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Home  Health Healthcare - general Addiction
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Written by Robert J Lewis
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People can be addicted to many different things and whilst alcohol and drugs are the two addictions that usually spring to mind, people also become addicted to such things as food, gambling, sex, spending, exercise and work.
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Health 4 u
By Robert J Lewis
Throughout our lives we all experience periods of happiness and inner peace and at other times we experience “downs”. These “ups” and “downs” are normal occurrences in life’s cycle, and most of us learn to live with the lows as well as enjoying the highs, and we know and accept that life is never going to be all highs and happiness. Addicts, however, attempt to control these cycles, searching for that elusive continual happiness.
For example:
An alcoholic drinking in a club or pub will experience a mood change.
Drug addicts experience a mood change from the effects of swallowing, inhaling or injecting drugs. Those with food addiction will experience a mood change during periods of excessive indulgence. Those addicted to gambling experience a mood change by putting money into a gaming machine or placing a bet. Sex addicts experience mood changes when “cruising” for prostitutes, trying to “pick up” in a bar, reading contact magazines or viewing pornography. Addicted shoplifters experience mood changes when stealing. Often what they steal they have no use for, it’s the “high” that is experienced in stealing that is important to them.
There are those for whom work can become an addiction, it takes over their lives to the detriment of family or social life. Spending can also be addictive for some, often way above their financial means which can result in heavy debts, however it’s the mood change they experience while spending that they crave.
Addicts are drawn to particular kinds of mood changes, for example;
Getting a particular reaction, emotion or response. Feelings of intense power. Being above criticism, suspicion, or punishment. Able to achieve satisfaction, contentment, happiness, fulfilment, feeling that victory can be won over pain. Such responses are experienced by those who gamble, spend or steal or take such substances as cocaine, ecstasy, or during their first few alcoholic drinks. The addict feels that they have great or unlimited power, whereas in fact all power is gradually and continuously reduced in a way that is not immediately obvious, and as the addict begins to sense a reduction in the enjoyable feelings they’ve experienced, they return to that which gave them the mood change, eventually becoming dependent.
Taking certain drugs, overeating or playing a gaming machine can produce a feeling of being thorough, absolute (total and complete) and beyond hurt or discomfort. A gaming machine addict will continually put money into the machine way beyond the point where most of us would be bored or sickened by the amount spent. All feelings of unhappiness or worry are deadened and remain so as long as they stay in the mood change activity; however once it ends they experience the return of any original hurt combined with a grief like loss of the happiness and contented feeling they experienced during the mood change activity. Gradually the addict has to spend more and more time on the activity or increase the amount of the “drug” taken to try and put off the inevitable “lows”. These lows become more and more intense resulting in deep sorrow, regret and loss of hope, but the addiction constantly offers a way of alleviating these feelings.
All things that can become addictive have a common denominator; they have the ability to bring about a positive, enjoyable mood change.
However, immediately an individual views a substance or activity as a means of achieving emotional stability they are laying the foundation stone of an addictive relationship.
As the families of addicts know, as the addict develops an intimacy with the substance or activity they become more and more apart and alone, removing themselves from others and find it difficult to have a serious or important relationship with another person. Addicts become solitary and lonely which only perpetuates the need to indulge further in the addiction.
Addiction is an illness and there are many reasons why a person may begin an addictive relationship with a substance or activity, and developing addictive behaviour is something we are all capable of, especially during stressful periods in our lives.
If you feel you have developed an addiction, talk it through with a professional who understands. At health4u all initial appointments are free of charge, so what have you got to lose?
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