psychological dependence

1. reliance on a psychoactive substance for its pleasurable effects. The dependence is signaled by a high rate of drug use, drug craving, and the tendency to relapse after cessation of use. Many believe that stimulation of the brain’s reward system is the driving force behind drug addiction and that tolerance and physical dependence may not be central to the development of dependency-inducing patterns of drug use.

2. reliance on others for emotional support, often characterized as an excessive need for their guidance, reassurance, and validation.

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Psychology term of the day

January 19th 2025

herpetic neuralgia

pain associated with shingles, caused by reactivation of the herpes varicella-zoster virus (see herpes infection). Following an attack of chicken pox, the virus lies dormant in a dorsal nerve root and ganglion of the spinal cord; when reactivated, it spreads down the sensory nerve, causing vesicle formation and severe, burning, lancinating pain. This acute pain typically resolves in 3 to 5 weeks, but patients often develop the chronic, debilitating pain known as postherpetic neuralgia.