ADDICTIONS AND HABITS
There are many types of addictions.
An addiction is an obsessive and uncontrollable attachement to an activity, substance, or a behaviour. The more common types of addictions are smoking, drugs, gambling, alcoholism, even internet addiction.
An addiction is more powerful than a habit, and can become more dangerous than a habit.
Habits
- Are not particulary damaging.
- They are something we do on a regular basis it becomes repetative and second nature.
- It becomes an automatic response.
Habits can become a natural part of our life and can include things we do on a regular basis like crossing our legs when sitting or brushing our teeth.
Habits can become bad habits, such as sucking your thumb or biting your nails, although these bad habits can be broken as they are usually unconscious or passive actions. Once our conscious mind becomes more aware of this habit, then the habit can be stopped.
Addictions are conscious and impulsive behaviour patterns that become difficult to control.
The Symptoms of a Habit can become an Addiction
- When they start to distract us from normal life.
- When they become more difficult to control.
- When they generate a dependency.
- When they start to override our feelings and emotions.
- When they cause phsysical witdrawal symptoms.
Addictions can be put into two catagories
- Chemical
- Behaviour
Chemical Addictions
- Endorphins, which is a type of hormone, can play an important part in the development of an addiction.
- Dopamine. there are some substances that can trigger the hormone dopamine, This can cause a feeling of pleasure and satisfaction, The addict will then feel the need to seek out this feeling again.
More Common Addictive Substances
- Tobacco (nicotine)
- Cannabis
- Cocaine
- Alcohol
- Inhalenlents (glue, aerosols)
- Heroin
- Morphine
- Caffeine (coffee, energy drinks)
Behaviour Addictions
- Personality, People who tend to be more anxious or nerves types seem to be more likely to develope addictive behaviour patterns.
- Background, People who have troubled pasts, who may have been involved in abuse or neglective issues are more likely to to become addicted later in life.
- Genetics, People who have close family members such as parents who had become addicted to alchohol had an increased chance of becomming addicted themselves.
More Common Addictive Activities
- Extreme Sports
- Constant Exercise
- Eating
- Gambling
- Sexual Activerties
- Internet
These types of activety can release the hormone dopamine, that cause us to have a rush of pleasure. An addict will repeat this action over and over again because they become dependent on this rush of pleasure.
The Different Stages of Addictions
- The first time. (some people are more likely than other to try something new).
- The second time. (some people will try a substance or something new just once then never bother again, while others will actively seek it out again because they enjoy the feelings so much.
- Dosage starts to increase. ( As our bodies begin to build up a tolerance to the dopamine in the brain, the user will then need to increase the dosage of the substance or the activity to produce the same feelings).
- Dependence. (The user now depends on the substance or activity as they can no longer function normally without it).
More Common Symptoms of Addictions
- Weight Loss
- Weight Gain
- Weakened immune System
- Feeling Unwell more frequently
- Changes in Energy
- Rapid Mood Change
- Changes in Sleeping Patterns
- Pupils change becoming smaller or larger than normal