Now we present you with the list of the nine of most common addictions in our modern society. We hope you guys out there are not involved in any of them. What is addiction? Let’s see the definition of Psychology Today, it is “a condition in which a person engages in the use of a substance or in a behavior for which the rewarding effects provide a compelling incentive to repeatedly pursue the behavior despite detrimental consequences.”
We can speak about substance dependency, such as drugs, alcohol or food addiction; and behavioral addiction, such as video gaming, gambling. It’s a complex and chronic disease, and when somebody is addicted, they are not able to control the using of the addictive subject. They will become dependent, and this dependency will rule the everyday life.
Addictions effect the users’ life in a very harmful way, their relationships, family lives, financial situations break down, they become separeted and lonely, while they don’t notice anything from it. Once a man told me that he was a gambler earlier, and he went to the casinos by car. When arriving at the casino, he jumped out of the car, leaving all the doors open and run the to casino! His urge was so strong that even didn’t bother to leave the doors opened, the ignition key was in the car as well…
9. Shopping
Shopping addiction may seem to be the most harmless one, but in a long term period it can cause financial break, although in a short term it cause happiness and positive feelings, but these feelings are followed by anxiety and guilt shortly afterwards. This complex feelings are similar to food addiction.
8. Sex
Sex addiction doesn’t have official clinical diagnoses, yet it does exist. Those who are addictive to sex always look for more and more sex partners, have an increased need for masturbating, and seek sexually stimulated situtaions.
7. Internet
Internet addiction is on the rise, as it’s connected to some other addictions, such as gambling, shopping, video games.
6. Video games
There are more then two billion people who play video games regularly, and in the US we can speak about 150 million gamers. For many it’s just a hobby or a nice free time activity, but for many it’s a harmful passion with its all negative effects on their work, relationships, family life. Video games take the user to a different world, that can be much more attractive for the people than the real world. People can be heros, millionaires etc – so often they escape to this unreal world from the reality.
5. Food
The number of food addicted people is growing in these days. Food contains lots of addictive ingredients that activate the brain’s reward system, therefore it’s a very good feeling to eat even when they are not hungry. If you can remember the movie Supersize me – the guy, who acted in the documentary felt misrable when he didn’t eat. This is how it works.
4. Gambling
As accessing to gambling is very easy in these days, the addiction has grown in the last couple of years. Around 2.6% of the American population is reported to have some kind of issue with it.
3. Drugs
According to a data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, in 2016 there were around 7.4 million Americans from the age of 12 who had drug misuse. The main drugs were marijuana, heroin, and cocaine.
2. Alcohol
Alcohol addiction is one of the most harmful addictions in the world, as millions of people suffer from it, or as it’s also know as Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD). Only in America 16 million people are said to have alcohol problems. AUD has several causes, such as behavioural, psychological, genetic factors. Alcohol misuse and alcohol addiction differ, we speak about AUD if someone can’t stay sober for a longer period. Generally those who have serious problems with alcohol, need helpt to oversome it.
1. Tobacco
When it comes to addiction, nicotine is ranked as highly addictive. In America there are about 50 million people reported as addicted to some kind of tobacco, which means it’s the most common addiction in the US. Tobacco influences the brain directly as it spreads fast through the veins, and activates brain as a reward. This causes a very good feeling to the user, so people wish to smoke again.
This was our list of the nine of the most common addictions. We hope you find it arresting.
