Addiction

Addiction is not limited to drugs or alcohol. While substance use disorders are widely recognized, addiction can develop around everyday behaviors that slowly take on a life of their own. It can show up in our relationship with cell phone, food, work, exercise, shopping, social media, gaming, pornography, gambling and even relationships.

At its core, addiction is about the relationship we develop with something.

Addiction is the repeated overconsumption of something in an attempt to soothe, escape, numb, or fill an internal void; a feeling of emptiness  and need to fill vacant spaces. What may begin as relief, pleasure or distraction gradually becomes compulsive. Over time, the behavior is no longer a choice but something that feels necessary to function, cope, or feel “okay.”

It becomes an insatiable appetite — a cycle that cannot truly be satisfied.
 

The Impact

Because addiction affects the brain’s reward and motivation systems, it often narrows a person’s world. Life can begin to revolve around the next “fix,” whether that fix is a substance, a purchase, a notification,  a moment of escape or a person.