There are multiple substances and actives, legal and illegal that people are or can become addicted to in society today.
Addiction Defined
Addiction can be defined as being abnormally tolerant to and dependent on something that is psychologically or physically habit forming.
The 10 Most Common Addictions
- Alcohol Addiction – The use of alcohol is legal for adults and easily available. Alcohol used even in small amounts can impair your mental and physical abilities and can lead to addiction if the use is prolonged and excessive. When drinking is no longer a social activity but becomes a need to drink you have a drinking problem. Alcoholism progresses over a period of time and changes the way the brain functions.
- Tobacco Addiction – This category includes cigarettes, pipes, cigars and chewing tobacco. The ingredient Nicotine is a highly addictive substance which enters the bloodstream and travels to the brain. Nicotine triggers the pleasure centers in the brain, the effect is short lasting and therefore smoking is continued to sustain it.
- Drug Addiction – This can include all drugs, legal or illegal. Simply because the doctor prescribed the medicine does not mean you cannot become addicted to it.
- Gambling Addiction- When gambling is no longer for pleasure, but an activity that there is no control over, when you are not able to stop despite the consequences to your finances, your relationships and you well being it is a sign of gambling addiction.
- Food Addiction – Eating food is necessary for our bodies. Food addiction is identified by a person’s inability to control their eating when dealing with feelings of sadness, anxiety or depression. Binge eating for emotional comfort is a symptom of food addiction.
- Video Game Addiction – Is especially prominent in people who play MMORPG’s Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games). In this type of game the person takes on a character identity and interacts with other players. The person with this type of addiction can spend hours and even days playing without stopping. Their personal life, professional life and even their own health needs such as nutrition, sleep and hygiene can be neglected.
- Internet Addiction – We all use the internet, sometimes everyday for our jobs or for personal use. When the need to be online and on the internet causes you anxiety or you are upset that your internet is not active, you are neglecting your responsibilities in order to be online and you find that you must be online all of the time this may be a sign that you are addicted to the internet.
- Sex Addiction – When someone’s sexual behavior is out of their control, causing problems at work or home, exposing themselves to sexually transmitted disease, getting sexual stimulation from illegal means such as the use of prostitutes or voyeurism. They spend massive amounts of time planning the next encounter or dwelling on the previous encounter, have multiple partners and one night stands with multiple partners or masturbate to the extent that their daily life is interrupted to do so.
- Shopping or Spending Addiction – Compulsive spending to deal with emotional and stress issues. This type of addiction can also lead to financial problems and dysfunction lifestyle.
- Work Addiction – When working gets to the point of obsession, when you can no longer think of anything but work, even when you are at home or off the clock or you feel the need to stay at work excessive hours or not go home at all this can be a sign of an addiction to work.
Getting Help for Your Addiction
If you find yourself or someone you love has an addiction you can call the National Addiction Hotline at 1-866-301-0367 for information and assistance in getting treatment.
Related Posts
There are a multitude of illegal drugs being abused daily throughout the world. According to the National Institute for Drug Abuse among some of the most common drugs being used...
For years psychiatrists have been studying the very controversial condition known as sex addiction. It has gained more public attention over the last few months due to statements...
Many people have asked that question. If it was back in 1885 or the early 1900’s and you were drinking the original recipe of Coca Cola invented by John Pemberton you could probably...
Excessive Tanning: Funny or Dangerous?
There have been plenty of parodies and spin offs of the latest reality TV show phenomenon known as Jersey Shore. All of the jokes relating...
A growing problem that is not always taken seriously is Prescription Drug Addiction. Many assume that since a medication was prescribed by a doctor that taking it is not considered...
Comments
Recent Comments