Other addictions

Every form of addiction is bad, no matter whether the narcotic be alcohol, morphine or idealism, C.G. Jung.

It’s gonna get harder before it gets easier. But it will get better, you just gotta make it through the hard stuff first, LiveLifeHappy.

Addiction is a brain disorder characterized by compulsive engagement in rewarding stimuli despite adverse consequences. They lead to relationship problems (separation, divorce, and social isolation), school drop-out, unemployment, bankruptcy, homelessness, delinquency, prostitution, and cause many physical and mental health problems including depression, anxiety, lung or heart disease, stroke, cancer, hepatitis, HIV/AIDS, etc. To sum up,addictions ruin lives and rip families apart, no matter the root of the addiction. They make the lives of those who live with them, addicts and their families, hell on earth.

There are a lot of addictions out there, e.g., alcohol, drugs, video game addiction, problem gambling, workaholic, shopaholic addiction, and pornography. Other addictions that we are only going to mention, but should also be taken very seriously are:

• Smoking. Tobacco kills up to half of its users, and more than eight million people each year lose their lives as a result of direct tobacco use, World Health Organization.

  

• Cyber addiction is the compulsive and uncontrollable use of computers, tablets, phones, and the Internet to the point that it interferes with daily life. People suffering from this addiction spend more and more time online and even stay connected when they should be doing something else. It refers to a wide range of problematic online behaviour, such as online shopping, gambling, gaming, cybersex, or social media overuse. It has been linked with headaches, depression, anxiety, social isolation, marital problems, sexual addiction, poor academic and professional performance, problem gambling, etc.

  

• Sex addiction or hypersexuality. This has been associated with people who have sexual urges that feel out of control, who engage in persistent and escalating patterns of sexual behavior despite increasingly negative consequences to themselves and others. There is an excessive consumption of pornographic materials, sex toys, gels, and aphrodisiacs. There is a desire for and experience of high frequency sexual behavior: sex with multiple partners, extramarital affairs, exhibitionism, public sex, sex with prostitutes, compulsive masturbation, etc.

  It ruins marriages, relationships, careers, and in many cases lives, for instance, 38% of men and 45% of women with sex addictions have a venereal disease as a result of their promiscuity.

• Television addiction. Heavy viewers get trapped watching TV for hours. For many viewers, binge watching series and shows on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, or similar services give them an escape from the day-to-day grind. They engage in this activity an average of four or more hours per day. They do not want to watch it as much as they do, and yet find themselves unable to reduce their viewing time. It is associated with eye problems, sleeping disorders, obesity, poor academic results, depression, loneliness, interpersonal communication problems, etc.

• Kleptomania is an addiction to stealing. It is characterized by strong urges to steal and inability to stop regardless of economic need. 64% to 87% of patients with kleptomania are arrested, with 15% to 23% being imprison, Maine News, 10 things everyone should know about kleptomania.
• Mythomania or addiction to lying is a psychological disorder, a compulsion to tell lies and exaggerate the truth. The person lies frequently and for no apparent reasons. It destroys relationships, families, careers, and lives. They might have a very low self esteem, feel worthless, and rejected.
• Pyromania is an addiction where the individual is obsessed with setting things on fire. They take satisfaction burning forests and wild lands and observing its terrible consequences.
• Compulsive hoarding is an addiction where an individual finds it absolutely impossible to get rid of their belongings.
• Voyeurism addiction is a compulsive sexual behavior of spying on unsuspecting victims who are privately engaged in intimate behaviors, such as undressing, showering or having sex. Exhibitionism is the addiction where the sex addict exposes their genitals or other private parts to a stranger and becomes sexually aroused by her or his reaction.
• Bewing or training addiction. It can lead to an unbalanced lifestyle, eating disorders, bigorexia, social isolation, and engaging in risk exercising (dangerous cycling, women jogging and running on deserted places very early or late in the day risk being sexually assaulted and rape, extreme sports, exercising when they still have an injury). Fitness is not a substitute for happiness, we all need to take a more holistic approach to personal well being.
• Other addictions: Body dysmorphic disorder, addiction to plastic surgery or body modifications (piercings), bigorexia, etc.