Addiction

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Addiction: 1. Compulsive physiological and psychological need for a habit-forming substance; 2. The condition of being habitually or compulsively occupied with or involved in something. Source: The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Ours is a highly addictive society. Why? The answer is straightforward: supply and demand. The supply of addictive substances continues to grow; the affordability and availability of these substances makes them highly attractive to consumers; and the overall demand for addictive substances has increased as more and more users have become addicted to an ever-expanding array of substances and compulsions. Consider the following:

	A wider range of addictive substances are available than ever before (new “designer” drugs, for example)
	Those who sell addictive products have become increasing effective (consider how NASCAR built its sports franchise on a foundation of beer and cigarette advertising).
	The distribution networks that supply addictive substances are more efficient than ever before (example: internet pornography and gambling).
	The government has begun to nurture or, in some cases, to own and operate businesses that prey upon the vulnerabilities of addicted citizens (example: state sponsored lotteries and state endorsed casinos).

What can you personally do to stem the rising tide of addiction? On a grand scale, there is nothing you can do; the forces that conspire to sell and consume addictive substances are simply too powerful and too numerous. Besides, in a free society, adults should be free, to the maximum extent possible, to do as they wish (as long as their actions do not injure others). That freedom includes the right to engage in self-defeating behavior

On a smaller scale, there is much you can do to fight addiction, starting, of course, with yourself. Here are some things you can do:

	Learn to recognize addiction behaviors (often the signs are subtle)
	If anything has the potential to become addictive, don’t start (not starting is always easier than stopping).
	If you do start, don’t live in a state of denial (denial is the cornerstone upon which an addict’s life is built).
	If you decide to stop, stop completely (total abstinence is required; a spiritual reawakening is recommended).
	If a close friend of family member has a problem, help if you can (but whatever you do, remember to take care of yourself; PS: don’t become an “enabler”).

Addictions come in a wide range of flavors: Here are the most popular

Cigarettes (highly addictive for the users, highly offensive to the neighbors, highly profitable for the suppliers): currently, it is estimated that approximately 50 million Americans smoke, and about 420,000 Americans die each year as a result of smoking. Sadly, many smokers must endure ugly, torturous, and painful deaths as they gasp for breath from lungs that simply don’t work any more.

Alcohol (beer is, by far, the most popular alcoholic beverage consumed in America, accounting for approximately 2/3 of the nation’s overall alcohol consumption). The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) estimates that 1 in 13 American adults either abuses alcohol or is an alcoholic. 53 percent of men and women in the United States report that one or more relatives has a drinking problem. One study found that the top 10% of beer drinkers consumed 42% of all alcohol consumed in the United States: thus a relatively few drinkers are propping up a very big industry.

Illegal Drugs: the listing of illegal drugs is simply too lengthy to include here. So is the list of legal drugs that are used for non-medical purposes. Obviously, drug use poses a profound threat to society as a whole and to users in particular.

Gambling: compulsive gambling has been called America’s “hidden epidemic” (thanks to a fresh crop of casinos, lotteries, and on-line betting sites, compulsive gamblers have lots of places and lots of ways to loose their cash, not to mention their dignity).

Sex: “the oldest profession” is nothing new; what is new is the easy availability of on-line pornography.

Food: 100 years ago, overeating would not have qualified as a major addiction, but oh how things have changed. Today, Americans are increasingly addicted to high-fat, high-sugar, highly processed foods (and as a result, obesity is a red, white, and blue epidemic).

If the challenge of addiction is not solved, it will inevitably and inexorably bring ill heath and heartbreak to your and yours. That’s why moderation is a virtue if you can be moderate, and abstinence is a virtue if you can’t.

This page was written by Criswell Freeman, Psy.D.

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