggling to get out of bed,
losing interest in things we once enjoyed,
and feeling a heavy lack of motivation.

Sometimes it looks like not having an appetite,
or battling constant gut issues,
skin breakouts,
and a sudden drop in energy.

For others, it comes as a decreased libido,
feeling lost or stuck,
or slowly disconnecting from the world around us.

There may be brain fog that makes simple tasks feel overwhelming,
fatigue that follows you everywhere,
irritability you can’t explain,
or self-sabotaging behaviours that leave you wondering why you did what you did.

It can even appear in disturbed sleep,
sleeping too much,
sleeping too little,
or sleeping without rest.

These are the subtle warning signs.
The quiet whispers.
The little alarms we push aside because “we’re fine.”

But your body always speaks.
It warns you gently at first.
It asks for attention, rest, healing, and care.

Listen to it before it has to scream.
Your wellbeing matters long before the breakdown.
You deserve peace before the pain gets loud.

03/01/2026

There are people lying awake right now, not because they want to be, but because their mind won’t slow down. Replaying conversations. Worrying about things they can’t fix tonight. Carrying responsibilities no one sees during the day. They show up, they function, they keep things moving and then night comes and everything they’ve been holding back catches up with them. If that’s someone you know, or someone you love, this is a reminder that not all strength looks loud. Some of it looks like making it through another long night quietly.

02/01/2026

Mental illness is not a weakness.
It’s not attention-seeking.
It’s not a character flaw.
It’s a real, painful, exhausting experience that affects thoughts, emotions, sleep, appetite, energy, relationships, and self-worth.