Very few people plan on getting addicted to substances or behaviors, yet ultimately it’s an incredibly prevalent aspects of nearly every society. The human condition allows for the need for certain types of gratification, and the end result of a lack of self-control over time is that people get addicted to all kinds of things for all sorts of different reasons.
Five examples to observe in order to see the initiation of addictive behavior and then its immediate results include looking at gambling, drug abuse, sex addiction, screen time addiction (a relative newcomer to the list), and the social media depression that can come from a lack of personal self-control.
Dealing With Gambling Addictions
Working with a gambling addiction is a particularly tough one because gambling (after a certain age) is completely legal, and it’s often glorified among certain cultures. Plus, because there is such a wide range of ways to gamble, the compulsive gambling addict will never be all that far away from figuring out some new way to fulfill their need that hit of dopamine that comes with the risk and reward of betting money on something.
Drug Abuse Consequences
And there are a million different ways to fall into drug abuse patterns. It can start with friends, or it might start with a pain-killer prescription as a result of an injury. But once the cycle of need starts for real, drug addiction can tear families apart, lose people their jobs, and even bankrupt entire families, while ultimately potentially landing people in jail for selling or buying as well. It’s best to stay as far away from this as possible.
Sex Addiction and the Potential Fallout
There are celebrities who have become tabloid sensations by talking about sex addiction, but it’s more of a problem than many people realize, even for the non-celebrity. Because the need to feel pleasure in a sexual manner becomes compulsive, actions that people normally wouldn’t be involved in (especially outside of marriage) turn into a crutch that can be very difficult to stop.
Addiction to Screen Time
You’ll hear a lot of chatter about how today’s youth is completed addicted to their phones, and this is not necessarily that far away from the truth. When you can walk around in a public place and see that 90% of the population of the people under the age of 25 are all walking around like zombies, you get the feel for this disconnection people are complaining about.
Social Media Depression
And finally, there’s also a developing addiction to social media that’s creating demonstrable amounts of depression in certain demographics. Studies have shown that social media use of a certain type can almost directly lead to depressive behaviors in many individuals, and a style of intervention is often needed to curb the habit, as self-control isn’t good enough.