
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.
- 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.
- Chemical
- Behaviour
- 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
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