ADDICTION

Good day readers of rejuvenation. I apologize for not posting yesterday

; had a long day. I hope we were able to gain something from last week’s posts on procrastination and that we have started making use of the tips that were given? It is a new week, a special one at that because we would be celebrating the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. I pray that every good thing dead in our lives will be revitalized by His grace.

This week, we would be looking at a very complicated topic: Addiction. Many of us know what this is but most people attribute it to only substances, i.e. drugs and alcohol. As much as I will be writing on substance addiction, this post is more on behavioral addiction. People need to understand that some activities they engage themselves in and call habits have actually become addictions that they have either refused to admit or are ignorant about. Behavioral addiction could be detrimental to a person’s life because it involves the engagement in that behavior at the expense of an activity which could be really important.

We have 24 hours in a day and use roughly 9 hours out of it at work; we are left with 15 hours. For some people, out of the remaining hours, they spend more of it engaging in one habit or another ranging from being on the phone, to watching a particular channel on the TV, to gambling, to sleeping and sometimes eating. The picture I’m trying to paint here is: some people are addicted to their phones, a particular TV channel, games, sleep and even food.

In terms of substance addiction, it is not only illegal drugs like cocaine and heroin that people get addicted to. As simple as paracetamol or vitamin C are, people get addicted to them that they cannot go a day without taking them. In fact, drinking coca cola has become an addiction for some people.  Most of the time, people’s addictions are derived from depression and they tend to ‘lie’ to themselves that drinking themselves to stupor made them forget their sorrow. It gradually starts as a habit but at a point, they just can’t help engaging themselves in it. 

I would like to give the definition of addiction. According to the Wordweb dictionary, addiction is being abnormally tolerant to and dependent on something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming.

According to Psychology Today, addiction is a condition that results when a person ingests a substance (e.g., alcohol, cocaine, nicotine) or engages in an activity (e.g., gambling, sex, shopping) that can be pleasurable but the continuation of which becomes compulsive and interferes with ordinary responsibilities and concerns, such as work, relationships, or health. People who have developed an addiction may not be aware that their behavior is out of control and causing problems for themselves and others.

Habits can easily be stopped by a person but it is usually very difficult to overcome addiction because it has become part of a person. I will want to check within you and ask yourself, what is that thing or that habit that I can do without for a whole day? Like, if I am asked to drop my phone for a whole day, can I do it? Or if I’m asked to delete all the games on my phone, how will I feel? Are you that person that claims if you do not take pain relieve after work, your body will not function well the next day?

This week, I would be sharing stories of people that have gone through addictions, the effects on them and how they managed to come out of it. I would share the different kinds of addictions that people are ignorant of. It promises to be insightful, educative and inspiring. And I hope this helps someone.

Much Love,

KanyinWrites.