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‘Fiending’, or ‘feening’, is a slang term used to describe intense cravings for drugs or alcohol. This is a sign of a more severe substance use disorder or addiction. If someone is fiending for drugs, they will experience both physical and psychological symptoms, leading to a compulsion to take drugs, even if there are negative consequences. By recognizing the signs of fiending, you can get urgent treatment for yourself or your loved one.
What is feening?
Feening or "fiending" is one of the most challenging aspects of substance use disorder, characterized by an overwhelming desire for drugs which can completely dominate thoughts and behavior. When someone is feening, their brain’s reward system has been altered, making the obsessions about the drug very difficult to ignore.
These cravings can override rational thinking and lead to risky behaviors to get the drugs, often leading to a dangerous cycle of substance abuse. This can lead to social isolation, financial problems, and worsening health.
Feening is often caused by triggers which are conscious or subconscious reminders of drug taking. This could be something as simple as being near a place where a person used to take drugs regularly or doing an activity previously associated with taking drugs.
If a person used to take drugs regularly at a specific time, even the time of day can be a trigger for feening. These triggers can be widespread and difficult to avoid, making feening challenging to control.
Where did “fiend” originate?
The earliest use of the term ‘dope fiend’ was in the 1890s for those who were addicted to certain drugs, such as opium. [1] However, the term is now broadly used to refer to anyone with a deep dependence on drugs.
Fiending derives from the word ‘fiend’ which means ‘a cruel or evil person’, which is a stigmatizing language that can impact those who are struggling to get help. People who are fiending are not cruel or evil and shouldn’t be worried about seeking the support they need.
What does “feening for drugs” look like?
The symptoms of fiending manifest both physically and psychologically, which can be distressing and severely impact daily life. The symptoms of feening include:
Physical symptoms
- Nausea or vomiting
- Stomach pain
- Diarrhea
- Fatigue
- Tremors
Psychological symptoms
- Anxiety
- Paranoid thoughts
- Compulsive behaviour
- Poor concentration
- Irritability and mood swings
These symptoms can be debilitating, with fatigue and tremors making simple tasks challenging, and poor concentration making it difficult to work or maintain relationships. The severity of the symptoms is what drives the desire to continue taking the substance, as that provides short-term relief.
Substance use disorder is treatable, so if you recognize any of these symptoms in yourself or a loved one, reach out to a healthcare professional for some urgent support.
Where does feening start: The warning signs
Feening starts to occur when the brain has been affected by drug use to the point where it finds it difficult to function without it. Many people start taking substances recreationally; however, if this makes them feel good, they may want to take drugs more frequently.
Over time, this can impact the brain and lead to feening. They may start to develop some cravings for the substance and start to focus their plans around the next time they take it, spending more and more of their time and money on the drug. If the substance use continues, these physical and psychological symptoms can become more intense until full fiending begins.
The younger a person is when they start taking drugs, the increased risk they have of having problems with addiction, due to the harmful effect of the substance on the developing brain.[2]
What causes feening: The brain’s role in drug cravings
Compulsive drug-seeking is caused by functional changes in the brain’s circuits relating to reward, stress, and self-control.[2] The three main areas of the brain involved in substance use and addiction are:
- basal ganglia (involved in the experience of reward and habit forming)
- extended amygdala (involved in the reaction to stress and negative emotions)
- prefrontal context (involved in organizing thoughts and decision-making) [3]
The body’s reward system is responsible for encouraging behaviors that feel pleasurable by releasing the neurotransmitter dopamine. Addictive substances ‘hijack’ a person’s reward system by releasing a higher amount of dopamine than normal in the basal ganglia, leading to a euphoric feeling.
Long-term impact on the brain
Over time, this can lead to dysfunction in the brain, as a person no longer gets the same pleasure from things, such as foods or hobbies, as they did before. This can then lead to altered habit formation associated with the substance and can ultimately cause craving symptoms.
This is amplified by the extended amygdala, which wants to avoid the negative emotions associated with withdrawal, driving the person to take more drugs.
Repeated substance use can cause the prefrontal cortex to lose function, resulting in poor decision-making and a loss of control.[4] All of these factors combine to cause the symptoms associated with feening.
Risks associated with feening
Feening, and subsequently frequent and prolonged drug taking, has many different risks. It can cause health problems, such as irreversible damage to organs, including brain impairment. As people can build up a tolerance to drugs, this results in larger amounts being taken, which further deteriorates their health.
As the compulsion for drugs overrides rational thinking, behavioral problems occur, such as risky activities to acquire the drugs. This can lead to theft or other illegal activities, which could result in criminal charges, and potentially detrimental to future employment and life opportunities.
Fiending can also cause many social problems, as relationships break down and financial difficulties occur, because drugs are prioritized over everything else. This can lead to social isolation and mental health problems as time goes on.
How to manage fiending behaviors
There are numerous support and treatment options for people experiencing fiending or suffering from a substance use disorder, ranging from structured detoxification programs to local support groups. Medical detoxes provide an effective intervention, involving a period under medical observation to fully remove the substance from the body. While this can cause intense withdrawal symptoms, it is a positive step to overcome addiction.
Psychological therapies, like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or motivational interviewing, are also used. These techniques can help individuals change their perspectives on substance use and make positive life changes.
There are also plenty of community support groups, such as Alcohol Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous, which help to remove the stigma associated with addiction. These groups offer ongoing support to those in recovery.
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