Addiction is one of the greatest
challenges any human being can face. You want to know why? Well think about
what it will be like when you cannot stop yourself from doing anything. You
will see yourself lying on the railway even when a train is in sight. Your
ability to stop yourself from doing most things is very precious. Like the
saying goes, most priceless things are free (that is why they are without a price).
You do not
know the value of what you have till it is lost.
What is an addiction?
It has been defined as a habitual psychological (simply described as
the way you think) and physiologic (the way your body functions) dependence on
a substance (alcohol, cocaine, marijuana, nicotine) or practice (gambling, sex,
shopping) that is beyond voluntary control. These activities become compulsive
and interfere with ordinary life responsibilities such as relationships and
health. Users may not be aware that their behaviour is out of control and
causing problems for themselves and others.
Medically, addiction has been defined as a medical condition that is characterized by
compulsive engagement in rewarding
stimuli, despite adverse consequences. Despite the fact that these people
experience adverse consequences, they just cannot stop because of the rewarding
stimuli they brain gets.
What causes addiction in people?
The two properties that characterize all addictive
stimuli are that they are reinforcing
(i.e., they increase the likelihood that a person will seek repeated exposure
to them) and intrinsically rewarding
(i.e., something perceived as being desirable).
Addiction is a disorder of the brain's reward system
which occurs over time from chronically (long term) high levels of exposure to
addictive ‘things’ like morphine, cocaine, sexual intercourse and gambling. The
brain reward system is the part of the brain responsible "wanting" (or
desire), pleasure (or liking), and positive reinforcement. A positive
reinforcer is an event for which the animal will work in order to acquire a
reward (a review on reward neuroscience noted, "Any stimulus, object,
event, activity, or situation that has the potential to make us approach and
consume it is by definition a reward).
Classic hallmarks of addiction include:
·
Not being able to control use of substances or
behaviour
·
And continued use despite bad consequences.
Habits and patterns associated with addiction are
typically characterized by short-term reward and long-term costs.
What can increase your
risk for addiction?
The age, genes inherited and environment an individual is
exposed to can increase your risk of addiction.
Studies estimate that genetic factors account for 40–60%
of the risk factors for alcoholism. Similar rates of heritability for other
types of drug addiction have been indicated by other studies.
A child’s brain development can be
disrupted when they are chronically exposed to stressful events such as
physical, emotional, or sexual abuse, physical or emotional neglect, witnessing
violence in the household, or a parent being incarcerated or suffering from a
mental illness. The child’s ability to cope with negative or disruptive
emotions may be impaired. Over time, the child may adopt substance use as a
coping mechanism.
Types of addiction
Substances
·
Alcohol
·
Tobacco
·
Opioids (like morphine, heroine and tramadol)
·
Prescription drugs (like sleeping pills)
·
Cocaine (an addiction for the rich anyway)
·
Cannabis (marijuana).
·
Phencyclidine (PCP or Angeldust)
Impulse Control Disorders
·
Intermittent
explosive disorder (compulsive aggressive and assaultive acts)
·
Kleptomania
(compulsive stealing)
·
Pyromania
(compulsive setting of fires)
·
Gambling
·
Just for
fun, i will like to add bombing to this list.
Behavioural
·
Food (eating)
·
Sex
·
Pornography (viewing and acting)
·
Using the internet/computers
·
Playing video games
·
Working
·
Spiritual obsession (not same as devotion)
·
Shopping
How
to break an addiction
It was not acquired in a day; it cannot
disappear in a day. The following steps will help you quit an addictive habit:
·
Make up your mind to quit.
·
Have a plan on how you want to make your
decision work.
·
Identify triggers for your addiction and avoid
them.
·
Nature does not appreciate a vacuum; therefore
you should replace your addiction with something else.
·
Depending on the addiction, a doctor or psychologist
maybe required.
·
Religion helps break difficult cases of
addiction.
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