Addictions are characterised by the continuous use of substances/behaviours that generate an alteration in the way of life: a simple and common habit becomes an exaggerated search for pleasure through these substances/behaviours.

The patient suffering from addiction manifests a compulsive physiological/psychological need to take a substance (often toxic) or behaviour continuously in order to experience its effects or not to suffer the discomfort of its deprivation. Addictions manifest themselves in characteristic behaviors that include loss of control over the habit, risky and excessive substance use, or isolation from social life. The causes of this disorder are to be found in a physiological predisposition of some subjects, for example linked to an alteration in the production of endogenous neurotransmitters, but also psychological and social factors, strong exposure to stress or traumatic events.

Addictions are treated through a motivational approach aimed at making the patient acquire greater knowledge of his problem and greater motivation for his treatment. In addition to this, group therapy may help the patient to relate to patients who suffer from the same condition and thus to identify more clearly the problems related to their addiction.
Often a pharmacological therapy to manage abstinence is essential to contain the risks, even organic, related to this phase: sometimes it is also appropriate a detoxification hospitalization for the preparation of a psychotherapeutic path, individual or group or a possible insertion in a community.