Addiction is a word that gets thrown around a lot: ‘I’m addicted to avocados’ or ‘this book is very addictive’ you might hear a friend say.
Chances are, your friend isn’t actually addicted to avocados or reading – at least not in a psychological or medical sense.
True ‘addiction’ is in fact a much more serious problem that is classed as a mental health condition (and in some cases a physical health condition), where a person cannot stop engaging in a behaviour that is causing them clear harm.
This guide provides a more thorough explanation as to exactly what addiction is and how it can affect people.
The core characteristics of addiction
When we’re talking about addictions like drugs, alcohol, gambling or even gaming, there are a few shared characteristics. Identifying these is important for understanding when a habit has become an unhealthy addiction. Some of the key characteristics are:
Loss of self-control
This could include intending to have one drink, but ending up drinking all night. Or perhaps intending to place a single bet at an online casino, but instead betting all your money away.
Those with addiction will often notice this and actively try to cut back, but are unable to then stick with it. They may even try to set rules (such as not playing video games on weekdays) only to break them soon after.
Strong cravings
People with an addiction will often develop strong cravings. They often cannot stop thinking about a certain substance or activity throughout the day and feel restless and irritated when they can’t do it.
It is also common for those with an addiction to plan their day around a behavior or substance. You may even find that you lose interest in other passions.
Continuation despite negative consequences
Habits become unhealthy addictions once they start to result in negative consequences. Such red flags can include:
- Health problems: This could include lack of sleep, malnutrition, injury or serious diseases.
- Relationship conflicts: Addictions can often lead to disagreements, dishonesty or even violence against family and friends.
- Neglect of responsibilities: This could include school, work, household chores or parental duties.
- Financial loss: You may end up spending more than you can reasonably afford to fund your habit.
If you recognize these negative consequences and are able to cut back, you are not addicted. However, if you continue despite knowing the harm, this is a clear sign that addiction has taken hold.
Substance addiction vs behavioral addiction
You can become addicted to substances or behaviours. While both addictions have similar characteristics there are a few important differences.
Substance addictions can involve alcohol, nicotine, caffeine, medications or illegal drugs. They involve consuming a substance which changes a person’s brain chemistry, often rewarding them with endorphins or other feelgood hormones. However, such an addiction can be both mental and physical – many addictive substances are often known to result in withdrawal symptoms once you stop taking them (such as shaking, nausea or sweating), which increases the compulsion to relapse. Addiction rehab treatment may be needed in serious cases to deal with both the physical and mental symptoms.
Behavioral addiction meanwhile involves behaviors like gambling, gaming, shopping, social media use, pornography or even exercise. In these cases, the addiction is purely mental – the brain craves the immediate release of dopamine that these activities provide much like a drug, and retraining the brain to say no becomes very tough. As with substance abuse, such behavioural addictions are defined by having negative consequences: someone spending hours per night gaming may not necessarily have an addiction, however if they’re not getting enough sleep or performing badly work because of it, then it has become an addiction.
Overcoming an addiction
Overcoming any addiction requires discipline. The first step is accepting that there is a problem. After this, you can start planning how you will cut down or give up the substance or behavior. Given that a key symptom of addiction is lack of self-control, it is likely that you will need support – either from a professional therapist or a family member or friends.
Setting yourself goals and rewards and tracking your progress is a good way to manage an addiction. You can also try reaching out to other people who have overcome the same addiction – this could be via online forums or local support groups. Beating certain substance addictions may require medical help to overcome withdrawal symptoms safely. Those who do not have serious withdrawal symptoms may be able to get by with therapy – do your research to find the best therapy solution for you.
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