Doctors have identified substances that are the hardest to overcome addiction to.

A group of American researchers compared various types of psychoactive substances—ranging from alcohol and nicotine to illicit drugs and prescription medications—by examining the number of attempts individuals make to quit these substances before achieving lasting abstinence. Understanding which addictions are more frequently associated with relapses, and therefore require greater effort to overcome, is crucial for professionals who treat these types of dependencies.

2025-01-29 10:01:27https://naked-science.ru/article/medicine/zavisimost-trudno-poborot

For the study, the article of which was published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence, participants from the project International Quit and Recovery Registry (IQRR) were recruited. This registry brings together individuals over the age of 18 who have substance use disorders and are battling addiction, willing to share their experiences and opinions with researchers.

The final sample included 344 individuals who completed a survey about psychoactive substances and their usage experiences. Participants reported which of the 12 types of substances they had used 10 or more times and at what age they first tried them. The list includes nicotine, alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, opioids, stimulants, prescription painkillers, hallucinogens, anesthetics, tranquilizers, inhalants, and "other".

The survey also included items to assess the duration and intensity of addiction. Additionally, respondents were asked about the number of attempts to quit and their substance use status at the time of the study. Subsequent analysis focused on the results of those who reported sustained abstinence from at least one of the listed substances.

The study found that individuals using opioids and painkillers experienced relapses more frequently. Consequently, researchers identified these types of addiction as the most persistent and difficult to overcome.

Alcohol and stimulants surpassed cannabis, cocaine, hallucinogens, and nicotine in terms of the number of attempts to quit with relapses. It was also found that for hallucinogens, which have different clinical properties compared to the other substances on the list, participants required fewer attempts for sustained abstinence. In this regard, tranquilizers such as phenazepam and lorazepam significantly outperformed hallucinogens like psilocybin and LSD.

Overall, psychoactive substances with a higher frequency of relapse were characterized by more pronounced physical dependence, with severe withdrawal symptoms manifesting as pain, nausea, and anxiety. The analysis confirmed that individuals who had been heavily addicted to such substances for a long time may need multiple attempts to overcome their harmful habits.

The researchers expressed hope that the findings of their work will be useful not only to addiction specialists but also to patients, as this knowledge can help maintain the motivation to overcome addiction despite possible setbacks.

Previously, a team of scientists from several universities in the USA and Italy demonstrated in experiments involving male rats that caffeine, which is itself a psychoactive substance and can lead to dependence, has the potential to protect the body from developing alcoholism.

In another scientific study, researchers used tomography to observe for the first time how psilocybin restructures a person's personality.