I've been thinking more about addiction recently and how it affects us more than most people think. When most people think addiction they think of drugs. So, of course, they are not an addict.
But I believe we all are addicts to some degree and, at the very least, have the potential to become addicted to things.
Things I have been addicted to, in no particular order:
- Alcohol. No I wasn't an "alcoholic", but I continued to drink alcohol even though I knew it made me feel worse the next day etc. This one is very common.
- Cannabis. It turned me into a recluse and perpetuated a downward spiral into depression.
- Food. I became obese and thoroughly unfit due to my eating habits.
- Porn. It affected my real sex life which made me and my partner feel bad.
- Sex. I spent far too much of my time pursuing sex with multiple partners, broke many hearts and burnt many bridges along the way.
- Youtube (and previously TV). I watched it every night in bed and it caused me to have terrible sleep.
I'm not sure why so little attention is given to addiction. Obesity should simply be framed as food addiction. Nobody wants to be obese. It's uncomfortable, inconvenient, embarrassing. They all want to "lose weight". They can't because they are addicted to food. Making that clear would probably help people deal with it. It has certainly helped me in many cases to understand that I'm addicted to something.
But I believe we all are addicts to some degree and, at the very least, have the potential to become addicted to things.
Things I have been addicted to, in no particular order:
- Alcohol. No I wasn't an "alcoholic", but I continued to drink alcohol even though I knew it made me feel worse the next day etc. This one is very common.
- Cannabis. It turned me into a recluse and perpetuated a downward spiral into depression.
- Food. I became obese and thoroughly unfit due to my eating habits.
- Porn. It affected my real sex life which made me and my partner feel bad.
- Sex. I spent far too much of my time pursuing sex with multiple partners, broke many hearts and burnt many bridges along the way.
- Youtube (and previously TV). I watched it every night in bed and it caused me to have terrible sleep.
I'm not sure why so little attention is given to addiction. Obesity should simply be framed as food addiction. Nobody wants to be obese. It's uncomfortable, inconvenient, embarrassing. They all want to "lose weight". They can't because they are addicted to food. Making that clear would probably help people deal with it. It has certainly helped me in many cases to understand that I'm addicted to something.