Eliora

Nadia Eliora
Joshua Blackburn
Physical and Health Education
17 November 2014
Dealing with Addiction
Dealing with addiction is a personal fight that few have never dealt with. Whether it
be addiction to things considered normal, like food or video games, or things considered
more serious, like drugs or self-harm. No matter how normal or serious an addiction it, its
immensely important to remove an addiction. But first we need to know what an addiction is.
An addiction is characterized by a persons continual longing for something. The inability to
consistently abstain, impairment in behavioral control, craving, diminished recognition of
significant problems with ones behaviors and interpersonal relationships, and a dysfunctional
emotional response (Definition of Addiction). This means that when a person is addicted, it
would be extremely difficult and almost impossible for them to hold themselves back from it,
because addictions reach a psychological level. Something classified as an addiction might
not necessarily ruin you, but they stop you from living life optimally.
Addictions are caused by the brains longing for pleasure, usually manifesting itself
through extreme longing for something, the inability to control craving, and continual
involvement with the specific addiction (Understanding Addiction). When the brain finds
pleasure in something and the body is constantly receiving it, an addiction develops.
Addictions range from addiction to common, household things to addiction more dangerous,
health-affecting things, for both solid and concrete objects. An example to addiction towards
an abstract thing is addiction to work, people having this addiction are specifically called
workaholics, because they find a reason to work even if it isnt necessary. Like many other
addictions, addiction to work is a mental thing. Some workaholics fall into the addiction

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because of the adrenaline released through the process, while others do it for the sense of
accomplishment and praise received from working. Nonetheless, addiction to work can be
dangerous for your mental, social, and physical health. Mentally, working too much may
cause severe stress. Socially, too much work will affect a persons relationship with their
community, stopping them fro interacting like they should. Physically, a persons body
becomes tired from the amount of work their seek to accomplish (Uttley).
A new addiction thats currently building up its victim count is Internet addiction,
something that wasnt possible until the last few decades. Symptoms of Internet addiction are
anxiety because one is unable to access the Internet, difficulty sleeping because of the
temptations of the Internet, depression (because of lack of motivation to accomplish anything
outside the cyber world), and social isolation. Most people who suffer from internet addiction
are usually people whove been exposed to it from a young age, like teenagers and children,
but they may also be adults who feel empty, meaning that the people who matter in their
lives they dont meet often, or they can no longer participate in their leisure activities (What
is Internet Addiction?). In both cases, Internet addiction bares negative results, as it hinder
people from functioning in daily life without the Internet constantly being in their lives, often
stopping them from maintaining their relationships with their peers.
Other common addictions are addiction to caffeine, addiction to television, exercise,
skin picking, food, shopping, or more abstract things like negativity and love. Addictions are
really a diverse set of things, because anything can be an addiction, literally anything. Though
these addictions may be considered quite harmless, because theyre either household objects
or just thoughts, they truly do have impact on a persons life. Most addictions consume your
mind, making you focus on that thing alone and stopping you from advancing in life. A single
item consumes life, which often makes them distance themselves from the relationships
around them.

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Some more addictions that are considered health threatening are alcohol, smoking,
and drugs. The three things mentioned have tolls directly leading to your health. Alcohol
addiction making a people become mentally impaired and causing them to participate in lifethreatening activities. Addiction to smoking is being addicted to the nicotine in the cigarette,
taking a toll on the smokers health. The chemicals inside a cigarette will ruin a persons
lungs through excessive use, and may lead to death. Addictions to drugs happen to both legal
and illegal drugs. Over-excessive use of either will impact a persons health, negatively.
Addiction to drugs usually starts from a person feeling like that specific drug is their only
hope left, making them attached to the drug. Addiction to drugs if not helped will eventually
lead to overdoses, which is immediate death in most circumstances. Another dangerous
addiction is addiction to self-harm, which is usually caused by negative feelings (such as
worthlessness, self-disgust, or desperation) and the process of doing so brings content to
oneself, or releases the feeling of adrenaline which makes them feel alive. This addiction can
also be fatal, as the continual process will constantly harm a persons body.
Another way that addiction can lead to death is when a person doesnt get their
addiction, making them even more depressed then before, allowing suicidal thoughts to float
through their minds. By no means should addiction be taken lightly, as it impacts one mental
and physical health a lot. Like everything else in life, too much of one or too much longing of
one thing will ruin you.
Curing or freeing oneself from an addiction is a difficult task, but it is possible with
determination. The first essential step it admitting that you have an addiction and accept the
fact, but not to settle with it and find the will to change. This may be the most challenging
step throughout the entire process, but essential if a person seeks to improve and to be free
from addiction. Another essential steps is to surround yourself with people who accept you
for who you are but know that freeing yourself from an addiction will unlock a million doors

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in the future. Finding people who dont have your addiction but you can console yourself in
and try to understand you, who will afterwards accept you with open arms. These healthy
relationships will help immensely in the process of recovery, as there will be times when
depression kicks in, and those people will be there to catch you when you fall. If youre one
of these people who are involved with an addicted person, you need to remember that you
cant push the person, and neither can you fix them. You must simply be there to help them,
guide them, and provide them with friendship. Their recovery does not rely on you and
should not rely on you, but on themselves.
Addiction is a serious thing, which is developed by almost everything and to almost
everything, as long as the pleasure factor is there. Remember that addiction is a psychological
thing, and it is often uncontrollable. Therefore, if you know that you have a constant longing
or craving for something and you often find yourself thinking of that thing and going through
desperate measures to obtain it, you have an addiction. As a person whos addicted, you
should be willing to admit your addiction and seek help if you aim for recovery. If you have a
relationship with a person who suffers and addiction, the best thing to do to be guiding them,
but to never push them to do things. Recovery from addiction is always a personal battle, and
though the road is rough with many obstacles, it is possible to overcome an addiction.

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Works Cited
Definition

of Addiction.

ASAM. 19 April 2011. Web.

15 November 2014.

<http://www.asam.org/for-the-public/definition-of-addiction>
Hoy, Lynette. Handling Addiction What You Can Do. Counsel Care. Web. 15 November
2014.

<

http://www.counselcareconnection.org/articles/6/1/Handling-Addiction---

What-You-Can-Do/Page1.html>
List of Common Addictions & Recommended Treatment. Addictions.com. Web. 15
November

2014.

<http://www.addictions.com/list-of-common-addictions-

recommended-treatment/>
Plattor, Candance. Top 10 Survival Tips for Loving an Addicted Person. CandancePlattor.
Web. 15 November 2014. < http://candaceplattor.com/free-articles/top-10-survivaltips/>
Understanding

Addiction.

Helpguide.org.

Web.

15

November

2014.

<

http://www.helpguide.org/harvard/how-addiction-hijacks-the-brain.htm>
Uttley, Caitlin. 10 Addictions You Might Not Know You Have. HowStuffWorks. Web. 15
November 2014. <http://health.howstuffworks.com/mental-health/10-addictions-youmight-not-know-you-have.htm>
What is Internet Addiction? Brainz. Web. 15 November 2014. <http://brainz.org/internetaddiction/>