An addiction can be described as a compulsive behavior towards an activity or a substance that induces enjoyment and pleasure. It’s simple to attempt to confine addictions to only alcohol and drugs, but people compulsively engage in things like shopping, video games, sex, and more. Addiction is something that’s classed as a type of medical condition as opposed to a habit and needs to be treated, just as if it were any other type of illness or disease. Let’s take a quick look at a few of the more commonly seen addictions.
Drugs
When it comes to things like substance abuse, drugs are some of the most commonly seen around the planet. There are hundreds of thousands of people who abuse drugs in this country alone and the number is constantly growing. There’s a plethora of drugs that someone can be addicted to as well, from illicit substances to prescription medications and more. The prevalence of the misuse of drugs has been a massive societal issue throughout the ages.
You can create an addiction to drugs through recreational use or prescriptions. The substances most commonly abused are things like cocaine, benzodiazepines, opiates, and stimulants like designer drugs and amphetamines that are sold on the streets.
Gambling
Yes, gambling is a pastime, something to do recreationally, but it can evolve into a rather serious addiction for certain individuals. The thing is, the excitement of gambling can trigger an increased amount of dopamine to be released in the brain. That chemical is responsible for feelings of euphoria and pleasure. As a result of this, eventually, you’ll want to repeatedly experience this feeling and will go gambling again and again as a way to feel happy.
If you find that you or one of your friends or family is gambling uncontrollably, spending all your money and even borrowing to place bets, or are feeling uncomfortable when you aren’t gambling, there’s more than likely an addiction to it that’s developed.
Food
An addiction to food is sometimes referred to as a type of eating disorder. For example, someone who’s addicted to food can’t always help themselves when they’re around certain types of food. Foods that are highly palatable, rich in salt, fat, or sugar, can affect the chemistry in the brain and cause intense feelings of pleasure and satisfaction. That leads to the person eating them repeatedly.
Video Games
An addiction to video games can be a disorder that’s quite disturbing. It’s marked simply by an uncontrollable desire to play computer games constantly. If you’ve become addicted to video games, you may exhibit signs of misery, frustration, and irritation when you’re not able to play. You may also find yourself unable to focus on alternative activities if you’re a video game addict.
Internet
We’ve seen the internet penetrate most cultures. Since its inception, we’ve also seen people over-rely on it on a daily basis, to the point where it’s become an actual addiction for many people. A person can be said to be an internet addict (addicted to things like online shopping, search engines, texting, and social media) when they tend to isolate themselves from their family and friends in order to be online. They may also have feelings of euphoria when they’re online. Sometimes they may even skip responsibilities and work in order to be online and stay online much longer than they mean to.
Work
There’s also an addiction to work. It features a number of behavioral patterns that are found in other types of addiction – such as a nearly compulsive need to do it, in spite of any negative consequences. An addiction to work stems from the need to make your career advance and to meet high goals. Most of the time, people who find themselves addicted to work tend to have parents who had high expectations for their professional success.
If you or someone you love is suffering from an addiction, you can get your life back on track with rehabilitation. Rehab can also assist with getting a handle on the things you did compulsively. This is done with a variety of behavioral therapies and sometimes even with medications. You can get your life back, regardless of what your addiction is.
