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09/10/2024

Muhammad Galaev from Dagestan Green Crescent Shares Valuable Insights on His CND Experience at the Youth Advocacy Forum

On August 21, 2024, the 5th Youth Advocacy Forum was held, bringing together young participants aged 18-30 from various countries. The forum, which focused on the theme of "Electronic Cigarettes and Electronic Products" was also graced by the presence of representatives from different Green Crescent organizations. Among them, Muhammad Galaev, Head of the Youth Information Block at Dagestan Green Crescent, delivered a remarkable and insightful speech, drawing attention to his personal experiences. In his address, Mr. Galaev reflected on his participation in the 67th Session of the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND), which was organized by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). He shared key moments from a particularly meaningful side event he attended, titled “The Role of Sports and Mental Health in Preventing Addiction.” His reflections underscored the importance of promoting mental well-being and encouraging active lifestyles as effective strategies in protecting individuals from substance abuse. Moreover, Mr. Galaev took the opportunity to express his heartfelt appreciation for the unwavering support provided by the International Federation of Green Crescent Societies during the CND. He emphasized how the Federation’s presence and contributions at such global platforms enhance the visibility of civil society’s role in advocating for healthier, addiction-free communities. The forum proved to be a significant platform for young advocates, allowing them to exchange experiences, raise awareness on pressing issues like electronic nicotine delivery systems, and discuss collaborative solutions aimed at preventing addiction in future generations.

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BEHAVIORAL ADDICTIONS

When discussing addictions, many immediately think of substance addictions such as alcohol, drugs, nicotine or painkillers. However, the concept of addictive behaviors is often overlooked, leading individuals to unwittingly face behavioral disorders due to their addictions. Country Green Crescents, operating under the International Federation of Green Crescent, offer support to individuals tackling various forms of behavioral addiction, such as compulsive shopping, internet gaming and codependency.

The term behavioral addiction refers to an individual developing an intense attraction or compulsive inclination towards a specific behavior. These types of addictions arise when certain behaviors trigger the brain's reward and pleasure mechanism through repetition.

Addictions are typically divided into two primary categories: behavioral and chemical. Behavioral addictions represent situations where individuals experience discomfort, but the condition does not stem from substance use; instead, it revolves around specific behaviors. In such cases, individuals may find pleasure, relaxation and a sense of well-being when engaging in certain behaviors. However, if these behaviors lead to adverse outcomes, individuals may lose control over them, experience a weakened willpower and become mentally and physically consumed, indicating a behavioral addiction.

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Individuals with addiction often find their behaviors psychologically satisfying or enjoyable. However, feelings of guilt, remorse or anger may follow, leaving them feeling helpless due to the consequences of their ongoing choices. Coping with behavioral addictions can be challenging, as individuals often struggle to quit or reduce a specific behavior or action without treatment or intervention, leading to unsuccessful attempts to quit.

Numerous studies in the literature highlight the distinction between investigating the action that triggers addiction and its pathological level of use, compared to chemical addictions. While chemical addictions are characterized by tolerance and withdrawal, these physical symptoms may not be as evident in behavioral addictions. However, they still manifest to some extent. For a behavior to be considered addictive, it must encompass criteria such as mental preoccupation, mood variability, tolerance, withdrawal, interpersonal conflict and repetition.


Key symptoms of behavioral addictions include an incessant need to engage in the behavior, persistence for longer periods and more frequently than planned, spending excessive time engaging in the behavior, unsuccessful attempts to control, quit or reduce it, negative consequences on work, family and academic success, efforts to increase the frequency and intensity of the behavior and feelings of tension, restlessness or anxiety when the behavior is not performed. Behavioral addictions, such as technology addiction, food addiction, gambling addiction and sex addiction, exhibit these defining characteristics.

At the core of behavioral addictions lies individuals' inability to resist the urge or allure of engaging in harmful actions towards themselves or others. Each behavioral addiction is characterized by a repetitive behavior pattern demonstrating this fundamental feature in a specific area. These behaviors interfere with functionality in other areas when repeated, resembling substance use disorders in this regard. Individuals with substance addictions report difficulty resisting the urge to drink alcohol or use drugs.

Both behavioral and substance addictions share many similarities in terms of their natural history, phenomenology and adverse outcomes. Typically emerging in adolescence and young adulthood, they are more prevalent in these age groups than in older adults. Both behavioral and substance addictions exhibit a natural course characterized by chronic and recurring patterns. However, many individuals can achieve self-recovery without formal treatment, a phenomenon known as "spontaneous remission".


There are noticeable similarities in how behavioral and substance addictions manifest. People grappling with behavioral addiction often describe experiencing a kind of urge or craving before engaging in their behaviors, much like individuals with substance use disorders. Additionally, these behaviors typically aim to alleviate anxiety and can result in a sense of euphoria or a "high," similar to substance intoxication. Emotional instability can contribute to increased cravings in both behavioral addictions and substance use disorders. For instance, individuals experiencing pathological gambling, kleptomania, compulsive sexual behavior and compulsive buying often mention a decrease in the positive effects of their behaviors with repetition or a need to intensify the behavior to achieve the same effect, similar to building a tolerance.

The inclination of behavioral addictions to trigger financial and marital problems mirrors similar challenges seen in substance use disorders. Individuals with behavioral addictions, much like those with substance use disorders, may resort to illegal activities to fund their addictive behaviors or cope with the repercussions of their actions.

Resources:

Grant, John. E. “Introduction to Behavioral Addictions,” The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse 2010 Sept.; 36(5): 233–241.

Murphy, Edmund. “Behavioral Addictions”, 26 May 2023.

Turkish Green Crescent Society 

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Green Crescent provides scholarship support to master's, doctoral and medical residency students conducting thesis research on tobacco-cigarettes, alcohol, drugs, technology, gambling and other addiction forms at universities, institutes and research centers outside of Türkiye and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). The aim is to contribute to Green Crescent's areas of addiction research.Green Crescent aims to be a source for national and international efforts against addiction, fostering scientific research to contribute to addiction literature, aid in the development of policies and action plans, and support the growth of young researchers. To achieve this goal, Green Crescent has launched the International Graduate Thesis Research Scholarship Support Program, starting in 2024, to provide support for qualitative and quantitative research in many fields from health sciences to social sciences. The scholarship program offers a total of USD 3600 for master's students and USD 7200 for doctoral and medical residency students. The application deadline for the program is June 30, 2024.Green Crescent’s International Graduate Thesis Research Scholarship Support Program will consider thesis research in the following areas: Tobacco Use and Addiction Drug Use and Addiction Alcohol Use and Addiction Technology Use and Addiction Gambling and other forms of behavioral addiction In the 2024/U1 Period International Graduate Thesis Research Scholarship Support Program, Green Crescent will provide scholarship support in line with its strategic plan and goals for research in the specified following areas:Alcohol Addiction Evaluations of the effectiveness of alcohol consumption prevention efforts among young people National and international legal regulations on alcohol consumption and implementation results The effect of family values on alcohol consumption The effect of alcohol industry activities on alcohol addiction The effect of alcohol on public health in the context of violence and traffic accidents The effects of alcohol use in OECD countries in the context of developed and developing countries Problems caused by alcohol use in traffic The activities of the alcohol industry on social media platforms The effect of the pandemic period on alcohol addiction Tobacco Addiction Studies on the frequency of use of electronic cigarettes/heated tobacco products Etiological studies on electronic cigarettes/heated tobacco products Assessments of knowledge, attitude and behavior on the use of electronic cigarettes/heated tobacco products The effects of electronic cigarettes/heated tobacco products on human health Assessments of knowledge, attitudes and behaviors related to hookah use Evaluations of the effectiveness of tobacco use prevention efforts Studies on the effects of flat packaging Evaluations of the effectiveness of smoking cessation services on a national and international basis. National and international legal regulations on the consumption of tobacco products and implementation results Regional activities of the tobacco industry and their impact on consumption behavior Comparative studies examining the transposition of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control into domestic legal systems Studies examining the opinions of smokers and health sector workers on the inclusion of electronic cigarettes in smoking cessation practices Studies on passive smoking Studies on tobacco control policy instruments in Türkiye and the world (e.g. price and taxation, sales procedures, age restrictions, etc.) The effect of the pandemic period on tobacco addiction Studies examining the relationship between infectious diseases and tobacco products Ethical problems that will arise from the tobacco industry's positioning in the health sector (with new statuses such as pharmaceutical companies) Current status, setbacks and needs in smokefree airspace implementations Research examining the reasons for the recent increase in the prevalence of tobacco use among women in all age groups Studies investigating compliance with smoke-free airspaces Drug Addiction Investigating factors influencing the use of different drugs Etiological studies on the causes of drug addiction Studies on the frequency of cannabis use among university youth/ Studies on the frequency of drug use among university youth Evaluations of the effectiveness of activities to prevent drug use among youth The effects of drug use/multiple drug use on public health (e.g. unemployment, discord in family life, dropping out of education, etc.) Studies to develop reintegration models that would enable individuals with a history of drug abuse/addiction to take part in business life Examination of trends in the misuse and abuse of prescribed medicines Studies for the development of analytical methods for the detection of new psychoactive/drug substances Studies that examine regional trends in the legalization of drugs Studies comparing the  drug policies of Türkiye with those of regional and global organizations Studies examining the role of civil society organizations in the fight against drug addiction in the context of international examples Problems caused by drug use in traffic Studies investigating the abuse of addictive drugs and active substances in the health sector The effects of the pandemic on drug addiction Prodrug use and preventive studies Drug use in women/pregnant women and its effect on infants/neonatal mortality Investigating the effects of parental drug use on children and the family structure Investigating the frequency and reasons for drug use among children/youth raised without parents Drug use among disadvantaged individuals and examples of preventive good practices Behavioral Addictions (Studies on digital gaming, gambling, excessive use of social media, excessive use of smartphones and online pornography) Etiological studies on the causes of behavioral addictions (Example: Genetic factors, psychopathology, environmental factors, peer relationships, mental resilience, etc.). Studies on the prevalence of behavioral addictions on a large scale National/international policies and legal regulations on behavioral addictions DSM-5 or ICD-11 based scale development studies on behavioral addictions Studies on the treatment of behavioral addictions (psychotherapy and medical/pharmacological treatment) Studies examining the relationship between digital game addiction and gambling addiction The effects of the pandemic on behavioral addictions Studies supporting the conscious use of technology in school-age children General Studies that examine the effectiveness of psychotherapeutical approaches in addiction treatment practices Studies that examine the moral and philosophical dimensions of addictions Studies that examine the relationship between family relationships and addiction processes (e.g. domestic violence, etc.) Spirituality-based approaches in prevention and treatment practices related to addictions Social work activities related to addictions Comparisons of the social policies among countries on addiction Substance abuse and addictions in the workplace (alcohol, illicit substances, digital gaming and gambling addiction) Examining the effectiveness of prevention activities related to addiction Studies that examine the level of knowledge and attitudes of healthcare professionals regarding addictions Possible effects of energy drinks on young people Studies examining the relationship between addiction and criminal behavior Relationship between consumption and addiction Relationship between addiction and venues Social and economic impacts of practices and policies related to addictions Examination of the changes in the social and emotional behavior of individuals (adolescents, young people) under treatment and intervention: Longitudinal study For detailed information on the 2024/U1 Period International Graduate Thesis Research Scholarship Support Program, you can refer to the application guide provided below. The scholarship results are expected to be announced within a minimum of 3 months from the application deadline.For further inquiries, you can contact scholarship@yesilay.org.tr for detailed information.International Scholarship Application Guide:https://www.yesilay.org.tr/assets/uploads/pdf/international-scholarship-application-guide-v2.pdf International Graduate Thesis Research Scholarship Support Program Application Form:https://www.yesilay.org.tr/assets/uploads/pdf/international-graduate-thesis-research-scholarship-support-program-application-form.docx 

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