Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, Founding Rector of Üsküdar Üniversitesi, attended the 25th Traditional Merkezefendi Medical Festival hosted by Zeytinburnu Municipality. In the interview program titled “Harmful Substance Use and Family Awareness,” Tarhan made evaluations on the topic of “Addiction.” Tarhan said; “The rate of addiction is increasing worldwide, from substance addiction to digital addiction…” Prof. Dr. Tarhan pointed out that when looking at the families of addicted individuals, most are conflict-ridden families; “There are two important factors. One is bad friends, and the second is conflictual communication in the family. There is a cause-and-effect relationship between the weakening of the family and addiction.”
“The rate of addiction is increasing worldwide”
In the interview moderated by Dr. Tuğçe Ağba Sevencan at Zeytinburnu Medicinal Plants Garden, Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan pointed out that addiction is a global issue; “The rate of addiction is increasing worldwide, from substance addiction to digital addiction. It is currently referred to as behavioral addiction. Digital addiction is increasing, and as it increases, no solution can be found for the problem. This is a global situation that is observed all over the world. Researchers are investigating why this is happening. Is there a virus? A virus that causes depression, or a virus that causes addiction? In fact, there is: a social virus. People's philosophy of life has changed. Perspectives have changed. A pleasure-oriented global culture has emerged among people. Addiction is also called reward deficiency syndrome. In other words, the reward-related area in the brain is not satisfied. It wants more reward. When it is not satisfied with the reward, it goes into a crisis. Addiction emerges in this way.”
“There is a global system that has made pleasure an ego ideal”
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan drew attention to individuals who see hedonism as their purpose in life; “These individuals pursue pleasure as their life's purpose. They see pursuing pleasure as the meaning of life. When hedonism is the purpose of life, the person says, ‘I only live once. I do what I want and don't do what I don't want. What I like is good. What I don't like is bad. What gives me pleasure is good. What doesn't give pleasure is bad.’ The values in the world have shifted. Especially past generations matured amidst scarcity. Current generations will mature amidst abundance. All kinds of pleasure are available. Because of this, one says, ‘Why should I work? Why should I get tired?’ and accordingly, ‘I will eat, drink, and marry as I please.’ This time, after a while, the brain, constantly receiving pleasure, doesn't get satisfied; it wants more. The brain also creates shortcuts. Substances, cocaine, alcohol also create pleasure in the brain through shortcuts. One finds it unnecessary to develop their personality and experience pleasure by working, struggling, putting in effort, and getting tired. With a small amount of stress, they immediately resort to alcohol, substance use, or immerse themselves in games as a stress-reduction technique. They turn to computer games. They get lost in online gambling games. In this way, there is a global system that has made pleasure an ego ideal globally. The capitalist system encourages this.” he stated.
The future generation is under serious threat!
Tarhan pointed out that substance addiction is constantly increasing; “Along with substance addiction, there has been an approximately 60 percent increase among young people, especially in the last 10 years. This figure is very high compared to 20 years ago. If it continues like this, it will increase even further in another 10 years, and the future generation will be under serious threat. The method used by Yeşilay in Turkey is wrong. It doesn't work. Yeşilay also approaches with classical methods. They place advertisements on television. Advertisements say, 'cigarettes are harmful, alcohol are harmful.' Statistical research shows that 85 percent of people know that cigarettes are harmful. Despite that, they use them. Therefore, this method doesn't work. There is no point in continuing with the same method right now. Other methods need to be used. The positive psychology method is used worldwide in the fight against addiction. That is, by strengthening the psychology of healthy individuals in society before they become addicted, by doing psychological resilience work, by providing mental health endurance training, by teaching areas outside of substances for pleasure… Thus, they do not feel the need to use substances. This is a medium to long-term method.” he said.
Other disorders are in the background of addiction
Prof. Dr. Tarhan emphasized that addiction should be approached holistically; “An addicted person does not think about the consequences of their actions. They think short-term. They say, ‘I was happy that day, that’s enough.’ They don't think about what will happen three or five years later. They cannot see the natural consequence of their actions, or their behavior. They are taught empathy. Most of them have other underlying disorders. The majority of addicted patients have co-occurring depression. There are other co-occurring illnesses. When these improve, they do not feel the need for substances. People who use substances do not primarily start with addiction. They turn to substances to alleviate depression or because they see it as a remedy for some problem. When their problem, depression, or anxiety is resolved, they no longer feel the need for substances. So, its treatment is not difficult at all, but it requires a holistic approach.” he stated.
“There is a cause-and-effect relationship between the weakening of the family and addiction”
Prof. Dr. Tarhan pointed out that when looking at the families of addicted individuals, most are conflict-ridden families; “Intra-family communication turns out to be conflictual. There are two important factors. One is bad friends, and the second is conflictual communication in the family. They are always like Tom and Jerry with each other in the family. They constantly peck at each other like roosters and hens. There is such a relationship. When that happens, no one is happy. The child comes home unwillingly. When they come home, the parents try to dominate and manage them constantly, as if they were commanders, rather than parents. The child feels insecure. They seek that happiness outside. This exists in most families. If intra-family communication is good, if there is healthy communication, even if the child tries substances in such situations, they realize that the world of substance users is a fake world. The pleasures there are fake. It doesn't satisfy a person. At first, they get drawn in by its allure, then they see that there are lies, deceit, intrigue, and all kinds of evil. In other words, there is a fake life. When they see this, they say this is wrong and turn back. Family dynamics are very important. In other words, there is a cause-and-effect relationship between the weakening of the family and addiction.” he said.
“Normal pleasures are not satisfying for getting pleasure”
Tarhan stated that the duty of parents is to prepare their children for life; “Moving along life’s path is like moving in traffic. What do you do when you are in traffic? If you don't know the way, you look at the traffic signs. They tell you where to turn, how to go. The traffic signs in our lives are our values. Don’t lie, be honest, be hardworking, respect others' rights, show empathy. All these are values that come from our childhood. Society teaches them from birth. Parents teach this. When these are not taught, the child becomes a being who only thinks about their own interests. Everyone is pleasant and cheerful as a child, but after growing up, normal pleasures do not satisfy for obtaining pleasure. They use substances. It starts with substances.” he said.
“Quitting whenever one wants does not mean they are not addicted”
Prof. Dr. Tarhan spoke about the characteristics of addiction; “Substance itself is not enough to diagnose addiction. It’s the loss of control. Some people can maintain it, but some cannot stop once they start. They drink alcohol as if they can't stop. It’s the same with substances. This loss of control is important. Another is harmful use. They experience stomach bleeding, yet still use substances. They continue to drink alcohol. Dangerous use, harmful use. Then daily life activities are disrupted. They neglect their work. They start drinking alcohol during the day. They start using substances. Their productivity decreases. This also becomes one of the reasons for substance use. Another person might say, ‘I quit whenever I want. I am not addicted.’ if you ask them. They quit whenever they want, but after 3-5 days, they use it in a harmful and dangerous way. So, their ability to quit whenever they want does not show that they are not addicted.” he stated.
“Gaming addiction disrupts the brain’s reward-punishment system”
Prof. Dr. Tarhan also drew attention to gaming addiction, stating that it is called behavioral addiction; “Gaming addiction disrupts the brain’s reward-punishment system just as substances do. In gambling, you don't take a substance. However, the network system in the brains of gamblers is disrupted. Normally, the reward pathways in a person's brain are like a path, but in the brains of people who use substances, these reward pathways become like a highway. Because they are like a highway, a person who would normally take pleasure from a small thing, like drinking tea or walking in nature, might drink a large raki, for example, to get the same immense pleasure. They use a substance to achieve the same pleasure…” he explained.
It's all about balance…
Tarhan pointed out that life is not a give-and-take, but a give-and-receive, stating that when something is given, reciprocal relationships follow accordingly. Tarhan said; “Until recently, cultural transmission was carried out by the family. In Anatolia, it is said, ‘My daughter, be conscientious, be fair, be compassionate, my child.’ These are all forms of emotional education. For example, what we call empathy is referred to as 'being understanding' in our culture. Its official technical name is empathy. It is also called altruism. An altruistic person feels sorrow and anxiety about values. That is, they do not just think about their own interests. They also consider the needs, rights, and interests of the other party. This can be learned. It is learned in our culture. In other words, it's not always 'me, me, me,' but 'one for me, one for you.' Saying 'always for you, always for you' is also not right. In that case, one allows oneself to be exploited. So, it's all about being balanced. That's why life is not a transaction, but a giving-receiving process. If you give, reciprocal relationships follow. This is not just in a monetary sense. A kind word, a loving glance, a smile, saying a few nice words, a warm touch. All of these are emotional exchanges. For example, a loving glance is very important in close relationships. Holding a child's hand and caressing their head at an unexpected moment would be the greatest gift you could give that child.” he said.
