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Types of Addiction
All
addictions have the same basic symptoms;
obsession, compulsion, loss of control, and
continued use in the face of negative
consequences. People can develop addictions to
substances, behaviors or activities. Some of
these behaviors or activities may be normal,
everyday occurrences such as eating or shopping,
which can make it much harder to determine if
there is a problem with addiction.
The
model for addiction is changing. In the past,
addiction simply referred to physical and
psychological dependence on an addictive
substance such as alcohol or drugs. Without
physical dependence, there could not be a
diagnosis of addiction. Further research has
revealed that psychological dependence has much
more to do with the equation than originally
thought. People may become physically and/or
psychologically dependent on the following
substances, behaviors or activities:
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Alcohol
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Cocaine
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Heroin
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Methamphetamine
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Marijuana
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Shopping
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Exercise
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Overeating
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Undereating
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Work
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Sex
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Pornography
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Internet surfing
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The
reason that behaviors and activities can also
become addictive is that they may create
chemical changes in the brain that will cause
craving. When someone engages in an enjoyable
activity, chemicals are released in the brain
which creates a feeling of euphoria. The person
may then chase that feeling of euphoria,
continually and repeatedly engaging in the
behavior or activity searching for the high.
Individuals often use certain behaviors as a way
to cope with anxiety and depression as well, and
they may overuse those behaviors or activities
as a way to keep anxiety or depression at bay.
Looking at the list above, you may wonder how an
activity such as exercise, normally considered
healthful, can become addictive. If you exercise
to the point of physical, emotional, or mental
exhaustion or injury, experience extreme anxiety
when you cannot exercise, or cannot function
normally in the absence of exercise, you may be
addicted to it. An activity or behavior becomes
an addiction when it begins to produce negative
consequences and you insist on continuing with
the activity or behavior.
By: Patrick McLemore
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