Resources and reflections on addictology, addictions and the path to well-being.
What are anabolic steroids and why they are used Anabolic-androgenic steroids are synthetic derivatives of testosterone, the male hormone responsible in particular for muscle development. Used outside medical settings, they are sought to accelerate muscle mass gain, improve physical performance, and speed up recovery between intense training sessions. Their use without a prescription is illegal […]
Read the articleWhat is exercise addiction (bigorexia) Bigorexia — called « exercise addiction » in the international scientific literature — describes a sporting practice that has shifted from a healthy habit into a behavioural addiction. Sport, an activity consistently linked to physical and psychological benefits, can nonetheless follow the same mechanism as any other addiction: sensation-seeking, growing tolerance requiring […]
Read the articleWhat is MDMA/ecstasy MDMA (often sold as pills called ecstasy, or as powder/crystals) is a synthetic psychoactive substance, mainly associated with use in party settings — evenings out, festivals, clubs, electronic music gatherings. As with most synthetic drugs sold outside a controlled pharmaceutical circuit, the actual composition of products in circulation varies widely from batch […]
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What is compulsive buying disorder Compulsive buying disorder describes a repeated, uncontrollable buying behaviour that does not respond to an identifiable real need and generates significant negative consequences — financial, relational, or on self-esteem. Precise data on its exact prevalence in France remain limited in the scientific literature today; what is, however, well documented, is […]
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Baclofen regularly comes up in searches related to alcohol addiction. Long used off-label, it remains surrounded by debate, between patients convinced of its efficacy and a scientific community urging caution. What is baclofen Baclofen is originally a muscle relaxant, used for decades to treat certain muscle contractures of neurological origin. Its use in alcohol dependence […]
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Sexuality and pornography remain topics we rarely talk about, even when they become a source of worry. Yet, as with alcohol or screens, a sexual behaviour can, for some people, gradually slip out of their control. It is not the frequency of pornography use, nor the intensity of sexual desire, that defines a problem. It […]
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Methylphenidate, sold in particular under the names Ritalin, Concerta or Quasym, is a medicine prescribed for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It works by stimulating certain areas of the brain involved in attention and control. Around exam periods, entrance tests or heavy workloads, some people obtain it without a prescription to « boost » their concentration, stay […]
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Working a lot is not a problem in itself. An intense period, an exciting project, an important deadline: most people know phases where work takes up a large place, without this challenging their balance. Workaholism is something else. It describes an over-investment in work that happens at the expense of personal life, with a loss […]
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Sleeping pills and anti-anxiety medications relieve real difficulties. A long stretch of insomnia, anxiety that takes over the day, a difficult period in life: these medicines can provide genuine relief when they are prescribed for a short time. The problem appears when use stretches on. A treatment planned for a few weeks continues for months, […]
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Artificial intelligence assistants (ChatGPT and other chatbots) have become everyday tools: writing, searching, explaining, structuring, sometimes simply chatting. For most people, they remain useful tools, used occasionally or professionally. For others, the use changes nature. The conversation with the AI becomes a compulsory step, a refuge, a habit that cannot be interrupted. The assistant is […]
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Tramadol and codeine are prescribed to relieve real pain. They can be useful after surgery, during significant pain or in certain situations where other treatments are not enough. The fact that they were prescribed by a doctor does not, however, remove all risk of dependence. A person can start their treatment by following the prescription, […]
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Playing a lot does not automatically mean being dependent. A long evening, a weekend devoted to a new release or strong involvement in a gaming community can be part of a passion without any disorder being present. Most people who play video games show no addiction at all. The real question is not only: « How […]
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Ketamine is sometimes associated with parties, festivals or a one-off search for dissociative effects. Because it does not always have the same image as alcohol, cocaine or opioids, some people believe it cannot lead to « real » dependence. Yet repeated use can gradually take up more space. The frequency increases, the effects become harder to achieve, […]
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Betting on a match is not automatically a sign of a problem. For some people, it remains occasional, framed and limited. For others, gambling gradually takes up more space than expected: more time, more money, more mental tension, and sometimes more secrecy too. It is often this shift that raises questions. Not just the amount […]
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At the beginning, there is almost never provocation or a search for transgression. There is a solution that is tried, and that works. A puff to come down after an overwhelming day, a joint in the evening to short-circuit rumination and fall asleep, or a way to mute a stress that keeps rumbling in the […]
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Some addictions are not read only through the product, the behaviour or the frequency. In some people, they are also rooted in an older relational history: insecure attachment, unpredictable presence, emotional unavailability or a containing framework that was lacking. In this reading, addiction can sometimes function as an attempt at regulation. It does not tell […]
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An addiction specialist is a healthcare professional trained to support people facing an addiction, with or without a substance. Their role is to help make sense of a difficulty, assess the situation without judgement and propose appropriate support. You can seek help from an addiction specialist for alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, cocaine, screens, gambling, or whenever […]
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Living abroad can make addiction-related questions harder to navigate. Healthcare systems differ, information is not always easy to compare, and it can be difficult to know which source is trustworthy. The goal of this article is not to replace local care, but to help expatriates find reliable information and understand where to look first, how […]
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Sometimes the question is not about the exact quantity. What you mainly feel is that alcohol is taking up more space than before: in your thoughts, in your habits, in evenings out, in the way you manage stress or keep going. This is not always visible from the outside. And it is not reserved for […]
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Imagine an evening out with friends, a promotion celebrated at work, a weekend in Paris to unwind. For many people, cocaine has slipped into these moments like a harmless accessory, almost trivial. Cocaine addiction often starts this way: discreetly, in moments that seem harmless. It is no longer the drug of 1980s films reserved for […]
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The misuse of nitrous oxide, often called “laughing gas”, has become a major public health issue in France in just a few years. Originally used in medicine for its anaesthetic properties or in cooking for whipped cream siphons, this gas is now consumed recreationally, especially among young people. Since February 2026, France has taken a […]
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Screens are now part of our daily lives. Smartphones, social networks, video games and streaming platforms take up a major place in our routines. Many people have felt that strange urge: wanting to put the phone down, but then continuing to scroll for long minutes, sometimes even hours. Why are screens so hard to leave […]
Read the articleFabrice Plantier supports you with care and without judgement, towards lasting change. A first appointment is all it takes to begin.